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What an amazing wedding day this was!!!

48 hours prior to this Gorgeous day storm Emma hit the UK and turned travel in the UK upside down!!! But that didn't stop the day from running perfectly and snow on a wedding day is just lovely.

The Officers' Mess in Larkhill is an outstanding venue for a wedding reception with the large dining room offering splendid surroundings.

There was just so much fun on this beautiful wedding with lots of smiles for EVERYONE!! - Thank you for allowing me to share your day.

How did you first meet and how did the proposal go?
Chris and I met through a mutual friend over 6 years ago, although we weren’t too keen on each other when we first met! We started dating and quickly realised how wrong we’d been about each other with apathy turning to like and quickly turning to love. Chris organised a surprise trip to Edinburgh where we stayed in Edinburgh Castle, having the place to ourselves after it closed to the public at 5pm. Chris proposed to me at the top of the ramparts overlooking the lit up City. It was pure magic.
What did you think of the pre shoot and how did it go?
The pre shoot was a great experience and we’ve now got so many fantastic photographs of us as a couple - we’ve even printed a few off to have on display in the house. I was initially nervous during the shoot as most people are unused to such focused attention and trying to be natural while being photographed, however, it was incredibly useful to do before the wedding day as it allowed me to get used to - and feel comfortable - with David snapping away so on the big day I felt completely natural. David was so encouraging on the shoot and made me feel so at ease - I actually really enjoyed myself! There were no forced poses, awkward angles or cheesy moves and I could just be myself with Chris, which David caught perfectly.
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 got my dress from an outlet store called Wed2Be. I chose it because I felt it was the most beautiful and classiest dress I had ever seen; from the material (a rich mikado satin), the buttons detailing the train, the soft ivory colour, the delicate lacing and sheer neckline I fell in love with it completely. I didn’t want too much fussiness on the dress and the rich material in A line with lace detail was so classy. Plus it had pockets! I didn’t try on too many dresses and perhaps went dress shopping a maximum of 3 times. You could look forever, once you find a dress you love go for it. I had an idea in my head of what I wanted, and after trying these different styles on and realising they didn’t suit me, I was open to trying everything on. This was actually really helpful as I fell in love with a totally different dress to what I imagined! So don’t rule any styles out, try everything on because you never know what will suit you, and you may be surprised what you fall for.
Why did you choose the wedding locations and the wedding Venue?
Chris is in the Royal Artillery. He knew it was a great location and beautiful setting, with the church and venue being within walking distance of each other. When we went to visit, I was slightly awestruck - it’s not something I ever imagined. We were very lucky to have the opportunity to hold our wedding in such a venue.
Who did your make up and any advice on this?
Claire Bowring - I didn’t want to look heavily made up, just me on a really really good day :) Clare made me feel and look beautiful as I envisaged it. Find someone that helps you do you.
Who did you use for the catering?
Catering was included at the venue.
who did the flowers?
Claire Blyth - Blyth 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…)?
All professionals involved in organising the day were so helpful and went above and beyond; particularly due to the Beast of the East and Storm Emma. The Mess Manager, Mark, was fantastic and so helpful in organising the day with us at the venue; as was the verger, Florence; and the Padre, Carl. David was amazing not just on the day but in the lead up, giving us ideas and advice. For us, the most important aspects were guests feeling fed, watered and having fun with great photos to capture it all so we focused on good food, an open bar, good music and a good photographer!
What was your wedding inspiration? (think decor, overall theme and feel of the day, etc)
It was a military wedding but we added personal touches to reflect us as individuals; for example a Caribbean steel band (Chris’ mother and family are Trinidadian), a ‘Pimp your Prosecco’ bar, handmade wedding breakfast menus and name tags, photos of us in the bar, etc.
Bride: What advice would you give to future brides for their wedding day?
I would advise future brides to try to enjoy every moment as it all goes so quickly on the day. Take a moment if you can to just soak it all in. Things (ranging from big and small) will go wrong, try to take it all in your stride and don’t focus on this. Every minute I spent worrying about something that didn’t go quite right was a wasted minute that could have been re-focused on the wonder of the day and all the love we felt.
Groom: What advice would you give to future grooms for their wedding day?Chris would advise future grooms to plan early and book big things early (e.g. venue, band, photographer). He would also advise that if things goes wrong (in our case the weather) to keep calm as your future wife may not be so relaxed and will need your support. Chris also took me away for 5 minutes to a private room whilst the guests entered the dining room. It meant we could steal some time together, just the two of us. It was the only time and was definitely worth it.
What’s your top tip for saving money?
Do question the value of some wider accessories and entertainment your may think about; we spent a lot of time considering a photo booth as they are popular and often good fun at events, but we decided against it, saving over £400 and it was not missed.
and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?
We were very fortunate to be able to fund a free bar, which is always a success.
Any other advice for future couples out there?
Try not to get swept up in the momentum of planning a wedding or the details of the day and remember to stay grounded and focus on what it is all about - marrying the love of your life. Everything else is a lovely bonus.