Tags: Gloucestershire

A racing cert

26 Feb 2014

A racing cert

There was a very special visitor at the wedding of jockey Paddy Brennan and Lindsey Hunting

Image gallery

Paddy Brennan and Lindsey Hunting

Where: Ceremony at St Saviour’s Church in Broadway, Worcestershire, followed by reception at Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe

Photography: Fear Photography

Paddy is a successful local jockey, famously winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010, so when it came to arranging our wedding, everything was on hold until the 2013 racing calendar was issued! As soon as the ink was dry on the timetable, the venue was booked. Sudeley Castle was the obvious choice, the perfect location, and we both fell in love with it immediately.

The ceremony was conducted by Martin Wheelan, one of Paddy’s oldest school friends who is now a priest back home in Ireland. It was lovely and I had to fight back the tears as my father and I walked down the aisle. On arriving at Sudeley Castle, I was overjoyed at how beautiful the grounds looked and of course at being Mrs Brennan. The highlight for us both was the arrival of Nacarat, a beautiful racehorse who has a special place in Paddy’s heart as they won the Aintree Betfair Bowl together, a Grade One race.

We had chosen muted vintage tones and our wedding planner extraordinaire, Matthew Brown, owner of nearby Wesley House had thought of everything.We were able to mingle with our guests in the stunning Rose Garden, sipping pink champagne eating delicate canapés... truly enjoying the day. Our photographer said to me later that he couldn’t remember a wedding when every single person was smiling and laughing, obviously enjoying the day just as much as we were. Dinner was relaxed and fun with mouth-watering dishes all from Wesley House, and my final cry of the day was over Paddy’s speech. He was surprisingly nervous, such a talker and natural at public speaking normally, he focused on a friend to get through it. No-one had seen that side of him, such an emotional speech and so beautiful.

WHO DID WHAT

Photography: James Fear, Fear Photography, 01242 300443, www.fearphotography.co.uk

Venue: Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, 01242 604244, www.sudeleycastle.co.uk

Dress: Karen Varena, Alcester, 01789 400884, www.karenverena.co.uk

Rings: Martin & Co, Cheltenham, 01242 522821, www.martin-and-co.com

Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Karen Varena, Alcester, 01789 400884, www.karenverena.co.uk

Hair & make-up: Paco Delgardo, 01242 570755, www.pacodelgado.co.uk

Groom’s outfit: Moss Bros, www.mossbros.co.uk

Stationery: Time for Design, Broadway, 01386 852223, www.time-for-design.co.uk

Flowers: Copelands, 01452 849308, www.copelandsflowercompany.co.uk

Cake: Janet Murphy (friend)

Catering: Wesley House, Winchcombe, 01242 602366, www.wesleyhouse.co.uk