Today’s wedding is just amazing – the styling is all whites and greens, a key trend for the year and so beautifully done. I LOVE the florals more than I could even begin to say! Gorgeous bride Emily looked stunning in her beautiful gown by Temperley, with stunning Jimmy Choo shoes. The family pet pugs even wore special flowers on their collars – so cute! Images are by lovely English Wedding Directory member Helen Warner Photography.

The flowers for the marquee reception were particularly stunning including a hanging floral pole. The florals were soft greens and whites and included peonies, roses, tulips, jasmine and trailing vines. All supplied by Through the Looking Glass Flowers. The beautiful cake which perfectly fits all the styling of the day was supplied by Emily Jane Cakes.

Our theme was traditional and ethereal – we wanted it to be an English Country wedding but without any of the cliches or trends. Jonathan and I are known as ‘Toad and Pig’ so we found ways to incorporate that into the day. There were little jars filled with pig and toad sweets for each guest that my mum made. Our caterer’s husband made a bar for the marquee too which was really cool!

Once we had made the most important decisions, we delegated as much as we could. Our families loved being involved in the planning and we could enjoy the build up to the day as well as the wedding. Jonathan and I always felt being married was more important than the wedding – it is only one day after all!

Wedding photographer’s website:

http://helenwarner.co.uk

We thought Helen’s style was perfect for us and after meeting her, we knew she was the lady for the job! Not only is she incredibly talented, but we felt really comfortable around her. Having good chemistry with our photographer was important to us as it is such an intimate and special day. She was a total dream and very professional.

Tell us about the moment you saw your wedding photos for the first time?

We were thrilled and couldn’t believe how many great pictures we had to choose from for our album! The wedding ‘theme’ was quite traditional but had a pretty ethereal feel to it – it was a match made in heaven with Helen we thought!

 

Wedding venue:

The ceremony took place at St George’s Church in Anstey, and the reception was held in a marquee on a private site.

Wedding month:

May

Can you describe your wedding in fewer than 10 words?

The best day of our lives!

Where did you find your suppliers? (Blogs, magazines, recommendations?)

Most were word of mouth or family friends which only made the day feel more personal and special. The music required a little more research! Jonathan has a car business so we had the luxury of fantastic cars to be driven in too!

What’s your top tip for saving money?

Prioritising costs! Things like flowers, food and the venue should take top spot – they create the atmosphere and experience for everyone. We also worked with as many local suppliers as we could which certainly helped.

… and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?

Without a doubt the food, flowers and our marquee. We are both big foodies and so we had to ensure the catering was perfect! We worked with the fantastic Carte Blanche which is run by Miranda Ball, a family friend. Everything was utterly delicious and they coordinated our suppliers for the reception which was incredibly helpful! The marquee had all the bells and whistles, including posh loos – comfort is key! We knew we would need fantastic flowers to dress up the marquee and for the church too so we were more flexible budget wise.

Where did you buy or source your wedding stationery – or was making it a labour of love?

We loved the idea of laser-cut detailing to mimic my wedding dress lace, and having very pretty but classic stationary. My mum found a supplier called Adorn Invitations online who offer design templates that can be customised – it was a breeze, and very sensibly priced!

Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?

Absolutely! When I tried it on, my grandmother cried – I knew it was the one.

Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:

Temperley Bridal, from their Notting Hill boutique.

Tell us about your accessories: jewellery, shoes and anything else!

The veil was bespoke and came from Clifford-Burr in Ware, as did my hair piece. I wore the same earrings my mother wore when she was married (something borrowed), a bracelet from Jonathan and another bracelet from my parents with sapphires – something blue!

And what did the groom wear?

He hired a suit from Chimney Menswear in Bassingbourn, the next village along from ours.

Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?

I am very fortunate to live near a Ghost outlet so the bridesmaids all wore beautiful floor length dresses in sea mist green.

Hair and make-up – did you DIY or hire a professional?

Left it to the professionals! Our hair was done by my hairdresser Jo Morden, her salon is in Buntingford. Make up was Charlotte Kavanagh, who is based locally.

Describe your wedding flowers. Who arranged them for you? (florist details would be lovely please)

Our wedding flowers were arranged by Through The Looking Glass, run by Ione and Fiona. My mum and I have known Ione a very long time so it made total sense to work with her. I wanted very classic flowers to compliment my dress and create a beautiful impact. Flowers were all white and included roses, peonies and hydrangeas, with lots of pretty green foliage.

The wedding cake: what kind of cake did you choose and why?

Our cake was baked by Emily Jane Cakes, based at Stevenage. We both loathe fruit cake so opted for 3 tiers in different flavours – bottom tier was victoria sponge, middle was almond with cherry jam and the top was chocolate. Everyone ate the top tier and my mum stole the middle one! We also had pig and toad cupcakes which were hilarious.

Entertainment: any musical recommendations, surprises or treats?

We had a string quartet during the canapes which was very nice. Jonathan’s mother helped choose the songs as she has an encyclopedic knowledge of classic music! The band after dinner was Funk the Revolution [available through Alive Network], who play motown, disco and soul classics – the dance floor was never empty! I cannot recommend them enough.

What’s the best thing about being married?

It strengthens the bond you already have with one another.

Favourite supplier web links for other brides and grooms:

http://throughthelookingglassflowers.co.uk/
http://carteblanchecatering.co.uk/
http://helenwarner.co.uk
http://weddingfilmstudio.co.uk/index.php