SURPRISE, SURPRISE

SURPRISE,surprise!Sarah and Andrew kept their nuptials quiet and invited guests to what they thought was an engagement party

Images courtesy of James Fear Photography

Sarah and Andrew met at the Cheltenham races. “Andrew is from London so he came back to Cheltenham for our first date a few weeks after we met and that date lasted for three days!” Sarah tells us. “We went on holiday together three weeks later and he pretty much moved in with me after that.”

The couple became engaged during a surprise proposal. “Andrew asked me to marry him on the 23rd of August 2019,” Sarah explains. “He created a treasure hunt around Cheltenham of all our favourite places and he was waiting for me at the Hotel du Vin & Bistro where we had enjoyed our first date - it was a wonderful surprise!”

Here, Sarah tells us all about their surprise ceremony at Ellenborough Park followed by a reception at The Daffodil.

Sarah Fardon married Andrew Thorndyke on 30th December 2019 in a ceremony at the Old Chapel at Ellenborough Park in Cheltenham, followed by a reception at The Daffodil.

We surprised all of our guests – nobody knew they were attending a wedding, everyone thought that they were coming to our engagement party! The day guests were all given cards explaining everything.

Our evening guests were told that we got married earlier that day. My dad gave a speech before Andrew and I walked down the stairs in our outfits - the support from everyone was amazing!

Andrew loves horse racing and Ellenborough Park country estate in Cheltenham is nestled between the Cotswolds’ highest point and the gallops of Cheltenham’s world-famous racecourse and enjoys an equestrian theme. I wanted to get married in a church (although Andrew didn’t) so the Old Chapel on the grounds of this hotel was the perfect compromise.

We didn’t have a table plan at The Daffodil – we opted for food stalls serving dishes related to the different countries that we have visited together including a Caribbean option serving jerk chicken and rum punch, a Miami-themed food stall feeding guests burgers and cocktails and an Iceland-themed table offering hot dogs and Icelandic beers. Alongside our statement wedding cake that was made by my best friend’s mum Julie, another friend, Jennifer, made us a smaller cake to enjoy after the ceremony and a macaron tower which looked, and tasted, incredible!

The Daffodil restaurant offered the ideal environment to host a large party. It’s tucked away inside a 1920s cinema and is home to many Art Deco period features and a sweeping staircase.

We also had a sweetie table which all of our guests loved!

I wore a stunning dress during the evening by the designer Suzanne Neville.

I also wore my grandmother’s diamond earrings, a pair of gold strappy sandals and my something blue was my garter!

I own Sarah Elizabeth Bridal Boutique in Cheltenham so I chose something from each of my designers. The dress I wore during the day was by the designer Caroline Castigliano.

My veil was by British bridal designer Sassi Holford, and I kept warm during our December day in a bridal cape by Stephanie Allin.

Andrew wore a black suit with a velvet jacket.

“We both couldn’t stop smiling all day!” – Sarah and Andrew

Our beautiful bridesmaids wore full-length, rose-gold one-shoulder dresses.

We had an amazing singer perform some old favourites at Ellenborough Park followed by an amazing eight-piece live band at The Daffodil - the music was a very important part of the day for us both and we all partied hard!

THE DREAM TEAM

Photographer, James Fear Photography, www.fearphotography.com | Ceremony venue, The Daffodil, 01242 700 055, https://thedaffodil.com Reception venue, Ellenborough Park, 01242 545 454, www.ellenboroughpark.com | Catering (champagne and canapés), Ellenborough Park, 01242 545 454, www.ellenboroughpark.com | Catering (food stalls), The Daffodil, 01242 700 055, https://thedaffodil.com | Dresses and accessories, Sarah Elizabeth Bridal Boutique, 01242 257 103, www.sarahelizabethbridal.co.uk | Make-up, Alexandra Sinclair Makeup Artist and Tan Specialist, 07811 525 845, www.facebook.com/AlexandraSinclairbeauty101 | Hair stylist, Hair By Jade, www.instagram.com/hair_by_jade Bridesmaids’ dresses, Vita Grace, 0333 400 0423, www.vitagrace.co.uk | Groom’s suit, Hugo Boss, www.hugoboss.com | Groomsmen’s suits, French Connection, www.frenchconnection.com | Smaller wedding cake and macaron tower, Jennifer Edwards Cakes, 07968 269 625, www.facebook.com/jenniferedwardscakes | Flowers, Stephanie Saunders Luxury Floral Design, 07854 624 982, www.stephaniesaundersflowers.co.uk | Stationery, Louise Rowles Design, 01453 889 527, https://louiserowlesdesigns.co.uk/index.html Entertainment, The RnB Singer UK, 07940 177 253, http://thernbsingeruk.com