19 minute read
WEDDINGS Alison and David
“OUR WEDDING WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD!”
This month’s couple conducted their wedding on exactly the same terms as they conduct life; enjoying the good, accepting the odd hiccup and working as a team to make the most of their own relationship and the presence of family and friends in their lives...
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Wedding Photographer: Christian Thompson, 07989 796875, www.christianthompson.co.uk.
Being sci-fi fans, Alison and David Burling aren’t averse to looking into the future. And if we were to do the same for a second, we might be inclined to make a prediction that even when Covid-19’s lockdown is lifted and it’s possible to plan a wedding for a hundred guests or so, couples still might not be inclined to do so.
“An intimate wedding was what we both wanted right from the start,” says Alison, “We’re genuinely close to about 30 people and so that number for our ceremony and perhaps a few more – 50 for the reception – seemed appropriate.”
The couple married pre-Covid, before such a restriction was a requirement, but say that couples wondering whether to marry in 2021 shouldn’t necessarily discount the idea of a more personal wedding with fewer guests.
“The proposal was completely unexpected and again really sweet and understated, just so personal,” says Alison.
“We’d been to enjoy the snowdrops at Little Ponton Hall and just spent a lovely day enjoying each others’ company. Later that evening I was just about to go to sleep and he cuddled up to me and asked ‘will you marry me?’”
“It was the perfect proposal and a really nice surprise. We started to plan the day the very next day and viewed a few wedding venues before settling on The Chequers at Woolsthorpe, a lovely 17th century country pub restaurant. We liked the look and feel of the place and we liked the way that our wedding planner, Mandy, was so attentive. Nothing was too much trouble.” “The other aspect of The Chequers which appealed was the different options it gave us. We could have just the reception or the reception and the ceremony there, and there were both indoor and outdoor spaces depending on what the weather was going to be like.”
“As it happens the weather was terrible! Fortunately the indoor space The Chequers afforded us was still lovely and we had a really great wedding photographer, Christian Thompson. He worked around the weather really well and still ensured we had some great images to remember the day.” “One of the other really early decisions we made was to have live music from a classical performer. We found Southwell-based Highly Strung String Quartet who have a really wide repertoire of classical, jazz and modern music. We walked down the aisle to a classical reinterpretation of the Game of Thrones theme.”
“We had around 30 people to the daytime reception and then 50 people at the reception in the evening and it was just the right amount of people to ensure nobody was left out but to also make sure we could spend a meaningful amount of time with everyone instead of trying to get around too many people and not affording them the time they deserved.” “The ceremony, was lovely, and we had an afternoon tea accompanied by the musicians. We chose a country garden theme but as simply and as elegantly implemented as possible. Our wedding flowers comprised white roses, and gyp, and we incorporated classic books into the decoration.” >>
WEDDING SUPPLIERS
ALISON & DAVID BURLING
Wedding Ceremony/Reception: The Chequers Inn, Woolsthorpe, 01476 870701, www.chequersinn.net. Wedding Hair/MUA: Emma Weguelin at Enchanted Hair Up & Beauty 07766 566374. Wedding Cake: Nan’s Nice Cakes 07809 624740, nansnicecakes.co.uk. Flowers: Julie’s Floristry, 07736 781055. Gentlemen’s Hire: Slaters Menswear, 0330 363 6071, www.slaters.co.uk. Venue Decoration: Make My Day Venue Dressing, 07506 541103, makemydayvenuedressing.co.uk String Quartet: Highly Strung, 07967 361717, highlystrungquartet.com. Disco: Matt Black, 07904 163260. n
>> “Our wedding cake was really delicious, too, a semi-naked cake with three tiers. It actually came about because we couldn’t decide which of our several favourite flavours we wanted to use in the cake, but it was absolutely delicious!” “On the day I surprised David with a steampunk-style orrery sculpture which had subtle references to our relationship and our favourite sci-fi series in it... the X-Files, War of the Worlds and Star Trek are all referenced in it, and the clock face has our names and wedding date written on the dial.”
“Later on in the day we had a disco with the very best choice of music. We’d worked with Matt Black Disco and he’d done a really great job of choosing songs that ensured all of our guests were up and dancing.” “Undoubtedly though the best thing about the day was that our family were all there enjoying the day. David’s Best Man was his son, James and our daughters Amelia and Tahnie were flower girls.” “We created a wedding on exactly the same terms that we live our lives; together as a family and as a team. It was definitely the best day of our lives and we were so happy that everyone was there to share it with us.” “If I’ve any advice for future brides it’s to not get stressed about things like guest lists and the weather. Whatever happens, if you’re marrying the person you love, everything else is just minor detail!” n
All images Christian Thompson, 07989 796875, see www.christianthompson.co.uk.
SPRING GREENS
This month we’ve a selection of stylish fashions suitable for whatever weather spring might present, each making the most of a fresh green colour palette...
This Page: Include’s round neck-jumper in pure new-wool and cashmere, olive colourway, £92.
Peter Hahn cashmere poncho in pure cashmere, dark olive colour, £85.
MYBC’s short coat in dark olive colourway, £209.
Top/Left: Samoon bouclé cardigan, £119. Top/Right: Gerry Weber Milano cardigan, £140. Bottom/Left: Riania cardigan in olive, £195. Bottom/Right: Margittes faux fur gilét, £209. For local stockists see www.peterhahn.co.uk.
Follow Your Gut Instincts
Ali Hutchinson has always valued nutrition, good lifestyle choices and wellness, but to ensure she remains healthy, keeps her energy levels up and remains able to avoid fad diets, the healthy lifestyle advocate follows her gut instinct and maintains good gut health too. This is the first of Ali’s new regular columns on healthy living and wellness...
Looking after our health and wellbeing has never been more important than it is today Just ask Ali Hutchinson, who runs a thriving health and nutrition practice with a passion for helping people with menopause and gut health issues as well as general weight loss, weight management and energy. Ali has always valued good nutrition, and maintaining the continuity of good health practices instead of following inconsistent diets and brutal eating regimes. “Good health shouldn’t be something you’re a slave to, nor something that requires lots of effort,” she says. “It should be something positive, something you enjoy, something that gives you energy and liberates you from lethargy. I’ve been working in the field of health and wellness since 2013. That was initially alongside my interiors and garden design business and then latterly on its own.” “I think the transition came when I realised what a huge difference I was making to the day-to-day lives of my clients simply by getting them to look at food differently and to make changes that supported their gut health, which is often the window to our overall health.”
“I kept hearing about gut heath, and the benefits seemed too good to be true. But once you realise that you can work with your own body, feel the benefits physically and emotionally, and that it can help you to live with symptoms of conditions like IBS or menopause, the benefits are too great to ignore.” “It all started during my journey to healthy living. I realised that in my mid 40s I was feeling tired, lethargic and sluggish as a norm and really thought it was age related.” “Friends kept saying ‘you’ll never lose weight now you’re over 45 and I was determined that was nonsense. I had also suffered with IBS for most of my adult life.” “As anyone with the condition will know, I had choices of clothes for a flat tummy day and clothes for when I was really bloated strangers would ask when my baby was due! “I set about exploring what foods I was consuming and looked into those which energised me and those which left me depleted and reaching for more caffeine or sugar to get me back on a high. This led me towards re-training in nutrition and to later becoming a fully certified Health & Wellbeing Coach so that I could approach this from a holistic whole-self basis.” “I became totally committed and passionate and now I rarely suffer with an IBS flare up and have maintained my weight at a level I’m really happy with. My mission is to change the health habits of a generation one family at a time.” “As a wife, mother and complete foodie, I’d always been interested in eating healthily and being active but I had a very different relationship with food and what I call clean eating than I do today.” “It’s easy to get taken in by fad diets and over-hyped products making outrageous claims (I did) and I think being a busy mum puts a huge strain on women and often just getting a meal on the table is enough to think about, let alone does it have something from every food group or is it nutritious and energising.” “I was so pleased to discover a sustainable and positive way to be healthy and promote wellness that would even work for a sugar and ‘carb addict’ like me!” “I’m passionate about natural wholefoods and clean eating – and often get asked what this means. So, for me, clean eating is eating whole foods; think things that were once living or growing.” “Knowing how well these changes had worked for me, I want to share my experiences, recipes, helpful tips and even snippets from my day-to-day life in order to inspire others on their clean-eating, wellness journey.” “I’ve latterly become a menopause expert too, again largely driven by my own need to find the answers I craved to this changing time in a woman’s life. I’m so passionate about helping women at this stage in life as they are so often, lost, lonely, fighting terrible battles and feeling totally misunderstood.” “Menopause has largely been a topic swept under the carpet but it’s a natural part of most women’s life journey so I’m looking to change that in order that future generations don’t approach this empowering time of their lives in the dark.”
“One thing I discovered along the way was a botanical brand called Arbonne. They’re a ‘B-Corporation’ meaning they put the planet and people above profits, something that’s close to my heart and I knew I could always rely on them to do the right thing and source quality ingredients backed by expert research.” “With more energy, a leaner body, boosted confidence and a passion for promoting wellness and clean eating, I decided to start a blog and to reach out to readers, so look out for this column in forthcoming editions of Pride... and we’ll make positive changes together!” n
Find Out More: If you’re struggling with gut issues, weight loss or weight management, energy levels, menopause or would just like a body MOT, Ali would love to hear from you. Through her blog www.ali-hutchinson.co.uk you can book a free discovery call to find out how she could help put you on the path to a brighter future or ring 07973 843020. Alternatively, email hello@ali-hutchinson.co.uk to book a consultation.
Going for Gold
THIS MONTH EMBRACE THE RICHNESS OF GOLD AND ENJOY A RANGE OF TOP-END LUXURY COSMETICS PRODUCTS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU FEEL JUST AS PRECIOUS AS THE SHADE ITSELF
1. A golden scent to enjoy on warm evenings...
Cuir Noir is the brand new scent from Giorgio Armani available as an EDP in one of 26 different fragrances. Cuir Noir is ‘warm, addictive and elegant,’ ...at least according to the accompanying press release. Sensual vanilla fragrance partners the leathery scent of sandalwood, rose, coriander, and nutmeg. £225 / 100ml.
2. Satin from YSL...
Yves Saint Laurent Satin Crush Eyeshadow provides wearable colour for every occasion with six different shades available. The lightest of these is Scandalous Beige, shown here. Glide-on formula; wear alone or layer for a smokey eye makeup, £27/1g.
3. Adore Dior’s L’Or...
Dior L'Or is a moisturising balm designed to improve the skin’s elasticity and firmness, reduce fine lines and leave skin radiant, youthful and fresh. SPF30 and with antioxidants, £320/50ml.
4. A Gold Foundation...
Guerlain’s Parure Gold Fluid Foundation utilises light-reflecting pigments to provide moisture and a heat-resistant finish to your skin, ensuring it looks moisturised, luminous, and radiant. 12 shades available, £63/30ml.
5. The fragrant ‘must have’ from House of Cartier
Maison Cartier has relaunched its first fragrance, Must. It’s an oriental, woody perfume with top notes of peach, lemon and bergamot, middle notes of leather and ylang-ylang, and base notes of vanilla and sandalwood. It offers incomparable freshness in an oriental fragrance, with floral opulence and a sophisticated rich scent. £109/100ml.
6. An investment in elegance from Creed...
Olivier Creed has designed this elegant gold and leather-bound atomiser to complement the perfumier’s range of scents. Choose from Jardin d’Amalfi with its exotic fruits and luxury spices, to Santal with its orange & sandalwood, or Aventus with its light, apple & patchouli scent, £155 - £845. Atomiser £155.
n All our beauty products are available from local independent stockists unless otherwise stated, please note that prices stated are RRP and may vary according to retailer.
WORTH ITS WEIGHT in WOOL
Bespoke tailoring is worth its weight in gold... or rather wool. Where do we begin? A substantially better fit from better quality cloth, a feeling of luxury, the longevity of a hand-made garment and of course, the feeling that there’s no better suit for you. The benefits are obvious, so all you need now is a local expert with Savile Row provenance, like bespoke tailor Andrew Musson!
THE BRITISH TEXTILE DESIGNER William Morris advised that you should have nothing in your home which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. So, what if something is both useful and beautiful? That would certainly be worth the investment.
Sadly, we live in an age when products tend to be produced in an increasing volume by a decreasing number of manufacturers, made to a price point and almost intentionally designed with a limited life expectancy. So it almost comes as a pleasant surprise when you encounter something that’s made well; designed to last and designed just for you, rather than for a market sector.
It’s especially true in fashion, where price points dictate the market and, somewhat paradoxically, a turnover of new ranges provide a lack of choice. And if that’s true of fashion generally, it’s certainly the case when one considers gentlemen’s clothing. Happily there’s a corner of the market – albeit an ever smaller one – where a personal service, absolutely quality and attention to detail still remain.
Andrew Musson is a traditional tailor based in Lincoln and provides gentlemen with completely made-to-measure and bespoke garments, making the most of over 25-years of experience working on London’s Savile Row.
The tailor’s two options provide the perfect fit for men seeking suits, sports jackets and shirts. Made-to-measure suits are especially well-priced, starting from £800, which is not a great deal more than you’ll pay for a very ordinary off the peg suit with a designer label, produced in a factory overseas much like any other brand.
There’s a distinction, incidentally, to be drawn between a made-to-measure suit and a bespoke one. Both options provide a suit cut to Andrew’s precise measurements, with a choice of cloth, lining and other options. >>
Words: Rob Davis.
BESPOKE TAILORING
Above: Andrew and his father John were recently awarded the Midlands Enterprise Award for Best Family-Run Men’s Clothing Business for 2020.
n For information on Andrew Musson’s made-to-measure and bespoke tailoring, or for a post-lockdown appointment, call 01522 520142 or see www.andrewjmusson.com. Andrew J Musson Bespoke Tailor Ltd., is based at 39 High Street, Lincoln LN5 8AS. >> Andrew’s made-to-measure suits, though, are laser-cut off-site, as opposed to his bespoke suits, which are produced from cloth cut entirely in house, assembled and then refined over a couple of successive fittings to ensure the full Savile Row feel. “Compared to womenswear, men’s clothing, and especially mass-market tailoring tends to be much more limited in its design, with muted colours and price-driven ranges,” says Andrew. “Men aren’t really disposed to dress with much flair beyond their choice of neck tie, and even those are less popular these days. “Shop for a mass market suit and your choice of colours and styles will be limited to just black, grey, blue and perhaps a few tweeds. Made-to-measure menswear, by contrast, goes much further, enabling you to choose linings or details such as the number and location of pockets and buttons.” “What’s more, shop for a mass market suit and you’ll choose the one that fits adequately – not perfectly, with as few concessions to the unique shape of your body as possible. Made-to-measure tailoring accommodates you as an individual, and being able to choose, for instance, how loose or snug or how light or heavy your jacket is often proves to be something men can’t live without once they’ve experienced it.” “There’s a strong argument, too, for made to measure or bespoke tailoring in the sense that you’ll get much more use from a suit which is comfortable to wear and receives compliments than one which is a grudge purchase for your office life.” “During lockdown we’ve heard of men working from home in casual clothing, and post-lockdown they expect that this new way of working will continue – they’ll work from home more, going into the office or venturing out to meet clients just a day or two a week, post-Covid. Across the industry tailors are anticipating men will purchase fewer suits, but choose them more wisely and perhaps spend a little more, investing in quality.” “Interestingly, we’ve noticed an increase in younger clients too. I think this has probably been buoyed by movies like Gatsby and TV shows like Downton and Peaky Blinders, all set before the establishment of fashion as we know it, when men had the ability to express a sense of style in a smart way that doesn’t just necessitate buying branded products.” “Younger men recognise the benefits of our made-to-measure service and some have then opted for my bespoke suit service – from roughly £1,500 – for their next one.” “They report that with made-to-measure or bespoke tailoring, the better fitting suit is worth the investment in itself, but having the ability to design their own suit is something they’ve never had the option to do and really appreciate.” “I think it’s also unusual that someone takes the time to talk to you, offer advice and provide a proper service. It’s a shame that’s become so rare but once a client has chosen their fabric, lining and once they’ve been professionally measured, it’s a genuinely exciting prospect.” “I think we’ve over 2,000 cloths to choose from and up to 50 hours are invested in each suit. And yet, being based in Lincoln, I can still manage to undercut Saville Row prices by thousands – not just hundreds – of pounds for the same quality.” “Sadly bespoke tailors are increasingly rare but that does at least mean gentlemen travel from quite a distance away for an appointment with us. It feels really great to be keeping alive an industry and a skill that otherwise would be lost to the mass market.” “Bespoke tailoring is made to last, with better quality cloth and the kind of attention to detail that ensures men will get more wear out of their suit. If a gentleman wants something in his wardrobe that he knows to be useful – versatile – but also believes to be beautiful, an investment in quality, made-to-measure, tailoring is perfect.” n
