Jojo met Findley met while studying at the same college at university. “We started hanging out by osmosis really as we shared a mutual friend. A few nights out later and we were seeing each other. We called it official in October 2012, so 2022 marked our 10-year anniversary.” Findley proposed at the top of The Old Man of Coniston in the Lake District. They paced it up the peak on an unmarked trail in record time partly because they had an early dinner reservation and partly because they knew they had a small window of opportunity with regards the weather. When they reached the top the clouds parted and the sun beamed down, that’s when Findley got down on one knee and asked Jojo to marry him. Jojo’s parents have lived in a farmhouse in Lamberhurst since 1997, which is where she grew up. Overlooking Lamberhurst Vineyard with beautiful views of the valley and village, it sits in a stunning location. “We’ve always hosted parties there, with a big, well-tended garden, it makes the perfect venue. I couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else,” Jojo tells us. So, it was there the couple said “I do” in the open air on the most beautiful of summer days, in the meadow at the bottom of the garden. They had a drinks reception with jazz beneath the oak trees and dancing later in the marquee. Join us as the bride tells us more... SETTING THE SCENE The pair opted for a Midsummer Night’s Dream vibe, with a soft English countryside feel where a long grassy meadow meets classic romance. The palette was made up of sage green, dusky pink and cream. Working with florist Amelia Florence, Jojo and Findley set the scene beautifully for their ceremony with an extraordinary moon arch at the altar and meadow florals lining the aisle for the bride’s whistful entrance. The couple chose centrepieces that were a combination of boxes filled with the same meadowy florals as the ceremony, and simpler bud vases, dotted along the length of the long trestle tables. Amelia also created a stunning installation hanging above the middle trestle table, which was the marquee’s main centrepiece. “I absolutely adored our flowers and was incredibly excited to work with Amelia on them,” Jojo shares. “She got the vision right away. We were getting married in a field of long grass peppered with wild flowers, so we wanted to make the arrangements equally dreamy. The feature blooms were roses and pampas grass, with lots of long and feathery dark and light green foliage, as well as other blooms in blush pink and cappuccino.” One of the best men, George, makes novelty, interestingly-shaped cakes. In fact, he’s well-known for making a hyper-realistic overfilled ashtray from cake. “He’s an artist, and asked to do our cake, which we knew would be a fun statement,” Jojo shares. “We went through a few different ideas together including a fully-working train moving around a mountain to all of the places Findley and I have ever visited together. Eventually though, we settled on a hyper-real suckling pig. Needless to say it divided opinion. I think a fair few attendees were horrified by it!” The place names were simple and elegant white cards with a strip of gold at one end, wrapped in blush pink cotton twine, along with a sprig of Rosemary in memory of the bride’s late granny whose name was Rosemary. “Enlist the services of an on-the-day coordinator so you don’t need to worry about anything at all.” REAL WEDDING 31
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