It was with the same family spirit that they planned their brilliantly individual wedding in just over three months, enlisting the aid and talents of their nearest and dearest to instil character and successfully meet the 14-week deadline they set themselves.
"It was important for us to get married somewhere that meant a lot to us as a couple," explains Jessica. "As we had got engaged on my home turf, getting married near home also felt the right thing to do. We both wanted an informal outdoor wedding and Ever After was perfect. As a child, my sister and I would regularly ride past and always loved the spot right by the river - it is an amazing place."
Jessica, her mum and sister arranged the flowers, with her mum also creating the buttonholes, bridesmaid bouquet and floral displays around the venue. "My bouquet was a brooch bouquet I borrowed from my sister - she made it for her own wedding three years ago," adds Jessica. It was the perfect finishing touch for her fun and fabulous made to measure dress by Candy Anthony, which she teamed with eye-catching blue heels and a headdress by Miranda Templeton.
Guests mingled over pre-ceremony drinks in the garden before remaining outside for the beautiful mid-afternoon ceremony, which Jessica cites as one of her highlights. "When I met Chris at the altar everything just felt right at that moment and we both couldn't stop smiling," she reminisces.
A garden party drinks reception kick-started the celebrations, which was accompanied by a meticulously planned Spotify playlist soundtrack created for each section of the day by music aficionado Chris and his friends.
The menu was another aspect designed around the couple's personal preferences. A crab salad starter was followed by slow-cooked short end of beef with mini oxtail cottage pies, while a sumptuous selection of five miniature desserts presented a sweetly indulgent finale.
With so little lead time but a distinct vision in mind, Jessica emphasises the importance of prioritisation and personalisation during the planning process. "We tried to keep things simple and focus on what was important to us. This worked well for us and meant we could have most of the things we wanted on the day."
Photography Dan Ward www.danward.co.uk
Venue Ever After www.lowergrenofen.co.uk
Catering Dartmoor Inn www.dartmoorinn.com
Dress Candy Anthony www.candyanthony.com
Bridesmaid dress Coast www.coast-stores.com
Hair and make-up Sisters Hair and Beauty www.sistershairandbeauty.co.uk
Groom's outfit Dress2Kill www.dress2kill.com
Copyright Wed magazine 2015
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