Happy Monday, lovelies! Now before I share today’s wedding I MUST remind suppliers about our January sale – we’re offering a rather lovely 50% off all Tier 1 and 2 advertising packages on the blog until the end of the month, saving you up to £60 for the year. As well as a listing in our UK wedding supplier Directory you could also claim 3 home page features on the blog throughout the year to really raise your brand profile! If that sounds good to you, get in touch!

And now – we’re joining gorgeous Penny & Ben for a trip to the funfair! What a wonderful way to brighten all of our Mondays 🙂 and with such happy and vibrant photography from Sally Rose Wedding Photography, we’re in for a joyful ride!

“Marleybrook House is already beautifully styled which really appealed to us. Once we added flowers and balloons we really needed little else. It was important for us not to have to spend lots of time preparing the venue so we could spend time with family and friends who had travelled to Kent for the wedding. We left most of the hard work to our trusty suppliers and Tanith our lovely wedding planner at Marleybrook House.

Marleybrook House has a vintage funfair hidden away and after the wedding breakfast we surprised guests with the opening of the fair – which went down a treat.”

Wedding photographer’s website:

www.roseimages.co.uk

How did you choose your photographer?

Neither of us are particularly comfortable with our photo being taken, and whilst we wanted some traditional photos, we also wanted natural photos with a high quality finish. Looking back we really struggled to find a photographer, in fact this was probably the most difficult part of organising the wedding for us. It was my maid of honour Emma who knew Sally from Rose Images and she sent us a link to her website. Once we saw Sally’s online portfolio we knew we had found the right photographer for us. It was a bonus that she already knew a member of the wedding party and she fit in perfectly on the day.

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

We were more than happy with our wedding photographer. Sally captured the day perfectly. She was always in the right place at the right time ensuring she got the best photos of our day. Photos that continue to still make us laugh.

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

We were both really excited to see our photos. We agreed neither of us would take a sneak peek and decided we would enjoy the moment together by sitting down with a celebratory drink on a Saturday afternoon just the two of us.

 

Wedding venue:

Marleybrook House. Stourmouth Road, Preston, Canterbury, Kent. CT3 1HP

Can you describe your wedding in fewer than 10 words?

English country garden with a twist.

Your wedding style or theme:

Pretty but not fussy.

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

Some suppliers we already knew and used locally such as the florist, and others were through word of mouth. I also subscribed to Your Kent Wedding Magazine which was full of fantastic ideas featuring real weddings and lists of suppliers.

What’s your top tip for saving money?

We asked ourselves do we really need it? Who are we doing this for? This kept things in perspective and our spending realistic.

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

The funfair! This was an amazing addition to the day. Getting into a bumper car in my wedding dress was one for the memory book.

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

We designed our wedding stationery at the local Print Shop – The Studio Herne Bay. We made an appointment and took some ideas along and they designed our invitations with us. Whilst we wanted nice wedding stationery we were not willing to blow the budget on this. The design for our stationery cost us £25 and the printing came in under £100 for the invitations.

Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?

Yes! I knew instantly it was MY dress. I fell completely in love with it. It was the second dress I tried on and the last.

Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:

Amore Brides, Canterbury.
Pronovias.

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

I mixed up my accessories with some designer and some high street. My belt was Jenny Packham and complimented the dress perfectly, I had to have it!
Whilst my shoes were bought in the sale from Debenhams and I purchased my veil from WED2B for a really reasonable price.
My oldest friend bought me a simple diamond necklace and earrings from Swarovski to wear on the day- this was such a beautiful gift one I will always treasure.
My ‘something blue’ was a sapphire already set within my Vera Wang engagement ring.

And what did the groom wear?

Suits were from Next- who catered perfectly for all the different shapes and sizes of the wedding party. The ties and pocket squares were from Slaters. They were pink to match the bridesmaid dresses with floral pocket squares to match the English Country feel of the wedding venue.
Ben’s shoes were a last minute buy from Matalan the day before the wedding when I realised he had planned to wear his old beaten up shoes on the day.

Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?

Bridesmaid dresses were from M&S. They were the perfect shade of pink, and versatile. Although one bridesmaid (who shall remain anonymous) did have a slight wardrobe malfunction with her dress on the bumper cars…nothing a few safety pins couldn’t fix.

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

Jack Luckhurst is a local hairdresser who came highly recommended by a friend.
Gemma Tutt @ GemMakeup I found on Instagram and she was perfect.
Jack and Gemma were so lovely and great fun the morning of the wedding. I knew we (the bridal party) were in good hands.

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

We married in May and chose our flowers based on what was in season. This kept costs down and meant we were lucky enough to have beautiful peonies in full bloom. The florist suggested flowers to compliment the peonies including beautiful cream antique roses. Our florist was Contemporary Flowers, based in Broad Oak Canterbury. They knew the venue well, so when I suggested a floral garland for the archway we were to be married under they knew just what to do. They arranged it in a way that meant it could then be taken down after the ceremony and used to decorate the top table- which worked out beautifully.

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

I handmade the place settings and loved being able to add a personal touch. They were also cost effective doubling up as wedding favours. I got a good head start on making them, however time caught up with me, resulting in me and my maid of honour making the remaining few the night before the wedding..…slightly intoxicated. Let’s just say some turned out better than others.

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

We opted for a two tier wedding cake, with a dusky pink and ivory fondant. We had two flavours, orange with passionfruit curd, and Almond with Amaretto syrup and black cherry preserve. The cake was finished with fresh flowers to compliment the bouquet.

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

Take a moment, just the two of you, to spend together on the day. We had time factored in for a celebratory drink after the ceremony for just the two of us, and I am so glad we did.

What’s the best thing about being married?

The honeymoon? No seriously, being with your best friend and starting on your next chapter in life together.

Favourite supplier web links for other brides and grooms:

Sally Rose Wedding Photography- www.roseimages.co.uk
Think Bubble Party Studio – www.thinkbubbleparty.co.uk
Gemma Tutt – www.facebook.com/GemMakeup96/
Contemporary Flowers – www.contemporaryflowers.co.uk
The Studio – www.theonlystudio.co.uk
Electric Ocean – www.electricoceanband.com
Marleybrook House – www.marleybrookhouse.co.uk
WED2B Ashford – www.wed2b.co.uk