Today’s wedding is everything I love. An intimate, meaningful ceremony. Thoughtful details with pops of fabulous colour. A gorgeous couple whose words and wedding supplier reviews fill my heart. And breathtaking images by lovely Charlotte Sams Photography. I just know you’ll love this one too! Huge congratulations to Zoë and Shree – and thank you so much for sharing your day with English Wedding.
Wedding photographer’s website
South west wedding photographer Charlotte Sams
Wedding photographer review
We discovered Charlotte while searching online for a Bristol-based photographer. We looked on her portfolio and saw that she had shots from the Christmas steps, a location that was dear to us, so we sent an email asking about our day and what we wanted. She sent us an offer which we accepted (informally).
We then had a Zoom call to get to know each other and what we wanted, she was very friendly and just wanted to get know us a bit to better understand what we wanted and to put us at ease. We wanted mostly candid moments of the day and some couple shots around the city, she had shot at all the locations we wanted so understod exactly what we wanted.
We only needed half-day coverage to cover the morning from the Avon Gorge hotel to the afternon tea at Harbour Hotel. We had a rough idea of the timeline but she helped us structure it more and from the start, everything felt straightforward and well organised on her side, from signing the contract to discussing timings and locations.
Since we didn’t have a wedding planner Charlotte was a brilliant source of guidance, she was helpful with questions regarding how the ceremony would unfold: information we couldn’t find on the website of the registry office.
Close to the day we had a second zoom call to iron out final details so that everything flowed smoothly. During the day she blended into the background when appropriate to get the candid shots but was very accommodating of specific shots some of the guests wanted.
Charlotte knew some fantastic photo spots around Bristol. We have such lovely couple shots around the city thanks to her, including several that were special to us. She even stayed beyond her scheduled time to make sure we got a few extra shots, which we really appreciated.
Her communication was excellent throughout, and the turnaround time was rapid. We received a sneak peek within a couple of days and the full gallery just three weeks later. Charlotte is a lovely person to have with you on the day, and a total professional! We can’t recommend her enough.
Your best wedding moment or memory
Seeralan: My favourite moment was when we had dismissed the parents and went to Small Bar with our friends, it was nice to just relax and enjoy catching up with our friends.
Zoë: Walking around the city for the couple photos and going to all of the places such as the benches on King street where we first met and Christmas Steps where we walked down after a first date. We have now moved away from Bristol, so it was like we were taking a piece of Bristol with us.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We originally wanted a very small family only wedding, so we planned just the ceremony and some afternoon tea with around 16 people. But then as we got closer to the wedding day we realised we wanted friends as well. Luckily we chose a fairly large ceremony room so we could get more people in just for the ceremony. However, the afternoon tea can only hold a maximum of 20 people so after the ceremony we had to dismiss our friends for the tea, and then we met up with just our friends in Small Bar for the evening.
Venue name + review
Some of our wedding guests stayed at the Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin, we mostly picked due to proximity reasons but it turned out to be an ideal venue for pre ceremony photos. It has beautiful interiors and balcony with great views of the gorge and the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Our ceremony took place at the Bristol Registry Office in the city centre. When we went for our notice giving and interview we were shown the inside of the room for the ceremony. We chose the crimson-walled “Red Room” (officially the Mayoral Room), and while I admit I was slightly taken aback by the bold colour at first, the light and setting of the room were beautiful and the photos turned out great. The two registrars involved were also very friendly and welcoming.
Following the ceremony, we hosted our afternoon tea at the stylish Harbour Hotel right next to the registry office. The interior is gorgeously decorated and the photos from there turned out so well. The staff were brilliant from start to finish. They were friendly, attentive, and incredibly accommodating, especially with a few dietary requirements in our group. Everything was well organised, and even though the space only seated around 20 people, it was ideal for our small gathering of family and close friends. The food was great, the scones were especially delicious, and everything felt freshly made and beautifully presented.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Shree: I hired my wedding suit from Clifton Suits, a navy three-piece with a subtle tweed check, and was thoroughly impressed with both the quality and the service.
From the initial fitting to the final collection, it was a smooth process. A minor mix-up was resolved swiftly and without any fuss, which I greatly appreciated. The suit fitted perfectly and was comfortable to wear throughout the day. I paired it with a navy trench coat from YMC, although the suit itself was more than warm enough.
I wore a pair of tan brogues by Loakes which I got from InStep in bristol. The husband and wife owners are also lovely people who were incredibly helpful, in fact the first pair the owner picked was perfect, the man clearly knows his shoes.
Zoë: For my wedding outfit, I wore the elegant Afra bustier gown from crafted from Solace London. It was made of soft crêpe and satin with a subtle back slit that added a touch of glamour.
Over it, I layered a wool- wrap coat from the white company with an exaggerated shawl collar and detachable tie belt — warm, chic, and the perfect complement to the simplicity of the dress. To complete the look, I wore Rachel Simpson ivory peep-toe shoes, delicately adorned with double bows. They were my dream shoes (a lucky find on eBay for £35) and they made me feel every bit as special as I’d hoped.
Florist name + review
Roots Floral Designs has always been a special place for us. We used to live right next to it and it’s where I bought flowers for Zoë on our very first Valentine’s Day back in 2016, so it was natural to have them create our wedding flowers too. They offer beautfully designed set arrangements at extremely affordable prices.
To us custom arrangements was not important, only that it looked like the very first flowers I bought all those years ago. So we just picked the arrangement that matched the valentines flowers and the buttonholes and ordered online.
In the week leading up to the wedding, I popped into the shop a couple of times just to check in, and the team were always super friendly and very reassuring. They don’t usually open on Saturdays, but since our wedding was that day, we collected the flowers on Friday evening.
The florists gave us clear, practical instructions on how to keep everything fresh overnight and were so understanding about the timing. They even reassured us that if there were any issues the next morning, we could email and they’d come in early on Saturday to sort it! The flowers looked absolutely beautiful on the day and were still perfectly fresh. It felt really special to have flowers and a design from the same place that’s been part of our story from the beginning.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Shree is Tamil and is of Sri Lankan origin so we had handwritten name cards for the seats that were in Tamil and English. And we got some lovely real petal confetti from Confetti Bee, confettibee.co.uk!
Wedding ceremony
The ceremony it self was straight forward, one of the registrars took us to a different room beforehand to do get the pronunciation of our names right. We used the speakers they had in the room connected to a phone and had some music planned. We had a pretty minimal ceremony, no readings just music for the procession, recession and some ambient music as various signatures were scribbled.
Hair + makeup name + review
Make up by Macy, makeupbymacy.com
Macy did an amazing job on my hair and makeup! I came to her with a vision for my hair that I wasn’t even sure would be achievable, but she absolutely exceeded my expectations and I received so many compliments on the day.
As someone who doesn’t usually wear much makeup, she completely nailed the subtle yet dressy look I wanted, and I felt so confident thanks to the excellent job she did. I found Macy through an online search for makeup artists in Bristol and booked a trial at her studio. The trial was great, she really listened to what I wanted, offered helpful suggestions, and made sure I was completely happy with the look.
Today’s wedding ticks every box for me: a stunning couple who have been super generous with their supplier recommendations, glorious florals, thoughtful styling touches and amazing images. Kezia & Peter’s wedding was out of this world! All photos by our lovely friend Kayleigh, Devon wedding photographer at Snapdragon Photography.
Wedding photographer’s website
Kayleigh Lee, Snapdragon Photography (www.snapdragonphoto.co.uk)
Wedding photographer review
Kayleigh’s timeless and natural photography style partnered with her friendly, professional approach immediately stood out to us when we discussed our wedding photography. Typically our photos involve us standing side by side with an awkward smile; yet with Kayleigh it’s different. We felt completely relaxed and enjoyed every moment with her. Kayleigh has an incredible talent for capturing all the little details without you realising she was even there. As a result, our photos are a beautiful reflection of our day which we will treasure for decades to come. We loved having Kayleigh as part of our day and have no hesitation in recommending Snapdragon Photography to future couples!
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
Kezia walked down the aisle with her mother and father. Words reflecting the joining of two families were used in place of the presenting/handing over the woman to be married. Our wedding readings included “Planet Caravan” by Black Sabbath. Our recessional song for walking back up the aisle was Bang a Gong by Marc Bolan and T. Rex.
We spent the day after our wedding in our swimwear, enjoying the pool at Walton Castle with our close family and friends. It was a glorious day so we made the most of the sunshine and our beautiful venue. And we used a QR code for guests to share behind the scene clips and wedding messages
Your best moment or memory
Seeing each other for the first time, at our wedding ceremony. A surprise a cappella performance from the groom’s family who sang “You’re just too good to be true”. Sitting in the bar together at the end of the night (and everyone had left), nibbling on Gouda cheese and giggling about the day’s events.
Venue name + review
Ceremony: Allsaints’ Church Wraxall Reception: Walton Castle Clevedon
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Dress: A bespoke Love Story Bride dress from Perfect Day Bride, Bath (www.perfectdaybridal.net). Beautifully altered by Sew Studio (https://sew-studio-clothing-alteration-service.business.site). Connie from Sew Studio totally understood my vision and created detachable, billowing sleeves. This allowed me to create two different wedding day looks. Suit Clifton Suits, Bristol (www.cliftonsuits.co.uk) A tailor made suit reflected the exact requirements of the Groom. The team were dedicated in their alterations, ensuring it fitted perfectly. It also had all of the Groom’s little details such as including the bride and groom’s initials on the inside jacket.
Florist name + review
Megan Lily Floral Design (www.meganlilyfloraldesign.co.uk) Meg blew us away with our incredible wedding flowers; transforming our vague ideas into reality with exquisite attention to detail. I will never forget seeing and smelling the bridal flowers for the first time, they were simply beautiful.
Cake maker name + review
The Mother of the Bride made meringues which our caterer, The Hogfather (www.hogfathercatering.co.uk), used to create a tower for us to cut. This was then transformed into Eton Mess for our guests to enjoy.
Stationery maker’s name + review
The stationery illustrations were created by the Groom’s cousin. Menus and place names were hand written by the Bride. The seating plan was created by the Bride.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Photos from our favourite beaches were used for the table names. The Bride grew and dried lavender for the place settings and included dried rose petals from the garden within the confetti. The Father of the Bride grew herbs for the table decorations and made the table photograph stands from shells and pebbles. Our record player and vinyls filled the bar with our favourite tunes.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
We kicked off a Ceilidh – Bowreed (www.bowreed.co.uk) were fantastic, they got everyone dancing and filled the tent with laughter and cheers, even my 86 year old gran got involved!
Wedding planner name + review
The bride plus help from family and friends – I think we smashed it!
Hair + makeup name + review
Evie Smith (www.eviesmakeup.com) Evie was a pleasure to spend the morning with and nailed my brief completely; creating a natural, effortless look which held in from morning until the early hours.
Other Walton Castle wedding supplier recommendations from Kezia & Peter
Oleg Zaremskyi (https://ozaremskyi.business.site) created a lovely, fun atmosphere in the tent during cocktails.
Prickly Pear Stretch Tents provided us with much needed shelter from the Great British summer rain. They were really supportive throughout the planning process, providing different options and ideas. They also liaised with the venue to ensure everything ran smoothly. They were extremely professional during the setup and take down operation, creating us a beautiful indoor but outdoor setting within the beautiful castle walls which we enjoyed all weekend. (www.pricklypearstretchtents.com)
Virginias Vintage Hire provided the furniture for the event. During the planning process they shared ideas and alternatives to help us create an ‘english garden party’ vibe.
Danny Conetta (www.dannythefireperformer.com) provided us with an evening fire show. The weather forecast was not at all favourable for Danny’s performance however he worked tirelessly in the days leading up to the event to create and agree an alternative performance with the venue to enable his show to continue. He provided non stop entertainment for the entire show – it was captivating! I cannot emphasise enough how lucky we were to have such supportive, creative and flexible suppliers.
