I have a little treat for you all this fine Sunday morning – one of the loveliest real weddings I’ve seen in a while, with touches of old Hollywood glamour and exquisite photography at Norfolk’s magnificent Narborough Hall Gardens.
Laura is beautiful; a glamorous, graceful bride. Her perfect partner is Simon, every bit the movie hero to Laura’s romantic heroine. And they really do have it all: a fabulous wedding, superbly styled with love and laughter in every one of their beautiful images. My personal highlight? Laura’s advice to think back to other weddings and decide from there what’s most important; also, to keep an open mind when you go dress shopping. Believe it or not, this stunning Sassi Holford dress wasn’t the kind of style Laura had in mind at first!
I owe huge thanks to Rob Dodsworth Photography for sharing his images of their day with us all. Do take the time to visit Rob’s website and blog, especially if you’re near Norfolk – he’s pretty amazing:
- www.robdodsworth.co.uk
- www.robdodsworth.co.uk/blog
- www.facebook.com/RobDodsworthPhotography
- Pinterest.com/robdodsworth
- @RobDodsworthPho
So, shall we get straight into the wedding day? I’ll go back to the beginning where we can almost feel that lovely, warm August sunshine as we enter the grounds of Narborough Hall Gardens. Join me…
Our wedding report: Laura & Simon
Wedding photographer’s website:
http://www.robdodsworth.co.uk/
Were you pleased with your wedding photographer?
Absolutely – the photos were one aspect of the wedding I was most worried about as I genuinely hate having my photo taken. Rob put us both at complete ease and his laid back approach and great sense of humour made us feel as though the wedding wouldn’t have been the same without him. He worked his socks off and was worth every penny!
Wedding venue:
Narborough Hall Gardens, Narborough, Norfolk
Can you describe your wedding in a single sentence?
A wonderful whirlwind
What was your reaction to seeing your wedding photos for the first time?
Relief, pride and happiness.
Your wedding style and theme:
Simple elegance with a hint of old Hollywood glamour
Any happy tears on the day?
Yes, during my sister’s (surprise) speech – it caught me off guard just as I was smugly thinking I had made it safely through the speeches without crying…
How did the two of you meet?
Through our swimming club when we were teenagers
How long did you spend planning your wedding?
18 months
Best bit of budget advice?
Think about what you remember from other people’s weddings and it should help you identify what you feel is worth spending the money on and where you can cut back. Pick the traditions you like but don’t feel like you have to do them all – tailor it to you. For example, we didn’t do wedding favours which enabled us to put more towards food and drink for the guests.
Wedding invitations and on the day stationery:
We did the invitations, seating plan and name cards ourselves. We used vintage style postcards of sites in New York for our table names as this was where we got engaged.
Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?
Yes, but it was not the one I expected to fall in love with (I think a lot of brides suprise themselves with what they end up going for so try not to restrict yourself too much when you first start looking!).
Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:
Sassi Holford, The White Room, Sheffield
Glitz and sparkle: the bride’s accessories:
Art deco inspired earrings
Shoes by Charlotte Olympia
The groom wore:
A blue 3 piece suit from Slaters
Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?
3 in long champagne coloured dresses from Debenhams and 3 in long dark green dresses from Phase Eight
Hair and make-up – did you DIY or hire a professional?
I hired two brilliant professionals – Gemma Holiday (Hair) and Melissa Abel (Make up), both based in Norwich
Wedding flowers:
All done by our venue
Bride – Cascading bouquet with white roses, lilies and (gold sprayed!) gypsophila
Bridesmaids – single white roses with gold ribbon
Groomsmen – white roses
What do you remember most about the wedding ceremony?
The pre-wedding preparations, walking down the aisle and the speeches
Wedding readings?
I will be here by Steven Curtis Chapman
The Confirmation by Edwin Muir
General styling – did your venue need much decoration?
Hardly any, which is one of the reasons why we chose it. We thought it was such a beautiful place, it spoke for itself.
The wedding cake: traditional or quirky?
We had a 3 tier, art deco inspired cake made by my stepmum. It was fab!
Entertainment:
Band “The Story” booked via Warble Entertainment. They were great guys, had everyone dancing and played for much longer than they were booked for.
On the day tips and advice:
Leave yourself plenty of time before the ceremony to get ready so that you are able to enjoy it – it goes much quicker than you think. It’s nice to have a bit of time to take everything all in and have a drink with the bridesmaids / groomsmen before it all goes a bit crazy.
What’s the best thing about being married?
Having a shared memory of a day which celebrated your relationship with the people that are most important in your lives.
Quick supplier list for other brides and grooms:
Photographer – Rob Dodsworth Photography (http://www.robdodsworth.co.uk/)
Venue – http://www.narboroughhallgardens.com/
Band – http://www.warble-entertainment.com/hire/the-story/992/
The White Room – http://whiteroombridal.co.uk/
Hair – http://www.gemmaholiday.com/
Make up – http://www.melissaabel.co.uk/
The Real Flower Confetti Company – http://www.confettidirect.co.uk/
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