Princess for the day

Emma and Kevin's wedding at Leez Priory was a fairytale day in every way. Photos by Amanda Every

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Early days…

Emma, 24, and 31-year-old Kevin met during work Christmas festivities, where Kevin became the subject of a £5 bet between Emma and her friends. "I thought he was gorgeous when I first saw him," she recalls. "Six weeks after meeting him I moved 250 miles away to live with him, and three-and-a-half years later we're married!"

The proposal…

"Jack Bauer is our hero," explains Kevin, whose love of the TV series 24 led him to propose to Emma at the Bauer Hotel in Venice. The trip was a complete surprise for the soon-to-be bride, and she was simply told to pack a suitcase. "After getting a private water taxi, checking into a fantastic hotel suite, and drinking some bubbly, he popped the question," says Emma. "He gave me a beautiful diamond ring, and told me he'd like us to choose my real engagement ring together when we returned to England."

The venues…

"I have always dreamed of a princess-themed wedding in a castle with beautiful grounds," says Emma. "So one look at Leez Priory and I knew it was the one. It offers exclusivity and seclusion, as well as accommodation, which meant that our friends could drink and let their hair down without worrying about driving from one venue to another. It actually becomes your home for the day, and guests can explore the house and gardens at their leisure."
"I really wanted to get married outside," adds Kevin. "Leez Priory offers this facility so it was the perfect location."

The dress…

The bride Emma wore a gown that she found at the National Wedding Show in London. "After doing some research through magazines and online, I realised I had to have a Hollywood Dreams dress, and after trying on three other dresses I found my perfect style, called Imogen."
The groom Kevin wore a grey suit which he hired from Moss Bros, along with an ivory waistcoat, coordinating scrunch tie and Swarovski crystal cufflinks from Duchamp.
The bridal party Emma's four bridesmaids - her two sisters and two close friends - wore champagne-coloured dresses from Bhs. Kevin's two closest friends were his best men, his brother was an usher and Emma's two brothers were pageboys. They wore suits to match Kevin's.

The decorative touches…

Kevin and Emma decided upon a 'princess vintage' theme for their day, with a pale pink, ivory, gold and champagne colour scheme. The bride's and bridesmaids' bouquets were pretty arrangements of avalanche and sweet avalanche roses, and these flowers were mirrored in the men's buttonholes and centrepieces.
Emma was keen for the stationery to reflect the style of their day. "I wanted our vintage, pearly pink theme to be evident from the moment our guests opened the invitations," she explains. "I eventually found someone who makes bespoke designs. I told her my ideas - a mini booklet with a perforated menu page so that guests could send their food choices with their RSVPs - and she created the perfect invitation on pearlescent card, with the rest of the stationery to match.
"I had a thrifty idea for our seating plan," she continues. "Rather than spend money on a plan made out of card, I used a really gorgeous ornate mirror. I wrote on this with a chalk pen, which washed off after the wedding so the mirror was as good as new."
Guests were given mini bottles of limoncello with a tall shot glass as favours. During the groom's speech, everyone was asked to use them to toast the bride.

The best bits…

"My favourite part of the day was walking down the aisle and seeing the look on Kev's face as he battled with a whole mixture of emotions," Emma told us.

Top tips…

"Get one of your bridesmaids to hide a tiny pot of Vaseline in her bouquet and slip some on your ring finger at the last minute. Hot hands swell, so it can be hard to get your wedding ring on!" Emma said.

The honeymoon…

To round off the celebrations, Emma and Kevin jetted off to America, where they had a two-week tour. "We decided to hit the Sin City first, and enjoy some gambling and partying, before complete relaxation in Hawaii," says Emma. "Then we soaked up some culture in San Francisco before coming back to reality."

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