Sophie & Jake
We’d spent the day shopping ready for our holiday to Venice and Jake cooked us a three- course meal for dinner. When it was time for the dessert, he told me to wait in the bedroom while he got it ready. I came out to find a trail of rose petals along the hall and Jake on one knee, surrounded by candles, with a beautiful ring in his hand. He secretly filmed it all, too!
Check out our enchanted forest wedding theme edit for some inspiration ‘how-to’ for your big day decor!
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THE DRESS
Clare at Silk Rose Bespoke made my wedding dress. I’d searched so many bridal boutiques and been swamped by so many dresses so I decided to try a tea-length gown. It felt so much more me! Clare created a 1950’s style, boat neck ivory dress from silk and chiffon for a floaty feel. I chose a lace back with cherry blossom appliqué flowers and a belt with fern brooches to tie in with our woodland theme. Clare stitched in our Reading festival bands (where we first met) and lobster pins Jake bought us both – I call him my lobster!
THE ACCESSORIES
My tiara was a gift from my dressmaker, made from pearls, diamantes, leaves and roses. Jake gifted me my V-shaped diamanté necklace
and we chose pearl earrings from Accessorize and a bracelet from Debenhams to go with it. My dove grey T-bar heels were so comfy and I customized them with ‘I do’ stickers I found in Wedding Ideas and dark green bows. I made my own veil and hope to keep it as a family heirloom for the future.
THE GROOM
Jake wore a gorgeous skinny two-piece suit from Topman in a lovely dark green. The groomsmen wore grey suits so Jake stood out. He added a crisp white shirt from River Island, a grey tie and pocket square from ASOS and brown shoes with lobster socks. I think Jake’s wedding outfit is my favourite thing he’s ever worn!
THE BRIDESMAIDS
My four bridesmaids all wore dresses from Lindy Bop, a vintage store I shop at regularly. I wanted my maid of honour to stand out and be a midpoint between my dress and the other bridesmaids, so she wore a tea-length, bright green, boat neck dress. My other maids also wore green dresses, but they had capped sleeves and a small bow on the waistband. They chose their own shoes to give their outfits their own stamp.
HAIR AND MAKEUP
I had a wonderful lady called Jess from Beauty Call do my hair and makeup – I spotted them advertised in Wedding Ideas! She used my own products which made me feel a lot more comfortable, so don’t be afraid to ask for that if you want to!
WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF THE CEREMONY?
As I entered the room Jake broke down in tears and started me off crying as well! He told me how amazing I looked. We’d stayed apart the week before the wedding. It was hard but it made the moment we saw each other so much more incredible!
THE SPEECHES
In the best man’s speech we played a game of Mr and Mrs which was brilliant fun and really helped to break up the speeches.
INSPIRATION
We opted for an enchanted forest theme with green and gold colour accents.
RECEPTION DECORATION
We made a lot of the details ourselves, buying beech tree saplings to use as miniature trees on the table centres, surrounded by moss and fairylights. We also made moss-covered MR & MRS letters and pressed a pansy – my favourite flower – into individual candles. An old chest was our card box and, in a nod to Jake’s love for Lord of the Rings, a map of Middle Earth became our table plan. The venue supplied green chair sashes and lighting.
THE FLOWERS
Claire from Waterbaby Flowers created our table arrangements, pew ends, bouquets and corsages. She knew exactly what we were after – a mix of wild flowers and woodland blooms like wood sorrel, as well as earl grey roses, blackberries, gold-sprayed berries, thistles, mint and oats. Our top table was show- stopping with a moss table runner, wild flowers galore, tea lights and votives, wooden logs and succulents all bringing it to life.
THE CAKE
Jake’s mum made our amazing four-tier cake, with the top tier being artificial so we could keep it afterwards. We chose coffee, whiskey, chocolate ganache and blackberry layers – each tier was utterly delicious! Our cake was decorated with the design on my engagement ring and artificial flowers and berries between each layer. We had a wooden personalised cake topper and a wooden cake board to match our enchanted forest theme.
THE STATIONERY
Chelsea at Honey & Roses Press created our stationery, including my engagement ring design. We sent them in black boxes filled with artificial flowers and moss to hint at our wedding theme.
VENUE Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa | DRESS Custom made by Clare from Silk Rose Bespoke | BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Lindy Bop | GROOM Topman | ACCESSORIES Debenhams and Accessorize | HAIR AND MAKE-UP Jess from Beauty Call | FLOWERS Claire from Waterbaby Flowers, STATIONERY Honey & Roses Press | PHOTOGRAPHY Hello Romance Photography |
