Coastal romance

A bright and sunny day and beautiful views of Christchurch Bay, the Needles and the Isle of Wight set the scene for Sarah and Jonathan's
wedding celebration.
Photos by Carrie Bugg Photography

Click on any of the images below to view a larger version

Early days…

Sarah and Jonathan were introduced to each other at a party hosted by a mutual friend. "I arrived unfashionably early, so my friend asked jonathan to keep me entertained," recalls Sarah. "Six months later, we were engaged. Jonathan popped the question while we were on holiday in New York."

Hen and stag parties…

Sarah's girlfriends took her to dinner at her favourite Thai restaurant, Mangothai in Southampton. The following day, the girls spent a day of pampering at the Bath House Spa in the New Forest.
Jonathan took 10 of his friends and family to Twickenham rugby stadium to watch the Guinness Premiership play-off final between Leicester and London Irish. In the evening they headed off to Strawberry Moons bar in London.

The venues…

"We chose All Saints Church because of Sarah's family connections
with the parish," says Jonathan. "Her ancestors from as far back as the
17th century were baptised, married and buried there."
The reception was held at the Westover Hall Hotel in Milford-on-Sea. It was recommended by Sarah's parents, and is within close proximity to the church. "The hotel was the first venue we viewed, and Jonathan fell in love with it immediately. We knew we had to have the reception there," says Sarah. "The Grade II listed seafront mansion has beautiful views across Christchurch Bay, the Needles Rocks and the Isle of Wight."

The dress…

Sarah chose a Haya dress from the Pronovias 2009 collection. "The ivory dupion silk gown had a lovely pleated bodice which created a flattering shape," says Sarah. Something old and borrowed was a pair of pearl earrings lent to her by her mother, and something blue was a garter decorated with tiny blue ribbons. She also wore a matching silver necklace and bracelet accented with freshwater pearls.

The transport…

Jonathan arranged for a 1959 Rolls-Royce from Premier Carriage to take Sarah and and her father to the church, and then take the newlyweds to the reception.

The decorative touches…

The day was dominated by the colours ivory, green and orange - floral arrangements of orange gerberas, orange roses, lime green alchemilla mollis and bear grass loops. The table centrepieces were clear vases containing tall, white lilies, and orange rose petals were scattered around the tables.
Traditional favours of sugared almonds were made by Sarah's mother. The wedding cake had a top layer of fruit cake with white icing and iced orange germini decoration, and individual cakes were made of either fruit or sponge cake.

The best bits…

"The best part of the day was the ride in the car after the church ceremony," says Sarah. "The driver took us on a short detour up the coastal road in Milford-on-Sea before heading to the reception venue. The sun was shining as we sipped champagne in the beautiful Rolls-Royce. This gave us a chance to reflect on the church ceremony and savour our special moment together."

The honeymoon…

"Jonathan is half Greek-Cypriot, and we both love Greece," explains Sarah. "A week in Santorini was just what we needed for a relaxing getaway in a sunny, romantic destination. We would recommend it to couples who want to get away from it all. The island is beautiful and the sunsets across the coastline are spectacular."
The couple stayed at Hotel Mystique in Oia. "The hotel was idyllic, with views across the rest of the island and the volcano, and the food, drink and service were excellent."

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