My top tip for you today, lovelies, is to find a place you love and get married there. It can be that simple… and you don’t have to go out of your way to find a place you love, if there’s already a place! You might have a favourite country pub, or a local beach with amazing views, or a city centre restaurant. Beautiful bride Laura & her gorgeous husband Rick found their perfect venue at the East Quay in Whitstable – with sea views and glorious natural decor inside (plus all the sparkly wonderfulness) it’s sooo perfect for a modern wedding! Images are by lovely English Wedding Directory member Michelle Cordner Photography.

Claire xx

 

Our wedding was happy, fun, relaxed, the most marvellous day of our lives, set by the sea with a very relaxed style. The venue is unique with its own style with fantastic views of the sea. We added additional lighting with lanterns on the dance floor and the eating area.

We used mostly suppliers recommended by the venue who were all very good. We wanted to make sure all of our guests had a good time so live music, food and drink were a priority for us. Jane from Graham Greener in Whitstable did our bouquets, button hole and flower girl’s crowns which really made their outfits. I did the table decorations myself with the help from my mum and a friend who helped us choose the flowers.

 

Wedding photographer’s website:

Michellecordnerphotography.com

Michelle did some fantastic portrait pictures of my daughter and I when my daughter was very young. She made us both feel very relaxed and we were delighted with the photos. She really captured the day with some lovely natural shots and some fantastic photos outside on the beach.

Michelle sent us some sample shots immediately after our wedding and the seafront shots were amazing and made us really excited about seeing the rest.

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Michelle Cordner is a member of the English Wedding Directory, which makes me very proud indeed. Kent couples – discover her beautiful website at www.michellecordnerphotography.com and swoon over her images on Facebook and Instagram @michellecordnerphotography

 

Your wedding style or theme:

Our wedding was set by the sea with a very relaxed style.

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

We used mostly suppliers recommended by the venue who were all very good.

What’s your top tip for saving money?

Call in practical help from friends and family and utilise any of their talents.

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

We didn’t want a table plan so our need for stationary was limited. We made our invitations ourselves using help from the internet.

Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?

I knew I wanted a tea length dress which would fit the style of our wedding and managed to narrow my choice down to two dresses from the many beautiful dresses in the shop. My sister and my mum helped me choose between the two and we chose a net hair piece to match the vintage style of the dress.

Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:

I managed to find a shop that only supplied vintage style dresses so had lots of fantastic dresses to choose from. The dress i wore was by True Bride.

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

Due to the style of the dress, I kept my accessories minimal and just wore some diamond stud earrings. I purchased some vintage style silver shoes from Monsoon.

And what did the groom wear?

The groom wore a navy blue suit with a coordinating check waistcoat purchased from Reiss.

Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?

I had two little flower girls, my niece and my daughter. They both wore dresses from Monsoon with matching fur boleros.

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

I used a local make up artist called Lydia Rae who was fantastic. For the hair, my very talented hairdresser friend Lisa did the bridesmaids and my hair which I was delighted with.

Crafts and makes – tell us about any homemade elements of your wedding… did you enjoy them?

I asked friends and family to collect jars which i decorated for the table flowers. I also made a table of specialty drinks for guests to mix themselves.

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

We wanted to follow the causal theme with the grooms mother creating a selection of wonderful cakes. She surprised us on the day with a special cake for us to cut.

Entertainment: any musical recommendations, surprises or treats?

We had a live band in the evening with friends filling the intervals with their own music.

Words of wisdom: share your best piece of advice for other couples:

Don’t get hung up on minor details and enjoy your day!

What’s the best thing about being married?

It has brought us closer together as a family and we are looking forward to our future together.

Favourite supplier web links for other brides and grooms:

I used Pinterest for inspiration and advice from the venue was very helpful