TO THE moon and back

from Your Surrey Wedding - June/July 2023 (Issue 101)

Next Issue

Abi and Ben’s wedding day had the ultimate al fresco vibe Images courtesy of Kirsty Mackenzie Photography

Abi and Ben’s big day was on 2nd July, 2022, with Fiesta Field’s Spirit Lake, Dorking, setting the scene. Spirit Lake is a beautiful 30-acre space that includes manicured gardens, two lakes, a walled garden and surrounding woodland. “Our wedding day at Spirit Lake was absolutely perfect. The first decision we made while planning was to have an outdoor venue, so that we had total flexibility with vendors and other elements of the day,” shares Abi. “We loved that we were able to customise every aspect of the day and we are so grateful to all our vendors and family/ friends who worked to make it happen! It was also important to us to provide a range of easy accommodation options for our guests, so Spirit Lake was perfect with nearby hotels, on-site glamping and free camping!”

The wedding styling was both classic and modern, with white florals paired with accents of gold, pink and neon. Abi adds, “The ‘to the moon and back’ phrase set the theme for the day, as we often say it to each other, and have written it in many celebration cards over the years.” Here, we find out more about their day..

Abi wore a gown from Made With Love, teamed with a veil and silver glitter Jimmy Choos! “I’d seen the dress on Instagram before we were even engaged, so when the proposal happened I knew that Made With Love would be a stop on the wedding dress hunt. In person, the dress was even more beautiful than online, covered in beaded vines that were perfectly suited to an outdoor wedding, with just the right amount of sparkle! I wasn’t expecting to wear a nontraditional dress but when I tried it on I knew immediately that it was the one”.

A beautiful ceremony arch had been covered in foliage, large white roses, orchids and dahlias by Zuzanna of Bloomantic.

A string quartet played as guests arrived via the woodland path.

The table names, seating plan and order of the day were super-stylish; white with letter-pressed gold foil from Ink & Paper London.

The tipis, which had been set up in a triangle formation, were decorated with white paper lanterns. The dancefloor and stage were in the back tipi, and dining stretched across the two front tipis, with space for the bar and indoor fireplace in one end.

Tables were named after the flying trapeze rigs around the world that Abi and Ben had flown together, with the top table ‘High Fly Trapeze’ their current and favourite training rig.

On the tables were gold beaded charger plates, gold cutlery, white napkins and white tapered candles.

Abi and Ben added so many personal touches to their day with the moon being a key theme incorporated in the cake, bespoke neon sign and large wooden crescent moon.

Ben surprised Abi with the large wooden moon they had on the day. She’d seen it online early in the wedding planning journey and fallen in love; unfortunately, their budget didn’t allow for it. Ben contacted The Little Wedding Warehouse and they were happy to work with Ben to keep it a secret, even going so far as to distract Abi on set-upday so the moon could be wheeled into place!

Gastro provided a bespoke, delicious, fully vegetarian menu so that Abi and Ben could eat everything on their wedding day. Evening food was wood fired pizzas served from Gastro’s vintage horse trailer.

The bespoke neon signs, ‘Till death do us party’ and ‘To the moon and back’ came into their own in the lower light.

The evening finished with a silent disco and guests partied on until the early hours.

ABI AND BEN’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK Photographer, Kirsty Mackenzie Photography, https://kirstymackenziephotography.co.uk | Venue and on-the-day coordination, Fiesta Fields, https://fiestafields.co.uk | Tipis, Canvas & Light, www.canvasandlight.co.uk | Catering and bar, Gastro Catering, www.gastrocatering.com | Band, Jack Entertainment, https://jack-entertainment.com | String quartet, Surrey String Ensemble, www.surreystringensemble.co.uk | Cake, Claire Owen Cakes, https://claireowencakes.com | Flowers, Bloomantic, www.bloomantic.com | Bell Tents, Victoria Lily Events, https://victorialilyevents.co.uk Hair & make up, Lucia, Storme Makeup & Hair, https://stormemakeupandhair.co.uk | Bride’s dress, Made With Love, www.madewithlovebridal.com | Groom and groomsmen’s suits, Moss Bros | Bridesmaids’ dresses, Asos | Props, The Little Wedding Warehouse, www.thelittleweddingwarehouse.com | On-the-day stationery, www.inkandpaperdesign.co.uk