8 minute read
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Images courtesy of Alice and Grace Photography
Carly and Vlad met like most modern couples online. “We went for drinks and didn’t want the date to end,” says Carly. “I think we ended up drinking seven glasses of Diet Coke each! I loved how kind he was, that we wanted the same things in life, how handsome he was and that we both liked travelling.”
Vlad popped the question during a trip to Disneyland Paris. “I’m a big Disney fan, so we decided to go for my birthday,” shares the bride. “We watched the fireworks, and Vlad asked someone to take a photo of us in front of the castle. We had a picture taken, and then he got down on one knee! It was a total surprise and shock! It felt like the world had stopped. The lady caught it on camera, which was lovely as we have it to look back on.”
SETTING THE SCENE
“We chose to get married at Mythe Barn as we loved the beautiful countryside and the venue’s exclusive use,” explains Carly. “The rooms were all gorgeous with a rustic yet modern décor, which suited our tastes perfectly.”
For their favours, the couple gave their guests miniature Russian dolls. “Vlad is originally from Russia, so we decided to place the dolls inside a laser-cut ivory box,” adds the bride. “We also had heart-shaped shortbread with the phrase ‘happily ever after’ printed on them.”
“Our table plan was pieces of card placed onto a large mirror,” recalls Carly. “We named our tables after places we’d been on holiday together, luckily we had been to just enough to cover our tables. We placed photographs of us at each destination on the tables alongside wooden gold stands.”
Carly and Vlad chose ivory trees for their centrepieces. “They made the room pop, and everyone commented on them,” says the bride. “We also had large matching canopy trees that towered over us during the ceremony.”
“My bouquet was made up of white roses and gypsophila from No8 Studio Florists,” shares Carly. “We also had a mixture of green foliage, white hydrangeas, avalanche roses and larkspur placed around the venue. Make it Special Events and No8 Studio Florists were outstanding, and they turned our dream wedding into a reality.”
The couple’s big-day bake was provided by Del-lites – Cakes by Adelle. “It was a three-tier design made up of lemon drizzle, raspberry, champagne and chocolate salted caramel,” the bride explains. “We wanted to incorporate the proposal into the cake, so we chose a Disney castle with a silhouette of a couple proposing as the topper. It was the softest cake I’ve ever eaten!”
“We didn’t need any transport as we both got ready at the venue, but we hired a coach from Swift Valley Coaches that brought some of the day guests who had travelled down from Hull,” adds Carly. “The food was outstanding, and we had so many positive comments about it. We used Mythe Barn’s catering team called Galloping Gourmet. We chose canapés and cocktails for our drinks reception, followed by a three-course meal and a barbecue in the evening. We also provided some sweets with personalised bags, and because we purchased a certain drinks package, we also received the use of a popcorn machine.”
DRESSED TO IMPRESS
“I wore a beautiful A-line gown by Morilee called Arabella,” recalls the bride. “I loved that it clinched in at the waist, had a detailed belt, and that the back was quite low and embellished with tiny decorative beads. I wanted something that was quite
dunchurch park
Hotel & Conference Centre Rugby Road, Dunchurch, Warwickshire CV22 6QW
At Dunchurch Park we have a selection of inclusive Wedding Packages, which cater for parties from 60 up to 450 guests. from£2,999.00
Sweeping lawns down to the lake, beautiful landscaped gardens & grounds for the all-important wedding memories
The grand Portico house entrance, lime tree avenues, rose garden & secret garden gateways for romantic photographs An Edwardian Grade II listed Manor House with a stone flagged terrace, sipping Champagne & drinking in the views Elegant period Manor House rooms for Civil Ceremonies & Partnerships and for more intimate Wedding Breakfasts
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A stunning Great Hall with its high ceiling and chandeliers & parquet flooring, overlooking the Carriage Ring A beautiful Marquee, completely independent with all of its own facilities and waiting to be dressed for your perfect day
A private Bridal Dressing Room for the ‘Bride to Be’ and her Attendants to prepare for the ‘Big Day Ahead’ Expert support and knowledge from our team of Wedding Specialists
bridal and classic. I purchased it from Lineys Brides and accessorised with a veil and small tiara.”
Vlad chose a navy suit, grey waistcoat, blue tie and handkerchief from Suit the Occasion. “He had the same suit as my dad and his best man but with a slightly different buttonhole,” says Carly. “The bridesmaids had blue, sleeveless dresses from Quiz. I wanted them to feel comfortable and in something light in case it was warm.”
TIME TO CELEBRATE
“For the ceremony and drinks reception, we hired the Highly Strung String Quartet,” shares the bride. “They played beautifully, and a few of our guests said it made them quite emotional. This was one of my favourite parts of the day as I had always wanted a string quartet. We picked all the songs from walking down the aisle to the drinks reception, with options ranging from Disney and Linkin Park to Frank Sinatra. In the evening, we hired a three-piece band called Hard to Handle. They were amazing, and everyone loved them! They played popular songs that people knew and could dance along to. We also had a magic mirror photo booth from Bevan Events. Our friends and family walked on a red carpet and had their pictures taken with props. It printed out two photos, one for the guests to keep and one to stick in the guest book for us to look back on, which our nearest and dearest loved.”
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
“I’m quite an emotional person, so I was calm one minute and nervous the next,” Carly explains. “I was so excited to walk down the aisle. Vlad was calm the whole morning, but when it came to the ceremony, he also got quite emotional, which in a way was really nice and set off the whole room! We hadn’t seen much of our friends and family, so it was amazing having them all in one place celebrating with us. The day made us fall in love all over again. Our guests had to wear masks during the service, so we embraced this and asked if everyone could wear white or cream versions. The bridesmaids had specially made masks with lace, and the groomsmen had navy options to match.”
Carly and Vlad had their dream wedding. “The speeches were all so brilliant, emotional and funny,” adds the bride. “They brought back a lot of memories and will always be remembered. To honour my two grandmothers, who unfortunately aren’t with us today, I had both their rings pinned to the inside of my dress, so I had them with me for the whole day.”
HONEYMOON
“We’re planning to go to the West coast of America on a road trip if travelling is allowed,” says Carly. “During our tour, we’ll visit San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, which should take us just over two weeks.”
CARLY AND VLAD’S CONTACTS
Venue, Mythe Barn, www.mythebarn-weddings.co.uk | Photographer, Alice and Grace Photography, www.aliceandgrace.com Videographer, SA Wedding Film And Photography, www.saweddingfilmandphotography.co.uk | Bride’s dress and accessories, Lineys Brides, www.lineysbrides.com | Groom’s suit, Suit the Occasion, www.suittheoccasion.com | Bridesmaids’ dresses, Quiz, www.quizclothing.co.uk Hair stylist, Rachel Jackson Hair, www.facebook.com/racheljacksonhair | Make-up artist, SC Makeup Artist, www.scmakeupartist.co.uk Cake, Del-lites – Cakes by Adelle, www.facebook.com/adellecakelady | Flowers, No8 Studio Florists, www.no8studioflorists.co.uk Transport, Swift Valley Coaches, www.swiftvalleycoaches.com | Venue styling, Make it Special Events, www.makeitspecialevents.co.uk Entertainment, Highly Strung String Quartet, www.highlystrungquartet.com and Hard to Handle, www.hardtohandleband.co.uk Photo booth, Bevan Events, www.bevanevents.co.uk
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