Beatrice and Andrew met on the dating app Bumble and enjoyed their first date in Cheltenham. "We instantly got along and felt very comfortable with each other," Beatrice tells us. "I could tell that he was a cheerful person which attracted me to him and Andrew tells me that he loved my smile and sense of humour."
The couple became engaged on 24th August 2020. "We had been out for dinner at Gallimores Kitchen in Cheltenham and decided to go for a wander around the Imperial Gardens which is where we had enjoyed our second date," Beatrice tells us. "Andrew got down on one knee and surprised me with a beautiful ring and those four words!"
Beatrice arrived at the church, and she and Andrew left as newlyweds, in a 1952 gold and black Bentley Mark VI. "The driver made us a personalised number plate with our wedding date on it which was special," Beatrice says.
For the reception, the couple were only able to invite 15 guests due to the covid restrictions in place at the time. "We needed somewhere that had a small and intimate space," Beatrice explains. The Fig Room at the hotel was perfect.
On the menu were a choice of canapés including crayfish tails with caviar Marie rose sauce, peppered duck breast with apple compote and thinly sliced pork fillet with basil pesto. The starter was smoked duck breast, fennel carpaccio and pickled radishes with truffled brioche snippets while the main course was a rib eye of beef served with sweet potato fondant, creamed spinach and celeriac with a burgundy jus.
"We enjoyed raspberry mousse, burnt meringue and macaroons for dessert," Beatrice says. "I made a classic three-tier cake with my mother. I created a gluten-free lemon and orange drizzle cake as the middle tier and she made the fruit cakes for the top and bottom tiers that all tasted delicious."
Beatrice chose her dress because she felt like a bride when she first tried it on. “I knew that I wanted it to have detailed embroidery on the bodice which cascaded down the skirt,” she tells us. “I loved the design on my dress that looked like eucalyptus leaves - I instantly fell in love with it. Donna, the owner of Posy & Pearl Bridal Boutique where I bought it makes bespoke hair accessories so I was able to design my own piece with her. I decided on a long hair vine with a cluster of pearl flowers and a couple of small pins for each of my bridesmaids which looked so pretty. Donna also gifted me a beautiful blue ribbon garter for my something blue.”
The couple wanted to hire a band but as they weren’t able to have a large reception, they’re saving that until a reception party in 2022. “We entertained our guests with a game of wedding speech bingo with boxes of chocolates as the prizes!” Beatrice tells us. “Andrew’s parents Megan and Ron, his best friend Danny in Australia (who would’ve been our best man) and my sister Vanessa and her family in Sweden all recorded video speeches which we played during the reception. Although they couldn’t be there in person, it was so special to have them as part of the day.
Bride's dress and accessories
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Hair, Muse Hair & Beauty
Nails, Jodi Brooks Beauty & Cosmetics
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