BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

Mikey and Erica had a relaxed wedding full of wildflowers

Images courtesy of AD Photography

Mikey and Erica shared mutual friends while growing up but became closer during their teens. As life got in the way, the pair drifted apart before rekindling their friendship a year or two later and started dating after realising they shared something more than a friendship.

Mikey popped the questions in 2020 after setting up a marquee at Erica's family home. He added romantic touches with fairylights, photos of them both, candles and Erica's favourite music. She says, “We pulled up to the drive, and I saw a line of candles leading into the garden – I started shaking with excitement. He asked me to be his wife to a recording my friend made of England by The National and I was shocked! We had been speaking about this moment for ten years and had even picked out my engagement ring back in 2014 when I was at university in London.”

Setting The Scene

The couple worked as a team to create their dream day surrounded by loved ones. The bride had always wanted to get married in her local church, and luckily Mikey supported this. She says, “We aren’t particularly religious people, but the church represents more than that; it’s a place where the community comes together in good and bad times. Plus, most guests didn't have to travel too far.”

When looking for a venue for their reception, the couple fell in love with The Gardens at Polehanger. Erica comments, “We loved the ability to create our dream day with help and support from suggested vendors – the team at White Button Weddings were brilliant. We loved how the venue had different pockets of space, but overall was small enough to still feel intimate.”

When searching for favours, the gifts needed to be personal and meaningful. So, the pair decided that a donation to their local hospice (St Johns in Moggerhanger) on behalf of guests was perfect. Erica says, “My dad died when I was eight, and we spent some time at that hospice. It wasn’t just a personal touch but was a way of bringing the memory of my dad to the day.”

The lovebirds hired an incredible yurt from Funky Monkey Tents and the structure was enough to wow. They also had a little table in a stretch tent, which was a last-minute hire due to the heat, with some photos of grandparents and the bride’s dad.

The flowers on the day were from the incredible Flowers at 58. Owner Becky asked the couple about their theme and brought their vision to life. The florist put together small jars for the church pew ends and a huge milk churn full of colour. Despite the scorching 36-degree heat, the blooms still looked amazing.

The couple decided they didn’t want a big cake and opted for some beautiful vegan sunflower cupcakes instead. “We felt our guests were more likely to eat these than a big slice of cake – and this turned out to be a big success", says the bride.

Along with colour being a huge part of the wedding, the couple also had to incorporate Mikey’s love of Liverpool FC! The bride says, “We had the Champions League theme tune played before the service began, and then I walked down the aisle to You’ll Never Walk Alone.” The pair also designed their order of services with a football twist and called it a match of the day programme. The pair had 14 tables for the wedding breakfast, and Mikey picked out his favourite Liverpool players for the table names. Every guest had a little personal note written by the couple; this could have been an inside joke, a thank you or just a sentence summing up how important they are to the lovebirds. A coach transported guests to the wedding while the bride travelled to the venue in Mikey’s first car for a fun and quirky touch. The pair spent many hours driving around and chatting in the car when they were first friends – it's now the first car they got in together as a newly married couple!

Mikey and Erica have been vegans for seven years and have always loved food. Chloe from White Button Weddings recommended Roger from the Chef’s Table, who was remarkable. The couple didn’t want a traditional sit-down meal and had always loved the food vans and street food at festivals. So they had two hours of open service where guests could come and get food when they were hungry. The katsu curry and chocolate churros were highlights for the pair.

The Hogless Roast provided vegan mac and cheese, dirty hash browns and a hogless burger with vegan pork, apple sauce and vegan crackling in the evenings. Erica says, “The team were incredibly professional, to the point that we didn’t even see them setting up. We heard they were a huge hit with our guests, which was just what we wanted.”

Looking The Part

The bride looked stunning in a Madi Lane dress called Andie, which she purchased from Angelica Bridal. She paired the gown with a singletiered rose veil and a rose gold headpiece. She accessorised with pearly clip-on earrings, her engagement ring, her grandma’s ring, a sunflower bracelet gifted by the groom and white bridal shoes for the daytime before changing into some white pumps in the evening. Erica says, “Although I caught glimpses of myself at several different stages during the morning, it wasn’t until I had the dress and veil on that I had time to look at myself properly. I’ve never had buckets of confidence in my appearance, but I had never felt so beautiful!”

Mikey didn’t want to stand out too much from the groomsmen, so they all wore slim-fit herringbone suits with beautiful sage ties and pocket squares. Becky at Flowers at 58 put together buttonholes for everyone, which were small and colourful.

The couple decided on sage green dresses for the bridesmaids to complement the ties and flowers. The bride comments, “I wanted to ensure that each of my beautiful friends had a dress they felt happy with on the day. I sent them a link to around 10 styles and told them to pick what they’d feel most happy in!” With the weather reaching 36 degrees in the day, the lovebirds encouraged the wedding party to change out of their dresses or suits if they wanted to get into something more comfortable after the photo session.

Time To Celebrate

For entertainment, The Hampstead Ensemble played some of the couple’s favourite pieces before the church service. Think a mixture of football music, Harry Potter, Coldplay and The Beatles! They also played during the drinks reception and were absolutely incredible.

The bride’s oldest friend Elliot played England by The National during the first dance, the same song he had recorded for the pair when the couple got engaged. He then performed a set and was utterly incredible – guests were blown away by his talent. Erica says, “Elliot is the lead in a Queen tribute band and captivates the audience in a very Freddy way –he started the night with a bang!"

Memorable Moments

The couple were both very excited about the day! The bride woke up happy and relaxed in the morning – she loved being pampered and surrounded by her favourite women. She says, “There were several moments throughout the day when we stood together and tried to soak it all in. We both love hosting; this was a chance to have our loved ones in one place.”

Walking to the church with her bridesmaids, mum and uncle was a magical moment the bride will always treasure. Quite a lot of neighbours came out to watch and wish her well. Mikey loved having time with their wonderful photographer and videographer just before the first dance. He says, “Other special moments were playing tennis with my groomsmen the morning before we left for the church and, of course, seeing Erica walk down the aisle!”

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Every guest made the day extra special, and the couple is so grateful to everyone who came. Erica says, “We had three friends who gave readings in the church. Each one was incredible and meant so much to us. Our best man, mother-of-the-bride and my uncle did the most amazing speeches!” She continues, “The supplies involved were fantastic! They had taken so much time to ensure we had an incredible day and every single one of them holds a special place in our hearts.”

Venue, https://thegardens.polehanger.co.uk | Photographer, www.ad-photography.co.uk| Bride’s dress, www.angelicabridal.co.uk | Make-up, www.bellesbeautymua.co.uk | Hair, Catriona’s Salon, Langford |Bridesmaids’ dresses, ASOS | Groom’s suit, Next | Cake, https://henlowbaking.co.uk| Flowers, www.flowersat58.com | Videographer, www.reellifefilms.co.uk | Stationery, www.paperwillow.com | Entertainment, https://encoremusicians.com/Hampstead-Ensemble-1 and www.singingwithelliotrose.com, Catering, https://ctshop.co.uk and https://thehoglessroast.com | Wedding planner, www.instagram.com/whitebuttonweddings

Structure, www.funkymonkeytents.co.uk | Ceremony, https://bedfordshireparishchurches.co.uk/wp/northill |Bar, www.silveyandsquires.com DJ, https://ckdj.co.uk | Bride’s nails, www.maxwellshair.com

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