Your West Midlands Wedding - Feb/Mar 2020 (Issue 66)

REAL WEDDINGS 49  F rancesca and Tom were childhood sweethearts and met when they were just 14-years-old at school. “I was walking down the ramp in the playground at the end of the day and Tom came up beside me and started chatting away, he was so charming and confident and as we parted ways, he stuck his tongue out at me. I think I got in the car and told my mum I had fallen in love!” Fast-forward nearly 15 years’ later and Tom took Fran away to her favourite place in the world: Salcombe in Devon. “I have been going there since I was two-years-old with my family and it holds so many special memories it truly is my special place,” shares Fran. “It was the weekend after my birthday and we decided to go for a walk to my favourite beach, South Sands. Once we got on the sand we walked to the edge of the sea, it was a very windy and wet December day, but the sea looked as lovely as ever! I remember so clearly Tom saying, ‘I haven’t just brought you here for your birthday, there is actually another reason…’ I had actually had a feeling he was going to propose so I wasn’t totally shocked but as he got down on one knee, I remember just wanting to explode I was so happy!” The big date was set, 17 th November, 2018, with St Mary’s Church and Iscoyd Park providing the perfect setting for the day... SETTING THE SCENE After a recommendation by Fran’s brother and sister-in-law, the nearlyweds visited Iscoyd Park. “The second we walked through the door we knew Iscoyd was the one!” recalls Fran. “It was outstandingly beautiful and meeting the staff for the first time was amazing. They made such a difference and made us feel so at home.” Decorative touches on the day included Cranch’s sweet shop pick ‘n’ mix bags for favours a nod to the bride’s favourite sweet shop, stunning flower arrangements put together by Red Floral Architecture, and a contemporary big-day cake with a modern marble-effect design. The florist Matt made the cake look even more special, he added a hydrangea on the top and placed it in on a clear cake stand surrounded by water, floating disco balls and rose petals! The tables at the reception were named after “Mitchells Milestones” Tom and Fran had been dating on and off since they were 14 so there were lots of momentous occasions that finally got them to the big day. “I have a mild obsession with disco balls so asked Matt if he could incorporate this into the ceiling fixture and he suggested adding giant (fake) white roses which I was sceptical about at first but my goodness the end result was breathtaking and there was an amazing photo taken of my nan walking into the marquee and seeing it for the first time, her face was priceless! The rest of the marquee was covered in white and green displays, each one being slightly different to the next it was exactly how I imagined!” LOOKING THE PART The bride looked picture-perfect in an Odylyne The Ceremony gown from Ghost Orchid Bride. “I always thought I wanted a big, ballgown dress as I’m quite figure-conscious and would never have imagined wearing something slim-fitting,” shares Fran. “However, every dress I tried on made me feel quite traditional and frumpy and I knew I definitely wanted something different that I hadn’t seen 100 times before – as soon as I tried the dress on, I knew it was the one ! It was covered in tiny pearls and sequins – so heavy – I loved the way it sat on my body and was