After four years together, Chris was so excited about proposing to Jemma, he popped the question much earlier than planned, during a cuddle in the kitchen while Jemma was still in her PJs. “It wasn’t traditional, but that’s what I loved about it,” says Jemma. “I just kept asking, “Really?’”

Photography by Lily & Frank Photography, lilyandfrank.co.uk

With its vaulted ceilings and church-like feel, elegant Miskin Manor in South Wales turned out to be their perfect venue.

Jemma found her dream dress in Posh Frocks Couture in Swansea. “I wanted a dress with cap sleeves and buttons down the back,” she says. “When I was trying it on, passers-by kept mouthing ‘that’s The One’ through the shop window so I knew I must be onto something!”

Jemma’s sparkly vintage necklace and bracelet were smart buys from eBay, while her pretty floral headband was from Polly Edwards.

Chris looked cool and casual in an open necked shirt and blue suit from Slaters Menswear.

As a nursery teacher, Jemma is no stranger to getting crafty. Taking her inspiration from websites such as stylemepretty.com and oncewed.com, Jemma made over a hundred pinwheels from pretty wrapping paper to hang around the wedding venue.

She also made mini-pinwheels from vintage maps as place settings.

Jemma designed a sweet little lovebird motif for the stationery too and printed it on tags to thank everyone for joining them on their special day.

To help keep guests cool, DIY-pro Jemma made cute paper paddle fans.

The order of service and menus featured a pretty pastel pink and blue pattern and were tied with rustic-looking raffia string.

They moved away from a traditional English wedding breakfast and served Thai prawn fishcakes, slow-roasted lamb and butternut squash risotto, followed by tangy lemon and lime bavarois for dessert.

The couple arranged roses, astilbe, scabious and hydrangeas in glass vases and tied them with lace to reflect the country-garden setting.

As Chris is a motorbike designer, the couple named tables after race tracks around the world.

A tasty mix of cupcakes from Waitrose and M&S were arranged on stands made by Jemma’s dad using plates from charity shops, while a triple-layer lemon drizzle sponge cake made by Jemma’s mum was topped with wooden figures of the couple and their pet bunnies, Mylo and Lola. “We were so sorry our rabbits couldn’t be there, so it was our way of including them,” says Jemma.

They were soon reunited with their beloved pets, taking them on a three-week caravan road trip. “We couldn’t bear to be away from them any longer, so we went on a bunnymoon!”

Photography by Lily & Frank Photography, lilyandfrank.co.uk

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