Your West Midlands Wedding- Page number 33 - October/November 2021 (Issue 76)

bridal and classic. I purchased it from Lineys Brides and accessorised with a veil and small tiara.” Vlad chose a navy suit, grey waistcoat, blue tie and handkerchief from Suit the Occasion. “He had the same suit as my dad and his best man but with a slightly different buttonhole,” says Carly. “The bridesmaids had blue, sleeveless dresses from Quiz. I wanted them to feel comfortable and in something light in case it was warm.” TIME TO CELEBRATE “For the ceremony and drinks reception, we hired the Highly Strung String Quartet,” shares the bride. “They played beautifully, and a few of our guests said it made them quite emotional. This was one of my favourite parts of the day as I had always wanted a string quartet. We picked all the songs from walking down the aisle to the drinks reception, with options ranging from Disney and Linkin Park to Frank Sinatra. In the evening, we hired a three-piece band called Hard to Handle. They were amazing, and everyone loved them! They played popular songs that people knew and could dance along to. We also had a magic mirror photo booth from Bevan Events. Our friends and family walked on a red carpet and had their pictures taken with props. It printed out two photos, one for the guests to keep and one to stick in the guest book for us to look back on, which our nearest and dearest loved.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS “I’m quite an emotional person, so I was calm one minute and nervous the next,” Carly explains. “I was so excited to walk down the aisle. Vlad was calm the whole morning, but when it came to the ceremony, he also got quite emotional, which in a way was really nice and set off the whole room! We hadn’t seen much of our friends and family, so it was amazing having them all in one place celebrating with us. The day made us fall in love all over again. Our guests had to wear masks during the service, so we embraced this and asked if everyone could wear white or cream versions. The bridesmaids had specially made masks with lace, and the groomsmen had navy options to match.” Carly and Vlad had their dream wedding. “The speeches were all so brilliant, emotional and funny,” adds the bride. “They brought back a lot of memories and will always be remembered. To honour my two grandmothers, who unfortunately aren’t with us today, I had both their rings pinned to the inside of my dress, so I had them with me for the whole day.” HONEYMOON “We’re planning to go to the West coast of America on a road trip if travelling is allowed,” says Carly. “During our tour, we’ll visit San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, which should take us just over two weeks.” REAL WEDDINGS 33