REAL WEDDING Dorset Romance 3547 views

Sarah & Samuel
10 August 2008
They Met Sarah and Sam met through mutual friends, seven years ago when they were students at St Andrews University. They immediately hit it off and five years down the line, Sam proposed in The Grove Hotel, Hertfordshire after a romantic spa weekend. Sam had even planned a dinner with their parents for the night after!

Wedding Venue The couple wanted something modern and stylish for their venue and looked in Sarah’s childhood Dorset for inspiration. They chose The Harbour Heights as their venue, a modern hotel with great food. It was also the place where Sarah’s grandparents had celebrated their ruby wedding anniversary.

The Theme The couple chose a romantic theme of pale blue and pink with butterflies which made great impact at the reception. The place names were painted wooden hearts hung on ribbon with their wedding date on, which guests later reused as Christmas tree decorations! The tables were decorated with lots of butterflies, organza ribbon, scented candles and table crystals, while bay trees were scattered with pink and blue butterflies.

What They Wore The bride wore a flowing, strapless gown by Caroline Castigliano with a pale pink sash to fit in with the colour scheme. She accessorized with a delicate pink tiara as well as a diamond butterfly necklace from Sam.

The groom wore a charcoal grey traditional morning suit with an ivory waistcoat and a pink cravat, hired from Pronuptia. The outfit was finished off with a double ivory rose buttonhole.

Sarah had five bridesmaids who wore pale blue dresses with ivory-coloured sashes while the youngest wore an ivory dress with a pale blue sash, all with fascinators and a tiara for the youngest. The groomsmen wore charcoal grey morning suits with ivory waistcoats with the best man and the father of the bride wearing a pale pink cravat.

The Cake The couple selected a three-tiered cake, which was simple yet elegant with ivory ribbon and a diamante brooch as decoration. The top tier was fruit cake (to be saved as a Christening cake), with the other two layers of chocolate and lemon, made by Sussex Cake Creations.

The Flowers The bride carried a trailing bouquet of white orchids with pink centres, scattered with ivory butterflies. The bridesmaids had pink and ivory rose bouquets with blue butterflies. The reception was also decorated with roses and butterflies with martini vases as table centres filled with white lilies, ivory roses, gerbera and eucalyptus with pink and blue butterflies. The top table had low bowls of lilies and orchids with butterflies all floating in pretty pink water.

First Dance The happy couple danced to ‘So Close’ by John Mayer, with the music continuing with the swing band for the evening.

A Moment To Remember Sarah’s favourite part was having photographs taken in Poole Park on her late grandfather’s bench, making her feel very close to him on her big day.

Honeymoon After spending their first night at the Harbour Heights hotel, the newlyweds jetted off for a week in Santorini, Greece. They stayed in a boutique hotel with the highlight of chartering a yacht for a day!

Any Advice? Sarah advises, ‘Make sure you keep a separate wedding diary as this helped me keep all of my non-wedding appointments separate.’ Sam suggests, ‘Make sure you take some time out with your new wife during the day to enjoy the experience. We went up to our balcony and watched our guests enjoying themselves!’

Sarah & Sam’s Contact Book:
Venue: The Harbour Heights Hotel
Dress: Caroline Castigliano
Groomswear: Pronuptia, Cambridge
Photographer: Amazing Weddings
Cake: Sussex Cake Creations
Flowers: Parkwood