Laura & Si
hello
hello
hello
What’s your best memory from your time dating?
Our first New Year’s Eve together we stayed in a cottage on the Isle of Arran with lots of food and local spirits. It felt incredibly romantic being cosy together while the snow fell outside and we saw the new year in as a new couple.
How did this proposal happen?
Si proposed on my birthday. We’d been out for dinner and were walking across a big bridge over the river with the water all lit up and he got down on one knee!
The Dress
My gown was by House of Mooshki, it was an ivory, tea-length style with a tulle skirt and lace body with sleeves. I love vintage styles and it was very 50’s looking. I found it while shopping with my mum and nan – we popped into the boutique on the off chance while we were on our way somewhere else!
The Accessories
I wore ivory peep toe stilettos from BHS with a tiara from Debenhams. For my jewellery I wore vintage pearls gifted to me by my nan which perfectly matched the 1920’s engagement ring Si had chosen for me.
The Groom
Si wanted to feel himself on his wedding day and he has a very casual style. He chose black Levi’s and an ivory granddad-collar shirt and waistcoat without a tie. I bought him an engraved pocket watch for a wedding present to complete the look. I felt really proud to be marrying him.
The Bridesmaids
I had five bridesmaids and two flower girls. My bridesmaids wore dresses from Dorothy Perkins and the flower girls had dresses that looked like miniature versions of mine from Monsoon with little rose headbands in the same colour as the bridesmaid dresses.
What was the best part of the ceremony?
My mum walking me down the aisle. We’ve always been very close so it was very special to both of us. Si and I felt very emotional saying our vows and becoming husband and wife in front of our loved ones. It also meant a lot that our little dog Noah was there for the ceremony too!
What did you have for your wedding breakfast?
We’re both really big foodies so part of why we chose Hyde Barn was the recommendations
for the chef and local produce they use. We had prawn and cray sh cocktails to start, followed by slow roasted belly of pork and sticky toffee pudding with custard. In the evening we served local cheeses, chutneys, crackers and fruit accompanied by personalised miniature bottles of port for the favours. For guests who didn’t want to drink we provided hot chocolate and marshmallows.
Reception Decor
We had a vintage country theme with rustic touches. Everything was homemade! I collected glass jars for about a year and decorated them with lace and hessian. My mother-in-law arranged all of the flowers and we had lots of candles too. I tried to stick to neutral, romantic colours to keep it classy. Si’s sister works in a wood, so she kindly cut up the wooden table centres for us and I made the seating plan from scratch.
The Cake
Rather than having one big cake, we chose to have a selection of our favourite cakes. I collected vintage glass cake stands for the cake table, an idea I found in Wedding Ideas, and my nan and close friends contributed cakes. We had a huge range, from ivory fruitcake to red velvet to my own naked cake. It looked beautiful and everything was demolished!
The Entertainment
We both love music so decided to hire an iPod disco with smoke machine and lights to add our own playlist to. We had a great time dancing after a few drinks! We also collected some vintage garden games for guests.
The First Dance
‘Heartbeats’ by Jose Gonzalez was our first dance. When we first met I lent Si the album it’s from and he texted me the first time he heard it to say how beautiful it was. It reminds us of when we both fell in love.
Best Ideas
Because so much of the wedding was handmade and created by us, we had a much more laid back feel to the day and the wedding felt very ‘us’ rather than being overly formal. Our wedding really expressed both of our personalities, just as we’d hoped.
TOP TIPS
Enjoy the planning because it’s over quickly. Don’t get caught up in the last minute touches if you can help it. You don’t really need them and nobody will notice anyway!
VENUE Hyde Barn, Stow-on-the-Wold | DRESS House of Mooshki | BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Dorothy Perkins and Monsoon | GROOM Levi, levi.com JEWELLERY Debenhams | FLOWERS For similar, try Interflora |
CAKE For similar, try Poppy Pickering | PHOTOGRAPHER Lucy Prior, Angel Fire Photography
