Planned to a tea

Emily and Adam enjoyed a tea party with friends and family to celebrate their happy day.
Photos by Henry Wells

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Early days…

Twenty-six-year-old marketing officer Emily, and Adam, 29, a PE teacher met while studying at Chichester University. "I was in my first year and Adam was in his final year," says Emily. "One day I walked into the pub and Adam was there. He thought I looked like Billie Piper and that's how we got talking."
That was five years ago, and Emily knew from that moment that Adam was the man she would marry.

The proposal…

Adam had done a good job of putting Emily off the wedding scent by saying that she shouldn't expect a proposal any time soon, so when he popped the question Emily was blown away. "It was the day before my 25th birthday and we had gone camping in West Wittering. Before we went for dinner, Adam suggested going for a walk along the beach.
"Years previously Adam had said he was going to buy me a ring with I love you engraved on it and when we stopped at the spot where Adam had first told me he loved me, he asked me if I remembered him saying that. I said: 'Yes of course I remember. Shall we go to dinner?' and started walking back up the beach."
Adam had more on his mind than dinner, and as a hungry Emily retreated up the beach he called after her: "Would you like a ring now?" Emily turned round to see Adam on one knee as he asked the question she really wasn't expecting: "Emily I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?"
"I don't think I spoke for about five minutes," says Emily, "but then realised what was going on and said 'yes!'"
To her surprise, Adam had enlisted the help of two friends who had been busy setting up a romantic scene. "I saw that our garden furniture had been set up by the water's edge with flowers and Italian food, and was surrounded by candles," remembers Emily.

Hen and stag parties…

"My hen party was organised by older bridesmaids and I didn't know any of the details," says Emily. And what a fun-packed time they had organised for her. Over the course of a weekend Emily was treated to a barbecue, sipped champagne while relaxing in a hot tub, and enjoyed beauty treatments, wine tasting and cocktails. "It was exactly what I wanted, brilliantly organised and I had an unforgettable time," she says.

Adam too had a weekend do, the theme of which was adventure. "They went go-karting in the day followed by a meal and some comedy at Jongleurs before moving on to a club. The next day they did clay-pigeon shooting," says Emily.

The venues…

After a church ceremony, the newlyweds and guests went to Jeremy's Restaurant for a typically English tea party. "We actually found Jeremy's before we decided on the church," says Emily. "I came across it by chance after looking for somewhere to take my mother for afternoon tea. As we were sitting outside a bride and groom walked past us. We had a quick peek into the gardens and it just looked amazing."

The attendants…

Helping Emily on the day were friends Rebecca King and Stephanie Dormer, and Adam's younger sister Hannah. The couple also had an usherette, close friend Jennifer Emmerson. Adam enlisted the help of two best men, younger brother Sam and best friend David Ellison, and there were three ushers. Two-year-old Finley West, the son of close friends of the couple, took on the role of pageboy.

The dress…

Emily estimates that she tried on a grand total of 40 dresses before finding the Alfred Sung design that made her think 'wow'. "I loved it because it made me feel womanly and it was easy to move in. I bought it from Confetti & Lace in Chichester and had my fittings done in the Farnham branch. Both branches went to great lengths to make me feel very special." The three bridesmaids wore Alfred Angelo outfits, while Jenny donned a dress from Coast. The four women all wore jewellery from Monsoon.
Adam's grey morning suit was from Moss Bros and he teamed it with a cravat and waistcoat made from the leftover material from the bridesmaids' dresses, pearl cufflinks and shoes from Next. The groomsmen each wore a suit and waistcoat to match Adam's and teamed them with a cream cravat.

The best bits…

"Seeing Emily walk down the aisle towards me was an amazing moment and one I will never forget," says Adam.
"The grin on Adam's face as I came down towards him was amazing as was reading our vows and hearing the church bells ring. I remember listening to the church bells every Sunday from my parents' house, so it was very special for me to have them rung on our big day," says Emily.

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