Your Sussex Wedding - Apr/May 2019 (Issue 78)

REAL WEDDINGS 41  L aura and Paul met in 2014 through friends who insisted they would be great together. “You both like triathlons and reading,” they said. The pair still love to tease their pals about their overly simplistic methods of match- making, but as Laura says, “We’re married now, so they must have been on to something!” Paul proposed two years later while on holiday in New Zealand. Laura says, “We were on Stewart Island, sat looking out at the ocean at dusk and watching little blue penguins hop around on the rocks, when Paul got down on one knee.” The groom-to-be must have been thrilled to have achieved the element of the surprise since he’d spent a lot of time on tenterhooks over the preceding days watching Laura rifle through the bag where the ring was stashed looking for various items to unpack. The couple wanted to get married locally, and having cycled extensively through the South Downs, they shared a love of Ditchling. Laura says: “It was nice to have the outdoor space for the blessing and the beautiful barn for the meal.” Join us now as the bride shares more details about the wedding day… SETTING THE SCENE Each guest was gifted a second-hand Penguin book in homage to the pair’s proposal story, each with a personal note inside. Laura explains: “We spent the 18 months leading up to the wedding collecting them at car boots and charity shops, trying to match titles to people as much as possible.” The bride’s parents grow wildflowers on their allotments, so she used these to create the centrepieces, which her mum tied with lace ribbons. Paul’s stepmum created the rest of the floral arrangements, again using beautiful wildflowers, and also turned her hand to calligraphy for the place names. With the barn boasting a natural beauty, Laura felt like it didn’t need to be crowded with too much more décor. Her mum again stepped in to make some wonderful bunting, and the scene was set. “Our friend drove me to the venue, and we spent the night on the farm in a converted ambulance called Babs!” – Laura FOOD FOR THOUGHT Jacqui from caterer Cooking In created a delicious tagine for guests to enjoy. “I liked the idea of sharing dishes because this had a social element to it,” Laura explains. Cooking In came as the venue’s recommended caterer, which was more than fine with the couple, “Jacqui was so efficient with her communication beforehand and actually helped us plan the timeline for the day,” the bride says. “She was also very good at accommodating various dietary requirements. I don’t know if we would have found anyone else as good by ourselves!” DRESSED TO IMPRESS The bride wore a Phase Eight dress, which she customised by adding a V-neck, small lace sleeves and a special bustle so she could hook up the skirt to walk around and dance. “I felt very much like myself in it,” Laura remembers.