YOU’RE MY WORLD

YOU’RE MYworld

A love of travel and adventure brought Jade and Harry together, so the theme for their wedding was an easy choice

Images courtesy of Joab Smith Photography

Jade and Harry met at university. Harry played rugby and Jade was part of the cheerleading team. Romance blossomed when they spent 22 hours in each other’s company on a coach trip through Europe on the university’s annual sports holiday. They made the most of the long hours on the road discovering a common love of films, travelling and generally enjoying life. Jade says, “Our dates were full of laughter and we always seemed to accidentally have that extra bottle of wine! Travelling and exploring the world is something that we both absolutely love to do and we regularly find ourselves planning our next adventure together.” Having decided they’d spend New Year 2019 in another country, Harry suggested Cyprus knowing he’d be able to propose in Jade’s favourite spot, The Natural Bridge of Koraka (Lover’s Bridge) at Cape Greco. Following a stressful journey through security with Harry hiding the ring and Jade nursing an NYE hangover, the proposal was a complete surprise. Harry even managed to set up his GoPro and captured the whole thing on camera for posterity. Join us now as bride Jade shares her treasured

“Walk around during the memories of the big day, 10th July 2021... wedding breakfast. We were LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION served first and had time to Having always been set on the idea of tying the chat to our guests. It meant knot at a country-house venue, the couple fell in love with Coombe Lodge in an instant, along with its that we had a memory with views of Cheddar Gorge and the Bristol Channel. every single person without “As we made our way through the grounds up to the building there was a sense of a timeless mystique worrying about finding people making us feel as though we were walking through a on the dancefloor.” – Harry fairy tale,” Jade explains. The opportunity for an outdoor ceremony beneath the beautiful sandstone arches was also a major draw. “The guest rooms were exceptional with many having standalone baths and floods of natural light,” the bride recalls. What’s more, nothing was too much trouble for the venue’s team and any idea the couple discussed with them was met with a warmth and eagerness to oblige.

SETTING THE SCENE

“We both love a party, so there was only one choice of favour for us – the beloved shot,” Jade laughs. They opted for limoncello, which is a favourite with both of them from their travels to Venice. The favours were used to raise a toast at the end of Harry’s speech with a hearty: “Yamas!” (“Cheers” in Greek Cypriot).

Wanting to share with guests all of the beautiful places the couple have visited together they selected a table plan design entitled: “Where in our world are you sitting?” In a bid for chic simplicity place names were etched onto clear acrylic. The table names too shared a travel theme, named after favourite holiday destinations. Love Bridge was a natural choice for the top table. Each one was paired with a Polaroid of the couple in the corresponding location.

Florist Stephanie Saunders created a combination of candelabra ball displays with a cluster of bud vases, and jars filled with flowers and candles to create varying heights across the space. Blooms included coral peonies mixed with white avalanche roses, eucalyptus and lisianthus. The bridal bouquet was a teardrop shape featuring white flowers with coral tones, broken up with foliage. Harry’s buttonhole was a single white rose finished with lisianthus and foliage.

After the ceremony guests were served canapés of confit duck fritter with chilli and soy, wild mushroom and taleggio arancini, and sesame halloumi bites with chilli jam. For the wedding breakfast, there was a choice of two delicious options, as well as an additional one for those with dietary requirements. The starter was spring pea and pancetta soup or ham hock terrine with piccalilli. For the main, the couple opted for a more traditional choice of chargrilled Somerset chicken breast or seared beef, and the finale was a crème brûlée with fresh raspberries or a milk chocolate and pistachio parfait.

Much to the chagrin of Jade’s mum, the duo chose a cheese tower over a traditional sweet showstopper. The six-tier tower of all that’s right with the world was expertly curated with the assistance of The Cheeseworks, and it was served along with a hog board and selection of accompaniments in the evening.

LOOKING THE PART

Jade wore a Morilee gown, which was the complete opposite to the style she thought she wanted. “Once it was on, I didn’t want to take it off. It felt timeless,” she says. The bride accessorised with a lace and diamanté belt and a cathedral-length veil customised with the couple’s initials and wedding date. Having always dreamed of wearing Jimmy Choos on her wedding day she was finally able to invest in a dusky golden glitter pair after a summer of saving. She also wore a personalised lace garter with a small blue ribbon – her something blue – and a charm with initials and date. Personalisation is important to the pair, so they also chose to have their wedding rings engraved with their wedding date and title of their first dance song, The Wonder of You.

Harry wore a grey three-piece morning suit channelling Connery’s Bond, with a dark navy tail jacket. His waistcoat was a deeper cut than the groomsmen’s and his tie was blue as opposed to their pink ones.

The bridesmaids looked beautiful in high-neck blush maxi dresses with embellished waistbands.

CELEBRATE IN STYLE

A string quartet entertained guests during the afternoon with an impressive modern repertoire of hits from Beyonce and Avicii to Queen and AC/DC.

In the evening, three-piece live band Renegades of Rock played covers of some of rock’s greatest songs. They performed two sets with a DJ set in between. “We had so many compliments from our guests on just how incredible they were,” Jade tells us.

The newlyweds shared their first dance outside as the sun was setting. “We always say this moment was one small blessing following the pandemic, as without it our first dance would most likely have been inside,” Jade says.

The photo booth too with its variety of props was a great hit. It provided unlimited photos with the wedding’s very own branded backdrop and also managed the guestbook.

At the end of the evening all 12 guests staying overnight at Coombe Lodge retreated to a small living area upstairs for some final intimate drinks, which turned out to be one of the day’s highlights.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Jade tells us, “Surprisingly, my nerves seemed to vanish on the day and I remember feeling utterly calm and relieved that the day had finally arrived. I was so excited to marry Harry and couldn’t wait to see him standing at the end of the aisle, it was a moment we’d talked about for two years. I had the most amazing morning getting ready with my five bridesmaids, mum and stepmum.”

Harry says, “I just felt excited from the moment I woke up. I couldn’t wait for the groomsmen and Jade’s dad to arrive for breakfast. The arrival of our guests was fantastic, we hadn’t seen many of them since before the pandemic, so the excitement of the day was boosted by the joy of being reunited. But the highlight of the day for me was the moment Jade turned the corner, arm in arm with her dad and I saw her in her beautiful dress. I was the last to see her and it’s an image I’ll never forget.”

“While you’re sitting at the top table, take five minutes to pause and take in the room: the decorations, the atmosphere, your family and loved ones. It’s a moment I’ll treasure forever.” – Jade

ROLL CREDITS

Venue and catering, Coombe Lodge, www.coombelodge.co.uk | Photographer, Joab Smith Photography, www.joabsmithphotography.co.uk Videographer, John Mark Films, www.johnmarkfilms.co.uk | Dress, Bell’Amore, https://bellamore.co.uk | Accessories, Britten Weddings, www.brittenweddings.com | Wedding rings, Carriage Diamonds, https://carriagediamonds.co.uk | Hair stylist and make-up artist, Evie Hair & Makeup Artist, https://eviesmakeup.com | Groom’s suit, Well Suited, www.suited-well.co.uk | Cake, The Cheese Works, www.thecheeseworks.co.uk | Flowers, Stephanie Saunders Flowers, www.stephaniesaundersflowers.co.uk | Stationery, Etsy | Entertainment, Warble Entertainment (Renegades of Rock), www.warble-entertainment.com (www.renegadesofrock.co.uk) | Entertainment, The Bristol String Quartet, www.thebristolstringquartet.com | Photo booth, Booth Co, www.boothco.uk | Chair decoration and love letters, Chair Covers of Bristol and Bath, www.chaircoversofbristolandbath.co.uk