Your Kent Wedding - Page number 37 - May/Jun 2021 (Issue 96)

REAL WEDDING 37 J ackie and Graeme met via a dating website, My Single Friend. “Some people are sceptical when it comes to online dating, but at the time Graeme was living in Hythe and I was living in Orpington, so without it we’d never have met,” Jackie says. After several weeks of exchanging messages, the pair arranged to meet up one Sunday lunchtime and spent the whole afternoon chatting and laughing together. “We found that we had so much in common and that there was a real connection between us, so we couldn’t wait to see each other again,” Jackie explains. After a year of whizzing back and forth up and down the M20, the couple decided to move in together, and the rest is history. To celebrate their sixth anniversary together the pair arranged an afternoon tea at the Ritz, and it was there, after the champagne had been poured, that Graeme got down on one knee and produced Jackie’s beautiful engagement ring. She tells us, “There was no hesitation in accepting his proposal as I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.” Join us as the bride shares her account of their wonderful wedding day… SETTING THE SCENE After looking at several different venue styles Jackie and Graeme decided their location of choice would be somewhere with an abundance of character. They booked an appointment for a viewing of Lympne Castle and fell in love with it as soon as they set foot inside the main gate. “It’s a beautiful Grade I building, dating back to the 12 th century, set in stunning grounds with the most amazing views. Plus, there’s a summer house, which can be used for outdoor ceremonies. This was something we particularly wanted, and we were fortunate that the weather was good enough to make our wish come true,” Jackie explains. The wedding’s colour palette was inspired by a beautiful old bicycle the couple saw at a wedding fair at Detling. It had a large basket on the front filled with hydrangeas, foxgloves, roses and other gorgeous blooms, all in a mixture of lilacs and mauve. “As soon as we saw it, we knew it was exactly what we wanted,” Jackie remembers. As the Castle’s Great Hall is so full of character, with high ceilings, wood panelling and ornate windows, the pair decided to avoid gilding the lily. They opted for tall antique gold candelabras, which were decorated with hydrangeas, roses, lavender and gypsophila and adorned three of the tables. The remainder were dressed with low centrepieces, which comprised a mirror base, candles and the same flowers. Further decoration included a gorgeous floral garland on the Hall’s old fireplace mantelpiece and their beloved bicycle, which sat outside in the courtyard holding a welcome sign. The table plan and numbers boasted the same floral theme and palette as the invitations. The former was displayed on a white easel at the entrance and the table numbers sat in antique gold stands, which complemented the candelabras beautifully. Graeme loves cake, so it simply had to the be the highlight of the day! Jackie tells us, “We chose The Cake Witch after meeting her at a wedding fair where her skill in cake making blew us away.” The couple opted 