When it comes to bridesmaid dresses there’s a huge range of colours and styles to choose from. Gone are the days when the bridesmaids had to wear a simpler washed down, shorter version of the bride’s dress. If you’re struggling with how to style your bridesmaids, here are a few fun, yet fashionable ideas to add some personality to those outfits.
Let your bridesmaids choose their own dress. This sounds a bit daunting, but if you choose the colour, having contrasting styles can look great.
They don’t need to be drastically different –they will stand apart in contrasting neck lines and hem lines. This way, the dress can suit each person and mean everyone’s comfortable in what they have to wear. It also adds a little bit of their individual personality to your wedding, making the occasion unique and personalised.
Or if you like the tradition of matching dresses, you could change smaller details to create a unique look for each bridesmaid. For instance, they could each have their own colour which would appear on their shoes, nails and/or bouquet!
It may be your wedding day but its important to make sure that your maids are happy and comfortable. When choosing dresses always consider the colour and see if it is flattering on them.
Why not keep the same style of dress but choose different colours for each bridesmaid, opting for shades that suit them best.
Difficult colours to work with can be salmon in satin and anything neon. Generally anything too light or bright could be very unflattering to any of your maids; however some beautiful pastels that work with anyone are light greens, powder blues and dusky pinks.
Image by Studio Rouge
Fancy something bolder, opt for emerald, midnight blue, red, maroon or cerise.
Image by Studio Rouge
The style is just as important as the colour to ensure your bridesmaids look and feel fabulous standing next to you on your big day.
A long, floaty dress is always a safe option to please everyone, but to be a bit different why not add a vintage feel to your dresses. You don’t have to go so far back to Medieval times, but a retro mid-20th century theme is very understated and trendy.
Most importantly, by choosing the perfect colours and style, the look and theme of your wedding will be brought together.
Whatever you do to make your bridesmaids unique, we’d love to hear about it! Don’t forget to tell us about your themes, dresses and personalised quirks.
It was back in 2011 when we started to think about how we could improve Wasing Park. It had been voted the Best Wedding Venue in the UK in 2012 but we felt there was more to be done…
With beautiful listed accommodation, the exquisite parish Church of St Nicholas, as well as a wonderful old 18th Century party barn to hire, crenelated to look like a castle, it is no surprise that many couples thought we were the perfect destination to start their marital journey. But we felt that we could improve the venue further. Our view was that the perfect venue would entertain as many friends and family as possible, not only on the big day, but for the morning after too with a big breakfast to re-live all the nuptial memories. And if we could remove all the cars from outside the front of the barn, then so much the better.
This photo was taken on a very foggy day, and you can see the telegraph poles taking a prominent position!
From that point on we had a mission – to build an extra 15 bedrooms in the outbuildings surrounding the Stables, not only using the Pump House, which had been the old Estate Office, but building a new Coach House, and using the old Dovecote, Smithy and Granary. These buildings had old agricultural and estate uses from years before but all were in dire need of attention. So we decided to turn them into bedrooms, and in doing so, creating buildings with a use in the modern day.
The largest challenge we faced was providing services to all of the buildings. Our biomass boiler, munching on woodchip from the estate woodlands, was the engine for providing the heat, but how to get it inside the buildings? Between Christmas 2013 and Valentine’s Day 2014 we dug up the venue, mended old pipes, laid new ones, drainage, heat, electric, water, as well as burying all the telegraph poles with electric cables, and by the end of January, it resembled something like a battlefield from WW1.
Terrifying! On the base of old storage sheds, we established the foundations for our new building, the Coach House, which, with a 5 month build was to require a 30ft hoarding erected in front of it (you can see it behind the yellow digger).
We needed to lay down a new car park for 80 spaces, dig the trenches for all the services, establish the building site for the new build with a whopping timber frame brought in from local contractor Vision Developments, and then cover up, lay gravel down, re-landscape the gardens with turf and plantings in time for the first wedding on the 14th February. And it was the peak of winter.
It was the closest shave – the last piece of turf was laid at 10.48am on the morning of the 14th February, just in time for the first wedding later that day. And the rest of the day (week) was taken off (mainly in the pub)!
The rest of the build went in behind the hoarding. With the design skill of Martin Llewellyn and Jon Colvin from Llewellyn Harker, and the building expertise of Oyster’s John Kennedy and team, we had four months to finish the build; completing the brickwork, the roof, fitting the joinery, first and second fixing, insulating, plastering, decorating and fixing all the fittings…and by the beginning of July we were pretty much there! We were ready to take wedding guests. And when you look at the photo below, it is no surprise to say that we are pretty pleased with the results!
We still have The Granary, The Dovecote, and Blacksmiths Shop to do, but we have given ourselves a little more breathing space this time…
And hopefully by spring next year we will have overcome all the challenges and our dream project will be complete…
So what is it that makes Wasing Park so charming? Is it the long drive through classic English countryside?
Is it the proximity of all the buildings you need for a wedding?
Could it be the Parish Church, so light in impact, but so beautifully English?
Or is it the iconic agricultural buildings that sit in the heart of Wasing Park.
Well, it’s probably all of the above, but the contribution of the last item on that agenda is fundamental to the charm of Wasing. And up until now, they have been just agricultural buildings. But over the next few months, Wasing will be renovating the Granary, the Dovecote, and Old Blacksmith’s Shop to turn them into very unique bedrooms.
It is a rare opportunity to bring a use back to these buildings, which up until now have been largely redundant. With the help of Martin Llewellyn, from award winning architects Llewellyn Harker, Wasing will be an exclusive use venue like no other. ‘With the Dovecote, we are keeping the original ladder inside that was used to access the individual dove boxes, and with its circular shape has a very individual feel’, says the Somerset based Architect, ‘The only other place I know of is Le Manoir aux Quatre Saisons in Oxfordshire’
And what about the Granary? ‘The Granary has its own structural difficulties sitting on its staddle stones. We have designed its own box inside which will allow it to both move and be secure. It will be a two storey building, and perfect for a romantic wedding, although perhaps not for the honeymoon suite’ he says with a wink.
As for the Blacksmith’s Shop, Martin says ‘I am really excited about this as we are designing its very own chandelier. Using the wonderful oak frame, the inside of this very special room will be lit up by a cascade of individual lights’.
And as a professional how does he feel about the project? ‘Wasing is one of the high points of my 35 year career working with old buildings. It has been a real privilege to work with such wonderful structures and to put my own stamp on their characters. And I can’t wait to stay in them!’
Owner Joshua Dugdale is excited by the prospect of transforming these buildings into bedrooms. ‘As someone who has the responsibility for looking after these wonderful buildings, it is truly exciting that not only can we preserve them, but that our guests will be able to see these incredible structures from the inside. I believe this will make Wasing into one of the most interesting exclusive use venues in the country and I can’t wait to see them finished.’
As Wasing Park is set in the most beautiful countryside surroundings, bursting with nature, flora, fauna and home to various animals, both wild and farmed, it is in our interests to do our utmost to promote sustainability and an eco-friendly wedding for your special day.
Weddings aren’t always hugely eco-friendly events. There can sometimes be a lot of food waste, throwaway decorations and various packaging, not to mention the carbon footprint of all your guests travelling to your venue. However fear not, the idea of a sustainable wedding does not mean having throwing a party in a tipi in the forest and using only recycled products. These sustainable wedding ideas can give you a great theme when you and your loved one marry, save you money and give your guests something to think about
1) Chose a location that is close to you
Choosing a location that is close to you and the majority of your guests, will not only be convenient for your friends and family, but will also reduce your guest’s carbon footprint when travelling to your wedding, they may even be able to car pool!
2) Find a sustainable venue
Choosing a permanent building like a hall, barn or country house is far more sustainable than transporting and creating a venue such as a marquee. If your chosen venue regularly holds events, they will most likely have recycling facilities onsite and a good network of local suppliers.
3) Favours with a purpose
Favours can more often than not be overlooked on a wedding day. Try to choose favours that will help the environment or a charity close to your heart. Wildflower seeds are a great choice, your guests can plant them and be annually reminded of your special day, not to mention the local beehive will love them!
4) Bridesmaid shopping
In an aim to step away from a throwaway culture, your bridesmaids as more likely to wear their wedding attire to another occasion if they love their dress. Instead of putting your maids all in the same dress for it then to spend the rest of its life at the back of wardrobe, why not try giving them a colour scheme and letting them each pick their own different design, it will make your bridal party all unique and will look fab in the photos!
5) Get green fingered instead of cutting flowers.
Using potted plants as your centrepieces and decoration for your day, can be part of a great theme as well cutting right back on flower wastage. Your array of flower, herb and succulent centre pieces will not only be quirky and unique in different pots, but then can be taken home to adorn your garden or given away as gifts to your guests.
Once your engagement celebrations are over, the reality of organizing a wedding can seem a lengthy process. Despite many opting to have anywhere between a year or two between their engagement and big day, recently many couples have made the savvy decision to marry within a year. Although many only consider the stress and time it takes to organise a wedding, there are many positives with making the decision to marry sooner…
Financial Benefits and Honeymoon Fund
One of the biggest benefits of deciding to choose a near future date is the potential for saving money through discounts the venue you love may offer!
This type of saving can allow you both to redistribute your budget and spend more on the aspects you value most whether it be the dress, cake or decoration. Alternatively, an extra chunk of money can be put toward your honeymoon fund…not to mention the excitement of that welcome break coming around sooner!
Exercise decisiveness and instinct
The abundance of choice when making decisions can be tricky to negotiate during your planning period. One benefit of cutting down your preparation time is that you and your partner are more likely to make decisive, firm choices for your decoration, venue and food that otherwise may have been mulled over for months in the long run up to your day. This can lead to loose ends and too MUCH choice, whereas making firm time pressured decisions often results in instinct choices that reflect what you love most. Decisiveness leads to peace of mind so utilize the benefit of this – it may seem a lot when you are in amongst it but the satisfaction of feeling your wedding planning is done and dusted is incomparable!
Start married life sooner avoid engagement limbo
Your save the dates have gone out…you can slowly start to dip your toe into the world of wedding blogs and work out your taste. The lay over between your invites and wedding can seem like a long and distant event, why not put all your chips in and spend 9 months making a short and focused period where you can ensure your engagement doesn’t drag on.
Your guest list is solid…
Notice is important for your guests to ensure those closest to you can be there to celebrate your special day. If you opted to have an autumnal, Christmas or late summer wedding in 2019, it still provides your guests with at least 9 months to work out if they can come, get time off work and plan arrangements. The benefit of having a short engagement means your guest list can be confirmed quickly, opposed to guests being reluctant to make commitments years in advance. Furthermore, if getting your numbers down for your guest list is a challenge, potentially this can help firm up those who are willing and able to make your day and those that can only attend your evening.
While you might spend a considerable amount of time choosing your favourite wedding photographer, have you thought about the particular images you would like him or her to capture?
Luckily, at Wasing Park, photographers tend to run out of time before they run out of beautiful locations! We hope this list of our top spots for photo opportunities might offer a little inspiration.
Photographers are often led by the lighting conditions. The tree-lined driveway can provide a stunning environment for photographs throughout the year.
Images by Studio Rouge
Wedding preparation shots can capture so many emotions. Whether it’s in The Stables Lodge where the bridal party are getting ready or one of the Old Estate Rooms where the groomsmen are trying to keep the groom calm, these quirky spaces are the perfect backdrops to capture these special pre-ceremony moments.
Images by Studio Rouge
If you choose to have a religious ceremony, be sure to capture St Nicholas Church in your photographs, both inside and out.
Image by Studio Rouge
For your civil ceremony, the light-filled Garden Room is a dream for photographers, particularly when you walk up and down the aisle with the gardens in the background.
Image by Studio Rouge
Don’t forget the details, from pretty floral decorations in the Garden Room to your décor in the Castle Barn.
An outdoor ceremony in the Victorian Summerhouse lends itself to some dreamy photographs. Try to capture its beautiful mural interior.
Image by Studio Rouge
Welcome drinks on the lawn gives your photographer an opportunity for some relaxed group shots.
When it comes to your couple shots, take a walk around the gardens and capture the ever-changing colours dictated by the seasons. In the spring, the blossom trees look stunning in front of the church, the Smithy and the Dovecote. In the autumn, the gardens are filled with warm, autumn hues. If you’re marrying in the winter months, be sure to have a wrap or shawl so you can enjoy some beautiful outdoor shots – we love Wasing Park when there is a frost!
Moving in to the Castle Barn, be sure to capture the natural joy, emotion or horror(!) of your wedding speeches.
And finally, you’ll want to remember your fabulous evening celebration. Make sure to speak to your photographer about snapping some great (and possibly embarrassing!) dance floor photographs.
If you have yet to see Wasing Park for yourself, we would love to show you all we have to offer. Give our friendly wedding team a call on 0118 907 0199
Seating plan, table plan, seating layout, seat map, seating arrangement, whatever you want to call it, it’s a wedding necessity that can be overlooked. Your table plan can give you the chance to really think about what can represent you as a couple, to show your joint interests or wonderful quirks or accent your scheme. Whatever your chosen theme or colours sometimes it can be hard to see how this can be reflected in something so seemingly standard. Well, here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
Bring the Outside In
An easy way to make a huge impact is to decorate your table plan with foliage and florals, and in our view there’s no such thing as too much. Layers of fresh bright greens or dried grasses can create a whimsical feel or provide high drama. Add in some bursts of colour with florals for greater impact or to work with your chosen colour palette.
Get Hands On
A great way to get your guests involved and bring even more fun to your big day is by getting them to get interactive. We’re seeing an increasing number of interactive seating plans, from find your name and take seat puzzles, follow the thread plans and find your picture to find your place.
Where to Plant Yourself
Why not be eco-friendly and use potted plants, and for so many reasons! This has the dual bonus of being decorative and you can take them home afterwards or even double them up as gifts on the night. We love these herb planters used at a recent wedding but succulents, lavender and cacti look incredible too.
Where on Earth Am I?!
Use your first trips as a couple, your travel bucket list or even your honeymoon destination (top table idea?) to create a fun and bespoke board. For the name lists you can use luggage labels or even boarding passes. This doubles up as a fun way to name your tables instead of the traditional numbering.
Whimsical and Personal
The best sure fire way to ensure that your table plan is completely unique to you, is to think of your shared interests and hobbies and theme it around this. Festival lover? Recreate a festival line-up. Book worm? Create some book shelves which your guest names on your favourite titles. Film Lover? Pilot? The options are endless. The best thing about this option is that you’ve then automatically got your table names too…
Hopefully you’re feeling suitably inspired now and ready to start trying to figure out who sits where…we recommend Post-its, lots and lots of Post-its!
Tash and Rob chose a Saturday in February at Wasing Park for their magical winter wedding, and it’s easy to see why…
After relocating to Scotland the previous year, they came back home to Berkshire to celebrate their nuptials with friends and family.
The Time of Year
Being a summer baby, Tash always imagined a summer wedding to avoid the cold! However, for a number of reasons, her vision did a 180.
Summer weddings seem to be the tradition, perhaps something that’s learnt from generations before us, but Tash and Rob felt that the benefits of a winter wedding outweighed the tradition of a summer wedding.
‘Budget wise, we knew wedding venues have off-peak rates in the winter months so it seemed like a great way to save some money.’
So many couples remark on the need to fit their celebration among holidays, work commitments and other weddings but Tash and Rob felt that by marrying in February they wouldn’t struggle to find a date that everyone was available for, and it meant that they had the wedding countdown to look forward to after Christmas!
‘I’ve always felt that January and February often feel a bit miserable, so why not have something to look forward to? A celebration with all your nearest and dearest, plus an anniversary to enjoy every year! After Christmas everyone was super excited and we spent the next 6 weeks constantly talking wedding, it was great, and no January blues!’.
The Venue
Tash was in a unique position because she used to work at Wasing! There was no doubt in her mind that, even after relocating to Scotland, she would return to Wasing for her wedding day.
‘I had my interview six years prior to getting engaged, but I still knew it would be my wedding venue… in fact I even called my Mum after the first interview and said “I don’t think I got the job, but I have found my future wedding venue!”’
The Ceremony
Tash and Rob chose the Garden Room for their civil ceremony, choosing to say the longer more traditional vows.
‘The Garden Room is a naturally light and pretty room with views over the Castle Barn and gardens, so I didn’t want to over-decorate. We went for soft and romantic, with lanterns and blush rose petals down the aisle and an iron arch full of foliage and blush roses, as if it was growing naturally’
Colours and Theme
Tash and Rob wanted to stick with deep, wintery colours so chose a navy, burgundy and blush pink colour scheme.
‘I love deep, warming colours but wanted to highlight these with grey and blush pink so it wasn’t flat. I used these colours as a focus for all my planning. Cherubs did our bouquets and decor, and it was perfect!’
Being a winter wedding, it was important for the couple to have lots of candles all around the venue. ‘At home I am always lighting candles and when I am at my parents I love having the fire lit on a winters day. It was very romantic and cosy’
Making it Personal
Tash and Rob had relocated to Scotland for Rob’s career as a pilot, so as a nod to this they used types of planes as their table names and thistles in the button holes, as well as a Scottish quaich for the rings.
Tash was a dancer and used ballet ribbon in her and her bridesmaids bouquets, as well as bows on her dress and their wedding cake.
‘It’s these subtle details that we felt make our wedding completely personal’
DIY
So that they could ensure a continuation of their colour scheme, Tash and Rob chose to make their own confetti.
‘We spent the summer collecting petals, mainly from roses, and dried them around the house!’
Tash’s mum put her creative skills to use with the boys buttonholes which ensured they could get exactly what they wanted from the local garden centre!
‘We used wax flower, a deep red berry, a tiny blush rose and a thistle which was our nod to Scotland’.
The Girls
Tash wanted her dress to be classic and stand the test of time, and also suit her style and the fact it was a winter wedding.
‘After trying on tonnes of dresses in every shape I narrowed it down to no lace, no sparkle, no sweetheart neckline and not strapless… the list of no’s went on’
Tash finally found her perfect dress at a shop in the Cotswolds… quite a trip away from Scotland but she made it work!
‘I found a dress which could be customised to be my dress and I would only get to try it on when I went to pick it up! Big risk… but exciting, I had a clear vision by this point!’
‘I changed the skirt, removed the petticoats, lowered the ‘V’ back and added buttons to the full length of the train and I couldn’t be happier with the final product!’
Tash found her shoes in the Phase Eight sale, and her chapel length veil was an eBay find!
‘Rob bought me a sapphire and diamond necklace for my 30th birthday, and I had a matching pair of earrings made. On the day I had a number of compliments about the set!’
The bridesmaids wore navy and the dresses were a bit of a lucky find!
‘I stumbled across them on the Coast website and ordered 2 straight away. By the time all 4 bridesmaids had tried them on and loved them, they had sold out online… we ended up finding them on John Lewis and brand new on eBay! When there is a will, there’s a way!’
The Boys
The suits were navy to match the bridesmaid, and because it was winter they opted for tweed waistcoats.
‘We found one online that we liked so my Dad, Mum and Sister went to see it (there is not many suit shops in Scotland as they all wear kilts!). They chose a grey and navy pinstriped trouser to go with a tailed jacket and I bought all the boys a burgundy tie from Marks and Spencer. It all came together really well, even though half the groomsmen ordered the wrong trousers!’
What was Important?
Tash and Rob felt that a relaxed atmosphere was the most important part of their day. They wanted their guests to feel at ease and part of the party!
‘We love a get together and don’t say no to a night out with friends or drinks with the family, so for us this was everyone we love all together and we wanted to make the most of that!’
‘I think guests were concerned I’d be on edge all day, but I was the total opposite. I had complete trust in Wasing and all the staff, so I felt incredibly relaxed all day!’
Top Tips
‘Don’t take it all on yourself, book suppliers so you can enjoy the bits you have to do, like the guest list, table plan, suits, dresses etc. Speak to friends and family to get their opinion, they are outside your wedding bubble so might have a good idea you haven’t thought of. Ultimately though its your wedding so go with what you want.’
‘Make the most of it, it goes in a flash. Try to have a few moments together away from the crowd. We found a quiet moment whilst everyone was taking their seats for dinner’
‘I got everyone to send me photos the next day which was fun, we sat looking through all the photos together and could see the day through everyone else’s eyes.
If you could do it again…
‘We would do it again every year just as it was!’
How long did it take to plan your wedding? Would you want more or less time if you were to do it again?
‘8 months, it was just the perfect date in the diary. I knew I wanted a winter wedding so it was either early 2019 or the following November/December 2019 which would have been over 18 months away. I really didn’t need that much time and you can often benefit from good offers if you book nearer the time! If we weren’t relocating to Scotland I could have organised it for even earlier! We were only engaged at the end of May!’
If you’re planning a winter wedding, we hope you will be inspired by the wedding of Tash and Rob at Wasing Park. If you’ve yet to visit us, we would love to show you around, simply give our friendly Events Team a call on 0118 907 0199
Spending a day visiting possible wedding venues, Wasing Park was the final venue on Leanne and James’s list… and they fell in love with it straight away.
“It had everything – amazing facilities, features, gardens, wonderful staff and bedrooms for many of our guests to stay over. As a teacher, I wanted to get married in the summer holidays and the 20th July was available. It was fate!”
Design and Décor
Planning a wedding with a contemporary style, the happy couple embraced the natural beauty of Wasing Park and adopted a pink, navy and rose gold colour scheme. Leanne made some of the signage herself and Bubblegum Balloons created a suspended ceiling for the Castle Barn.
A flower wall was a great choice, particularly for photographs, and the tables were named after their favourite drinks.
“Our wonderful friend Jodie from The Little Violet created our floral decorations. Her creations are stunning. The bouquets, table centres and ceremony room decorations were just as I had imagined.”
Bridal Style
After initially spotting it online, the beautiful bride wore a stunning gown from Pronovias.
“As soon as I put it on, my heart started pounding, my palms started sweating and I welled up. I knew it was the one!”
Following their romantic ceremony in The Garden Room at Wasing Park, a drinks reception was held on the lawn while a string quartet entertained the newlyweds and their guests.
Moving in to dine, a seasonal menu commenced with smoked bacon Scotch egg, followed by fillet of beef and vanilla cheesecake.
“The main course was so perfectly cooked and presented.”
Evening Celebrations
As day turned to evening, Leanne and James danced their first dance to ‘One Kiss’ by Amber Leigh before the DJ filled the dancefloor.
Informal summer dining proved the perfect finale to this magnificent day.
“We had wood fired pizza cooked outside. Guests could choose toppings from caramelised onion and goats’ cheese to chicken, pesto, peppers and rocket.”
Memorable Moments
“Getting to marry my soul mate. And walking into the Castle Barn for our wedding breakfast to be greeted by our wonderful friends and family. It was amazing and quite emotional”
Alice and Joshua delighted their guests with 1920’s style at Wasing Park, featuring a sophisticated colour scheme, a hint of glamour and fabulous food and entertainment.
With a May wedding date in mind, Alice and Joshua were looking for a wedding venue within easy reach of London. They also wanted to create a relaxed environment and to find somewhere that offered wedding accommodation for a number of guests. They came across Wasing Park and fell in love!
“We absolutely loved the beautiful drive through parkland and the sensational accommodation. We both wanted our wedding to feel like a chilled summer party at someone’s house rather than a formal event… to encourage our guests to relax and have fun!” – Alice.
Design and Décor
Alice wanted her passion for the glitz and glamour of the 1920s to be reflected in the style of their wedding day. A ‘1920s garden party’ was the perfect end result, with gold as the prominent colour and a truly elegant theme throughout.
The happy couple arranged the wedding flowers themselves, using seasonal British blooms where possible.
White tulips were tied to the chairs in the Garden Room at Wasing Park, with arrangements of white lilies and roses at the front of the ceremony space. Meanwhile, in the Castle Barn, jars were filled with flowers gathered from Alice’s parents’ garden while the arrow slits in the barn walls housed flickering tea lights.
“One of our favourite pieces was the seating plan – a vintage style map with luggage tags pinned on for the different tables. Each place had some significance to us.” – Alice
Bridal Style
The beautiful bride wore ‘Josefina’ by Phase Eight.
“As soon as I put it on, I felt so bridal! The applique was gorgeous, I loved the back and I completely fell for the ethereal look of the train.” – Alice
She completed the wedding look with gold Kurt Geiger shoes, her mother’s veil, pearl earrings and a diamond necklace.
“I wanted them to all feel their absolute best and to be comfortable.” – Alice
All About Flowers
Alongside the wedding flowers, Alice carried a bouquet in creams, whites and pale pinks made by Alison Norris of Border Cottage Flowers.
“It was incredible and included flowers from her own garden, all focused around a Protea which we included as a tribute to Joshua’s South African heritage.” – Alice
Order of the Day at Wasing Park
Following their romantic wedding ceremony in The Garden Room, a drinks reception was held on the lawn while a string quartet entertained the newlyweds and their guests.
Moving in to dine, their wedding breakfast included a smoked trout mousse to start followed by lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and a chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream.
“We love food and it was all amazing. The starter was my favourite and, for Joshua, it would have been the main. That said, the pudding was to die for too!” – Alice.
Creative Cakes
The three-tier wedding cake was decorated in white and gold with white flowers and included three fillings – lemon, chocolate and fruit. As a surprise, Joshua’s mother had personalised models of Joshua and Alice made as a quirky cake topper.
“The model versions were so skilfully done. It was incredible!” – Alice
Evening Celebrations
After the sun went down, Alice and Joshua danced their first dance to a Beyonce cover of ‘At Last’ by Etta James before the DJ filled the dancefloor.
“We asked our guests to tell us what songs would get them up and dancing and sent their answers to the DJ before the big day. He knew exactly what to play and when so everyone was just having the best time!” – Alice
Memorable Moments
“We loved it all! My most special moments were my dad walking me down the aisle and him doing his speech. He has been un-well and his speech was amazing. It meant the world to me that he was there. The speeches were all amazing.” – Alice
Deciding on the wedding flowers is one of the most important decisions the bride and groom will make. Why? Your flowers will pull your theme together and set the scene of your entire wedding day: whether you’re looking for a rustic, back to nature feel; or unforgettable opulence, with imposing arrangements of highly scented colourful blooms. Your flowers should also reflect you, as a couple: are you outgoing and flamboyant, or quiet and home loving? And never forget that your flowers will appear in every single one of your wedding photos, from the groom’s buttonhole to the ceremony flowers and bridal bouquet. Making the right choice is crucial and that’s not easy without the guidance of an exceptional wedding florist.
Image by Studio Rouge
One of our favourite suppliers at Wasing Park is the White Horse Flower Company. Lindsey Kitchin used to be a community midwife, so she’s had lots of experience of being integral to the most important and precious occasions in a couple’s life. She decided she needed a change, gained a floristry qualification and then learned on the job under the wing of a successful event florist.
Linz, as she is known, is driven by the seasons, and celebrate seasonality by sharing her expert knowledge of which blooms will be at their very best at the time of your wedding. “You come to my house; you sit on my sofa, and we talk flowers. It’s a very personal thing,” Linz explains. This very intimate service not only ensures your displays will include the most beautiful blooms; it also means you get the best value possible by selecting the finest of the season’s bounty.
Image by Studio Rouge
Image by Studio Rouge
Our wedding couples are at the very heart of what Linz does and you’re the reason she loves her job. She listens to your ideas and dreams and helps you breathe life into them. Working with Linz, you will discover that the design process is a living creative thing that is always evolving, until she has reached a design that is perfect for you.
Image by Neale James
Image by Studio Rouge
Over the years Linz has earned an enviable reputation as a wedding and event florist, and now has hundreds of beautiful occasions under her belt, yet her enthusiasm remains undiminished as she draws on so many incredible experiences; never following the crowd but preferring her own intuitive floral style. “My intention is always to create original one-off bouquets and arrangements that capture your vision for probably the most beautiful day in your life,” she adds.
Image by Studio Rouge
Check out the WHFCo website here and her Instagram here.
Rachel and Stuart were searching for the perfect wedding venue in Berkshire. When they came across Wasing Park, they knew they had found the one.
“As soon as we arrived at the Wasing Park Wedding Showcase, we knew it was the venue for us! From the long driveway to the stunning buildings and accommodation, it had everything we could possibly have wanted.” – Rachel
Design and Decor
Setting an April wedding date, the happy couple wanted their look to be soft and romantic. After getting engaged in New York, they also wanted to incorporate the city in to the day so had a New York themed table plan.
Embracing tones of blush pink, ivory and metallics, Rachel and Stuart set the scene with beautiful decorations. Storm lanterns and pillar candles lined the aisle for the ceremony while large floral arrangements sat either side of the registrar’s table.
Fairy lights wrapped around the beams of the Castle Barn and the florist filled the arrow slits with tea lights. Meanwhile, silver candelabras stood upon mirrored plates in the centre of each table, adorned with beautiful flowers. To complete the look, each place setting featured a menu and a blush pink and gold sparkly lollipop favour.
All About Flowers
The beautiful blooms were arranged by florist Joanna Carter. Rachel’s bouquet featured pale pink Avalanche roses, blush pink peopies, ivory ranunculus, ivory anemones and pale pink astilbe. Meanwhile, the bridesmaids carried smaller posies featuring some of the same flowers and these stunning flowers were carried through to corsages, buttonholes and venue arrangements.
“Joanna very kindly gave us a decorative floral heart which we hung outside the Garden Room.” – Rachel
Bridal Style
The bride looked fabulous in a lace dress with scalloped hemline by Madeline Gardner for Morilee.
“I fell in love with it and the gorgeous bateau neckline. The back was my absolute favourite – it turned a fairly traditional dress in to a showstopper!” – Rachel.
With a high neckline, Rachel kept her jewellery simple. She accessorised with a veil, hair vine and Monsoon bridal shoes.
Looking the part, Stuart and his groomsmen chose a slim fit navy and black checked suit from Moss London with ties and pocket squares to match the bridesmaid dresses.
Finally, Rachel’s maid of honour and bridesmaid wore blush pink chiffon dresses with embellished shoulder straps by Adrianna Papell.
Order of the Day at Wasing Park
Following their romantic ceremony in the Garden Room, guests spilled out on to the terrace and lawn to enjoy Strawberry Rosé Sangria, Prosecco and beer drums alongside delicious canapés.
Moving inside to dine, we were served a ham hock starter followed by fillet of beef with dauphinoise potatoes and a deconstructed vanilla cheesecake for pudding.
“We love our food and chose all our favourites from the extensive Galloping Gourmet menu. The fillet of beef was absolutely delicious.” – Rachel
Creative Cakes
The spectacular cake was designed by Samantha at The Pretty Cake Company. Rachel chose rose gold and copper accents, an exquisite sugar flower, blush watercolour and their initials. With three different flavours including chocolate brownie with salted caramel buttercream, it certainly tasted as magnificent as it looked!
Evening Celebrations
As music lovers, Rachel and Stuart chose a great selection of playlists throughout the day.
“A highlight of our ceremony was our recessional music – ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ by AC/DC! We than had an amazing live band in the evening. I don’t think Stu or I left the dance floor all night.” – Rachel
The evening celebration also saw the arrival of an Airstream studio photo booth filled with quirky vintage props. A martini station served post-dinner cocktails for day guests and greeted evening guests. And, to delight the guests once more, wood-fired pizza was served with a choice of spiced pepperoni and chorizo or spinach and goat’s cheese. What a celebration!
Memorable Moments
“I loved every second and spent the following few days grinning from ear to ear! I had been anxious about my entrance in to the ceremony room. Seeing Stu calmed any nerves I had. I don’t think I saw anyone else on the way in – I just focused on him. It was really special.” – Rachel
Advice from the Bride
“Stress and emotions can sometimes get the better of you but once you get to the day itself, it will all be worth it! Do what makes you and your husband happy and don’t try to please all your guests at once.” – Rachel
