SUMMER LOVIN’

Samantha and Ben’s outdoor ceremony at Wasing took place in the stunning Victorian Summerhouse and followed a stylish grey and green theme

Images courtesy of Benjamin Stuart Photography

Samantha and Ben met at secondary school when he moved to the area from London. “Over the years, we become best friends, spending most days together,” Samantha tells us. “When Ben turned 19 and decided to join the British Army, we spent more time together than usual in the months leading up to the start of his basic training. The time that followed was a shock to the system for us both because he was positioned at the other end of the country and we were unable to speak. After six long weeks, Ben came home for some leave and we have been inseparable ever since.”

The couple became engaged at the start of 2019 in their new house. “We had only recently moved in and I had spent the day at a spa with my mum and arrived home that evening to one of my favourite songs playing and candles and rose petals scattered everywhere,” Samantha tells us. “Ben gave a little speech, which he later told me he had been practising all day, before getting down on one knee and asking me to marry him. At this point, we had been together for more than seven years so I very quickly said yes!”

Here, Samantha tells us all about their summer wedding that followed a grey and green theme.

We wanted an exclusive-use wedding venue where all of our 30 guests could stay overnight so we chose Wasing in Berkshire which felt like our own private village. We loved the different choices of accommodation with each room, including The Dovecote and The Smithy offering something a bit quirky for our guests.

Because we had a summer wedding, we were able to hold our ceremony in the Victorian Summerhouse located within the stunning grounds which was just magical. It’s decorated with a hand-painted mural that looked stunning in our photographs.

Ben said that seeing me for the first time as I was walking down the outdoor aisle was a wonderful memory that he’ll never forget. Witnessing Ben and my dad’s reactions the first time they saw me in my dress was magical and I still get very emotional thinking about this special moment.

We had a live acoustic duo perform for the drinks reception, and during the evening, which our guests loved. The energy that our loved ones exuded on the day was contagious and, considering that we only had 30 guests, I’ve never been to a wedding where there were so many people crying! It was a very emotional day for everyone.

We added in plenty of personal touches. Our tables were named after our favourite Guns N’ Roses songs and we had 7-inch records by the band displayed on each table that formed part of our centrepieces.

Our table plan was created by suspending five 12-inch Guns N’ Roses records from a fishing wire under the canopy as guests entered the Grade II-listed Castle Barn.38

Along with the records, our centrepieces included three candles in tall candlesticks, and champagne flutes, placed on a mirrored plate scattered with hydrangea petals. The flutes were engraved with each guests’ name and doubled up as favours to give everyone a keepsake from our special day.

REAL WEDDINGS

“The event manager at Wasing, Nikki, was great because nothing was too much trouble in the build-up to our wedding, or on the day itself. She helped us navigate the postponement and ensured that everything ran smoothly.” − Samantha and Ben

We chose dried flowers for the bouquets and buttonholes that could still be enjoyed long after our wedding.

Our single-tier lemon-flavoured semi-naked cake was made by a family friend. It tasted delicious and was just the right size for our party.

I wore a dress from the Ella Rosa collection by Kenneth Winston (style no BE470). From the moment I became engaged, I started researching dresses and fell in love with this one. I managed to find a bridal store that stocked it so that I could try it on but it was 80 miles away! I tried on three other gowns before this one, and all of them looked beautiful, but when I saw myself in this dress, I burst into happy tears! Our guests dined on canapés during the drinks reception and wood-fired pizzas in the evening.

I styled my dress with a sheer Cathedral-length veil to ensure the detail on the back of my dress could still be seen, two beaded hair clips, a pair of stud earrings and a pair of silver Jimmy Choo sandals which I loved. We decided on a mouth-watering four-course menu of seared scallops to start, a fillet of beef wellington served with horseradish potato purée as the main course (with a vegetarian option also available), a trio of desserts including a baby scone with strawberries, miniature chocolate brownie and lemon posset and a cheese course to finish with three local varieties served with chutney and biscuits. 39

“Our photographer, Ben, exceeded our expectations. He knew exactly what to do and say at just the right moments. He was so skilled at getting everyone gathered in the right place at the right time and even fixed my veil in place after we realised my hair and make-up artist had left and I had completely forgotten about it!” − Samantha

“We booked a caricaturist who was a huge hit! It meant that everyone had a keepsake to take home with them.” − Samantha and Ben

Ben wore his military uniform for the ceremony and changed into a dark green velvet tuxedo jacket for the wedding breakfast. Our groomsmen wore grey tweed three-piece suits with sage-green ties and pocket squares and brown shoes.

We hired a DJ for the evening and performed our first dance under the new outdoor stretch tent at the venue. My grandad provided some additional entertainment when he carried a tray of flaming sambucas and accidentally knocked one over, making it look like he was carrying a tray that was on fire! Our beautiful bridesmaids wore floor-length multiway sage-green dresses.

THE DREAM TEAM Venue, Wasing, 0118 907 0199, www.wasing.co.uk/weddings, www.facebook.com/Wasingweddings, www.instagram.com/wasingweddings Photographer, Benjamin Stuart Photography, https://benjaminstuart.co.uk | Bride’s dress, Wedding Frox, 01483 276 766, www.weddingfrox.co.uk | Bride and mother-of-the-bride’s make-up, Kelly at Natalia Webster Makeup Artist, 07516 320 137, www.nwmakeup.co.uk | Bridesmaids’ hair and make-up, Kimberley Sage Hair & Makeup Artist, 07889 350 380, www.kimberleyatkin.co.uk Bridesmaids’ dresses, Lipsy at Next, www.next.co.uk | Flowers, Florence And Flowers, 01502 731 322, www.florenceandflowers.co.uk Groom’s tuxedo, M&S, www.marksandspencer.com | Groomsmen’s suits, Black tie, 01344 778 883, https://blacktiemenswear.co.uk Caricaturist, 07795 552 429, www.facebloke.me | Live acoustic duo, Karizma, www.karizmafunctionband.com | DJ, Innovents, 01344 774 874, www.innovents.co.uk