Clare and Gary's Summer Wedding

Where we met...

At work.

The proposal...

Fantastic – at sunset on the roof terrace of a villa in Portugal.

Our vision for the day...

Relaxed, friendly and intimate (no theme)

Our outfits...

My wedding dress was “sexy” but appropriate for my age; it was all lace with a good sized train, a slit for one leg and just enough back and boobs on show. The groom wore a DJ with a teal bow tie to match the bridesmaids multiway dresses. The groomsmen also wore the same as the groom, and our two pageboys wore similar but with a waist coat instead of a jacket.

The food...

We had four different canapes which were served during the drinks reception. The meal was slow cooked beef cheeks with mash and seasonal vegetables, followed by a trio of puddings (chocolate brownie, berry pavlova and lemon posset). The two pageboys had cheese burger and chips for their main meal instead of the beef!

Our favourite part of the day...

The whole day was just amazing and could not have been better.

The idea that we felt worked well on the day...

Being the first to be able to get married outside at Dodmoor House!

Entertainment we put on...

A live duo who sang during the ceremony and drinks reception.

Where we feel our budget was really well spent...

The venue and drinks package offered by Dodmoor House.

Personal touches that reflected us as a couple...

The small number of well loved friends and family with a relaxed, pretty informal wedding.

Suppliers we used and loved...

Aaron Collet (photographer) recommended by Dodmoor House, who was relaxed on the day and gave us exactly what he promised with the way he captured it all.

Bea’s Bridle (bride and bridal and bridesmaid dresses) recommended by a friend of the bride, were fantastic and even helped the girls get ready on the day.

Tina (florist) recommended by a friend who listened to my limited ideas, offered suggestions and created superb bouquets, buttonholes and displays.

Finally, if we could give a tip to other couples...

Listen to the professionals advice and just trust them to do their jobs!

Special thanks to Clare and Gary for sharing their story, and to Aaron Collett for the photos x