Your Sussex Wedding - February / March 2021 (Issue 89)

REAL WEDDINGS 29 L aena’s first impression of Jonathan, on overhearing him converse fluently in another language at a mutual friend’s birthday party, was that of an exotic Italian gentlemen. However, once she’d headed over to speak to him, it materialised that he wasn’t Italian at all! Nonetheless, their connection was instantaneous, so much so he proposed to her that same night! It only took Laena seven years to say “yes.” The couple were on a mini-break in the Peak District when Jonathan decided to take another stab at proposing. He took her to the peak of Thorpe Cloud and that’s where he asked his all-important question again, this time in earnest. Attention turned to the venue search and Laena and Jonathan had lined up a number of options, but once they’d viewed Worthing Dome the rest were forgotten. Not only did the beauty of the building sell itself, but it also held meaning for the pair since they’d been to see Despicable Me 2 there on their first date. By the time these enthusiastic foodies had seen the incredible menu options it was a done deal. We were excited to find out more about this big day and caught up with bride Laena to get the lowdown… SETTING THE SCENE The pair opted for an earthy yet vibrant palette of yellow, orange and teal, and the chair sashes in particular really made the latter pop when it came to the venue styling. Laena created the centrepieces herself using copper lanterns, fairylights, pine cones and wooden wreaths embellished with faux flowers complementing the palette. She was then able to get in touch with local florist Greenfingers to match the colours in fresh blooms for the bouquets. The bride joined forces with her sister to design and create the table plan. She kept to the natural theme by painting circles of leaves and utilising spare faux flowers. Her sister then calligraphed the guests’ names. The wooden table numbers were suspended inside the centrepiece lanterns and Laena’s sister again used her calligraphy skills to write out the place names on small wood pieces. The favours were super-cute bags of coffee from a supplier in Hull, a favourite with the couple. “We would proudly say we’re coffee snobs,” says Laena. Each one was labelled with their guests’ names along with a personal message thanking them for being part of the special day. The cake was all about the flavour. “We had cupcakes with a large cutting cake presented on a large hand- carved wooden stand. The cupcakes were flavoured with elderflower and raspberry, and lemon and white chocolate, while the cutting cake was a delicious chocolate bake with orange curd,” Laena explains. LOOKING THE PART The bride wore a tea-length dress, Rosalyn from True Bride’s Brighton Belle collection. “As I’m quite short, I didn’t want to go for a full-length dress,” she explains. “I knew what I was looking for and tried on a few from this retro-style collection, but the one I said ‘yes’ to was head and shoulders above the rest. The reaction from my mother and my bridesmaids confirmed it,” she continues. 