This week’s pink and polka dot real wedding from AVA images is a DIY haven. Laura, our beautiful bride used her designer know-how to create an adorable theme of pink, pink and more pink! The use of jam jars, polka dots and wildflowers, with a touch of vintage is the perfect wedding inspiration for any budding DIY bride. Enjoy!
Bride and Groom… Laura and Matthew
Wedding date… Saturday 3rd May 2014
We met… While working together; I put my phone number in his Christmas card!
The proposal… Matthew proposed on Boxing Day at my uncle and aunty’s house and got my family involved but they didn’t know until the very last minute. He had t-shirts made for them spelling out the sentence ‘Laura Will You Marry Me?’ I was in complete shock and even forgot to say yes! It was a perfect surprise; everyone was crying! It was amazing that it was so different and he made my family a part of it.
Length of engagement… 17 months
My dress was by… Sophia Tolli. I had tried on about 30 or more dresses and nothing seemed to wow me. During an afternoon at Rosetti brides, I jokingly asked if they had any pink dresses (thinking a bubblegum pink dress might be in the depths of their stock) to try on as a laugh. Well, what the ladies found was the most beautiful, soft, blush pink dress with a beautiful and delicate embellished detailed back; it was love at first sight and I couldn’t wait to try it on. It was meant to be! If I hadn’t of asked they wouldn’t have bought it out for me to try on, and it was the only dress that I had tried on in my size and the only one I cried in! It was just so different, I had never seen another dress like it. The colour was perfect and the embellished details were all handmade and intricate. It’s just such a shame I only got to wear it for one day!
The accessories were… My pearl earrings, bracelets and necklace which were handmade made by Theresa from Beaujangles. The bridesmaid’s gifts were also made by her; the necklaces matched mine but Theresa included a tiny pink crystal to complement their dresses. All our hair pieces were hand made by my hairdresser Sara; my hair piece was made from extra beads and crystals from my dress so it matched perfectly.
What was your style… I knew I wanted something different but not crazy. I found a lot of dresses I tried on very similar and not a lot to distinguish them apart. The colour, style and detail on mine was so different, yet it still felt elegant and classic; it was definitely meant to be. I was pleased to overhear a waitress at Bickley Mill say it was the most beautiful dress she’d seen.
Our wedding ceremony was at… All Saints Church, Combeinteignhead, Devon. We chose this venue because my mum’s side of the family lived in and around the village so it’s very close to my heart. It is such a picturesque and idyllic setting. It was an intimate and religious ceremony with 54 guests during the day, and a further 50 in the evening. It took me quite a while to walk in to the church as I was so emotional and trying to compose myself; as soon as I reached Matt at the end of the aisle all the nerves evaporated and I was beaming with happiness.
Our groomsmen were… Matt’s best man Kevin who has been his best friend since school and the ushers were my brother Rich and cousin Toby. They wore grey silk suits from Rossetti Brides, and they all looked very dapper!
Our bridesmaids were… My cousin Rachel and my two best friends Jo and Danielle. They wore raspberry pink dresses; Jo and Danielle’s were from Alexon and Rachel’s was from Coast. The colour suited them all so well, they all looked stunning on the day.
Our wedding photographer was… Hannah from Ava Images, who was amazing! She took brilliant shots and was a calming influence and put everyone at ease. We are over-the-moon with the photos.
Our wedding flowers were… Relaxed and wild-looking bouquets that gave a pretty and country feel. I went for a mix of daisies, peonies, sweetheart roses and ranunculus. The girls and I were thrilled with our bouquets because they complimented our dresses perfectly. The church flowers were simply stunning and suited the church perfectly, too. The reception tables were decorated with small posies of flowers suspended in jam jar vases wrapped in pink twine and buttons.
Our favourite part of the wedding was… The entire day. Getting ready with the girls, time with dad on the journey, seeing all our friends and family come together for our special day was everything I’d wanted. Credit goes to my dad, Matt and best man Kevin for their fantastic speeches too, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house. The dance-offs in the evening were something to behold; my aunty, brother and cousin have some moves!
Our wedding was unique and special because… We just did it exactly how we wanted; no flashy gimmicks or trying to impress. The whole atmosphere of the day was brilliant, and so many people said what a lovely relaxed day it was, which was exactly what we’d wanted it to be! It was also great how everyone played their part not only on the Big Day but in the build up too! It was overwhelming how much people wanted to help and be part of it all. It was just the most perfect day and we want to do it all again.
Our wedding reception was at … The Bickley Mill Inn. We chose The Bickley Mill Inn as we fell in love with the Miller’s room as soon as we saw it; it has lovely original stone work and wooden beamed ceilings. It suited us down to the ground. My mind immediately went into creative overdrive with ways to decorate it.
Tell us about your theme… Being a designer, the theme and colours were very important to me, and I wanted the style to be carried through everything from the invitations to the room decorations and cake. I spent hours doing different designs for the invitations until I got it just right and could visualise how I could use the design on the wedding day. The overall colour theme was pink, pink and more pink and the design theme was hearts and polka dots. I also used ‘Two for Joy’ throughout the stationery because of our surname. I also knew I wanted to make as many of the decorations for the day myself, and with some help of the bridal party, they looked fantastic!
Our 2 wedding cakes were… Both beautiful and of course delicious! Our family friend, Ruth, made them for us and she is so clever. We had a pink polka dot fruit cake, and a lemon and victoria sponge layered cake, covered with white chocolate ganache and fresh fruit. Rather than having a cake topper, I used a tea pot and cup and saucer from a tea set left to my mum from my aunty Joy which has the wording ‘Two for Joy’.
What is your advice for other brides? Budget and negotiate where you can and always keep an eye out for a bargain and don’t be enticed by gimmicks. Also, make sure you delegate; our friends and family all helped so much in the build up and use their hidden talents and contacts. On the big day itself, make sure to stop for a few moments and just take it all in.
Our honeymoon was… To Playa Car, Mexico and a cheeky second honeymoon in Rome!
Suppliers
Wedding Dress: Sophia Tolli from Rosetti Brides | Wedding Shoes: Phase Eight | Wedding Suits: Cameron Ross from Rosetti Brides | Wedding Bridesmaid Dresses: Alexon and Coast | Wedding Flowers: Wholesalers and family friends | Wedding Entertainment: Devon DJ | Wedding Photographer: Ava Images | Wedding Videographer: Joe, Family Friend | Wedding Cake: Ruth, Family friend | Wedding Hair: Sara Stephens | Wedding Transport: Windsor Carriages | Wedding Venue: The Bickley Mill | Ceremony Venue: All Saints Church, Combeinteignhead
