Sam and Richard had a glitzy wedding that rocked a vintage glamour theme and created a day full of beautiful details!
The proposal
Sam and Richard first met when she saw him sat in a child’s rubber dinghy, while on holiday in Corfu! “He was laughing and chatting to a friend of mine,” Sam explains. “I fell head over heels and loved his thirst for life!” It was when the couple were on holiday once again that Richard proposed, this time in Egypt. Friends had been telling the bride that he was going to propose – they had been together for six years, after all – so she was a bit suspicious. “He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him on a bridge in the resort,” remembers Sam. “It was just us two so very private and beautiful!”
The bride’s outfit
Sam knew from the start that she wanted to wear Jenny Packham on her big day, and she eventually found the dress of her dreams at Emily Eve in Birmingham. “It fitted me perfectly,” she says. “And more importantly, it felt so comfortable. I knew I would be able to move and dance freely, all day and night!” Sam’s stunning Jimmy Choo shoes were a birthday gift from her parents, who also gave her a pair of gorgeous Vera Wang earrings with a hidden blue stone in the back of them, on the morning of the wedding.
The groom’s outfit
While Sam knew exactly what she wanted for her groom, Richard struggled a little. “He bought a couple from the high street, but returned them because they didn’t fit perfectly,” Sam explains. The groom finally found a tailor in Worcester, who made the perfect navy suit for him – adding a fun polka dot bow tie to complete his entire wedding day look.
The bridesmaids
Sam claims to have had the best bridesmaids ever, choosing her two sisters as her ‘sidekicks’ for the day, along with two gorgeous flowergirls – the process of buying their outfits was a joy! The older girls wore full-length dresses by Adrianna Papell, while the flowergirls had big princess dresses, as requested, from Etsy.
The ceremony
Sam and Richard married atSt John’s Church in Worcester, where Sam’s dad walked her down the aisle. It was the bride’s grandma who gave them the idea of a candle ceremony, where two candles are lit and handed to the bride and groom by their mums. “Once we were married the two candles joined together to form a third,” she explains. “It left us with three lit candles that represented us as individuals and as a couple.”
The reception
For this couple, it was important to get the menu perfect! Eventually, they decided to go with food that everyone loves to eat on a Saturday afternoon – this included steak and ale pie and lasagne, with a trio of delicious desserts to follow. The speeches were especially memorable with Sam’s dad having everyone in tears! “My dad gets me completely,” says Sam. “I know he is very quietly bursting with pride and this all came out in his speech.” The tears quickly turned to laughter when Rich’s brother and best man Ste recounted tales of them growing up together, including a brilliant slideshow. Finally, Rich’s uncle read a brilliant poem he’d written about the happy couple – the perfect finalé to some fantastic, emotional speeches.
The details
The main theme for their big day was 1920’s glamour and the couple wanted to inject their own personality into it, as well. They flooded the venue with stunning flowers, including beautiful roses and carnations. Large candelabras were used as table centres, and vintage bottles held individual flowers. Gold sequinned table runners added an extra layer of glamour, setting the scene in the rustic room at Deer Park Hall. For the dance floor, Sam’s dad created five foot letters of Sam and Richard’s initials, that were painted gold and filled with pontoon lighting – creating the perfect backdrop! Sam’s mum made both of the cakes and one of her best friends, Andrea of andreadovey.co.uk made all the couple’s stationery, meaning it was personal to them. For favours, the bride and groom’s mum’s and Sam’s sisters trawled charity shops and car boots for three piece vintage china sets, which she then made into candles. “I was concerned that everyone would leave them behind as they were awkward to carry,” Sam remembers. “But every single guest took theirs home and then a Facebook picture war started of where the guests had put their candles.” A photo booth, crazy golf and carousel provided guests with so much fun!
The honeymoon
This happy couple chose Asia for their honeymoon, then travelled to Bali for two weeks.
Real wedding gallery
Check out their gorgeous wedding video! See more from Shoot The Piano Player here.
https://vimeo.com/109707524
