SOMETHING OLD, something new

Maddie and Matt Wood tied the knot in a vintagethemed day held at The Coach House at Markshall Estate Images courtesy of Le Beau Photography

Maddie

and Matt met online through a dating app in 2017. It took six weeks for the pair to meet in person but the connection was instant, as if they’d known each other for years. As things progressed, they bought their first house together and got engaged in 2021 in Scotland. Maddie remembers, “It was our first holiday since the pandemic started in 2020 and we were so excited to get away, even though it was only for a few days. On the day of the proposal, we went for a hike up to the top of a viewing point above Loch Lomond. It was a beautiful summers day and we were in a quiet space, just the two of us. Magical.”

On 22nd October 2022, Madeleine married Matthew Wood at The Coach House at Markshall in an autumnal, vintage-inspired affair. Here, Maddie tells us more about their day...

Setting The Scene

“When we started thinking about wedding venues, we knew we wanted somewhere with history and charm.” Maddie recalls, “We’d spoken about the idea of having a vintage-inspired wedding day as we’re both interested in the war-time era. As a history teacher at Honywood School in Coggeshall, Matt knew the Markshall Estate very well and had been on many a school trip to the area. It was also important for us to have the opportunity to use outdoor space as part of our day because we wanted family and friends who are clinically vulnerable to feel comfortable.

“It was a beautiful September day when we first visited the Coach House. We met one of the wedding co-ordinators, Natasha, and felt that she took time to understand our vision for the day. One of the amazing qualities of the Coach House is that in many ways, it’s a blank canvas for your individual wedding preferences. We were able to envisage what our day could look like and it was great to have the flexibility to decorate such a beautiful space in the way we desired. Sadly, Matt’s Nan, Peggy, had died a few weeks before we got engaged. On the day we went to look at the Coach House there was a war-time aircraft flying over the estate which instantly made us think about Peggy, who loved planes and often reflected with us about her time as an evacuee during the war.” It was certainly meant to be.

Maddie and Matt chose plum purple as the main colour for their colour scheme while adding other natural, autumnal colours to complete the look. The couple explain, “It was important for us to incorporate family into our day and we decided to have our tables names inspired by former surnames of our ancestors. I had researched both family trees extensively over the years, so we were able to use old photos of our family members alongside some of our ancestor’s valuable items such as an old typewriter, a pearl necklace and an old teapot. On our tables, we had apothecary bottles that we’d thrifted from charity shops and vintage emporiums for months in the lead up to the wedding day. Our florist, Kelly (Miss Fleur), sourced some beautiful, individual flower stems that we were able to add to the bottles to bring the tables to life. She also created something for the table where we’d sign the registers. She made a beautiful draping flower arrangement which we later transferred to our top table.”

Looking The Part

Maddie wore a vintage-pink silk dress with a white lace overlay. The gown was designed by Millie May Bridal and purchased from J’adore Bridalwear in Coggeshall. Maddie didn’t have an exact design or colour in mind prior to going to the boutique but knew that she’d like her dress to be vintage style, if possible. Maddie styled the dress with a floor length veil which contained tiny crystals throughout and opted for Hollywood waves to complete the vintage look. One side of Maddie’s hair was pinned back by simple clips that Maddie had borrowed from her sister (and bridesmaid) Natasha, who had worn them on her wedding day 11 years earlier.

Matt wore a blue tweed suit from Tailored Image UK in Chelmsford and had a hand-made plum coloured tie from Swagger and Swoon. To stand out from the groomsmen, Matt had a custom-made, doublebreasted waistcoat. He accessorised with a silver pocket watch to complement the vintage look, which he had engraved with the wedding date. The groomsmen wore identical suits to Matt’s, also hired from Tailored Image.

It was important to Maddie that the bridesmaids felt comfortable in their dresses, so the girls to choose their own style dress. The dresses were purchased from Wed2B in Chelmsford and were chosen in the plum purple colour.

Time To Celebrate

To get the party started, the newlyweds booked Tropic through Tailored Entertainment after reading rave reviews about their performances at previous weddings. Their style was soul, funk and Motown with a modern twist and they performed some classic songs. While the band were taking a break, music played through a playlist that Maddie had created prior to the wedding day.

Maddie had secretly planned for Matt to do a performance of his signature karaoke song, Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio. This came as a surprise to Matt who despite some initial reluctance became the star of the show performing in front of all of the guests!

Maddie adds, “We hired an open photobooth from KMS Hire, who supplied the retro booth and props which was ideal for our vintage inspired wedding day. Karen and her team were really accommodating and flexible and did a great job.”

Memorable Moments

There were so many lovely parts to our day but having Maddie’s nephew and niece as page boy and flower girl made it extra special for the Woods. Maddie remembers fondly, “My five-year-old nephew Edward made lots of new friends and when he was given a special mention and a toast during the groom’s wedding speech, he stood on his chair for a round of applause from our guests! The speeches at our wedding were so special and thoughtful. There were points where there wasn’t a dry eye in the room and other times where the room was filled with laughter. All of our suppliers were amazing and we were so happy with them, but we have to give a special mention to our photographer, Jamie (Le Beau Photography) who stayed with us all day capturing special memories and moments. We loved Jamie’s style of photography and felt that it fit perfectly with the whimsical autumnal day we had planned. Jamie was packing his camera equipment away ready to leave but when he heard Matt rapping to Gangsta’s Paradise he quickly got them out again and started snapping away!” A picture tells a thousand words, and this one certainly speaks (or raps) volumes!

MATT AND MADDIE’S CONTACTS

Venue, www.markshall.org.uk/weddings | Photographer, www.lebeauphotography.co.uk | Dress, www.jadorebridalwear.co.uk

Hair stylist, www.bridesbyrose.co.uk | Make-up artist, www.instagram.com/createdby_megan | Suits, www.tailoredimageuk.co.uk

Cake, www.lucascakes.co.uk | Flowers, www.missfleurfloraldesign.co.uk | Stationery, www.chapterinvites.co.uk

Catering, www.coggeshallcateringcompany.co.uk | Wedding rings, www.lancejames.co.uk | Band: www.tropic-band.com Drinks, www.peterwattswines.co.uk | Bridal nails, www.nailsbyfrenchie.co.uk | Photobooth, www.kmshire.com

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