How did you meet?
We met at Scotney Castle, when I gave James my CV for a summer job! He managed to persuade our manager to hire me, and the rest is history!
Tell us about the proposal!
James managed to pull an absolute blinder for our proposal. We both love country music, with Jason Isbell both of our absolute favourite. When he was playing at Black Deer Festival at Eridge Park, it was too good an opportunity to miss so we went along to the festival – and he popped the question during my favourite song – which actually ended up being our first dance song!
How did you choose where to shop for your wedding dress?
I have always lived in Tunbridge Wells, driving past and seeing the beautiful dresses in the window, and so I knew without doubt that Isabella Grace was first on my list!
Tell us about your wedding dress experience, and why did you choose your wedding dress.
On the day I had my appointment at Isabella Grace, we had just bought our new house and were busy all morning ripping out carpets and painting walls and ceilings, so I turned up to my appointment quite stressed and frazzled. However, Amy made me feel so relaxed and made it the most special experience. I was with my mum and sister, and together we picked out a few dresses that I would try on. However, I tried on the first dress and completely fell in love! I tried on the others but nothing came close, so ended up saying YES to the very first dress I tried on!! Looking back, I know that it was the absolute perfect dress for me, and nothing else would have made me feel as amazing as I did on my day!
Describe your wedding day. Where, when, how…
We got married on Saturday 29 June at Warbleton Church near Heathfield, with our reception at the stunning Chafford Park Estate.
We knew we wanted to get married in a church, and ended up settling on the parish church where James grew up – it is so beautiful and as soon as I set foot in there, I couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else! I travelled to the church with my dad in a classic Bentley, which was gorgeous (and hot!). The ceremony was beautiful, with both of our mums doing readings, and three of our favourite hymns sung during the service.
Our reception venue was a stunning country estate barn venue, which was perfect given the 32 degree heat of the day! We had Pimms on arrival, with garden games on the field area next to the barn and an amazing acoustic duo playing to add to the atmosphere.
We had the barn beautifully decorated with white drapes, and had a National Trust theme for our tables as a nod to how we met, with Scotney Ale bottles for some of the table centres and maps for our table names! We also had an amazing barbecue for our meal, and another incredible band playing for us in the evening!
Favourite part of your wedding day?
The speeches were incredible, so much better than I could have possibly imagined and made everyone cry – giving me memories I will cherish forever! I also just loved the fact that we had all of our family and friends together, and they all spent the day celebrating us and our marriage – it was so lovely looking around the venue and seeing everyone we love enjoying themselves 😊.!
Anything you would change if you could do it all again?
Absolutely nothing – it was a perfect day from start to finish and I wish we could do it all over again, please can we?!
Your top tip for future brides?
Don’t stress the small things as the day goes in such a flash that you just need to savour and enjoy every second! Make sure to take a few moments to just be with your new husband or wife during the day and take it all in – it goes so fast!!
Which suppliers did you use for the following:
Wedding Venue – Warbleton Church and Chafford Park Estate
Wedding Décor – Not Your Average I Do
Wedding Photographer – James Ireland Photography
Catering – Leave It To Us
Florist – Arrangements
Cake – Our lovely talented friend Sue Whetstone
Hair – Gary Russell
Make up – David Hynes
Bands – Little Light & the Parkas