The couple share a love of Italy and, having fallen for a beautiful Italian villa during a holiday in Lake Como when Kirsty was pregnant with their son, the pair fell in love with the idea of marrying there. The idea, however, was put to bed when they looked into the cost! They returned to the same villa the following year - this time with their baby son in tow - and Rob wowed Kirsty with a surprise proposal. "We were alone in the gardens and he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I was so shocked," she reflects. "He said he knew we could not get married here but he did the second best thing and proposed to me in the place we fell in love with."
Deciding on a short engagement, Kirsty and Rob set the date for just eight months later. Taking a "quintessential English country theme", only 28 guests attended their sun-drenched May wedding, which was packed with attention to detail and beautiful styling from Hannah Taylor. The ceremony took place in their local church before guests moved onto Dartington Hall, which was dressed with a vibrant carnival of seasonal blooms and foliage.
Guests young and old enjoyed playing games in the afternoon sun before settling inside for a feast which included roasted butternut squash and Devon Blue cheese tart, slow-cooked blade of beef and chocolate orange truffle bar with orange syllabub, while singer Andy Brown and a barbecue kept guests entertained in the evening.
The relaxed moments of fun in the sun stand out as some of the couple's most cherished memories of the day. "I loved seeing the children play with the bubble machine at the church!" says Kirsty. "They were all skipping around and so well behaved - it was lovely having them at our wedding."
Looking back, Kirsty is armed with advice for other couples considering a similarly personalised day. "You do not have to spend a fortune on your wedding day, you can get everything you want, you will just need to think about what is important to you," she says. "If you have children at your wedding, think of activities you can have which will entertain them as this will ensure the parents have a good day."
"And take a few moments throughout the day to just sit back and take it all in, as the time just flies. Rob and I escaped for half an hour and took a walk around the grounds, we sat on a bench and had some champagne and watched the sun set."
Photography Devon Portfolio Wedding Photography www.devonportfolio.com
Venue St Michaels Church, Doddiscombsleigh and Dartington Hall www.dartington.org
Wedding planning/styling Hannah Taylor www.hannahtaylorweddingstylist.co.uk
Dress Sottero and Midgley at Serenity Bride www.serenitydreams.co.uk
Flower girl and pageboy outfits Debenhams www.debenhams.com
Groom's outfit T.M. Lewin www.tmlewin.co.uk
Hair Nicola Tremitt
Make-up Billie Edge www.billieedge.com
Entertainment Andy Brown www.andybrownlive.co.uk
Copyright Wed magazine 2016
