Zoe Gould’s Countryside Farm Wedding
How did your partner propose?
He had planned everything out so well, and tried to propose several times in beautiful, romantic scenarios, but I kept missing the hints or messed it up somehow! Eventually, a few days before we were due to come home, he did manage to successfully pop the question!
What’s the best piece of advice you received in the run up to your wedding?
To not get so wrapped up in wedding planning that you lose focus on what you’re actually doing all of this for. It hit me like a sledgehammer a couple of days before the wedding, when everything was done, and all the planning slowed down. I suddenly realised I was actually getting MARRIED and all of these people were coming to see US! My mother warned me a few times to not get so absorbed in planning to avoid having such a big reality check…I should have heeded her advice!
How did you go about finding your wedding dress?
In all honesty, I had never given a thought to my wedding day, let alone my dress, until I was engaged. I was a blank canvas! I spent a while on Instagram and Pinterest trying to find some styles which appealed to me, then found a beautiful, highly regarded bridal shop nearby in Uckfield which just so happened to stock some of the designers I liked….
How many dresses did you try on before you found ‘the one’?
My dress was one of the first few that I tried on. I went to Fross with a particular dress and style in mind, yet when I had it on I felt it wasn’t really ‘me’. After that, we assembled a beautiful selection of gowns to try, and my ‘one’ was found and happened to be completely different from what I thought I wanted! The ladies at Fross were so helpful and accommodating, allowing me plenty of time to find the right dress.
Do you know the name of your dress designer?
Stella York
What made you fall in love with the dress that you chose?
From the start, I was adamant I did not want strapless as I was convinced, I had large, manly shoulders and arms. I thought I wanted to cover my arms up with sleeves and have a more fitted style through the body, yet as soon as I had my strapless A Line dress on, the insecurities disappeared, and I truly felt beautiful. I thought I still had a small niggling element of doubt due to my personal hang ups, so I went to another shop and tried some more dresses just to be sure, however none came close. I returned to Fross, and as soon as I put my dress back on, I knew it was the one. Once the veil was on, the tears came, and I well and truly got the ‘feels’. Turns out, my mother had picked out this dress as being the one right from the beginning yet kept very quiet and let me make the decision myself. I have never spelt as special or as beautiful as I do when in that dress.
Did you wear a veil and/or any other bridal accessories?
I had a 2 tier cathedral veil (why not go all out on your wedding day), crystal hair pins, earrings, a necklace and bracelet.
Tell us a little about your wedding day – the vibe, what inspired you, etc.
When I started planning, my partner and I tried to keep it very low budget and simple. We planned to do a lot of it ourselves to keep costs low, like making the cake, doing the flowers, making all the food etc etc. However, as time went on and I did more research, I realised this wasn’t a feasible option with the wedding we had in mind! We’re both country people, and from the onset my parents’ beautiful farm was the obvious choice for the reception with our local Church for the ceremony. We had quite a large guest list so luckily this also meant no venue restrictions, and also our dogs and horses could be involved! We wanted a relaxed, romantic and personal with a subtle glamor vibe, and we definitely achieved everything we wanted for the day. We had a marquee on the lawn, overlooking the surrounding countryside and it was so idyllic. Hailing from a horsey background, I HAD to have a carriage as our transport and it was such a dream come true – I really felt like a true princess. My brother arranged for a surprise flyover with a Spitfire, which was incredible and a big talking point of the day! In the evening, we had an amazing DJ who fully accommodated our music tastes and I barely left the dance floor. We also had an incredible saxophonist accompanying too. We did still manage to DIY a lot of elements for the day, which was hard work, but our guests loved the personal touches and my inner perfectionist was satisfied!
What was your favourite moment from the day itself?
The whole day was perfect, so it’s very hard to pick out a favourite part! I loved every second and wouldn’t have changed a thing. I managed to keep relatively calm and controlled during the morning, with only a few moments of nerves. However, when I was waiting outside the Church with my father and the music started, I was suddenly hit with a huge wave of various emotions and became a trembling mess! I can’t even begin to describe what I was feeling, I just recall walking down the aisle crying whilst smiling (and shaking!) The moment I remember most from the Church, is when my now husband managed to get hold of my shaking hand and just smiled at me. I remember gradually feeling calm then just this inner glow of happiness. After that, the rest of the ceremony flew by and I really did have the best day of my life.
Is there any advice you would be happy to share with other brides?
Everyone says this, but you’re never prepared for it – time goes SO FAST! Really make the most of every single second and take it all in. Also make sure people take lots of photos for you to look at whilst waiting for the professional ones to come through. There is so much going on during the day itself, and it can all become a bit of a blurry dream when thinking back on it. I got the wedding blues badly once everyone had gone and the day was over yet having these videos and photos to relive it all have kept me going.
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?
We went on our honeymoon to Fethiye (Turkey) a few days after the wedding, which worked out perfectly as it gave us some time at home to really take in what had just happened and spend some time with our families. I was very lucky having our reception at my parents’ house, as it gave us a lot of freedom! The day after the wedding, I put my dress back on and spent the afternoon playing lawn games and eating wedding cake with my family and new husband. I already had the wedding blues but having this time to really relax and have fun was incredibly special. I’m writing this having just come back from our wonderful honeymoon, which involved a lot of food, sun, swimming, cocktails and relaxing. The past few weeks have been the best of our lives, and although coming back to reality (and work) is hard, I’m still glowing thinking back on the incredible memories we now have.
Thank you so much for everything. Getting married has been such a magical experience and finding my dream dress and your beautiful shop really set the trend for it all! Incredibly special memories which I will cherish. Also please pass my thanks on to Helen, the dress fit beautifully.
Would you mind sharing details of any other suppliers you used? Ideally by their Instagram handle but if not, just a business name will do!
Photographer – Flutterby Dreams
Videographer – Rapid Image UK
Planner/Stylist – The Wedding Dolls (on the day helpers)
Venue – Dens Farm, Wadhurst (Parents’ house)
Shoes – The Perfect Bridal Company
Accessories – Etsy
Groom’s suit – Ted Baker
Bridesmaids – Ever Pretty
Flowergirls – N/A
Page Boys – N/A
Florist – Darling Buds of Sussex
Cake – Bonney’s Cakery
Transport – The Ostler
Entertainment – East Sussex DJs / Dave Brazier Wedding Saxophonist
Rings – Purely Diamonds
Catering – Southern Events / Cripes it’s Crepes
Stationery – DIY
Hair Stylist – Rosie Baylis Hair
Makeup Artist – DIY
Honeymoon – Fethiye, Turkey (DIY!)