Tegen and Sam met at the University of Brighton. Sam lived with a mutual friend and she first laid eyes on him at a gathering at her digs. Although they didn’t speak much that night, when Sam posted a few days later that they’d be hosting a barbecue over at theirs, Tegen responded to ask if she could join them. Unfortunately, the barbie didn’t go ahead, but Tegen invited Sam over to watch films and chill with her housemates instead. “I fell in love with him the third time I met him,” Tegen shares. “I arranged to take our housemates down to the beach one day and picked Sam up on the way. When we got to the beach we were inseparable.” They spent the next week together and became official a month later. “I fell in love with his ocean blue eyes, curly hair and dark sense of humour,” Tegen continues. “Since then, he’s been such a gentleman, he always takes care of me, and we always put each other first above anyone else. He’s my safe space, home and heart.” In the summer of 2022, Sam booked Tegen a spa day at Nutfield Priory in Surrey as a treat, and booked her a full body massage. He also told her that he’d booked something extra and that she should go to the hotel reception after her treatment. When she did so, the desk staff simply said “follow me.” When they went up in the lift Tegen was thinking there was a restaurant and he’d booked her an afternoon tea, but they stopped in front of the Byron Suite. “The lady opened the door and I found rose petals and candles leading up the spiral stairs to the top of the tower. It was only then that I realised what might be about to happen!” Tegen remembers. “As I walked up the stairs my stomach was full of butterflies and I was so excited and nervous.” When she reached the top, Sam was down on one knee by a heart of rose petals. They both cried happy tears, as of course, the answer was “yes.” Tegen had no idea, but it turns out he’d been plotting the proposal with her friends for about six months. He’d even asked his grandparents if he could propose with a family heirloom, made in 1909. Tegen is the fourth bride to wear the 19ct gold diamond and sapphire ring. Tegen had her heart set on an al fresco wedding with a woodland, elven feel. So, they visited The Ravenswood and discovered that it was the one. “On the day I really felt like an elven princess with my Prince Charming waiting for me,” Tegen says. Join us as the bride tells us more about W-day, 7th May 2024... SETTING THE SCENE There were plenty of fabulous details to complement their Lord Of The Rings theme. The couple opted for a sweetheart table and the tables were all named after Middle Earth locations. Favours were wooden keyrings with guests’ names on them, which doubled as place names. Centrepieces were cherry blossom trees with Polaroid photos hanging from them featuring the couple with the guests seated at that table. Tegen’s bouquet featured a mix of dried and fresh flowers. “This was something I wanted, not so much driven by the theme, but I’ve always loved the look of a dried bouquet with some fresh flowers,” Tegen explains. The aisle was lined with small boxes of artificial flowers, with two further feature crates at the top with glass candle holders. The two 10ft wisteria trees also at the end of the aisle pulled everything together for a an elegant, romantic woodland vibe. The couple opted for a two tier semi-naked cake to suit the Lord Of The Rings period of minimalism. The venue catered the wedding breakfast as part of their package. Guests dined on a starter of salmon and veggies, followed by lamb shank, and crème brûlée for dessert. LOOKING THE PART Tegen went into the bridal boutique with the idea she’d walk out with a mermaidstyle gown but instead chose a fitted silhouette. She fell in love with its beautiful lace train, which gave it a woodland feel. “I had the back of the dress changed as it was held together with a small beaded cross back, which I just didn’t think suited it,” the bride explains. “I went to the Wedding Dress Surgery in Croydon and Tina created a back that was perfect, which continued the lace look but on nude netting which gave the impression of lace floating on my skin.” She completed the look with Arwen’s Evenstar necklace and wore an elven-style head dress. She also accessoriesed with beautiful diamond earrings that once belonged to her maid-of29 REAL WEDDING
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