Esther and Oliver met online and bonded over a shared love of music and similar childhoods filled with youth orchestra. Drinks soon turned into day trips, “which has resulted in now being enthusiastic National Trust members!” Esther says. The two had been living together for a month when Oliver suggested they go out for dinner to celebrate. Having set off for the restaurant, Oliver feigned the realisation that the reservation time was still a couple of hours away, so he suggested they stop off in Hyde Park to kill some time. As they stood together at the viewing point by the lake, Oliver got down on one knee and proposed to Esther. He’d even come prepared with prosecco and glasses in the boot of the car. “The church in Illminster is a wonderfully traditional building with a long aisle for the bridal party to walk down and enough pew space for all Oliver’s London work colleagues,” Esther explains. “It sits on higher ground surrounded by the town’s traditional butchers, bakery, cafes and cheese shop – it’s so very English.” They similarly fell in love with their reception venue, Old Bridge, when they found it online. “The beautiful marquee and gardens alone would have sold it, but the owners are the most welcoming, kind and helpful people you could ask for,” Esther shares. No question was too small, no request too big. They had the freedom to bring in their own caterers and decorate however they chose. Plus, located just a 10-minute drive from the church it was a dream come true for our couple. The all-important date was set for 20th July 2024, join us as Esther tells us all about the big day... SETTING THE SCENE Esther and Oliver shared a vision of a quintessentially English wedding day, with a country garden feel. They discussed the idea with their florist, Frogmary Flowers, and outlined the desire for wild, country cottage style floral arrangements, with the look of being freshly picked from a nearby meadow just in time for the wedding. The bouquets were rustic and hand-tied and a neighbour offered to make the arrangements for the church. “She coordinated beautifully with Holly, our florist,” Esther says. Flowers were certainly a showstopping feature of the day. For the centrepieces Esther wrapped hessian around a selection of jam jars and finished them with ribbon. These were filled with stems purchased from their florist and some blooms cut from the bride’s parent’s garden. Finally, they were placed on top of log slices and surrounded by tea lights. The table plan and names were hand painted by the bride and included their favourite fictional couples: Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, Ross Geller and Rachel Green, and more! Another neighbour made the four-tier big-day bake adorned in stunning sugar flowers to complement the bouquet. “We asked for blue icing to be a bit different, and had a scale model of our wedding car (a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud I) on top. The wedding breakfast was catered by Andy Spooner from The Real Spoon, and featured dishes that contained a nod to Oliver’s middle eastern, Iraqi, heritage. Canapes were served as the guests arrived, followed by a three-course meal of sharing platters treating loved ones to a riot of flavours. A delicious Somerset cheese tower was laid on in the evening alongside crackers, bread and chutneys. The wedding cake was also sliced and laid out so guests could help themselves, and marshmallows were available for toasting over the firepit. LOOKING THE PART “I wanted something with lace that felt sophisticated but still a bit princessy,” Esther says of her wedding dress search. Having tried on a number of options with her mum in Somerset, they started Googling key words describing their favourite elements of various dresses, and that’s how they found Rosa Clara. Without a further moment of hesitation Esther headed to the designer’s London store where she spent four hours with a consultant, along with her mum on Facetime, and together they found the one. The bride accessorised with a pair of crystal drop earrings she found during her hen weekend at National Trust property Barrington Court, where there’s a row of artisan workshops in the farm buildings. Oliver wore a tailor made suit from Moss, while his groomsmen were dressed in blue Ted Baker suits also from Moss. The groom’s jacket lining set his apart and REAL WEDDINGS 25
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