Natasha’s Autumn Wedding
To celebrate Natasha’s 2nd wedding anniversary we thought we might be able to tempt her to share the details of her wedding day with you all. I am delighted to say that she was more than happy to do so.
“Who is your other half? How did you meet? Was it a romantic proposal?”
My other half is called Lewis. We originally went to the same secondary school, although we’re a couple of years apart. Funnily enough our families knew eachother before we met up to go on a date! Lewis asked me for a drink back in late summer 2018 & the rest is history. It was a really romantic proposal, Lewis had been in cahoots with my Mum actually regarding the engagement ring. I have a trilogy ring which contains diamonds that have been in my family for a very long time - a very sentimental touch.
The proposal was in our home amongst a sea of red balloons & heart decorations (with the help of my mother in law and sister in law), photos of us together and candles everywhere - a really treasured memory to have in our first home. We then met our immediate family at a cosy pub near by to celebrate, all of which was a surprise.
“What made you choose your wedding venue? And what was the feel for the day?”
We chose Caswell House for our wedding venue in Oxfordshire. A beautiful converted barn event space with the perfect set up for accommodation for our immediate family too. We wanted an autumn/winter feel for the big day (which is our favourite time of year) and this venue seemed to suit our vision very well. Lovely trees and gorgeous gardens surrounding the space, all lit up at night time, I was sold on the decor/cleanliness and aesthetic of the venue right away, and I’m a complete sucker for a fairy light. The staff there were so friendly and helpful when arranging our plans, it just felt right.
“How did you find your various suppliers? (Who were they - so we can tag/credit them - especially your photographer) And what made you go with them? Did any of them exceed your expectations?”
A few of many suppliers we chose detailed below:
Photographer: @workshopsbyolaandtom
We booked Tom & Ola to be our wedding photographers (they’re a couple which we thought was lovely) and to have two of them really helped capture photos all around through the day and evening. Tom was lovely to speak to and understood the sort of pictures we were after, very nice duo to communicate with and we were delighted with the photos.
Videographer: @david_grange_weddings filmed our wedding video which we watch back fondly of course. David actually filmed the wedding of our friends earlier the same year and we got in contact with him after that to book. A calm person, who captured lovely moments for us, whilst blending in as if he was a guest.
Band: @apollosoulband we chose Apollo Soul Band for the wedding, and they absolutely brought the party & came dressed to impress, sparkles again (love it) - they were lovely friendly people, with amazing voices and musicianship. We had lots of interactions with them throughout the party on the day as did our guests which made it all the more fun singing and dancing the night away.
Make up Artist: Me! @natashafletchermakeup I’m a trained make up artist so actually did my own make up for the big day but had the help of a very good friend and also amazing make up artist @barebeauty_reading for the wedding party.
Hair stylist: @nicolahood_mua created my bridal hair, I absolutely loved it! She also created lovely looks on some of my bridal party with the help of @kjghair_ - these two were a fabulous team, had everyone at ease and the looks were gorgeous.
Cake: @busbybakes made our wedding cake, it was beautiful (and very tasty too) wonderful attention to detail and very nice to communicate with.
“What 3 tips would you give to other brides planning their day?”
1: Try not to sweat the small stuff, as on the day you’ll be so immersed in enjoying your surroundings and the company that you won’t even think about the minor details.
2: Have a bridesmaid or friend take your phone for the day and take some pictures on your phone so you have something to look through right away the next day or so, whilst waiting for your professional photos.
3: Step away for 10minutes with your husband to take it all in, not just after the ceremony but when everyone is having dinner - Lewis and I took a little walk outside during the end of dinner - we looked into our venue space from the outside, noticing people chatting, laughing, enjoying themselves, it’s a really lovely memory.
“What was your favourite part of the planning process?”
My favourite part of the planning process was making all the ‘mood boards’ come to life - choosing colours, flowers, vases, candles, invites, signage - every detail, we created especially and I’ll forever be quite proud of that. A special part was choosing silk flowers for decor, my Mum (and Matron of Honour) and I decorated a moon shaped arch which Lewis and I got married in-front of - and I’ve since used that same moon arch when I had my baby shower in November last year!
“What was your most memorable moment of the day?”
It’s really tough to pin point one memorable moment as there were so many for us. I think the initial first look at each other and everyone in the room as you walk down the aisle is something really special.
“First looks” with my Parents, older Brother, Gran and the bridal party will be moments I’ll never forget too - the love felt on the day was such a special feeling, I think about it often.
“What did you enjoy the most about your Boo Adventure?”
My Boo adventure was amazing, from the moment I stepped into Boo I knew it would be a bridal shop I liked. The range of dresses there are amazing in comparison to a fair few other places I’d visited. The different styles they have is what drew me in to begin with, sparkles, beads, pearls, bows, satin, lace, everything!
Then I met the wonderful team and felt instantly at ease. Emma and Anna spoke with me about visions/ideas/looks and it was like speaking to a couple of friends, they totally got it.
Which led me to say yes to the dress quite quickly in-fact, I just had a couple of things to have altered so it would be perfect for me - Emma was on the case right away to the designer and quite literally made it all happen.
Not to mention hand making my bow veil which just completely complimented the dress and finished the bridal look.
“Anything else you’d like to tell us about? “
We both had an amazing hen/stag do, I went to Barcelona with my hens and stayed in a beautiful villa were we had a rum punch pool party, a Shania Twain inspired cowgirl night, private chef, lots of laughs, glitter, sunshine, cocktails and as much paella as possible.
Lewis went to Portugal with the stags - kicked off with fancy dress as lads do, it consisted of sunshine, drinks, karaoke, good food and of course - golf!
We both felt very lucky for the hen/stag we had, organised by our family and friends, both trips were amazing - we often reminisce about them.
“Who was your Most Valuable Person on the day?”
An impossible question, as to be honest everyone there was valuable - but I would say our parents and siblings - to have their support/guidance and presence throughout not just the day but the planning of on the big day too was really important to us both.
“How has married life treated you both so far?”
We have just celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary (9th November) - married life has been treating us well. We welcomed our first baby girl into the world in January - so we’ve been on a rollercoaster, filled with love and happiness and ofcourse chaos too! Looking forward to our first Christmas as a now family of three x
