REAL WEDDING Bright Romance 8351 views

Abbi & Philip
26th July 2008

They Met Abbi and Philip initially met at university but later started dating after they bumped into each other at a friend’s leaving party. Philip romantically proposed after whisking Abbi off from work in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes to Regents Park where he proposed in the rose gardens.

Wedding Venue The couple began looking for a venue in May 2007 and after much scouring of the internet, found Frensham Heights in Surrey as their ideal venue. Not only did they like the staff but they were blown away by the stunning building, set in beautiful grounds with picturesque views of the Surrey downs.

The Theme The couple didn’t choose a specific theme but wanted the wedding to be minimalist with ivory tablecloths, napkins and chairbacks - school dinners set the theme for the food. Fish and chips were served, wrapped up in a replica ‘Hello!’ magazine cover featuring the couple, adding a special touch to the day. The tables were decorated with bowl table centres of pink and orange gerbera entwined with bear grass. The couple decided to name the tables after leading fashion designers with the top table called ‘Hermes’. A casino voucher was also given as a favour for the casino tables set up later!

What They Wore The bride looked stunning in a simple yet elegant draped dress with a brooch detail by Ben De Lisi. She accessorized with Jimmy Choo strappy shoes, pearl and diamond earrings and a drop diamond pendant necklace as well as two fuschia gerbera in her hair. After the meal, Abbi changed into a strapless Chloe dress with some strappy silver wedges, perfect for dancing!

The groom wore a charcoal-coloured suit with a matching waistcoat from Hugh Harris, with a white shirt and Paul Smith stripy tie, matching the flowers. He also wore black Oliver Sweeney shoes and a pink gerbera as the buttonhole.

Philip’s ushers and best man wore the same suit with the best man wearing the same tie whilst the ushers wore a dark mauve tie. Abbi’s bridesmaids wore mauve dresses from Jigsaw with their own silver shoes and sweet pink hairclips from Accessorize.

The Cake The couple chose a tower of cupcakes with alternating pink and orange gerbera as their wedding cake, made by Cakes and Drapes. They also made two special gluten-free cupcakes for Abbi!

The Flowers Abbi held a bouquet of a stunning and exotic mix of pink and orange gerbera with pink pineapples, palm leaves and a touch of lime. The venue was decorated with three main pedestal arrangements as well as two bay trees at the entrance, which were interwoven with gerbera.

First Dance The couple danced as husband and wife for the first time to ‘You Do Something To Me’ by Paul Weller. The music for the evening was provided by a pianist called Richard Simmons who played a selection of jazz, swing and current music.

A Moment To Remember Abbi loved Philip’s speech. She felt especially proud when he spoke of such fondness for her mother, who had passed away seven years ago, and didn’t even meet Philip.

Honeymoon The newlyweds spent their first night at the Mercure Bush Hotel in Farnham before jetting off to the beautiful island of Barbados for ten days' honeymoon bliss. The couple enjoyed a relaxing break filled with delicious food and picture-perfect beaches!

Any Advice Abbi advises: ‘Try not to let the wedding become stressful, it is very easy to get carried away by detail, and that can stop you enjoying what the day actually is – a celebration of togetherness.’ Whilst Philip suggests, ‘Do get involved with all of the preparations, it’s actually far more of a rewarding process than you initially might think!’

Abbi & Philip’s Contact Book:
Venue: Frensham Heights School, Farnham frenshamheights.org
Photographer: John Rahim Photography johnrahim.com
Dress: Ben De Lisi bendelisi.com
Groomswear: Hugh Harris hughharris.co.uk
Cake: Cakes & Drapes cakesanddrapes.com
Flowers: Classical Floral Designs classicalfloraldesigns.co.uk

click to read more real weddings >