OUT OF THE BLUE

Paige and Ben’s neutral palette was brought to life with pops of blue Images courtesy of Steve Barber Photography OUT OF THEblue REAL WEDDING

Since Paige’s sister and Ben’s brother are a couple, the pair knew of each other but had never met until a family gathering. Although, they’d kept their distance from each other Paige had nevertheless caught Ben’s eye and he asked his brother, Lee, for her number. “I played hard to get for a while but eventually gave in and we went on our first date,” Paige tells us.

We fast forward five years to Mexico, where the pair were on holiday. Ben says, “I’d always worried about where I wanted to ask Paige to marry me and had the ring prepared as I knew it was only a matter of time. When we arrived in Mexico, we were told a meal could be arranged on the lake in our own private hut and straight away alarm bells rung – I knew this was the place. A sunset, amazing food and the woman of my dreams all made me the happiest man alive.”

As a wedding photographer, Paige had been to plenty of weddings at many a venue and knew she didn’t want a traditional day. “I worked at Marleybrook House in 2019 and fell in love with the venue, mainly the fun fair. So we started putting the day together from there,” Paige explains. The twosome have similar interests so when it came down to the finer details everything ran smoothly. They opted for a baby blue palette complemented by neutral hues.

Join us as Paige gives us the lowdown on W-day, 21st August, 2021...

It started to rain just before the ceremony and seeing everyone sitting with umbrellas, laughing and joking will be a sight I won’t forget in a hurry. It just showed that no one was going to let anything ruin the day. For the ceremony we decorated the arch and had petals scattered down the aisle. The area is so picturesque anyway, but adding flowers made it pop.

I felt very emotional. All that planning we’d done and the day was finally here. We were both so happy that everything went as we’d hoped. Seeing each other from either end of the aisle was the best part of the day.

I decided to do a family tree, using one of the trees in the grounds. It had fairylights and pictures of our family wrapped around it. It was a nice way to remember people who couldn’t be with us on the day, as well as how much our family has grown. I love hydrangeas and the natural look, so chose lots of white and green for our flower arrangements.

All three bridesmaids were dressed in baby blue halter-neck gowns. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen really made our day extra special.

The idea for the wedding breakfast was that flowers should be the focus, so I loved the idea of having high centrepieces so everyone could still see each other around the tables. We decided on low lanterns surrounded by blooms and large stands with tea lights suspended from the flowers on top.

For our table plan, table names and place names we decided on acrylic with painted brush strokes. We’d already used the idea for our save-the-dates, so this tied everything together. I showed my cake designer what I’d like along with our colour palette and left it in her hands. Wow did she deliver! Everyone commented on what an amazing job she’d done.

We had the amazing Chris Harding performing magic for our guests and Rich Nairn the caricaturist. These guys are friends of mine and I’d seen them at so many events, I just knew they’d fit in with my guests. Everyone loved them, especially Chris who made us all laugh.

Wedding dress shopping wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. It seemed that no matter what I tried on it just wasn’t the one. Finally, I went to With Love Bridal and the consultant pulled out the perfect gown for me. It was Pronovias Hydrangea – perfect as these were our main wedding flowers. And not forgetting the veil! I thought I didn’t want one, but it just pulled everything together. Make sure you enjoy every moment. Don’t worry about the little things or if something didn’t go the way you wanted it to. Brush it off and move on. It’s just about you and your partner now.

THE W-DAY TEAM

Venue | Marleybrook House | www.marleybrookhouse.co.uk Photographer | Steve Barber Photography | www.stevebarberphotography.com Bride’s dress | With Love Bridal | www.withlovebridals.com Hair and make-up | Hair and Makeup by Zara | www.hairandmakeupbyzara.co.uk Bridesmaids’ dresses | Chantilly Lace Bridal Wear | www.chantillylacebridalwear.com Suits | Slater Menswear | www.slaters.co.uk Flowers | Distinctly Floral | www.distinctlyfloral.co.uk Stationery | The Perfect Wedding Shop | www.instagram.com/theperfectweddingshop Entertainment | Apollo Funk | www.apollofunk.com Magician | Chris Harding | www.chrishardingmagic.com Caricaturist | The Artful Doodler | www.theartfuldoodler.co.uk Catering | Scott Anderson Catering | www.andersonscaterers.co.uk Videographer | TDH Media | www.tdhmedia.co.uk Pet chaperone | King Pet Services | www.kingspetservices.co.uk Venue styling | Your Beautiful Day | www.your-beautiful-day.co.uk