Your Kent Wedding - Jul/Aug 2019 (Issue 85)

REAL WEDDINGS 39  Simply enchanting Liza and Alex created a whimsical wedding day at Winters Barns in Canterbury Images courtesy of David King Photographer A lex made Liza nervous when they first spoke, and that’s not just because he was auditing the company for whom she worked! She explains, “I was covering reception that week, so naturally we ended up talking every day. I just thought he had the most amazing eyes.” Liza must have had a similar effect on Alex, as on his last day in the office, he subtly slipped his phone number on to her desk. “It would be great if we could go for a drink sometime,” he said while making a swift retreat. The rest, as they say, is history. The pair were visiting Liza’s parents in Cornwall when Alex popped the all-important question. His plan was to propose on the beach in the same spot he’d told her he loved her for the first time. Liza says, “It was meant to be a surprise, but I was a bit suspicious when he was adamant that he wanted to go for walk even though it was raining.” When the venue search began, the couple were looking for somewhere with all-round beauty, and Winters Barns ticked the boxes for them. Liza says: “We fell in love as soon as we saw it. The little extras such as the hops and fairylights make it look truly magical. It’s stunning inside and out.” The date was set for 13th October, 2018. Here the bride takes us through their special day… SETTING THE SCENE The theme for the day was rustic meets enchanted forest, with a palette of marsala, navy and gold. Centrepieces were a mix of low colour-complementing floral arrangements and tall moss-covered twisted hazel branches adorned with fairylights and hanging glass globes filled with flower heads. Liza remembers, “Michele, our florist, did an amazing job. She listened to everything we said regarding our vision for the day.” The table plan was laid out as a cricket field, with the tables named after fielding positions, which were scribed on cricket bats. Liza explains, “Alexander is the captain of Beckenham Cricket Club and lives and breathes cricket, so there was no way it wasn’t going to get incorporated into the wedding somehow.” They opted for a mix of cupcakes in varying flavours, including strawberries and cream, chocolate orange and carrot cake, with a small cookies and cream cutting cake. They even had a cake-topper custom-made, showing Liza dragging her groom away from a cricket match to the wedding. Liza recalls, “Danielle, who designed it all for us, was amazing and even included little golden bees to represent the team’s nickname.” FOOD OF LOVE The newlyweds were also keen to incorporate their families’ heritages into the big-day, and the food provided a perfect opportunity to do so. Winters Barns’ preferred caterer, Scott Anderson exceeded the couples’ expectations. “Paul listened to our ideas and executed them to perfection,” says Liza, “We chose dishes to reflect our heritage, including scones with jam and cream, as well as sea bass to