Wedding at Rockbeare Manor, Devon

The wedding party oozed glamour, with Gemma donning a beautiful floor-length Pronovias gown, her bridesmaids in shimmering gold and Matt looking dapper in black tie. The ceremony, which took place in Rockbeare Manor's stately dining room, was full of joy and punctuated with lots of giggling. "We laughed all the way through our vows and that just made me love him even more," remembers Gemma. "We laugh and joke around every day so why change for your wedding day?"

The ceremony was followed by a drinks reception and canapes, before sitting down to a menu that truly impressed the guests, featuring a starter of confit of chicken leg with toasted pine nuts and chorizo with a paprika emulsion, then a main course of ale-marinated beef and roasted vegetable pithivier with a cep and chestnut sauce, finishing with white chocolate and raspberry br�lee with praline snap. "Honestly, Rockbeare served up the best wedding food I have ever tasted," says Gemma. "From canapes to the evening food - the best pasties ever - it was all exceptional."

The couple opted for a doughnut tower rather than a traditional wedding cake, which the groomsmen sprayed with edible gold glitter as a surprise. A live band kept the dance floor full, with guests heading outside for an incredible fireworks display as the clock struck midnight. The celebrations carried on until the small hours, with guests grooving around a portable speaker after the band had finished. "Sometimes you just have to keep on dancing!" laughs Gemma.

Stating her favourite moment as standing as husband and wife underneath the midnight New Year's fireworks, Gemma realised that "all the stress paid off and I'd just married my best friend".

And her top tip for nearly-weds? "Get all the big things sorted early and don't stress about the little things. No one notices the table numbers or the colour of the guestbook pens so put your effort into the things that really matter." And her parting words might be our favourite advice to date: "Spend as much time with each other as you can, laugh as much as possible and love the day."

Shoes Jimmy Choo jimmychoo.com

Bridesmaids' dresses Sorella Vita

Flowers Tracy Baker Floral Designs

Hair Revelations Hair Studio revelationshairstudio.co.uk

Make-up Adele Hack facebook.com/adelesweddinghairandmakeupplymouth

Entertainment iRock irockpartyband.co.uk