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True love

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Do not disturb

Do not disturb

Highcliffe Castle provided a stunning backdrop to Tom and Katherine’s wedding Images courtesy of White Chalet Studio and Photography by Chantel

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These lovebirds first met at school and have been together ever since. Tom proposed to Katherine during the Jubilee weekend on a trip to Evershot. She says, “We went for a walk in deer park when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!”

Here the bride shares details about their special day…

Setting The Scene

When planning their special day, the couple wanted a timeless and elegant wedding to remember for years to come – they achieved just that.

Built-in the 1830s, Highcliffe Castle is a stunning property known for its stunning architecture, cliff-top location and peaceful atmosphere. So, it was no surprise that the pair fell in love with the setting when they drove down the winding driveway and saw the big stained glass windows. The bride used to work for Merlins Catering, so she had waitressed at a wedding there before and knew the castle was stunning. It’s right on the coast and the perfect spot for some beach shots.

After getting ready, the bride was driven to Highcliffe Castle with her dad in a classic Jaguar Mark V, while the bridal party was taken by a friend in his VW Campervan.

The ceremony was beautiful, with guests eagerly waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle. As Katherine took her first step, she walked towards their next chapter with Tom proudly and lovingly waiting for his bride. Katherine’s childhood piano teacher played during the ceremony and wedding breakfast, which added so much to the atmosphere and made the day even more memorable.

A mirror decorated with greenery and white roses made up the table plan, with each table name held in place with personalised wax stamps. Natural dried flowers attached to little brown tags were used for the place names, while guests received wildflower seeds for favours.

The centrepieces were large candelabras with greenery and white flowers. The added height elevated the room and drew attention to the lovely grand space with a stained glassed window. All along the middle were floating candles, and at the end of the rows were lanterns with large candles inside. Fairylights hanging from the ceiling with a disco ball and spotlights added a magical atmosphere to the day.

A pizza van kept the guests happy, serving numerous flavours to ensure no one went hungry. Guests also enjoyed the twotiered cake with a vanilla and salted caramel tier, while the other was white chocolate and raspberry. There were also cupcakes in different shades of green to tie into the colour scheme.

Looking The Part

The stunning bride wore a Sophia Tolli gown called Emma, a bardot classic fit-and-flare dress. She accessorised this with a cathedral-length veil and her nan’s necklace for something borrowed. She says, “It was exciting to get into my dress, having had my hair and make-up done. My mum did up the buttons on my gown and I felt emotional at this point that after 12 years together, we were finally getting married today.” The bride had a classic and timeless bouquet of cream roses with greenery and gypsophila. She’s also planning to have the blooms preserved in resin and is excited to see the results.

Tom wore a herringbone tweed three-piece suit in navy. His groomsman wore the same, but Tom wore a beige waistcoat with a navy tie to stand out. The bridesmaids were in elegant sage green and dusty blue dresses in chiffon.

Time To Celebrate

The pair hired a band called We Are Robot to keep guests entertained. They were amazing and had everyone up on the dancefloor all night. They played various hits from all different eras, so it catered for everyone. Tom and Katherine had been to see them before the wedding, so they knew the band would be a big hit at the wedding. They also had an open-air photobooth and audio guestbook, which went down well, and guests got photos all night.

Memorable Moments

Everything came together beautifully on the day and was perfect from start to finish. The couple loved having all their loved ones together; seeing everyone chatting and having fun was so special. The bride says, “We took lots of moments just the two of us to take everything in, which was very special. We were unsure whether or not Tom’s dad would be able to attend the wedding due to an illnessbut he not only attended the ceremony as we were hoping but stayed the whole day and into the evening.” The maid-of-honour Emily went above and beyond to help with the wedding process, not just in the lead-up to the wedding with the hen do’s and helping with prep but being Katherine’s right-hand woman on the day. She helped curl the bride’s hair, checked in on her grandparents, helped her down to the beach for photos and much more!

The lovebird’s little furbaby Digby the cockapoo appeared on the day, both for the bridal prep in the morning and after the ceremony.

The speeches were amazing, and everyone absolutely nailed them! The bride’s dad had everyone in hysterics as he had chopped down a tree branch on the field between the two schools the pair used to meet under at lunchtime. Tom’s speech was also excellent, and he held the room before his brother/best man’s speech, whose dry sense of humour had people falling out of their chairs in laughter like they were in a stand-up comedy room.

Honeymoon

After all the wedding planning and the main event, it was time to jet off for a romantic honeymoon to celebrate as newlyweds. What location could be better than two weeks in Mexico? The bride says, “It was nice that we didn’t rush off straight away; we had a barbecue at my parents’ house with lots of people the day after the wedding before spending Monday packing and getting ready to go early Tuesday. We stayed in a relaxing hotel with eight a la carte restaurants and 24 bars, which kept us going! We went on many excursions, including a boat trip to a national park, an adventure park of ziplines, buggies, rafting and underground caves – the highlight had to be snorkelling with turtles!”

Do you want to arrive in spectacular, vintage style on your wedding day?

Freddie will ensure that you do exactly that.

What’s included?

Freddie, the VW campervan, can seat a driver and 4 passengers. Freddie will be beautifully decorated with your choice of colour for ribbons and bows. He has everything you might need to make your journey comfortable: rugs, cushions and a large, white umbrella available should the weather be a bit tricky. He also carries a bag of tricks in case of any hair or dress emergencies. We only book one wedding a day so you will have plenty of time to get all those wonderful pictures of your wedding party with the campervan. You can rest assured of our best, undevided attention on your wedding day. PLUS so much more!

For bookings email: radiantretrorides@outlook.com Radiant Retro Rides radiant_retro_rides @Radiant Retro Rides

TOM AND KATHERINE’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

Venue, www.highcliffecastle.co.uk | Main photographer, www.whitechaletstudio.uk | Second shooter, www.photographybychantel.co.uk | Videographer, https://yourweddingvideographer.co.uk | Bride’s dress, www.sarahjanebridal.com | Makeup, https://enchantedbeautybournemouth.uk | Hair, www.instagram.com/catherinerixonhair | Groom’s suit, www.isobelsbridalandgroom.co.uk Cake, www.instagram.com/rosiebakes.co.uk | Flowers, www.simplyflower.co.uk | Transport, www.allaspectsweddingservices.co.uk | Band, www.wearerobot.net | Photo booth, https://fteventhire.co.uk | Catering, www.merlinscatering.co.uk | Evening food, www.thefieryfoxwoodfiredpizza.co.uk

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