A fairytale day

Sophie and Jon were careful to put their personal stamp on their traditional day.
Photos by Stuart Deal

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Early days…

Sophie and Jon met in April, 2003 when a mutual friend had a birthday bash at their local Wetherspoons pub. "There was a big group of us, and after we'd been to the pub we all jumped into a minibus and went into Maidstone to go clubbing," Sophie explains. The couple hit it off straight away, and the evening included a touch of flirting, a few texts, a couple of drinks and a goodbye kiss.
But the timing wasn't great - Sophie had just come out of a long-term relationship and Jon was about to jet off on a lads' holiday - so they decided things should be casual and uncomplicated... that was until their first official date at Thorpe Park. "When Jon dropped me off that night he said 'Will you be my missus then?'. That's when we became an official couple. We still have an annual trip to Thorpe Park," says Sophie.
That first date was on 14th June, and almost six years later to the day, they had a fairytale wedding.

The proposal…

In true traditional style, it was Jon who popped the question. As he explains: "We'd been together for four years and had been living together for over three. We'd often spoken about marriage, but we felt it was more important to buy a house first."
Being a true romantic, Jon also wanted the proposal to be a surprise and kept throwing Sophie off the scent. "Every now and then I would tell Sophie that marriage was not for me," he remembers. "I had bought the ring in April, 2007, but I didn't propose until September."
Jon popped the question while on holiday in Spain, as the couple sat looking out to sea after a candlelit dinner on the beach. "We were cuddling and when she turned round, I was on one knee with the ring," says Jon.
"I started screaming and running about," laughs Sophie. "It had taken Jon so long to propose and of course I said 'yes' "

Hen and stag parties…

"My hen party all met up in Bournemouth, and then went off for a burlesque class, where we also dressed up and drank cocktails - it was
great fun," says Sophie. After dancing the afternoon away the hens donned sailor-themed outfits before heading out for the evening. "We went to an Adonis cabaret show, which turned into a nightclub. There were 27 of us in total and we all survived the night and made it to the fry up the next day," she laughs.
Jon was part of a group of 30 men who headed north to Nottingham in search of pubs and clubs. Jon tantalisingly reveals that there is one particularly 'interesting' story, but in true "what goes on tour stays on tour" style, refuses to spill the beans. He does, however, reveal that they nearly didn't survive the journey. "As we were travelling up in the minibus, the smoke bombs that one of my friends had brought went off and the driver couldn't see out of the windscreen. Although we all found this hilarious in our drunken state, thinking about it, the stag do and wedding could have been over before they had begun."

The venues…

Sophie and her dad travelled to the ceremony in a white Rolls- Royce, and her bridesmaids, mum, sisters and brother-in-law were treated to a ride in a white limo. After dropping off Sophie's family and bridesmaids, the limo took another trip to pick up the pageboys and Jon's parents. "I wanted a traditional car for my dad and me and I liked the Rolls-Royce as it had enough room for my dress," Sophie explains. "The limo was the only car big enough for everybody else, and they ended up being the lucky ones travelling in style with air con and cold drinks." The cars were booked eight months and six months respectively in advance.
Sophie and Jon chose the beautiful Westenhanger Castle for their ceremony and reception. "We wanted a special venue for the whole day with everything on site," Sophie explains. "There was enough space for everyone, and we received a really personal service. There was also the option to hold the ceremony outside, and space for a full sit-down meal without it feeling cramped."

The dress…

"My dress had a sweetheart neckline and an open panel tie-up back. The top was sewn on to a full layered customised skirt. I spent over nine months with Jean at The Bridal Gallery in Broadstairs working on pulling together two separate pieces to make my perfect dress," says Sophie. "We added colour, sparkle, a hooped petticoat and changed floral details along with the train of the dress to ensure a colour explosion."
Sophie teamed her gown with a gorgeous Swarovski crystal flower tiara, crystal and silver earrings and bracelet, and a pair of pretty beaded shoes.

For his part, Jon wore a Wedgewood morning suit in charcoal grey, which he hired from Moss Bros. He added colour with a lilac waistcoat and cravat made by The Bridal Gallery from the same material as the bridesmaids' dresses.

The decorative touches…

In-keeping with the romantic, fairytale theme, Sophie carried a
bouquet of lilac roses and green ivy. "My bouquet was layered
and floaty to reflect the layers and fall of my dress. The bridesmaids
carried cream rose bouquets to complement and contrast the background of their lilac gowns.
My mum and Jon's mum wore pretty lilac rose wrist corsages,"
says Sophie. The rest of the floral décor was kept simple because, as Sophie explains: "The grounds had so many beautiful plants."
Tall Martini glasses with lilac and cream feather boas were placed on a round mirrored base in the centre of the wedding breakfast tables, and white chair covers adorned with lilac taffeta ties were a really pretty addition. The top table coordinated beautifully thanks to a lilac swag and the bride's and bridesmaids' bouquets, which were added for extra decoration.
Lilac taffeta bags containing dark purple foil-covered chocolates were favours, and the cake was a three-tier creation from Marks & Spencer.

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