Tahira and Barrie got together after a mutual friend set them up on a blind date. They met for drinks and hit it off immediately. “Drinks swiftly turned into dinner and then a movie, so I guess we had our first couple of dates in one day,” laughs Barrie. “I arrived a little late after getting lost and I remember Barrie's smile and the warm hug he gave me,” Tahira adds.
More than two years later, Barrie popped the question at Southampton General Hospital, where Tahira's a doctor. “The only way I knew I could surprise her was in the one place she wouldn't think of – her work,” explains Barrie. With the help of friends, he hatched a plan to get Tahira into a colleague's office, where he was secretly waiting. “I did the whole down-on-one-knee thing,” he recalls. The rest of the day had been planned out meticulously, including lunch at their favourite restaurant in the New Forest. “I'd even arranged a viewing of Avington Park, a venue Tahira had casually mentioned before as a lovely place to get married.”
One of the greatest surprises of the day was the bespoke ring Barrie had made for her. “Tahira had seen a Tiffany design, which she really liked but it wasn't really suitable as an engagement ring. Knowing she loved it, I got Parchment Jewellers in Winchester to create one based on the same style. Needless to say, she was extremely happy,” adds Barrie. Read on for the couple's account of their stylish big day...
Accommodation
Solent Hotel & Spa, Fareham
www.shirehotels.co.uk
Bride's attire
Tazeen Hasan
www.facebook.com/Official.Tazeen.Hasan
Bride's hair and make-up
Fiona Tanner Makeup
www.ftmakeuplondon.com
Catering
Greenleaf
www.greenleafservices.com
Engagement ring
Parchment Jewellers
www.parchmentjewellers.com
Evening Reception
Flowers Little Lillies
www.little-lillies.co.uk
Flowers
Bloomers Flowers of Botley
www.bloomersbotley.co.uk
Groom's suit
Moss Bros.
www.moss.co.uk
Photographer
Wistful Two Photography
www.wistfultwophotography.com
Pre-wedding family dinner
Chef Gary
www.chefgary.co.uk
Venue
Avington Park
www.avingtonpark.co.uk