Vintage Elegance

Gemma and Brian celebrated their big day in style and in intimate surroundings.

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Early days…

Gemma and Brian met at a Royal Ascot Veuve Cliquot Champagne event two years ago. "After spending three months apart, we realised how much had missed each other. So when we met up for dinner, Brian proposed marriage," says Gemma. Her engagement ring is a '50s six-carat ring with baguette diamonds.

Hen and stag parties…

"It's the second time around for both of us, so we didn't really want to do crazy hen and stag parties," says Gemma, who spent a quiet hen night with seven friends dining at Loch Fyne in Reading, followed by drinks at the Mix Bar. Meanwhile, Brian played golf with 15 friends at St Melion in Plymouth.

The venues…

The couple got married at St Peter & Paul Church in Shiplake. "It's a truly beautiful church - just what a bride dreams of as a little girl," says Gemma.
Gemma and Brian own The Bottle & Glass in Binfield Heath, so it made perfect sense to hold the wedding reception there. Besides, as Gemma says: "It's a beautiful, picturesque country pub with a huge garden and 15th century thatched roof."

The attendants…

Brian's nieces, Amy and Rachel, were the bridesmaids and they wore pink '50s-style prom dresses with white tulle petticoats. The flowergirl was Gemma's niece Myla, who wore a long ivory dress, which also had a tulle petticoat. Nina, the bride's sister and bridesmaid, wore a black strapless '50s prom-style dress.
The ushers were Brian's brother Tony, the bride's brother Mark, and nephews Rhys and Sam. The best man was Kieran and the pageboys were Gemma's sons Massimo and Rocco. They all wore suits to match the groom's.

The dress…

Gemma's lovely Suzanne Neville ivory dress had a pleated bodice, lace-up back and a long silk skirt with pleated panels. This was complemented by an ivory veil and a hair comb, both embellished with diamantés. Her 'something borrowed' was her mum's antique pearl bracelet, and 'something old' was Brian," according to Gemma.

The transport…

The bride travelled to the church in an elegant white 1920s Rolls-Royce Bentley.

The decorative touches…

To incorporate the romantic vintage theme, there were silver candelabra with trailing flowers and old-fashioned sweets in etched glass jars. "When I was a little girl, I used to love Aunt Sally from Worzel Gummidge. I wanted that feel of old-fashioned flowers like they had just been picked from a field," explains Gemma. A pink and white four-tier sponge and carrot cake was decorated with crystals, lace and feathers.

The honeymoon…

The bride's dad booked their honeymoon as a wedding gift. They jetted off to the Riviera Maya in Mexico and stayed at the BlueBay Grand Esmeralda.

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