COUNTRY GLAMOUR

Josh and Sammy’s white and champagne colour scheme was the perfect option for their showstopping wedding at Sopley Mill

Images courtesy of Aurelia Allen Photography

Josh and Sammy both lived in the same block of flats when they first met. After getting to know each other better, they discovered their shared sense of humour and similar personalities. After months of being good friends, the pair slowly fell in love and started dating. During a family camping trip to Cornwall back in 2019, Josh proposed to Sammy after asking her daughter’s permission weeks before. Sammy comments, “We were down by the river on rowing boats in the most beautiful setting. With my family around me, who were all in on it, he got down on one knee and popped the question.” She adds, “I was completely shocked and took a long time to say ‘yes’ because I had to keep pinching myself.”

Here Sammy shares details about their special day...

I wanted to use as many white and beige tones as possible, so I asked my stylist to use pampas grass, white candles and a floral archway.

Seeing Josh cry so much when our daughter walked down the aisle and again for me was a moment that stood out – I’ve never seen so many tears! I was super relaxed in the morning and excited once I arrived at the ceremony.

Josh picked Sopley Mill for our venue, and I loved how we could style the spaces to match our theme and colour scheme.

My brother flew over from Australia and sang during the ceremony, which was so special as the pandemic meant he would have missed our original wedding date due to travel restrictions at the time. We wanted our theme to be country glamour, so we had many brass accessories, gold lanterns and huge pampas centrepieces. I kept the place names and menus simple with calligraphy writing and gold wax melts.

My venue stylist added a gold sequin backdrop with a neon sign to add a touch of glamour to our photos.

I picked orchid flowers for my bouquet because I wanted something messy yet glamorous – I loved how simple yet showstopping they looked.

We used old acrylic stands for our table numbers, and the seating plan was on a huge antique mirror.

We had a beautiful wedding cake, which looked stunning. We had lemon, elderflower, white chocolate, raspberry and salted caramel flavours. I wore a stunning sheer and lace bodice dress that was perfect for my figure. I paired the gown with a cathedral-length veil and a stunning hairpiece.

Josh wore a beige suit, brown waistcoat, a bow tie and a gold bumble bee pin given to him by his mum the night before the wedding to symbolise family. The bridesmaids looked beautiful in champagne off-the-shoulder dresses, which matched the red carpet vibe I was looking for.

We thoroughly planned the evening playlist with our DJ, so everyone would be up dancing all night. I felt a million dollars on the day! My vision came to life and I just felt so beautiful – I did a little cry too! We visited the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon. We both planned the twoweek trip and absolutely love it – especially snorkelling, the unlimited cocktails and the private swimming pool.

SAMMY AND JOSH’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK Venue, www.sopleymill.co.uk | Photographer, www.aureliaallenphotography.com | Bride’s dress, www.wed2b.com | Hair, www.chloemollyhair.co.uk | Make-up, www.instagram.com/michaelaselenemakeup | Bridesmaids’ dresses, Oasis | Groom’s suit, Moss Bros. | Cake, www.fanciecake.co.uk | Flowers, www.simplyflower.co.uk | Entertainment, www.weperform.co.uk | Catering, www.signaturecateringco.co.uk | Venue styling, www.effortlesselegancebyhollylouise.co.uk | Hampshire registrars, www.hants.gov.uk/registration | Singer, www.instagram.com/danielrnixon | Videographer, www.jackaldridgephotography.co.uk

Wedding and Event Venue Decoration

At HWH we believe you should be able to have the wedding of your dreams without paying nightmare prices. We are an independent company that has provided venue decoration services for a number of years. We offer standard or bespoke packages and individual items to hire.

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