I love Katie and Ben’s wedding! Alice in Wonderland is a fun theme, and their styling is uniquely elegant… it’s just perfect. The decor is lovely and light and pretty and feminine, the bride is beautiful, and there’s a magic to the portraits which I really love.
“We hung lanterns the day before, which took a good few hours and all the bridesmaids pitching in! We also had to lay out the other elements, like the croquet, cake table and place cards. I stamped out all the table placecards, designed the menu, and made favours with my bridesmaid, white and purple marshmallows wrapped in ribbon with a personalised sticker which I designed online. With another bridesmaid we made all the ‘over here’ ‘this way to wonderland’ signs with paint and an old crate. Our wedding cake was an M & S Oversized Colin – to match the theme (and who doesn’t love Colin?!)”
Images are by lovely Kent wedding photographer Kerry Ann Duffy. Discover more from her here:
www.kerryannduffy.com
https://www.instagram.com/kerryannduffy/
www.facebook.com/kerryannduffyphotography
@kerryannduffy
www.pinterest.com/kerryannduffy/
When photographer Kerry arrived at Saltcote Place she was completely blown away. “It’s one of the most beautiful venues that I have ever visited with the most breathtaking scenery but it’s the welcome you get from Alan and Paul that makes this place extra special. As soon as I arrived I was treated like an old friend and it was so nice to hear how passionate they were about taking care of their couples. Katie & Ben had created a real magical atmosphere for their wedding at Saltcote with a beautiful Alice in Wonderland theme.
The venue is just amazing. It has an air of exclusivity about it and the views are just out of this world. The marquee looked incredible and all of the little details were so well thought out. Katie and Ben were such a great fun couple, as were all of their guests and so it made this wedding one of my most favourites ever to capture. I am desperate to go back and photograph a wedding at Saltcote Place again.
The English Wedding Blog interview: Katie and Ben
Wedding photographer’s website:
How did you choose your photographer?
Through word of mouth and the internet – my friend started following Kerry on Pinterest and adored the photos, and then gave me the recommendation.
Were you pleased with your wedding photographer? Do tell… we love a brilliant review!
Kerry was fantastic at capturing the mood of the day, providing natural photos where everyone was at ease. Kerry was very attentative and has a great eye for detail, colours and composition – I can’t stop looking at the photos and remembering every happy moment.
Tell us about the moment you saw your wedding photos for the first time?
We were on our honeymoon in Bali. We stayed up until 3am downloading each pic over the slow Wi-Fi! We were so tired, but I couldn’t sleep without seeing them!
Wedding venue:
Saltcote Place, Rye
Wedding month:
June
Can you describe your wedding in fewer than 10 words?
fun, easy, and friendly – everyone definitely let loose!
Your wedding style or theme:
English Country Wedding with elements of Alice in Wonderland.
Where did you find your suppliers? (Blogs, magazines, recommendations?)
Mostly online though searches and recommendations.
What’s your top tip for saving money?
We didn’t buy a ‘wedding cake’, but a oversized Colin the Caterpillar to match our theme. We also didn’t worry too much about flowers – the venue itself had a fantastic garden filled with them so we let them shine.
… and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?
We made sure that although everything felt relaxed, there were eyes on everything in terms of organisation so that we could chill out on the day.
Where did you buy or source your wedding stationery – or was making it a labour of love?
I made them myself – I designed a scroll invite, fixed it with a ribbon, a key charm and label saying ‘open me’. These were then put in a box filled with moss and a fake flower and stamped with our website address so our invitees could find out more. It was definitely a labour of love!
Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?
I had to sell the first one, this was the second! But yes, the second was an absolutely beautiful princess dress, I’d wear it all the time if I could!
Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:
Vera Wang White – from David’s Bridal
Tell us about your accessories: jewellery, shoes and anything else!
Hermione Harbutt hair piece, and I wore my Mum’s diamond necklace and earrings given to her by my dad.
And what did the groom wear?
Ted Baker.
Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?
They wore stunning Kaliko dresses – I had so many compliments over their dresses so I’m glad I chose something flattering!
Hair and make-up – did you DIY or hire a professional?
Professional – for myself, bridesmaids and mother of the bride. http://www.weddinghairstylingandmakeup.co.uk/
Describe your wedding flowers. Who arranged them for you? (florist details would be lovely please)
These were done by a florist who grows her own flowers in Kent. https://www.highgateflorist.co.uk/
I had a meeting and described the theme and then showed the colours of our lanterns which she matched perfectly. We went back and forth a few times on colours, but as you can see from the pics she did a fantastic job.
Entertainment: any musical recommendations, surprises or treats?
We had a band in the evening, who DJ’d between sets. They were fantastic and really got the crowd going – definitely would recommend! http://therazorsband.co.uk/
Words of wisdom: share your best piece of advice for other couples:
Try to set aside time on the day for each other as it is hard to get a moment to chat!
What’s the best thing about being married?
Being committed to planning a future together.
Alice in WonderlandHermione HarbuttHighgate FloristKalikoKerry Ann Duffy PhotographySaltcote PlaceThe Razors BandVera Wang. David's BridalWedding Hair Styling and Make up
what do you think?