It is said that women most appreciate a man’s sense of humour – this was certainly true for Jon, who made a great first impression on Emma with his Monty Python joke! Many moons later, they were joined as husband and wife on a beautiful July day, their ceremony and reception witnessed by friends and family at the Exeter Castle, decked out in navy, cream and gold for the occasion. Gloriously documented by Evolve Photography, it was a day they will never forget.
Bride & Groom: Emma, veterinary student at Nottingham University, and Jonathan, engineering consultant
Length of engagement: 1 year
Wedding date: 14 July 2012
Wedding ceremony & reception: Exeter Castle, Devon
Wedding photographer: Evolve Photography
We met… in the bar at Jesus College, Cambridge, where we were both students.
First impressions of your husband… he was very self-assured and funny; he made me laugh by quoting the castle scene from Monty Python & the Holy Grail… word for word!
His first impressions of you… smart and pretty – not one to suffer fools gladly. A challenge.
What was your proposal? Jon proposed in the kitchen after we went out to dinner at Drakes on the Pond (a fantastic restaurant near my parents’ house). It almost all went awry when I asked if we could rearrange because something interesting had come up on placement and I wanted to stay late… poor Jon!
Who were your bridesmaids/groomsmen? Bridesmaids were my sisters Hannah & Jess, and Siân, my best friend since I was 8. Jon’s best men were his brother Jev, and our best friend from uni, Nick, plus two ushers.
What was your dress like? It was a Mark Lesley dress that I had seen in a bridal magazine and fallen in love with. It was relatively simple on top with an A-line skirt, lots of tulle and some beautiful detailing from the waist down.
How did Confetti.co.uk help in your big day? It provided a lot of inspiration from the Real Weddings section.
What was your ceremony like? Highly personal. Jon and I wrote our own vows and we did one of the readings, which was a poem we had edited to make it personal to us. Mum also had a surprise up her sleeve as she had arranged a string quartet for the ceremony, which was a really lovely touch.
We chose our venue because… it was simply stunning. We loved the layout, which made it the ideal venue to have both the ceremony and the reception, and it was located in central Exeter, which was perfect for guests arriving from all over the country!
What were your wedding theme/colours? Navy, cream & gold.
What was your favourite part of the wedding? Very difficult to choose! I loved every minute of it. I will never forget how it felt to be walking down the aisle with my Dad, towards Jon – that was a very special moment.
What was the song for the first dance? Follow by Semisonic (the first band we mutually agreed on!)
What is your advice for other brides? My top advice is something that someone told Jon before our wedding day: make sure you sneak off for 10 – 15 minutes during the day just to be alone together, otherwise the day will whizz past and you’ll barely have time just to savour being the two of you as husband and wife for the first time!
With more than 20 years experience and over 1200 weddings, Mark at Evolve Photography has a gift for capturing and sharing the essence of every couple’s special day through his expertise in the art of photography. Based in Devon in the South West of England, he specialises in reportage-style, with classic and simple beautifully narrative photographs, flexibly priced starting from as little as £395
