Your Sussex Wedding - Page number 34 - October/November 2021 (Issue 93)

34 C ara met Ollie in 2014 while they both worked at the same company. They hadn’t previously encountered each other though until their worlds collided at an event Cara had organised where Ollie had an exhibition stand. “After that we found ourselves bumping into each other at pretty much every event I organised,” she explains. The pair soon became fast friends, meeting up on their lunch breaks or seeking each other out at a colleague’s leaving drinks, and eventually became a couple in 2016. Cara tells us, “I expect we were always going to end up together; but we were the only people at the time who couldn’t see it!” Ollie proposed in London while getting ready to see a show. “I was running seriously late and hadn’t yet finished my make-up, so I wasn’t best pleased when I was interrupted... Until I knew why of course,” Cara laughs. He’d always told her that he’d pop the question when least expected, so he was indeed true to his word. Given her career as an event organiser, venue hunting was second nature to Cara. Keen to ensure their reception space was completely different to the locations they’d used professionally, they both fell in love with Fitzleroi Barn. Cara explains, “The staff spent a lot of time showing us around without piling on any pressure, and it felt extremely personal with the owners having been married there themselves before hiring it out to other couples.” We were excited to learn more and caught up with the bride herself for the lowdown on the big day, 21 st July, 2021... RUSTIC ROMANCE Cara and Ollie settled on a relaxed vibe for their big day, which was themed to fit in beautifully with their barn surroundings and styled in a palette of white, cream, sage green and pink hues. The centrepieces then fell into place naturally. “We liked the rustic and ever-popular log slices, so I bought those very early on in the planning process and waited until further inspiration struck,” Cara shares. Then the tin milk churns presented themselves and everything came together once filled with flowers and placed atop the log slices. Crucially the blooms were carefully selected so as not to hamper guests’ conversations with their size, as well by virtue of their seasonality and having been grown in the UK. The overall effect was completed with glass jars holding candles and wooden table numbers. Place names slotted into wine corks were also added to the tables: “We do a lot of wine-tasting experiences together, so this seemed like a nice personal touch,” Cara says. The table plan was one of the final elements the pair decided on. They painted a large frame in white and hung up cards displaying each table’s guests using little wooden clips. Then for the finishing touch, their florist wound some foliage around it to complement the rest of the styling, before placing it on an easel. When it came to the big-day bake, Cara and Ollie opted for a semi-naked cake decorated with fresh flowers. The bride says, “Too many times we’ve been to weddings where the cake wasn’t eaten, so we were keen that it should be served as one of the desserts.” This went down a treat. Each tier was different involving Cara’s favourite – carrot cake, Ollie’s favourite – lemon, and Victoria sponge, sure to be popular with everyone. The first time they saw Fitzleroi Barn it was resplendently decked-out in white bunting and fairylights. It was a look the duo fell in love with, so they hired the same talented team responsible: venue stylists Bells and Bunting.