OUR KENTISH CEREMONY
MARRIED AT HEVER CASTLE
HEVER EMILY AND GREG DEANE HAD A DAY FIT FOR ROYALTY IN THEIR FAIRYTALE CASTLE SETTING
Photography by : Cushla Marie Photography
THE VENUE We knew we wanted to get married in a castle but at first we were unsure of the location . I was born in Kent but my now husband Greg grew up in Berkshire , so both areas are special to us . We used the Hitched app to narrow down a list , as soon as we found Hever , we knew we had to view it . For me the ceremony location had to be stunning as it is the most important and special part of the day , and Hever Castle ’ s Italian Garden Loggia certainly ticked all the boxes .
THE OUTFITS We got engaged on 22nd July , and by 19th August I had picked my dress ! I had a very specific silhouette and neckline in mind ; it had to be a ball gown , and it had to be off the shoulder . I hadn ’ t expected to find it so quickly , but I went to Teokath of London and fell in love with my dress there - the Elcira by Pronovias . The assistant then found sleeves to add from a completely different designer . They matched the dress so perfectly , and I loved that I was customising ; it felt so personal .
The suits took a little longer to narrow down . Greg knew he wanted a more custom approach ; we spent a long time researching to find the right price . He finally found Edit Suits and Greg had a few meetings with them to discuss options . In the end he chose light grey for the jacket and trousers and blue for the waistcoat with lots of personal touches , like monograms and a beautiful , patterned lining .
THE CEREMONY The anticipation of walking down the aisle is something else ( and
Hever has a very long aisle in the Italian Garden !). Our ceremony was quite late at 4:30pm . I loved this , as I had the most chilled and relaxed morning getting ready and it only made me more excited to see Greg ! Of course the moment you say the words and become husband and wife is indescribable , but it felt so special walking towards the Loggia entrance and then up the steps to finally see all of the people that you love ready to celebrate with you .
THE DÉCOR For our colour scheme we opted for burgundy and blush with hints of gold - it reflected our classic romantic fairytale theme perfectly . Our flowers were created by Donna & Mandy ( plus team !) from Gibson ’ s Farm Shop in Wingham , and we had lots of gorgeous roses and foliage .
THE ENTERTAINMENT We hired Blue Topaz String Trio to play for our ceremony and drinks reception . Having live music to walk down the aisle to was amazing and it made the whole ceremony feel so special from the beginning . Then , in the evening we had a DJ . Our first dance was to Whatever It Is , by the Zac Brown Band . Greg shared this song with me whilst we were in the first lockdown , living in the Peak District with his parents and it became a favourite of both of ours . The words felt personal and special .
THE HIGHLIGHT Our highlight was when we got a moment to ourselves right after the ceremony . It was the first time we ’ d had a moment since the dinner the night before and it was nice to just chat !
66 | AKENTISHCEREMONY . COM | SPRING 2023