Your Sussex Wedding - Feb/Mar 2019 (Issue 77)

REAL WEDDINGS 61  something we hadn’t seen before that looked great and still had a practical use.” The big-day bake was a simple yet decadent three-tier chocolate cake with white fondant icing, fresh flowers and greenery. The use of creative lighting painted a wonderful atmosphere for the celebrations. Fairylights adorned the ceiling of the marquee, with tiki torches placed around the field’s perimeter. A rustic red carpet led guests up to the marquee via a shepherd’s crook and festoon-lit archway. A Caribbean twist was added to the cocktail reception with a steel band, El Carabana, and cocktail bar serving frozen strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas. Live band, Lion Men, took over in the evening and proved a huge hit with the guests. LOOKING THE PART It was important to Vicks’ mum that she adhered to the family tradition of wedding dress shopping at the same local boutique where her two older sisters found their gowns. Luckily, Vicks fell in love there. She says: “I had an exact idea of what I wanted. Something simple and elegant, preferably an A-line with an illusion sweetheart neckline – which is exactly what I found!” The Fara Sposa gown, 5188, was paired with a long-length simple veil and a pearl and diamond hair comb. The groom was dressed to impress in a morning suit with a gold waistcoat and pale blue polka dot tie. The groomsmen were dressed to complement, with contrasting grey waistcoats. Vicks’ bridesmaids wore long, theme- fitting pale blue dresses with embellished belts. MEMORABLE MOMENTS The couple decided to adopt a healthy attitude on the day, as Vicks shared: “If anything went wrong, it was going to be out of our control, so we made a promise to ourselves to just laugh and our guests would laugh with us.” An outlook, as it happens, that was tested when the bride’s vintage convertible Bentley petered out on the way to the church, shortly after leaving the farmyard! Fortunately, the father-of-the-bride saved the day and got his daughter to the church on time. Their personalised ceremony was a huge highlight for the couple, especially as Matt’s sister and boyfriend sang in the church. Vicks remembers: “She has the most beautiful voice. It meant so much to us that she could do that.” Matt’s mum led the prayers and introduced them in Maori as a nod to the groom’s New Zealand heritage, a proud moment for the pair. The expert team of suppliers that came on board to create a wedding day that dreams are made of also stuck in Vicks’ mind: “Our photographer, Camilla, and videographer, John, made it an unforgettable day for us.”