Your Sussex Wedding - December 2020/Janaury 2021 (Issue 88)

REAL WEDDINGS 35  itself,” Melissa tells us. They selected sausages and mash, including vegan and vegetarian versions, rounded off with a sticky toffee pudding dessert. The bride has a top tip relating to the evening buffet: “Make sure it’s set out somewhere people can see it. Drunk people want food, but aren’t good at locating it!” The evening ice cream was supplied by Vera the Vanilla Pod, whose team was very accommodating with a huge range of flavours including vegan ones. “There was a queue all evening,” Melissa recalls. And as you may have gathered from the centrepieces, Melissa is a huge fan of gin, so the venue set up a gin bar on the steps leading out onto the terrace, following the wedding breakfast, to freshen everyone up. LOOKING THE PART “I didn’t think there’d be many options for me to buy a dress from a boutique, not being a conventional size, so I was on the hunt for a bespoke dressmaker,” Melissa shares. However, her best friend suggested she try on some beforehand to get a feel for shape and colour. As soon as they entered Cambridge Bridal Studio Melissa saw the one on a mannequin and was ecstatic to discover it was the right size. The beautiful blush gown hadn’t been something she’d considered, but it was love at first sight. With the dress being the main event, the bride opted for simple accessories, including a pair of Carrie Elizabeth earrings, gifted by the groom on the morning of the wedding. Melissa says, “Jim always looks up who I follow in Instagram, then researches accordingly. I’m very lucky.” In the evening the bride switched up her look changing into a bespoke evening dress by Felicity Westmacott. “It was a great opportunity to unpick the confetti from my hair and have another event, as it had all been kept a secret to surprise Jim. I still felt like a bride, but one that could do the Macarena and high-kick to Footloose without falling on her face!” Jim’s suit was bespoke Ben Sherman, which made him feel like a million dollars, and his floral Ted Baker tie and pocket square complemented the bride’s dress beautifully. The groomsmen wore navy three-piece lounge suits with pink ties. The hue of the pretty bridesmaids’ dresses fitted in well with the rest of the bridal party attire, and most importantly, they passed the comfort test. TIME TO CELEBRATE The couple knew what they were looking for to entertain their loved ones: an acoustic walking wedding band. “We scoured YouTube until we found Wandering Hands, who took the day to another level. They created the most wonderful moment during reception drinks and lit up the room from the start of the wedding breakfast,” Melissa recalls. Guests were also thoroughly entertained with mini golf on the terrace, a photo booth and a glitter bar. Apologies from the bride to housekeeping who had to deal with the aftermath of the latter on pillows the next day! A DJ set rounded out the night. Disco Fever offer an online facility to upload your own playlist and detail requirements for the first dance, last 20 minutes of songs, last song and so on, allowing for perfectly curated wedding music. “Our party was just epic!” Melissa concludes. “I still can’t believe it actually happened. I’ve never felt so happy and so loved.”