IN THE NAME OF LOVE

Laura-May and Simon tied the knot at All Saints’ Church, Lindfield, before heading over to Alexander House for an intimate of loveIN THE NAME REAL WEDDINGS celebration with nearest and dearest Images courtesy of NDavies Photography

Simon and Laura-May met online having been attracted to each other’s funny dating profiles. On their fourth anniversary as a couple, Simon proposed on one knee at Alexander House, surrounded by the petals from 300 roses, which still came as a huge surprise to Laura-May even though she’d been asking for a year!

So, when it came time to look at venues the hotel where Laura-May had said “yes” seemed like the natural choice. It was a place they both loved since many a family event had been celebrated there. The date was set for May 2021, but when news of the pandemic hit in March 2020, the couple opted to bring the big day forward to 17th December 2020 in favour of a more intimate celebration. “I felt incredibly excited and just wanted to get married faster,” Laura-May tells us.

Here, the bride gives us the lowdown on this very special day…

I travelled to the venue in a white wedding London taxi as a nod to the fact that we’d recently moved to Sussex from London.

Go with the flow and remember why you’re doing this – LOVE!

It was great to be able to live stream the day to my nana who is bed bound. We now share a wedding anniversary with her and my grandad.

Si was dressed in a bespoke Gresham Blake three-piece suit, while his best man wore a bespoke waistcoat, also from Gresham Blake. Our wedding favours were small gift bags each containing a silk pashmina, personalised bottle opener, mini champagne or spirit customised according to taste, custom Loveheart sweets, my favourite candle (Lily Flame) and chocolates from Hove-based chocolatier Audrey’s

I created the place names on Papier and customised them by adding pearls and we embellished our reception space with romantic fairylights and tons of flowers.

The floral centrepieces featured white roses, hydrangeas and winter peonies.

Our wedding breakfast, an incredible bespoke five-course menu, was catered by Alexander House.

Magician Alexander James entertained us after dinner. He was a real hit with our guests as he was so funny, it was almost a comedy show as well. We also enjoyed the free-flowing cocktails and champagne.

Our day was so personal and intimate. We were able to spend time speaking to each one of our guests, really enjoying their company. It felt like a relaxed dinner with friends and family – the best. Once restrictions are lifted, we plan to host a big party in the garden with everyone we know. My best advice would be to keep the end goal in mind – don’t get carried away planning a wedding that doesn’t fit for you and your partner just because it’s what’s expected of you. Make it your day and enjoy every minute of it because it goes so fast.

TEAM WEDDING

Venue and catering | Alexander House & Utopia Spa | www.alexanderhotels.co.uk/alexander-house Photographer | NDavies Photography | www.ndaviesphotography.co.uk Dress | Mathilda Rose | www.mathildarose.co.uk Hair stylist | Elita Hoxha | www.instagram.com/elite_hair_brows Make-up artist | Lucy Meyer MUA | www.lucymeyer.co.uk Suits | Gresham Blake | www.greshamblake.com Cake | Konditor Cakes | https://konditor.co.uk Flowers | Tony Dunn Flowers | www.tonydunnflowers.co.uk Transport | White London Taxis | www.whitelondontaxis.com Stationery | Boxed Wedding Invitations | https://boxedweddinginvitations.com Wedding rings | Duttson Rocks | https://duttsonrocks.com Entertainment | Alexander James Magician | http://alexanderjamesmagic.com