PLAN B-EAUTIFUL

Plan

B-eautiful

Karen and Tayler’s wedding journey took them from the US Sunshine State of Florida back home to Great Yarmouth Images courtesy of Simon Watson Photography

Although Karen and Tayler went to the same sixth form college in Norfolk, they didn’t set eyes on each other until the second year when their film studies groups merged. “When Tayler walked into the room for our first lecture of the year, wearing his bright yellow T-shirt and patterned board shorts, as strange as it sounds, I had a gut feeling that something was going to happen between us from the minute I first saw him! His outgoing, funny personality grabbed my attention instantly,” remembers Karen. Turns out, he was thinking the same and set his sights on pursuing her! “We clicked from the start and the fact that we had many of the same friends and interests helped push things along pretty quickly! Tayler achieved his goal in the end and, after various nights out, we eventually got together and have never looked back!” adds Karen.

POPPING THE QUESTION

Tayler proposed during a two-week holiday of a lifetime touring America. A week into the trip, they set off for Anaheim, California home of the original Disneyland and the first Magic Kingdom. “We had visited it a few years before, and I fell in love with the place,” explains Karen. She noticed Tayler was acting a little odd and kept asking her whether it was definitely her favourite Disney park. “I assured him it was, but had no clue why he was so concerned. When we got in, our first stop was the main castle for a photo and as I got my phone ready, I looked at Tayler and he was down on one knee!” At first she thought he was joking and it wasn’t until he took the ring box out of his pocket that she realised it was for real. “I was a bit of a squeaky mess, but I said ‘yes’, of course!”

THE TIME AND THE PLACE

They started planning their big day in January 2019 and originally had their hearts set on getting married in Orlanda, Florida, until COVID put pay to that. Everything was booked and ready for them to jet off to the Sunshine State with 35 guests for their dream wedding on November 3rd last year. However, with just six weeks to go, and no news of any let up on travel restrictions to the US, they finally decided to pull the plug. Karen recalls, “When the pandemic first struck we’d just started the planning process and, like many people, we thought that by the time our wedding day arrived it would be well and truly over – how wrong we were!

“We had to decide whether to wait it out until the last minute and see if our plans could go ahead, postpone to a future date in 2022, when things would hopefully be more normal, or cancel our destination wedding altogether and bring it home. After much deliberation, we felt we really wanted to get married sooner rather than later. After two years of uncertainty we wanted to be able to feel excited at the thought of getting married and so wedding plan B was born.”

After 13 years together, including a six-year engagement, they tied the knot at The Royal Assembly Rooms in Great Yarmouth on 29th October 2021. They had previously booked the venue for a post-wedding celebration on their return from America and luckily were able to get it for their whole day.

“We liked the layout of the venue, which is one of the reasons we chose it. It has two bars, a beautiful ceremony room and a bright and spacious banqueting room. We were also able to invite many more of our friends and family who wouldn’t have been able to go if the wedding had been in Florida,” adds Karen. “Our celebrant Francesca Foulsham wrote a beautiful, personalised ceremony filled with memories like the story of how we met and our engagement and she also included a handfasting which was a lovely touch.”

LOOKING THE PART

Happily, choosing her dream dress went without a hitch. Karen fell for the first one she put on, a Stella York (style 7066) ivory, vintage-inspired gown complete with train. “City Brides in Norwich couldn’t have been more helpful. I was able to try it on in front of the most important people, my mum and bridesmaids, as they allowed me to do it in two groups due to restrictions on numbers inside the boutique at the time,” she explains. “I loved the fit and flare silhouette which complemented my body shape perfectly and really highlighted one of my greatest assets, my behind! I love a bit of glitz too, so the lace and sparkle helped me

to know it was the one instantly.” She bought it off the rack and had it altered by Bryony Woodward at Little Miss Sew ‘n’ Sew. “She did an amazing job and it fitted like a glove on the day,” raves Karen. Her five bridesmaids wore navy blue or pink dresses in different styles to suit them and the wedding party had artificial silk flowers in blush, coral and ivory tones.

“Simon took us for a stroll before the evening reception to get some photos on the seafront. We stood outside the Flamingo amusements and inbetween cars beeping and people shouting out congratulations, he took some absolutely incredible shots!”

ALL IN THE DETAIL

The wedding décor featured a nod to Disney, subtle Halloween touches and pink, navy and ivory tones throughout. They had a Mickey and Minnie Mouse table plan and their three-tier cake also reflected the theme with a personalised Disney topper.

The centrepieces were drinks bottles, collected from house parties over the years, decorated with Halloweenthemed fairylights and filled with pink and ivory artificial flowers set off with silver sequin pumpkins, ivory or pink lanterns on mirrored trays provided by the venue.

Personal touches included vodka shot favours for guests to be downed after the best man’s speech and a trick or treat sweet table. After the reception there was chance to relax and chill out at the bar before the party kicked off and everyone hit the dancefloor.

“Our fabulous DJ asked us to pick the final songs of the evening and they went down an absolute storm with our friends. We danced so hard I thought the floor might give way!” adds Karen.

“Actually having our big day and celebrating with so many of our friends and family made us so grateful and relieved that after all the planning, we finally had our dream wedding day, even if it was plan B!”

KAREN AND TAYLER’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

Photography, Simon Watson Photography, www.simonwatson-photography.co.uk | Venue, The Royal Assembly Rooms, www.royalassemblyrooms.co.uk | Bride’s dress, City Brides, www.citybridesnorwich.com | Dress alterations, Little Miss Sew & Sew, https://sew-and-sew.wixsite.com/home | Hair, Hannah Spall Hair Stylist, www.facebook.com/hannahspallhairstylist | Make-up, Emily Harris | Groom and groomsmen’s attire, Slater Menswear, Norwich, www.slaters.co.uk | Cake, Boobah Bakes, www.instagram.com/boobahbakes | Flowers, Petals Polly, www.petalspollyflowers.co.uk | Celebrant, Francesca Foulsham, www.francescafoulshamcelebrant.co.uk | DJ, Paul Allen Wedding Services, www.djpaulallen-weddingservices.co.uk