Sarah & Alex’s intimate church wedding in Essex, with Grace Elizabeth

Published by Claire Gould on

This week has just flown by! I hope you’ve had a lovely one and are all ready for the weekend. Before we kick off our work gear I have one more wedding to share with you (and watch out for some fabulous advice features over the weekend too!). Today we join gorgeous couple Sarah & Alex for their Essex wedding at St Osyth church with a reception in Alex’s grandmother’s back garden! The bouquet by Miss Fleur Floral Design will make you fall-over-swoon and the images are just soooo beautiful! They’re by our lovely friend and English Wedding member Grace Elizabeth, who is based in Colchester.

Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (10)

The blue stone from Alex’s grandmother’s ring which you’ll see in the photos was actually the centrepiece for Sarah’s second engagement ring, so it’s become something of a family heirloom – not to mention totally stunning too! Theirs was a beautiful, small wedding, and in no way a big affair.

Wedding photographer’s website:

www.photographybygrace.co.uk

Facebook: @GraceElizabethPhotography

Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (7)

How did you choose your photographer?

We looked for someone in the area local to the venue and checked out examples of their work on the internet and Instagram.

Were you pleased with your wedding photographer? Do tell… we love a brilliant review!

Yes, Grace was excellent and we really felt like we found the right photographer for us and she was part of the day capturing all the right moments.

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

We were very excited, particularly for shots in the church and of our family members (especially those who couldn’t make it to our other wedding in France).

Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (1)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (2)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (3)

Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (5)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (6)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (8)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (9)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (11)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (12)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (13)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (14)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (15)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (16)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (17)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (18)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (19)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (20)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (21)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (22)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (23)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (24)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (25)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (26)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (27)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (28)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (29)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (30)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (31)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (32)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (33)
Colchester wedding with a fabulous summer bouquet, image credit Grace Elizabeth (34)

Can you describe your wedding in fewer than 10 words?

Family focused, relaxed with plenty of dancing and champagne!

Your wedding style or theme:

Boho chic

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

Instagram and local recommendations.

What’s your top tip for saving money?

Research options and don’t be afraid to question prices and ask for a discount or something extra.

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

My bouquet which turned out beautifully – better than imagined.

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

A labour of love for my mother-in-law!

Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?

I loved my dress on the day and I think it went beautifully with our surroundings. There are so many dresses out there it can seem overwhelming and with added pressure to find ‘the one’ but I just tried to choose something I felt was me!

Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:

Grace loves lace – they have a very cool shop in London where they do not charge for appointments, gave a glass of bubbly to me and my friends and were very helpful with no pressure. You were also allowed to take photos!

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

I wore a blue ring with halo diamonds that was very kindly given to me by my husband’s nan and I was really pleased to be able to wear that on the day and have it in the pictures for her.

And what did the groom wear?

A Suit Supply suit. But he looks good in anything 🙂

Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?

Multi-way wrap dresses in pink.

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

DIY for hair and make up although I did get a blow dry for some extra volume.

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

Miss Fleur Floral Design
Fabulous bouquet for me and beautiful mini bouquet for my bridesmaid and flower girl.

General styling – did your venue need much decoration?

Marquee was completely kitted out and decorated by my mother in law and it looked incredible.

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

Most things were put together by the family for the reception – the design of the table settings. Friends of the family also helped out with serving food and drinks and the music. We were very lucky.

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

My mother-in-law made it. A beautifully english naked cake covered in fruit.

Entertainment: any musical recommendations, surprises or treats?

Family friend doing the music and keeping everyone on the dance floor! We took lessons for our first dance which went down well.

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

Do what makes you happy and avoid pressure to do anything else – I showed my husband the dress before the wedding and I don’t regret it for an instant.

What’s the best thing about being married?

Forever after together, and of course referring to my better half as “husband” is still incredibly exciting.

Favourite supplier web links for other brides and grooms:

Photography and flowers were our winning suppliers!


Claire Gould

Claire spends her days writing - either in beautiful calligraphy or online. She lives on the edge of the English Lake District only minutes away from the beach, where she loves to escape and unwind. Claire's calligraphy can be found at www.byMoonandTide.com. Claire launched the English Wedding Blog in November 2009 - it's been a top 10 UK wedding blog ever since, with a regional focus we hope you LOVE.

0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Avatar placeholder

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Read previous post:
All the summer florals for a romantic summer wedding, image credit Rebecca Goddard Photography (28)
Romantic and floral wedding style ideas from Garthmyl Hall

I still love styled shoots - they're fabulous for first glimpses of inspiration and ideas which will gradually make their...

Close