Laura’s Perfect Wedding Day

How did your partner propose?  
It was very romantic and Josh put a lot of thought into it! I have been visiting a certain area of Spain since I was a little girl and there is a particular walk I always do when I go which is from one beach bay to another with amazing views on route. When I first took Josh to Spain I took him on the walk, telling him all the fond memories I had of the walk….Josh logged this in his memory bank as could see how much the walk meant to me and knew one day he would propose to me there. Years later the time had finally come (but I had NO idea)…Josh planned a “date night” for us to go on the walk followed by a meal at our favourite restaurant…during the walk he suggested we stop for a photo, we took some photos and then he just held me while saying lots of lovely things before getting on one knee and asking me to marry him. It was a magical moment and I was blown away (and I course said YES)! We then headed to the beach where my family and friends were waiting (also arranged by Josh) for us to all celebrate with a drink before Josh and I headed to the restaurant. It was perfect!    

What’s the best piece of advice you received in the run up to your wedding?

It is all a bit of a blur now…but I did find the whole wedding planning very stressfully despite everyone’s advice being to not get stressed and enjoy the ride! 

How did you go about finding your wedding dress? 

I had a Pinterest board full of styles I liked and simply started booking up places locally and/or recommend by friends and family. 

How many dresses did you try on before you found ‘the one’?

I am not going to lie I tried on over 30 dresses which is way too much! I wanted to give every style a go but then had the issue that I loved basically everything I tried and got stuck choosing between two very different styles. 

Do you know the name of your dress designer?

Madison James

What made you fall in love with the dress that you chose?

So many things made me fall in love with it…the style, the fit, the lace design was stunning and unique as it was made up of tiny beads! It also has a timeless feel. 

Did you wear a veil and/or any other bridal accessories?

The dress was so stunning (especially at the back) so I decided not to wear a veil as it would distract and cover up the dress. I simply wore a bridal hair accessory and some elegant jewellery. 

Tell us a little about your wedding day – the vibe, what inspired you, etc.

Our wedding day was amazing and we are so pleased with how it turned out. We got married at Buxted Park Hotel and the broad theme was “English elegance with a touch of botanical”. We kept our colour scheme very simple with lots of green foliage and white flowers. The bridesmaids where in a blush/champagne dresses and the groomsman were in black dinner suits. Luckily the weather was on our side so we were able to have an outdoor ceremony followed by reception drinks on the lawns while being serenaded by a 3 piece jazz band called The Jazz Trio. The wedding breakfast was a sit down 3 course meal (with speeches in between courses to help break them up). For the evening we had an incredible 13 piece band called The Blunter Brothers who were brilliant and got everyone dancing!  

What was your favourite moment from the day itself?

We loved the whole day from start to finish so it is hard to pick a favourite moment…but it has to be when we said our wedding vows! 

Is there any advice you would be happy to share with other brides?

…again it is all a bit of a blur now and I think everyone’s wedding journey is so different it is hard to give any advice apart from the usual “don’t get stressed and enjoy the journey”…which I did not listen to haha! 

Are you taking a honeymoon and if so when (in relation to your wedding, ie, immediately after, or sometime later) and what are your plans?

The day after the wedding we hosted an after party at my parents house were we had a bouncy castle, soft play, princess appearance, a couple of musicians playing acoustic guitars and fire engine cooking up home made pizzas…I even wore my wedding dress again as I loved it so much and thought why the hell not! It was a great day to reminisce with friends and family. The day after we headed off on our honeymoon where we spent the first week in Santorin and the second week in Crete. 

Would you mind sharing details of any other suppliers you used?
Photographer – Charlene Webb Photography
Videographer – The Captured Picture Company 
Venue – Buxted Park Hotel
Shoes – Ajvani (I was SO happy with my shoes as while they were nothing “special” they were sooo comfortable)
Accessories – my necklace and earrings were from W.E. Clark & Son Uckfield
Groom’s suit – M&S
Bridesmaids – Chi Chi London 
Flower girls – Monsoon
Page Boys – ROCO Clothing (I would highly recommend this company, good value, good quality and really good customer service). 
Florist – Infusion Flowers did our bouquets & button holes however my family and I created the table displays, ceremony displays etc. 
Cake – Sugar Mumma Cakes (incredible cake, the flavours were amazing)! 
Entertainment – The Jazz Trio during the day and The Blunter Brothers in the evening (would highly recommend as they are brilliant and such good value)!
Rings – Toulson Jones Jewellers made our wedding bands bespoke (my engagement ring is Jenny Packham).
Catering – Buxted Park Hotel
Stationery – we created digital email invites and wedding website via ‘Joy’. Stationary on the day was designed and printed myself. 
Hair Stylist – Natalie Richardson / Makeup by Natalie
Makeup Artist – Natalie Richardson / Makeup by Natalie