Masquerade Wedding

A dramatic location set the tone for the wedding of Jodie McMullen, 33, and Jake Seal, 30. 'We're both actors and love fancy dress - in fact our engagement party had a pirate theme for this reason - so we wanted a medieval, A Midsummer Night's Dream-theme for our wedding. The ruined 14th-century Leiston Abbey was the perfect venue, I didn't even mind the overcast sky. The moody look added to the atmosphere,' says Jodie.
As Jake grew up in Hong Kong, the couple invited 88 guests, as eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture. They all watched Jodie walk up the aisle marked by rose petals to November Rain by Guns N' Roses. 'It was quite cheesy but it's my husband's favourite band so two of my friends played it on their violins,' adds Jodie. 'They also accompanied us all singing Amazing Grace, which was a real goose-bumpy moment.'
Champagne on the lawn followed and then the party moved into the Abbey's thatched barn, which was swathed in ivy for the reception. 'We arranged tables in a U-shape and had an Indian-style buffet at the back so everyone could mingle from the start,' explains Jodie. 'It also meant we could have the cake and our first dance in the middle of all our friends and family.'
After the couple's 'mock tango' to Stevie Wonder's For Once in My Life, guests joined them for barn dancing. A DJ then played and various musical friends got up to do their turn.
'Everyone was wearing the masks we had at the place settings and the party went on into the night as most of the guests were staying at the Abbey. We made our escape at about 1.30am, with everyone trying to jump on the wedding car, and left the natives to run wild,' laughs Jodie.