Holburne Museum, Bath Weddings with Samantha and Robert

What an incredible day I had recording the most gorgeous wedding with Sam, Rob, their families and friends...And what a venue!!!! Amazing...Fact!!!

Preparation is key, and Sam left nothing to chance for their beautiful wedding in the Holburne Museum, every corner you turn and every room is just picture perfect.

There are far too many great moments from this day, so I will let you have a look through the images below and also please have a read through Sam and Robs thoughts on the whole process...Some very wise words indeed...

• How did you first meet and how did the proposal go?

  Rob and I first met when we worked in Sainsburys in Bath, aged 16 - he was on produce and I was on grocery. We first started seeing each other via our best friends (who are brother and sister), which was around ten years later. Rob proposed to me one a chilly Saturday lunchtime in February, in our favourite walking spot high on a hill in Hampshire, near where we live. We then went to a nearly pub (our favourite) for a celebratory drink and then had a gorgeous meal booked at a restaurant we'd been meaning to visit for years.

• What did you think of the pre shoot and how did it go?

  We were slightly nervous at the pre-shoot, as most people would be, we're not overly comfortable being in front of a camera lens however, we'd been lucky enough to have met David a few times at this point (he shot Rob's brother's wedding a few months earlier) and David made up feel completely at ease. We learnt a lot about posture, finding the 'right light' and how to work with each other to find 'poses' we were comfortable in. It was a lot of fun, with a lot of laughter.

• Where did you get the dress from, why did you choose it and what was it like? How many dresses did you try before you found this one?

  I bought my dress from Lace and Grace Bridal Boutique in Keynsham, near Bristol. I had visited lots of shops from boutiques and high-end brands in London to smaller discreet shops in the region - I suppose I went to around five before I found Lace and Grace. I tried on all the styles and fabrics and became very clear quite quickly on what I wanted. Some shops were either forceful or just didn't understand my vision. Unbeknown to me, I tried on one of Carol's own designs at Lace and Grace and we worked together to design a dress bespoke to me. I wanted a simple yet understated fashion-forward dress that could be functional yet fun - hence the two-piece with pockets! I love that I can (and have already) wear the top again and again.

• Why did you choose the wedding locations and the wedding Venue?

  It was really important for Rob and I to have our wedding in central Bath, and we had our family and friends that live further afield in mind. We knew that asking people to travel for a wedding can absolutely be an expense, and we wanted our guests to really experience the city they were visiting, make a weekend of the wedding and witness the gorgeous city. Being in the centre also meant lots of accommodations options to suit various budgets. The venue was one of the hardest decisions, as it definitely sets the tone for the day. As an Event Manager, I know too well how a venue can set the atmosphere of an event. We knew we wanted everything in one place, to make the most of what can be a short day, and our heart sang when we visited the Holburne Museum. We knew of the venue from visiting as children and it had the elegance and edge we wanted for the day - a real mixture of character, charm with a contemporary edge and of course it's right in the very centre of the city. It had the difference for a wedding venue without being too much. Each element of the day was in a different floor and room, which added to the experience for our guests, and the museum collections kept everyone entertained. Also, we knew we would save money as we didn't need to 'dress' the venue and if the weather hadn't been so kind, we knew the day would still be perfect inside. We certainly didn't want to feel the stress of wishing for good weather.

• Who did your make up and any advice on this?

  Lee O'Driscoll - she was an absolute dream, and made my bridesmaid look even hotter than they are! She was a great calming presence on the morning.

• Who did you use for the catering?

  Eat Five Star - we were limited on the caterers we could use however, these guys are a lovely local company, and the food and drink really was super special.

• who did the flowers?

  The Fresh Flower Company

• When planning your wedding, did you have any help or did you do it mostly yourselves? What were the most important aspects for you (eg. the photographer, the food, the decor…)?

  Rob and I found out very quickly what we wanted for the day and we were very aligned on this, which absolutely helped. As I work in the events industry I very used my usual working methods when organising this - we had gaant charts, budgets, cashflows and tasklists. Rob is a project manager too, so we relished organising it all. As we were so clear on what we wanted, we didn't seek any advice, help or assistance and loved organising it together. The most important aspects to us were the venue, caterer and music- which absolutely sets the tone of the day. The look and feel was also crucial - from the stationary, flowers and outfits - to compliment the venue. Then of course the photographer, which is the way in which you can look back at the day. The decor and smaller details fell into place quite quickly after that.

• What was your wedding inspiration? (think decor, overall theme and feel of the day, etc)

  We look inspiration from the venue - grand, beautiful and traditional, therefore we wanted a simple look and feel which was understated, white and contemporary. As the venue was a museum we didn't want the day to feel stuffy, so we added in modern elements through our stationary and signage (which colour complimented the rooms), the black bridesmaid dresses, grey tweed skinny suits, big white simple flowers, the contemporary beat-boxing violinist in our drinks reception, and gold/copper touches and big white balloons for the evening.

• Bride: What advice would you give to future brides for their wedding day?

  Organisation is king. Get your timelines sorted early on, think of every task that needs to be completed and work out who and when is going to complete it. List everything. Weddings and events are all about the detail. If people are helping, brief them clearly on what they need to do, when and their role - do not assume anything. If you are on top of all the planning, you can then enjoy the lead up. Rob and I were done two weeks before, and even had a spa day two days before - we were so excited for the big day knowing that everything was sorted. All the detail we planned (down to the music in the ceremony room before to who we sat next to each other during the meal) came together on the day. In the lead-up have fun looking at pinterest and wedding magazines but try and work out what you want your day to be, and stick to it. Try not to get swayed too much by 'trends' if that doesn't reflect you as a couple. As most of the big tasks were done early on we could spend time on doing all the fun creative bits.

• Groom: What advice would you give to future grooms for their wedding day?

  Keep on top of the planning and spread it out throughout your lead-up - we did lots of things early on and constantly worked through what we needed to do, so it wasn't too stressful. We completed lots of things each month. This enabled us to enjoy the planning, rather than leave anything to the last minute. It felt nice ticking things off together.

• What’s your top tip for saving money?

  Whenever you 'buy' anything for your wedding, ask if you 'need' it and if you can use it again after the big day. Everything we bought, we knew we could use it again in our home. Our wedding decor and house decor was very similar. The bridesmaid dresses were £25 each (as we had the time to find them and not rush), which meant I could buy them all a handbag and bracelet each and the ties were £2.

• and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?

  We are pleased we spent money on the catering, venue, photographer, flowers, stationary, accommodation for the night before the wedding and the wedding night - it made such a difference. We also made sure we had enough money on the honeymoon of course

• Any other advice for future couples out there?

  Enjoy the planning and only spend within your means. We know far too many couples that stress in the four weeks leading to the wedding because there's lots of things to do they hadn't thought of and feel under pressure and equally we know too many people that are still paying off their wedding, months and years after. Make sure your keep in mind the whole point of getting married!