Better Together

Talia and Jon had a colourful wedding day at Stock Brook Country Club last summer. Photography by Expression Photography

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Early days…

Jon and Talia met six years ago, when they were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. "I'd love to say that we met somewhere really romantic," says Talia, "but like many couples it was actually after a few drinks at a local nightclub. Jon and I hit it off straight away, and we learnt quite early on that we had so much in common. As we have grown together, we have become so close that I know he is my soul mate and I could not live without him."

The proposal…

Jon proposed to Talia at the top of the Empire State Building during a holiday in New York. "My heart beat faster with every one of the 1,860 steps we ascended before reaching the magnificent viewing gallery, which yielded a moonlight-soaked Manhattan," says Jon. "As midnight approached, I banished the cowardice and plucked up the courage to propose." Jon said: 'I think this is a great time to ask you to be my wife'," adds Talia. "I remember being stunned, and it took me a while to say 'yes'."

The next morning, Jon took Talia to Tiffany & Co. to pick an engagement ring. She chose a 1930s-style cushion cut diamond ring.

The venues…

Both the ceremony and the reception were held at Stock Brook Country Club near Billericay, which Talia and Jon chose as they had a lot of guests travelling from London, and they needed somewhere that was easily accessible.

"We both fell in love with it. We loved the banqueting suite with its tall ceilings and sunshine streaming through the glass roof," says Talia.

The dress…

Talia's dress was a design by Sassi Holford called Jemima, which she bought from Matchmaker in Brentwood. It was a slim-fitting ivory gown made from French lace, with a coffee-coloured satin sash around the waist. She had a bolero made from the same lace as the dress.

The two adult bridesmaids - Talia's friend and sister - wore ivory knee-length dresses, which were similar in style to Talia's gown. The three flowergirls wore ivory silk dresses with coffee-coloured sashes.

The groom wore a black, single breasted occasion suit with an ivory waistcoat and an aqua blue tie.The best man and the four ushers wore black lounge suits with grey waistcoats and pink ties.

The decorative touches…

The flower displays consisted of bright pink gerberas and white hydrangea for a garden party feel. Talia's bouquet also included lime-coloured cymbidium orchids.

The table plan imitated a New York Monopoly game board, and each table was named after a place in the Big Apple. The table names were designed in the style of Monopoly cards, and each had a picture on one side and a short description on the other. The menus and place names also followed this theme.

The guests were given Chinese fortune sticks as favours, which were rolled up in the napkins.

The wedding cake was a simple three-tiered iced fruit cake from Waitrose, which Jon and Talia's florist decorated with pink gerberas.

The best bits…

The ceremony:
Talia was half an hour late for the ceremony because the bridal party was behind schedule. "This did mean that the sun came out just as I arrived, though," says Talia. She walked down the aisle to The PM's Love Theme from Love Actually. "My favourite moment of the day was walking down the aisle and seeing Jon and all our friends and family there for us," continues Talia. "There is nothing nicer than having your loved ones in the same room, all feeling excited for you." The couple left the room to the Fawlty Towers theme tune.

The reception:
Jon and Talia had planned to hold the drinks reception outside, but as it rained in the morning, it had to be moved inside. Stock Brook Country Club provided the catering for the wedding breakfast, which was mushroom bruschetta followed by roast beef with all the trimmings, and blueberry cheesecake for dessert.

A string quartet played modern music and film tunes throughout the reception, and a caricaturist provided additional entertainment. "The caricaturist proved to be a massive hit with the guests," says Jon.

Talia and Jon are Jack Johnson fans, so they chose Do You Remember as their first dance. This was followed by the Hawaii Five-O theme tune to get them in the mood for their honeymoon at Waikiki Beach.

Overall:
"I loved every minute of the planning," says Talia. "I think the only stressful thing about organising a wedding is keeping everybody happy, especially if they have conflicting ideas. But make sure you enjoy it; you only get to do it once, so just take it in your stride. It also helps to take at least two days off before the wedding and treat yourself to some pampering."

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