Sarah & Sam got married on the 2nd August 2017 at the beautiful Sorrento Cloisters and Lemon Garden
How did you both meet?
Our mutual friend decided to do a bit of match-making and set us both up on a date. I was working on a music project with our friend at the time and Sam knew him through a friendship group at University. This was back in 2009 and the rest is history!
Tell us about the Proposal?
Myself and Sam discussed an engagement for a few years but due to studying and saving for a house we took our time. Sam then surprised me with a proposal at our favourite local woodland park, Haigh Hall. Sam had updated our scrap book (with the help of our artistic friend!) with photos and added a page with ‘marry me’. Sadly, it did pour down with rain but it didn’t ruin the moment!
What attracted you to Sorrento as a wedding destination?
I think our soggy proposal was enough to tempt us into a destination wedding! We have always felt a close affinity with Italy due to my passion for art and our shared interest in the culture and history. We visited Sorrento in 2013, we loved the old cobbled streets and how authentic it was. There are also so many beautiful nearby towns like Positano and Ravello. We felt that our guests would have plenty to see on their holiday and I knew Sorrento would offer an intimate and relaxed environment for our big day.
Did the venue meet your expectations?
The wedding venue’s exceeded all of our expectations, including our guests. The Cloisters is the perfect setting, bringing an authentic Italian feel to our wedding whilst allowing us to have a civil ceremony. The Lemon Garden added the perfect touch to our wedding. We were surrounded by lemon trees and fairy lights and had oil lamps lit at the entrance to our part of the restaurant. The food was A la Carte and guests enjoyed being able to choose their own food off the menu. The dessert was a traditional lemon cake and this added a lovely touch to our wedding theme.
Tell us about the theme of your wedding day?
Our wedding was lemon themed! We had grey and navy suits with navy bridesmaids and had lemon yellow roses and babies breath in our bouquets. We kept decor to a minimum as the restaurant and the cloisters required very little else! We wanted to keep some things traditional like the favours, so we had the Italian sugared almonds.
What was most important for you both for your wedding day?
The most important thing for us on our wedding day was to make sure we enjoyed our moment and lived in that moment. We made time throughout the day to be together.
Did you do anything special with your guests leading up to your wedding day?
We had a great send off in the UK, visiting Chester and Manchester for our Hen and stag do’s. We did lots of Bollywood dancing, go-karting and lounging in hot tubs! There was also lots of limencello drinking to get in the spirit! Whilst in Italy we had a meal in the hotel the evening before.
What was your favourite moment from the day?
We had several favourite moments… one of our favourites was going for a horse and carriage ride after the drinks reception. The people on the streets where shouting and waving at us as we passed them! We also loved our photoshoot in the centre of Sorrento.
What advice would you give to other couples thinking of getting married abroad?
Our advice to any one thinking of marrying abroad would be to go for it. Don’t doubt your decision, it is the best thing we ever did and we have no regrets. We had the most memorable wedding and an amazing family holiday. The weather was beautiful and it brought our whole family together being in such a special place.