A wonderfully romantic wedding, timelessly styled
When marrying in the UK, no matter the season, couples always worry about the weather. And you can't blame them! It could be the height of summer here, with sunny skies and not a cloud on the horizon. Children are playing in the park, couples are chatting in beer gardens and friends are eating lunch on the grass. A quintessentially British summer scene. Then, without warning, downpour. And suddenly picnics are being packed up, pints are taking shelter and kids are being shoved back in the car. An even more quintessentially British summer scene!
With that in mind, there's no wonder couples' stress about the weather raining on their wedding day parade. But, what's important to remember is that a short shower, or even a heavy thunderstorm will not ruin your big day – especially if you plan for it. Wedding venues that host outdoor summer weddings always have a contingency plan. A plan b for when the weather just isn't on your side. This could mean changing round the order of events to coincide with sunshine, or potentially moving things inside until the rain has stopped.
We've dealt with countless brides over the years who've experienced rain on their wedding day, and so many of them have said the unexpected showers actually benefited them! Often creating some really fun photography moments, while also galvanising the group together. Or, in the case of our bride Laura, the rain gave her the opportunity to re-do a critical part of her ceremony, and make it even better!
In this post, we are so delighted to be sharing the stunning pictures of Laura's wedding to Lee at the (come rain or shine) always beautiful, Mulberry House Hotel. Along with a few words from the bride herself on how they got to this point, the big day, and of course, what she thought of her dress!
The Real Wedding of Laura & Lee at Mulberry House Hotel, Essex
Find out why the rain did not spoil our bride and grooms' wedding day.
How did you meet?
We went to school together and were actually in the same class, but didn’t talk to each other! We became friends at college and then when Lee left to do his apprenticeship, we met up a few times and things just went from there!
How did you get engaged?
We went for dinner and drinks in London to celebrate our 9-year anniversary. Without me knowing, Lee had booked a half day off work and had decorated the living room with rose petals, candles and fairy lights all around. When we got home that night, he made me put an eye mask on, before leading me into the living room. When I took the mask off, he was down on one knee – it was really romantic.
What was your favourite moment(s) from the wedding?
There are so many amazing moments, but I think my favourite has to be when we re-shot the ceremony exit and did the confetti shot straight afterwards. We had an outdoor ceremony, and it started to rain during the ceremony (after I had reached the gazebo luckily!) so we let our guests run off to seek shelter while we signed the register. Which meant we didn’t get to do a ceremony exit with our guests.
But fortunately, we were able to recreate the moment after our meal and speeches. Which was wonderful with hindsight as we were more relaxed by then and had already mingled with our guests, so it was all the more enjoyable.
The rain was also serendipitous as my dress had a beautiful detachable train which I didn’t get time to put on when I walked down the aisle. But the second time I made sure to wear it, so it all worked out perfectly in the end!
Tell us all about your wedding dress. What details do you love, how did it make you feel?
My dress was absolutely perfect. I loved everything about it, from the beautiful mikado fabric, to the buttons that trailed all the way down to the hem, and the detachable train – which was like having two dresses in one! I wore the train in the day for the photos and then removed it for the evening. I just love how timeless and classic the dress is. Mariana, one of Bellissima‘s in house seamstresses, did an amazing job making the dress fit me perfectly.
What was the general decor for your big day?
We had a sage green and gold theme with accents of white, ivory, and eucalyptus. I loved the idea of having simple decor, yet timeless and elegant.
Do you have any advice for future Bellissima Brides?
I would just say to enjoy every minute. From the planning stages through to the day itself, it will be one of the most exciting and amazing times of your life! Try not to stress, as it will all work out perfectly in the end.
Do you have any local suppliers you would like to recommend? A florist? Venue? DJ?
I can honestly recommend all of my suppliers, they were all fantastic and I had absolutely no issues. Our venue, Mulberry House, was incredible. If you've not checked them out, please do. It is a stunning venue with the most incredible staff and service. We had countless compliments after the big day.
Victoria from Simply Stunning Flowers created the most beautiful floral arrangements. Our DJ aka ‘DJ Dave B’ was also brilliant and kept everyone on the dance floor.
Andy from Chic Wedding Photography and Emmnuel from Royal Wedding Films were both outstanding and managed to capture all of our photos/videos despite the weather. And of course, Bellissima!
How was your Bellissima experience?
My experience was absolutely amazing, and I would 1000% recommend Bellissima Weddings to any bride-to-be looking for their dress. The store is so beautiful, and all of their wedding dresses are displayed on their website, so you can have a browse and pre-select styles before you visit.
All the staff are wonderful and so helpful. Danielle, Amelia, Dale, and Mariana were all so lovely, warm, professional, and brilliant at their jobs. I am so glad I chose Bellissima Weddings to find my dress.