They chose to celebrate their nuptials in an equally enchanting spot: Sharpham House on the River Dart. "It is the most beautiful place I've ever seen: rolling hills, vineyards and the river," says Olivia.
The couple settled on an elegant white colour scheme and drew inspiration from Olivia's family heritage and an iconic film to set the tone of their celebrations. "Part of my family is Italian and Scott's favourite film is 'The Godfather', so, like an Italian wedding, we wanted it to feel very relaxed with long tables, decorations made out of olive sprigs and lots of good food and wine."
Donning their own suits with open collar shirts, the attire of the groom's party echoed the relaxed mood. Olivia dazzled in a chic lace gown accessorised with white flowers in her hair, while her bridesmaids wore white tailor-made frocks. The marquee in the grounds of Sharpham House was lined with long tables scattered with jam-jars filled with seasonal, white blooms.
After the church ceremony, the newly-weds arrived at Sharpham House where Dave Murrell's Blues Band provided laidback grooves as guests drank cocktails and mingled in the glorious grounds. The couple then cut their cake against the magnificent backdrop of a spiral staircase.
Guests feasted on the likes of pork fillet and individual summer puddings; after a "witty and emotional" set of speeches, Double Decks Disco provided a playlist of party favourites, which saw everyone dancing the night away.
A series of paper lanterns, which lined the pathway from the marquee to the house, made for a spellbinding scene. "It just so happened that there was a full, incredibly bright moon that night, so my last memory is seeing the darkness of the countryside with these pretty lanterns looking like they were leading up to the moon. It really did feel like a fairytale," Olivia reflects.
But it was the ceremony that made for her favourite moment of the day: "We both completely underestimated how emotional it would be and the priest made it very personal to us. We couldn't stop smiling and giggling the whole way through," she says.
Olivia has plenty of advice for couples in the throes of planning. "Get someone to film your wedding service and speeches. We wish we had done it," she comments. "If you decide to hand make bunting, allow several days to do it - we naively thought it would take half a day." She adds: "Don't stress about your first dance. The thought of being in the middle of a big circle of non-dancers terrified us. When it came to it, I think we both thought without saying anything 'let's just do silly dancing' and it turned out to be really good fun!"
Photography Elizabeth Armitage www.elizabetharmitage.com
Venue St. John the Baptist Church, Dartmouth followed by Sharpham House, Totnes www.sharphamtrust.org
Dress Augusta Jones from Ellie Sanderson www.elliesanderson.co.uk
Hair and make-up Sarah Bee
Flowers Emma Vowles www.emmavowles.co.uk
Entertainment Dave Murrell's Blues Band www.davemurrellmusic.com
Double Decks Disco www.doubledecksdisco.co.uk
Copyright Wed magazine 2013
