Wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

Winter's Tale

Anna’s brother Will introduced her to Christian at a party in London. “I think there might have been an element of set-up involved,” she reflects. The proposal followed a year later while the couple were cycling along the South Bank of the Thames. “Suddenly Christian got off his bike and went down on one knee and held out a ring. We were opposite St Paul’s Cathedral and I couldn’t have been more surprised. I hadn’t even got off my bike,” Anna reminisces.


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

“I was insistent about a wedding in the depths of winter,” says Anna – and it is difficult to imagine a more spectacular backdrop for the couple’s February nuptials than Exeter Cathedral. Anna wore an elegant gown designed by Lisa Redman and a fur-trimmed jacket with mother of pearl detailing.


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

Entering the candlelit cathedral was Anna’s fondest memory of the day. Roses spilled from the pedestals and the late afternoon light flooded through the windows. “Walking into the cathedral and seeing almost everybody I love in there was a wonderful moment,” she recalls. “I knew they’d been invited, obviously, but for some reason it was still a huge surprise to see them all there, smiling at us as I walked up the aisle with my father.”


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

The reception was held in a lavish marquee at Anna’s family home. “We went big on colour and drama!” she says. Styled as a belle époque garden, there were statues, topiary, roses and a dazzling green carpet. A surprise was in store for the guests when a curtain was lifted to reveal an art deco themed dining room with purple carpet, white tablecloths, black drapes, statues and purple and white flowers.


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

The party dined on canapés and a main course of Thai gravadlax, chicken with lime, chilli and coriander and sticky rice, followed by a dessert of molten chocolate pudding with clotted cream. Rock‘n’roll band ‘What Next!’ provided the entertainment.


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

Anna’s parents had a surprise in store for the couple, which made for a dramatic finale to the celebrations – as they left the reception, a series of fireworks shot up from a nearby field!


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

Anna and Christian spent their first night as a married couple at Combe House Hotel before jetting off for a honeymoon of two halves: a week of skiing at the Limelight Lodge in Aspen followed by a week on the beach at Esencia in Mexico.


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

“Invest as much time as you can in every detail of your wedding,” is Anna’s advice to brides-to-be. “Agonise over decisions and explore every option available to you because you won’t regret it on the day and you’ll probably find it saves you money too”.


wedding at Exeter Cathedral, Devon

Anna Tyzack is a commissioning editor for The Daily Telegraph

The venue
Exeter Cathedral followed by a marquee reception

The dress
Lisa Redman, London
0208 968 1234 www.lisaredman.co.uk

The flowers
Sarah Pepper
01392 460032 www.sarahpepper.co.uk
Nicola Wright
01392 467301 www.nicolawright.co.uk

Photography
Emma Solley
01392 848500 www.emmasolley.com

Copyright WED Magazine 2011