It all started on an evening in Greece and ended up in a stunning Georgian manor house..
Tell us about the proposal – how and where did it happen?
Connor proposed in Greece during a family holiday in 2018. It was in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the sea (in the evening). Connor had asked our friend who we were on holiday with to take a photo of the two of us with a beautiful view in the background, I did think this was a little odd as he never asks to take photos
What was your first step in planning your wedding, did you use blogs/magazines etc?
We first began by looking at venues on the internet and we came across Gosfield Hall and we instantly fell in love with it back in 2018. Nothing ever came close.
The venue appeared to have everything we could have dreamed of so when we viewed the venue in 2020 it just confirmed to us, Gosfield is the venue we will be getting married in. It was everything and more.
That’s when the shopping began… Dress, Fireworks, Transportation, there was no stopping us.
What were your wedding “must have’s”?
For us is was having close friends and family joining us and a beautiful venue.
Wedding budget: how did you organise your wedding budget?
We didn’t really have a budget, but we new that there were certain aspects that we wanted for the day and then we researched online for different things we could incorporate.
We knew we were only doing this once, so we wanted everything we had ever dreamed of.
How did you find your venue and what made you choose it?
We found Gosfield Hall online. We fell in love with it from the photos and then when we viewed it in person we just new we had to get married there. It is an incredible venue with incredible staff.
Styling your wedding: how did you personalise your big day?
I always wanted a soft pink for our colour scheme and Connor always wanted a navy suit. We also wanted it to look very elegant and classy but look bright and fresh too.
Did the venue provide any memorable extras or nice personal touches that stood out?
The Rococo Suite is incredibly memorable and who wouldn’t remember a stunning room like that. Having a dedicated Personal Wedding Manager, we had Tara and she was amazing. Nothing was ever too much to ask.
One thing we really loved on our wedding day, is that we were taken up to the Rococo Suite just Connor and I to take in the day and to have a little time to ourselves.
Describe your wedding attire and favourite accessories
I opted for a slim fitting dress with minimal yet beautiful detail with a long train and I had some very special jewelry which had very personal meanings. A necklace with my man’s ashes in and a Pandora charm with my Grandad’s ashes in so they could be with us on our special day. I was gifted a beautiful bracelet and earrings from my mum on the day of our wedding and the most special gift I received was a picture of my Nan and Grandad to go on my bouquet.
What did your partner wear?
Connor chose a Marc Darcy suit in navy check.
Tell us about your Bridesmaids, Groomsmen and their outfits
I had 6 bridesmaids – 2 sisters, (2 very special friends and 2 sister in laws), 2 Maids of Honour (younger sister and best friend) and 2 Flower Girls (daughter and niece). My bridesmaids wore dusty rose multi-way dresses and the flower girls were in simple ivory dresses.
Connor had 1 Best Man- his brother his step dad, my dad and 4 groomsmen (Brother in Law, 2x step brothers and my brother. The Best man, my Dad and Connor’s Step Dad wore the Marc Darcy suits and the rest of the groomsmen wore a navy suit. He also had 3 page boys (3 nephews) who wore matching navy suits to the groomsmen.
What was your ceremony like?
The wedding ceremony was beautiful with amazing speeches and a lovely calm/happy atmosphere
We decided not to have any readings, however we did incorporate our daughter Evie into it by having the Registrar mention her before saying our vows. We chose music that meant a lot to us and had Signed Sealed Delivered as our exit song. It was so fitting after being together for 10 and a half years
Tell us about your drinks reception and wedding breakfast
Our welcome drinks were Cosmopolitan, Diamond Fizz and Mojito (Connors favourite) whilst I chose diamond fizz as it sounded very fresh (although neither of us had one as we were so caught up in the moment). For the wedding breakfast we chose a chicken and beef option which went down a treat with all guests. We had so many compliments on the amazing the food. What I absolutely loved was the fact Gosfield caters to everyone. We had some adults who preferred the children’s option and Gosfield were more than happy to accommodate this and do an adult portion.
Did you have a band or DJ for your evening reception? Did you have a first dance – what song did you choose?
We had Gosfield’s DJ and he was AMAZING!! Everyone was up dancing the whole night we absolutely loved him. We chose Shania Twain’s – You’re Still The One as our first dance song.
Based on your own experience, give us some top tips:
Have a budget in mind as things do add up quickly, but if you can afford it don’t cut back on things you have always dreamed on having.
If you have gifts for people like bridesmaids, give these to them the night before. I planned to give my bridal party their gifts the morning of the wedding and completely forgot.
Did you go on a honeymoon or mini-moon?
We are yet to go on honeymoon but are planning a trip to the Maldives early next year with our daughter.
“If we could do it all again, we’d…
“do everything the same. We had the most amazing day but it all went so fast. I would have loved to do it over 2 days”
Wedding attire: Hayley Elizabeth Bridal Marc Darcy suits and Next suits
The accessories: Ashes into Glass, Swarovski
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Infinity Dresses
Wedding rings: Beaverbrooks
Wedding cake: Jeys Heavenly Events
Helicopter: Air Harrods
Photographer: John Payton Photography
Wedding favours: Amazon & Scratch Cards
