Lisa and Simon met on a night out in London with her growing up in Devon and him in North Yorkshire. “After moving in together, Simon proposed to me in our garden which was perfect because I had been dropping hints about getting engaged for a while but he knew that I wouldn’t want a public proposal!” Lisa tells us.
“He had secretly been visiting a jeweller in Bournemouth to design an engagement ring for me and presented it to me on one knee.”
The couple chose Lewtrenchard Manor in Okehampton as the backdrop for their celebration styled with Jane Austen-inspired touches. "It was the first venue that we visited and we both fell in love with the romance of it," Lisa tells us. "The grand interior with its large panelled walls, tall ceilings featuring ornate cornice and original fireplaces complemented the manicured exterior and I always wanted to get married somewhere intimate in a quiet, peaceful setting so it was perfect."
We also filled the room with plenty of tall tapered white candles which looked so romantic."
Their place names and favours were napkins embroidered with the name of each guest, made by Simon's sister, topped with a film ticket invite to their evening cinema event.
Lisa's childhood friend Annabelle Pike, who owns Annabelle's Cake Boutique, created their two-tier lemon, rhubarb and vanilla sponge cake that was topped with wildflowers. "We asked Annabelle to make a fondant airedale terrier, inspired by Olive, as the topper which looked great!" Lisa says.
The couple chose a three-course menu made using locally grown ingredients that included ham hock terrine to start followed by roast sirloin of beef, goat's cheese pavé and a pescatarian option of lemongrass and chilli-cured salmon as the main course. "Dessert was Eton Mess and during the evening our guests enjoyed halloumi cheese and Mediterranean baps and hog roast baps served with apple sauce. It all tasted delicious and the staff at the venue were fantastic!" Lisa tells us.
Lisa chose an ivory ballgown with lace sleeves. "It was a showstopper!" Lisa explains. Simon and his groomsmen wore navy three-piece suits teamed with white shirts and pink patterned ties. "I presented Simon with a pair of engraved cufflinks on the morning of our wedding and my brother gifted him a pocket square with bicycles printed on it as a nod to his love of cycling. Our three bridesmaids wore floor-length green chiffon one-shoulder dresses and my youngest niece, Neave, wore an ivory dress featuring a full skirt and a green bow at the waist."
The couple booked the Bristol String Quartet to perform during their ceremony and drinks reception. "They sounded amazing! They played Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley as I walked down the aisle and All You Need Is Love by the Beatles when we both walked back up the aisle," Lisa tells us. "They also played a wide variety of music that we chose including tracks from Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix and David Bowie."
"During the evening, my sister-in-law played a video on a big screen with messages from loved ones who couldn't attend including from my 93-year-old nan, which was emotional. Seeing her face made my day, even if she couldn't be there with us in person." – Lisa
Because Lisa and Simon couldn't hire a band to play during the evening due to the restrictions in place, they held a cinema night instead. "We gave our guests three movie options and ended up watching Pulp Fiction that most of them had chosen! It was wonderful to sit down, relax, eat and watch a classic movie."
Top tip: "Remember to take a moment on the day to feel the love in the room because it might be the only time in your life that every single person that you both love is gathered together with you." – Lisa and Simon
The couple sat at the top table with both sets of parents and they created a large horseshoe-shaped table to allow everyone else to be able to see each other. "Our airedale terrier, Olive, and my parent's Yorkshire terrier, Bailey, also attended the entire day. Olive wore a flower collar that I made for her that looked wonderful!" Lisa says.
The couple's chosen colour theme could be seen throughout their decorative touches. "Our centrepieces were urns brimming with pink, white, green and blue locally grown wildflowers including sweet peas, ranunculus, tulips, delphiniums and peonies," Lisa describes. "We decorated the fireplace and top of the aisle with these too and also had a table runner made with ivy and jasmine to bring the outdoors in.
