REAL WEDDINGS

A MAGICAL BIG DAY Yasmina & Chris

We can’t get enough of this elegant wedding! Bride Yasmina reveals all...

How did he propose?

It was Christmas Eve. Chris whisked me away to the South West of the UK, a lovely little place called Tiverton. We stayed in a cabin which had a gorgeous view of icy hills and roaming sheep. There was a hot tub on the grounds, which I was bobbing about wearing a red “Santa Baby’ swimsuit waiting for Chris to appear from the cabin kitchen. He appeared around the corner in a white snowman mankini (lol) and situated himself outside the hot tub and presented a small box. He opened it and looked at me. Me, not wanting to assume anything, said “that’s such a lovely ring,” to which he responded “do ya wanna marry me then?”

What dress did you wear and where did you buy it?

The Stella White dress from Nadine Merabi, purchased in a lovely boutique called Finique in Essex. Finula (the boutique owner) was so helpful and really understands fashion in a way that’s accessible. I had seen the dress online, and then I believe it wasn’t a wedding dress per se, but it had all the elements I was looking for! The boutique was filled with the most beautiful array of dresses, I’m a total sucker for anything that shines so I was fully sucked in straight away grabbing green and red dresses - forgetting why I was in the boutique in the first place! I had one of my bridesmaids with me, I really wasn’t expecting to buy a dress that day! If you don’t really look, it tends to find you I suppose.

And the accessories?

I chose a pair of white satin 3 inch block heels from ASOS. To be honest, I won’t wear white heels again so they were perfect for the day. I had to actually bin them after the day because they were absolutely ruined with splashes of plonk and from trekking along the grass to get some epic sunset shots. My accessories came from independent designers on ETSY. Earrings and hair grip by Constance Handcrafted, and bracelet by 10 West Jewellery.

What did the groom wear?

An ASOS 3 piece suit. The groomsmen all wore the same and they looked super handsome I must say!

How did you feel when you saw him up the aisle?

Very calm, content and excited but not in a rushy way. Just excited to be his wife and to continue our amazing life together. I didn’t drink before the ceremony as I wanted to actually feel the emotions that were due to come - apart from one shot of 1942 tequila!

Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?

They were from many different designers. It was important to me that everyone felt comfortable and beautiful! Some of the places we bought from were White Fox Boutique and ASOS. A few friends had mentioned before the dread of having their dresses chosen for them. My gals (and guy) are all different shapes and sizes so it’s surely impossible to have them all wear the same thing? Food for thought!

What was your wedding theme?

The theme was Midnight Summer Dream, which a very good friend of ours, Sherry, suggested. It’s perfect for us, bold, rich and muted colours with a pop of metallic here and there. The caterers we used (Florentina - covering Norfolk) hooked us up with really fun suppliers so we had all different colour glasswear, napkins etc. The cake was sensational, matching the theme so perfectly! We went with

Wedding date - 12/07/22 Venue - Barn Drift, Norfolk NR257TY Photographer - Sammy Taylor @ sammytaylor.weddingphotography Videographer - Libby Blunt @ libbybluntvideography

a wooden vibe for the tables and chairs, so to complement the theme. We didn’t actually have table cloths as they took from the natural wood and also we knew we’d have a few spillages to say the least! The after party was themed Studio 54 and that was suggested by my two bridesmaids Becca and Libby - awesome shout. It was a night to remember!

What was the highlight of your day?

That is SO hard to say. I think when the band were going for it and Chris and I were on shoulders surrounded by our unbelievably gorgeous crew of mates. It was special! Pandora’s Jukebox has to be one of the best live bands I have ever seen. We actually discovered them at another wedding years before, even before we were engaged. I think they were the first suppliers I contacted when we got engaged - they are THAT good! Along with the opening of Studio 54! I think the sunrise and the sunset are still unrivalled sights that day, it was a full moon and it looked as if it was right in front of our faces!

What was your best buy?

I think my best buy was my wedding dress. Sounds like a standard answer BUT hear me out... I didn’t spend big bucks on it. Under £550. It was stretchy, so it didn’t need any alterations. The bottom was structured so it didn’t drag off the ground leaving me with a shadow of a dress the day after the wedding! My other on par buy was my Studio 54 dress designed by Claudia Pink, a Liverpool-based designed who is well known for her festival wear and crystal jewellery. This dress is a serious show stopper. I love to encourage purchases from independent designers like Claudia, the pieces are so special. I’ll keep that forever.

A STUNNING SOMERSET WEDDING Joanna & Daniel

This sophisticated celebration in the South West is full of inspiration. Bride Joanna tells her story...

How did he propose?

Every year growing up, my family went camping in Cornwall and my favourite beach to visit was Watergate Bay near Newquay. We were due to go and visit my mum there on her holiday, but the day before I went to Plymouth with some friends to watch Six: The Musical and I had a bit to drink and then we missed the last connecting train home! Dan had to get his 11 year old son Archie out of bed to come and pick me up from Exeter station. The following day was quite cloudy and I was a little under the weather but we decided to head down to Watergate anyway. We sat on the beach with my mum for a while and then decided we would go back to the campsite and hope the weather would pick up for a beach walk later. Dan took some things up to the car (and to get the ring although I didn’t know this at the time!) and came back down saying the weather looked to be brightening and we should go for a walk. We did and at one point, Mum stopped us to take a photo and as she did so, Dan got down on one knee. My response was, “Shut up!”. He was quite emotional so managed to spit out, “You know I love you so much, will you marry me?” and of course I said yes!

What dress did you wear and where did you buy it?

When I went dress shopping, I took a list with me of the ones I liked and the consultant pulled 3 from my list and then a wildcard one. I tried the 4 dresses on and fell in love with the wildcard: Bali. She fit me like a glove and made me feel beautiful! I walked out of the shop with her in a box.

And the accessories?

I wore some beautiful ear cuff earrings from Lovisa, a necklace from Claire’s Accessories, a watch that I’ve had for years, my grandmother’s bracelet and custom lace Alice in Wonderland shoes from Shoenique. I did change in to some white Converse trainers after the ceremony!

What did the groom wear?

Dan wore the Fellini Tailored suit from Slater Menswear. He went to the Bristol store. The groomsmen all wore the same suits with ties and pocket squares, brown shoes and belts. I bought Dan engraved cufflinks and a tie pin from Etsy seller

CustomGiftCoUk as well as a personalised pocket watch from Not On The Highstreet. One of the best men got them socks and hip flasks.

How did you feel when you saw him up the aisle?

I was so nervous approaching the aisle. I didn’t want to fall down the uneven stone steps so I had a tight hold of my dad. Before walking down the aisle, I was worried about whether I should look at our guests or just look at Dan. When I got to the entrance of the Orangery, the choice was gone as my eyes fixated on Dan. I didn’t notice what was going on around me. I didn’t even see the beautiful flowers by Edwina’s Flowers that had been set up. I could see that Dan was feeling emotional so I just smiled ear to ear at him to try to put him at ease. I was so eager to get down the aisle to him!

Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?

My maid of honour was my best friend Charlie, then I had bridesmaids Laura and Steph, and Dan’s niece Paris. They all looked incredible in their dresses from TFNC London. The dress that Steph wore was actually her bridesmaid dress for Laura’s wedding, but due to Covid, Laura had a small ceremony without bridesmaids in the end so Paris wore my dress - these were my ‘something borrowed’! We couldn’t get two more dresses for Charlie

VENDORS

Wedding date:

18th August 2022 Venue: Hestercombe House and Gardens, Somerset

Photographer:

Capture The Moment

and Laura in the same colour so they were a slightly darker shade but I loved this.

What was your wedding theme?

The wedding didn’t start off having a theme as such. The venue is such a beautiful location that it doesn’t really need a theme. I do quite enjoy crafts though and I did think that macrame arches looked stunning so I decided to make my own! I figured that if it was a disaster, it wouldn’t matter and it just wouldn’t get used. It wasn’t a disaster and it looked beautiful at the end of the aisle (and hanging on our living room wall now!). This led to me making macrame collars for jars of flowers and bunting for the top table so we had slightly rustic looking centrepieces and due to our love of Harry Potter, we had some quotes around and the tables named after couples from the stories. I created the stationery on Canva and put them into Ikea frames.

What was the highlight of your day?

It is so hard to choose the highlight of the day! It was just incredible to marry my best friend. However, it was incredibly special that my youngest brother played piano for us before the ceremony, as I walked down the aisle and during moments of the ceremony as well as when we walked out. It was also magical to have my younger sister there as she lives in Australia and I got to meet my nephew for the first time this summer and have him at the wedding too.

What was your best buy?

We had bubbles instead of confetti and I can’t remember what they cost but they were pennies from Trago Mills! I love the photos of us walking through them. Also, I only decided on the day to wear a veil so I had only bought a cheap one and I actually am so glad I wore it; it made me feel super bridal and added an extra something to the photos!

LOVE COMMITTED IN LONDON Tayler & Jayden

A chic wedding with a dreamy dress! This lovely couple answered our questions together...

How did Jayden propose?

On our 6th year anniversary of being a couple, I told Tayler that we would go for drinks and a dinner in the City. Little did she know that I had booked a room at the Langham, which had a balcony overseeing the city. I had it organised with flowers and a photographer waiting for us. I had also secretly organised to get mine and Tayler’s parents in the city without them knowing it was for the engagement. We all had drinks to celebrate.

What dress did Tayler wear and where did she buy it?

My dress was custom made by Sam at Oglia-loro Couture in South Yarra Melbourne. I’ve always loved his designs and knew I wanted my gown specifically designed by him. There were many conversations with Sam in relation to style and fabric, given our ceremony was at St Patrick’s Cathedral, we felt it demanded grandeur. But given that we got married in March and it was likely to be hot, I didn’t want anything heavy that would weigh me down. In the end we chose a gown that was personalised to the day we wanted to have. My dress was a combination of 2 tone Italian tulle, lined with a beautiful nude silk fabric. It was feather light, and beautifully designed. The inner corset was structured and cinched to emphasise my waistline and the tulle was carefully pleated to give a layered look with a dramatic split to give it a modern feel. We also kept in line with tradition of being a full skirt with a beautiful long train.

What was your theme?

We wanted a modern and luxe wedding. Everything was based around Gold, Black, White and pale pinks and we used a lot of modern furnishings. AMICA event hire provided the flowers, bridal table, chairs, cutlery and table settings that gave us this look and feel. We had a white elegant cake that was subtle in terms of decoration. It was a choc-marble mud cake draped with white fondant folds. We also had our fresh flowers placed on the cake. At the venue for our bridal table and table settings we had AMICA event hire. They were the most realistic synthetic flowers we had seen and it allowed us to get our colour palette exactly how we

wanted it to. Our bouquets, corsages and the men’s pins were from Station Place florist and they were simply blush white and pink roses and orchards for the bridal bouquet

How did you choose your table décor?

We wanted our guests to be able to see and speak with each other from across the table so we opted for raised flower centrepieces this also added a big wow factor when guests entered the venue. Then when it came to cutlery and crockery we wanted to amp up our colour palette with gold chrome cutlery and clear charger plates. This was the matched with our white and gold chrome chairs. We opted to have consistency from the bridal table to guest table and the entry decorations – gold chrome, blush pink florals and monochrome backgrounds.

What were your highlights from the day?

Seeing Tayler come down the aisle and realising that this was the big moment. The overwhelming feeling of seeing everybody we love in the same room. Walking in to see our reception decorated immaculately and our vision in real life. We also loved the big party towards the end of the night.

Wedding Invitations:

www.giantinvitations.com.au Dress: Oglia Loro Couture www.oglia-loro.com Veil: Oglia Loro Couture Make Up: Sabilla Sutarno makeup Hair: Salon 21

Accessories:

Stephanie Browne jewelry Bridesmaids Dresses: Barianno www.bariano.com.au Groom’s Suit: Formal Red Groomsmen Suit: Formal Red www.formalred.com.au Cake: Pastel & Bloom - www.pastelandbloom.com.au Food: Metropolis Events - www. metropolisevents.com.au Flowers: AMICA Event Hire - www.amicaeventhire.com

Photographer:

Yervant Photography - www.yervantphotography.com

Ceremony Venue:

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Reception Venue:

Metropolis Events Entertainment: Maya Vice + Tim the DJ Sax + Mike Snell Celebrant: FR. Alex Chow Transport: The Limo Company www.thelimocompany.com.au

Wedding Favours:

Freixenet Rose

Any Other Vendors:

Melbourne Chandelier Company

Any DIY décor elements?

We had the opportunity to style the whole venue completely from scratch so it was our vision but our suppliers made it all happen. The only DIY thing were our wedding favours, which we purchased individually and tied a greeting card to.

Any sentimental personal touches?

Our entry song was the theme to Friends because everybody knows it’s Tayler’s favourite show. The wedding date is right in the middle of our birthdays and it also happens to be the day we celebrate our uncle and grandfathers’ birthday on each side! The venue is directly below where I proposed to Tayler so it felt like full circle. A couple of years ago, Tayler’s grandfather passed on the same day and to our family, especially her Nanna, it felt like a nice way to remember and honour him.

Any tips that you can give to future brides?

Double and triple check all your appointments and conversations with suppliers – you’ll have a million things happening at once so just always check twice at least. Book your reception ASAP: With delays and reschedules it’s always going to be tough to get the venue you want on the day that you’d like. Don’t compromise on the things that will make your day. Finally, your bridesmaids and groomsmen will help you more than you think so be thankful.

What’s your saving tip?

Research, research, research! Always look at more than one supplier and find the best value for what you are getting. Some things you know you have to splurge for because it’s important for your day – don’t compromise on those things!

AN AMAZING AUTUMNAL DAY Olivia & Stanley

We are feeling the love for this stunning wedding! Bride Olivia tells her story...

How did he propose?

The proposal took place on the 8th July 2020. The backdrop was the beautifully restored Georgian manor house, Heckfield Place, rewoven into 400 acres of luscious, secluded Hampshire countryside. This two-day break could not have begun any better, with a picturesque walk around the lake in the glorious sunshine followed by a grand meal in the restaurant. Stanley is literally the ‘Rain Man’ and I’m not referring to the Dustin Hoffman/Tom Cruise film (unless you can count cards, if so we’re off to Vegas baby!). He says that ‘the rain follows him wherever he goes’ and this was no exception. The proposal day arrived as did the torrential rain. Stanley had arranged a romantic picnic under a stone gazebo within the beautiful grounds. However, after several minutes of trudging across water drenched gravel to the location, Stanley abandoned this plan and sought assistance from the staff at the venue. They were brilliant and re-located us to our private greenhouse, which wasn’t even open to the public. The scene was perfect, and Stanley had pulled out all the stops, with my favourite sweet treats and champagne. As if by magic the rain ended, the sun came out, and Stanley dropped to his knee asking me to make him the happiest man in the world. Of course, I said, ‘yes’ and this fairy tale proposal was sealed with the biggest spectrum of colour in a rainbow over us.

What dress did you wear and where did you buy it?

My wedding dress was by Dando London. I bought it from a boutique bridal shop located in Ketteringham Hall (Norfolk) called Adella.

What accessories did you wear and where were they from?

I wore classic ivory Manolo Blahnik heels, paired with pearl and silver drop earrings. For perfume I wore Maison Francis Kurkdjian Gentle Fluidity Gold.

What did the groom wear?

Stanley wore a full Tom Ford midnight blue tuxedo and Dior suit shoes. For his fragrance, he wore Tom ford Tobacco Vanille.

How did you feel walking down the aisle?

Right as the ceremony started, as the

bridesmaids were walking down the aisle, I was hit with every emotion possible. Happy, excited, nervous, anxious, OMG I’M GETTING MARRIED! I waited until a certain point in mine and Stanley’s favourite Adele song “One and Only” and the doors opened. While I was walking down the aisle, all my attention was focused on getting to the end to Stanley. I can’t remember how the room looked or who was sitting where. It was a totally surreal moment. All I remember is seeing Stanley waiting for me at the other end of the room, it felt as if I floated. Once I was there and my husband was holding my hands I started to calm down and feel better. My advice would be don’t get too worked up about the moment. It’s over quickly and the best parts will come after. Whatever happens, good or bad, just go with it and keep going.

Who were your bridesmaids? And where were their dresses from?

I had 6 bridesmaids and they consisted of childhood friends and close cousins. They all wore a Dessy from The Dressing Room in Brentwood in the colour Cameo.

What was your wedding theme and how did you create it?

I did a lot of DIY for my wedding. I made my own welcome sign and table plan. And 106 menus all with personalised names and dried gyp. My theme was gold, white and foliage. My bridesmaid bouquets I made

VENDORS

Wedding date 17th October 2022 Venue - Horwood House Photographer - Emily Little Photography Videographer - Gaetano di Giacomo

myself from Dunelm. But the rest were all fresh flowers. I loved adding dried flowers into my designs.

What was your favourite part of your wedding day?

The minutes just after the ceremony where Stanley and I just had a little moment to ourselves. We toasted to the fact we just got married and had our whole lives ahead of us. We were excited to celebrate with our friends and family, and let’s face it... PARTY!!

What was your best buy?

The venue. I’ve never in my life experienced such organisation and dedication to a wedding from a venue’s part. Caroline and Vicky in particular are a credit to Horwood House and my wedding wouldn’t have gone as smoothly without them.

What’s your saving tip?

DIY! I did so much DIY’ing, which definitely saved me some money! I looked for local suppliers on Instagram, which helped also.