Your West Midlands Wedding- June/July 2020 (Issue 68)

REAL WEDDINGS 47 H elen and Ross met at work, when she was actually his boss, but they became good friends really quickly, “Becoming a couple was a slow burn but eventually the laughs and jokes soon turned to flirting and in 2013 we began our relationship!” recalls Helen. Five years later, Ross popped the question in Helen’s bucket list destination Venice. “Little did I know, he had booked the flights and a suite next to St Marks Square and contacted my manager without me knowing to book time off of work,” shares Helen. “The night before we were due to leave he told me to pack a bag but gave no further details. We then drove to the airport and booked us in, still without me knowing the destination. He then walked me to the gate of the Venice flight. “Once we landed, we had a private boat to our hotel. We spent the day walking around the streets, stopping for food and drinks. When we got back, we ran a bath, popped a bottle of bubbly and he got down on one knee and proposed. You would think I would have realised the proposal was coming but as we were saving for our first place, I had assumed that we would wait until we were living together. I was so surprised but eagerly said “yes”!” The loved-up pair set the date, 25 th April 2019, with The Mill Barns setting the scene. Here we find out more about their day... SETTING THE SCENE The Mill Barns needs little decoration and the couple wanted to reflect the four elements; water – surrounding the venue, earth – the green of the surrounding area which they incorporated into the flower arrangements, air – the table plan had a wind chime-effect, fire – candles were used around the venue. To avoid upsetting their beloved families, they chose to spend some time together and opted for a sweetheart table. “It was a great decision as we got a few moments alone,” shares Helen. Between courses we went round the tables to speak to everyone. The other tables formed around our table in a semi-circle to avoid anyone being placed at the back of the room. We had group games and icebreakers for the tables (created by our bridesmaid Katie) and the children were given colouring books and toys to keep them busy during the speeches.” Wanting to inject elements of their personality into the wedding, Helen and Ross – who admit to having a geek-streak – named their tables after couples from their favourite film and TV shows, like “Glenn & Maggie” from The Walking Dead and “Daenerys & Drago” from Game of Thrones. What’s more the couple spent a year making their own confetti from Helen’s mum’s garden, which was used to adorn a mirror, as well as a ladder with photos from previous family weddings and honouring late relatives. LOOKING THE PART Helen wore a gorgeous gown, Bush by Mori Lee which was a princess-style dress which Helen accessorised with pale pink, T-bar lace Jenny Packham heels. Ross looked dapper in a dark grey with black satin lapel tuxedo and black bow  “We didn’t meet Victoria Amrose until the morning of the wedding but we instantly felt so relaxed with her, she stood back and let us just be a couple and got some great shots of us.” – Helen