This was my first outing to Burley Manor and what a gorgeous location this is....With lots of hidden little areas and a stunning wedding setting for Zoe and Matt's very special day.
Please have a read through Zoe's thoughts on everything...She tell's it all so much better than I could!!!
How did you first meet and how did the proposal go?
We met through friends, several of us often hung out in a group, and soon realised just how great we got along and were soon inseparable! Matt proposed in Iceland in October 2016. It was my first time abroad. We were lucky enough to see the northern lights as we flew in to land, then the following morning we woke up to a mountain view (it was so dark when we arrived that we had no idea the view would be so incredible!) after our breakfast, we packed on our thermal layers and off we went to explore the area. As we were just leaving our hotel, it began to snow, like real PROPER chunky snow. The kids were so excited (I can't pretend that we weren't too!) so off we went and saw some natural thermal waters, steam rising from them whilst the snow was falling. We carried on our walk towards the mountains and came across a beautiful bridge. Travis and Max were dropping sticks over the edge of the bridge to see whose would come out first the other side, when Matt looked very serious. He got down on one knee, in the snow, and produced a beautiful tanzanite cushion cut ring, surrounded by diamonds. He popped the question, and of course, I said yes! We called the boys away from their stick game, to tell them the news, then after a big group hug, we continued our walk in the snow. I couldn't quite believe it! We were all so happy!
What did you think of the pre shoot and how did it go?
It was so SO helpful! It made so much difference to how we felt in front of the camera on the wedding day. We both felt awkward at the start of the pre shoot but by the end were comfortable, to the point that Matt fancied himself as a model! Haha.
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?
My dress was the only one I tried on! I got it from asos website. I didn't want anything hugely 'wedding dressy' as it's just not my style. I knew I wanted something with a bohemian style, quite laid back and pretty without being fussy. I had seen that asos had sold wedding dresses the previous year and they were very much 'my style' so kept an eye on the website, checking new stock daily. As soon as I saw it, I fell in love and ordered it right away (2 sizes smaller than I was at the time!) it had sold out by the end of that day, so I was glad I saw it when I did! It came and I couldn't believe how gorgeous it was! The sort of cut that just skims the right places. It was delicately intricate with beading in an almost vintage appearance. The teardrop glass beading around the sheer sleeves was so pretty, I knew straight away that I loved it! Of course, I couldn't try it on because it was far too small, which I knew it would be. Luckily, I'm very laid back so decided it looked nice and I'd keep it, trying it on again once I'd lose the extra weight I had gained in the previous year! After losing a stone, I got it on enough to see that I did definitely love it. I went on to lose 2 and a half stone, and it fitted me perfectly!
Why did you choose the wedding locations and the wedding Venue?
We loved Burley Manor barn as soon as we saw it! We both love the new forest, and our cat was actually from Burley, so it was almost like fate!
Who did your make up and any advice on this?
I did my own makeup, as I am a professional makeup artist.
Who did you use for the catering?
In house catering
who did the flowers?
Pippa at Tussey Mussey flowers
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…)?
We planned everything ourselves. We felt that the photographer and decor were the most important things to us. I knew I wanted beautiful flowers and foliage around the venue as it really sets the scene. Also, we wanted photos that were better than your average photographer.
What was your wedding inspiration? (think decor, overall theme and feel of the day, etc)
We are both laid back but also quite particular in the things we do and don't like. Luckily, we have similar taste so it was easy to agree on things! We wanted a bohemian feel, fairy lights around the wooden beams of the barn, lots of foliage, billowing floral displays over the mantelpieces, with muted dusky pinks in the floral displays as well as the bouquets, ties, flower girl and bridesmaid dresses. Our wedding cake was lovingly made by the aunty of the groom, who must have driven very carefully from Bristol to get it to us in one piece! We chose a 3 layer naked cake with fresh flowers on it.
Bride: What advice would you give to future brides for their wedding day?
Enjoy every moment, it really does go as fast as everyone says!
Groom: What advice would you give to future grooms for their wedding day?
Make all of the decisions together. We discussed and planned each and every detail together and it paid off - the day was even better than we had imagined!
What’s your top tip for saving money?
Don't dismiss high street stores for bridal wear. My dress cost so much less than it would have done from a bridal boutique. Also, my mum and I made TONNES of clotted cream vanilla fudge for the favours. After realising how expensive it would have been to buy, I found a recipe and we tried it out. To our surprise, it was exactly like the stuff you'd buy in Cornwall! And at a fraction of the cost that it would have been had we paid a supplier to make it. We've now been told by several friends and family that we have to make it again at Christmas!
and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?
Right from the very start, I had said I wanted a great florist, and a great photographer. We also decided to hire Fundoo, a company who dress the room. We gave them our ideas and they brought them to life, filling the room with candles, foliage and fairy lights. We agreed that paying someone to do that was definitely worth it, to save us from having to worry about doing it all
Any other advice for future couples out there?
Just enjoy it, it should be enjoyable! I must say, having a groom who was so happy to be heavily involved in the entire planning definitely made it a more enjoyable process. We didn't have a single cross word or stress when it came to planning the it, just enjoyed It all. We loved every moment of planning it together, and on the day when all your ideas have been made a reality, it really makes it all worth while.
What Lovely words from Zoe and Matt....Please enjoy the little collection below....Lots more where these have come from....