Beside the seaside

Emma and Jamie enjoyed a truly fun Brighton day when they said 'I do' by the sea. Images by Robert Longford

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Early days…

Emma, 32, felt drawn to 25-year-old Jamie on the first day that he started working with her at The Metropole Hotel in Brighton six years ago. "I noticed Jamie because he seemed such a cheeky chap, and was always smiling," she says.
It seems the attraction was mutual, and when a work do provided the chance to chat, a date became inevitable. As Emma explains: "We went to a staff quiz night. Jamie had a space on his team and he asked me to join him. We spent the whole night talking and not paying too much attention to the quiz questions. After that we went on a few causal dates and really got to know each other. We continued to meet up regularly and fell in love." Jamie adds: "The more I got to know Emma, the more I realised that she was the girl of my dreams."

The proposal…

While holidaying in Sharm el Sheikh Jamie and Emma took an evening stroll, which turned into a romantic proposal. "As we were walking along, Jamie said he had something in his shoe," says Emma. "When I turned around he was down on one knee, with my engagement ring in his hand. I nearly knocked him over as I flung my arms around him!"

Hen and stag parties…

It's increasingly common for brides-to-be to enjoy two hen parties, and Emma is no exception to this growing trend. "My first do was in Magaluf," she says. "There were eight girls, including my mother-in-law, and we enjoyed four nights of partying. One evening we had a themed night when we dressed as bunny girls." Back in Britain, Emma's second hen do continued the bunny girl theme when she and more friends took to the streets of Brighton complete with rabbit ears.
Not to be outdone, Jamie opted for two stag dos; a week-long holiday for 14 in Ibiza, followed by a night at the dogs before heading to some Brighton bars.
Emma's memories of her time abroad with some of her closest female friends is something she will always be able to easily look back on... Jamie on the other hand might have more problems.
"Over the four days in Magaluff we took over 300 photos between us," says Emma, "but Jamie and his friends took just seven in a week."

The dress…

"My dress was a true princess style. It was a champagne colour with a detailed dropped bodice and a full ruched skirt. I teamed it with a veil, pearl pins in my hair, earrings and a simple necklace," says Emma.
For his part, Jamie wore a chocolate brown tail suit with an ivory-coloured waistcoat and cravat.

The transport…

Emma travelled to The Terraces in a classic Beauford, while Jamie arrived in a red
hummer. "I wanted something traditional, while Jamie wanted something a bit more
gangster," says Emma.

The decorative touches…

The bride's bouquet of pale pink vintage roses had pearl pins in between the flowers and was complemented by the bridesmaids' posies of tightly packed pale pink carnations. "We wanted something simple that would match the chocolate brown colour of the dresses," Emma explains.
The reception room featured round tables which were scattered with rose petals and had centrepieces of pretty pale pink carnations, tightly packed into low square vases. But it is the place names that Your Sussex Wedding thinks were the icing on the cake: hand-painted pebbles - perfect for a glorious day by the seaside.

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