LET LOVE GLOW

from Your Bristol & Somerset Wedding - June/July 2022 (Issue 89)

ESCAPE TO THE FOREST

Let love glowREAL WEDDINGS

Shannon and Richard chose a rustic theme with a blue and white palette for their wedding styling

Images courtesy of Simon & Kiana Photography

Richard proposed to Shannon on Christmas Day 2017 with new beagle puppy, Reggie, on hand to assist. It was the couple’s first Christmas in their new home together and he woke her up bright and early at 4am ready for the surprise. Initially bleary eyed, she found a light box displaying the words “will you marry me?” and Richard down on one knee in front of the Christmas tree with Reggie sitting beside him proudly proffering the engagement ring, which was attached to his collar. “Of course I said ‘yes’ and we couldn’t wait to tell our family,” Shannon remembers.

No sooner had the engagement been celebrated, than Shannon was online researching venues. The first one they went to view was Quantock Lakes and they fell in love with it as soon as they arrived. Richard’s number one hobby is fishing, so the first thing he asked was whether he could fish the lake the day before the wedding! He was so happy when they agreed that he was instantly sold as well as being convinced by how beautiful the surroundings were. “The staff are so friendly and welcoming. We love the use of space and how the venue has grown since we booked back in 2018,” Shannon says.

The couple’s original wedding date was set for 20th June 2020, which would have been their 10-year anniversary, but with the disruption caused by Covid, they were forced to postpone several times. In the end, they decided to tie the knot almost a year later on 21st June 2021 under the 30-guest restriction in place at that time. “We had our ceremony and photos taken to remember the day, but our celebration wedding day took place on in January 2022,” Shannon explains.

Join us as we learn more about that big January celebration from the bride herself...

The bridesmaids and I had white bouquets with some blue flowers dotted throughout to complement the girls’ dresses. The buttonholes were single white roses held by a yellow shotgun cartridges.

We still had a ceremony on our January wedding day, but made it our own by having readings and I even wrote my own poem. Richard always knew he wanted a tweed suit, so his blue Marc Darcy three-piece was exactly what he was looking for. He accessorised with a yellow bow tie and brown shoes. The best man, groomsmen, pageboys and dads all wore matching suits with ties instead of bow ties.

My Stella York wedding dress was a fitted ivory silhouette with appliqué detailing and a scalloped train. I originally wanted something with a big lace train, but when shopping I realised I needed something I’d be comfortable enough to move around in all day. So, I opted for a cathedral-length veil, which meant I could take it off after the ceremony.

The bridesmaids wore fulllength dresses with cap sleeves, a sequin top and a floaty skirt. The flowergirls meanwhile had white and blue dresses with a floral waistband and sparkly silver shoes.

The centrepiece on each table was a trio of logs along with candles and wooden confetti. The place names were brown rustic handwritten cards tied with twine to the glow sticks. We went for table numbers instead of names, which were wooden blocks to complement the theme.

We all enjoyed a selection of canapés after the ceremony, including mini beef burgers, mini sausage and mash and chicken satay skewers. For the wedding breakfast, we dined on a two-course meal of chicken on the bone on a bed of stuffing with seasonal vegetables and roasted new potatoes, and for dessert we had mini shot pots of chocolate mousse and banoffee cheesecakes.

Our evening food was pizza – our favourite! Each one came in its own little box. The food went down so well, all of our guests complimented it.

In the evening a saxophone player and DJ kept us all entertained. They really knew how to get the party started and got everyone on the dancefloor. It was a wild night!

We wanted a cake that would be personal to us, so we opted for it to be decorated with silhouettes that told our love story. It didn’t just look great, it tasted great too! The tiers were flavoured raspberry ripple, salted caramel and cherry bakewell.

Our favours were glow sticks ready for guests to use in the evening, with the caption: ‘let love glow.’ We also had a build-your-own glow stick stand where they could make glasses, bracelets and necklaces. This was a huge hit amongst children and adults alike! We originally booked to go to South Africa on safari, but this had to be cancelled. Instead, after our wedding in June 2021, we went to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve in Kent on a safari getaway, which was brilliant. And in January 2022 we went to the New Forest for a week with our two dogs.

Quantock Lakes and Simon & Kiana Photography are amazing suppliers – I’d recommend them to anyone.

THE W-DAY TEAM Venue, Quantock Lakes Wedding Venue, www.quantocklakes.com Photographer, Simon & Kiana Photography, www.simonandkianaphotography.com Bride’s dress, Somerset Bridal, www.somersetbridal.co.uk Hair stylist, JLM Hair, www.instagram.com/hairbyjodiemckie Make-up artist, Nicola Redman Make up, www.instagram.com/nicolaredman.makeup Bridesmaids’ dresses, Maya Deluxe, www.mayadeluxe.com Groom’s suit, Zebel Bespoke, www.zebel.co.uk Cake, Wakey Cakey Kitchen Flowers, Fleur Amour Wedding Florist, www.fleuramourweddingflorist.co.uk Stationery, Apple & Bramble Events, www.instagram.com/appleandbrambleevents Entertainment, Girls That Mix, https://girlsthatmix.co.uk | Girl On Sax, www.instagram.com/girl_on_sax Venue styling, Sweet Forrest, www.sweetforrest.co.uk