A "Micro" Wedding - Real Life Wedding
Wasing Park was the first venue they visited and they booked their wedding for the 4th October 2020.
“We instantly fell in love with the stunning grounds and charming character. We loved how it had everything all in one place. We knew we wanted a church wedding, so having the beautiful St. Nicholas onsite, sealed the deal.”
Planning
With the perfect autumn wedding date, they were looking for warm colours and cosy evenings. Using Pinterest as a starting point for their wedding planning, they decided on a burgundy, navy and blush colour scheme.
Hannah chose burgundy floor length dresses for their four bridesmaids, and Ben and his Groomsmen wore a tweed three-piece suit in navy blue, the Groomsmen had burgundy ties and pocket squares which matched the bridesmaid’s dresses perfectly!
Hannah and Ben used Wasing’s authorised suppliers list. Lulabee designed their stationary, which she personalised with their own monogram.
“We chose our suppliers through Wasing as we knew such a fantastic venue would only have the best on their approved supplier list - this turned out to be 100% true.”
They knew recommended photographer Studio Rouge would be perfect for them after seeing the photography in Wasing’s brochure and on the website.
“We loved their style and felt confident they would know the best spots around the venue as they are so familiar with it.”
Planning and getting married during a pandemic meant Hannah and Ben had to make a number of changes they never expected. There were many moments where things where unknown, meaning last minute and sometimes stressful decisions had to be made. When weddings were permitted again, with reduced numbers, they made the difficult decision to go from 70-day guests to 30, (in keeping with the guidelines at the time).
“The most important thing to us always was having our closest friends and family at the wedding and it actually worked out for the better, as the day was intimate and it all felt so relaxed.”
Ten days before the wedding, the government reduced the numbers allowed for weddings, from 30 to 15. This seemed disastrous at the time, especially after all of Hannah and Ben’s planning. They contacted the Church and then Wasing to see if their wedding could be pulled forward by a week, so they could still have 30 guests. Lo and behold and within 4 days, Hannah and Ben’s wedding went ahead on Sunday 27th September 2020!
“Getting married in a pandemic and moving the day meant we had to make a number of compromises. However, our amazing suppliers and the wonderful team at Wasing made sure our day was even more perfect than we could have ever imagined.”
Top Tips from Ben and Hannah
- To help reduce stress, start early then you are prepared if something unexpected happens.
- Break things down into mini tasks and complete them a bit at a time so you are not overwhelmed – make lists!
- Trust your suppliers to do their job, they are the experts.
The Big Day
Hannah and Ben wanted a traditional church service and St Nicholas at Wasing was perfect for them. Due to COVID-19, face coverings were required and they purchased clear face shields for all of their guests.
“Seeing people's smiles as I walked in, was a big thing for me”
Singing wasn’t allowed, so they chose violin music for entering the Church and for the signing of the register. They exited on an instrumental version of the Beatles classic, “All you need is love.”
“Our very own Love Actually moment”
After the ceremony, they had a seated drinks reception with delicious canapes in the Garden Room, followed by a traditional wedding breakfast in the Castle Barn.
“Being big foodies, the extensive and fine dining menu was exactly what we wanted for our big day.”
With dancing, singing and throwing a big party banned, Hannah and Ben weren’t able to have the DJ they originally planned.
They wanted to have a first dance, which had to be COVID safe. So, just after sunset they headed out to the Castle Barn terrace and danced to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect”. Their guests surrounded them with sparklers, which looked so beautiful, especially with the candlelit backdrop of lanterns.
For the evening entertainment they came up with the idea of an outdoor cinema. They hired the cinema equipment from Go Cinemas, which was set up in front of the Victorian Summerhouse, under a stretch tent, provide by 10x15 Structures. They hired bean bags and supplied blankets which created a warm, cosy feel.
“We had messages from friends and family which were played before the film on the big screen of our outdoor cinema.”
Wood fired pizza was delivered, (in pizza boxes), to the wedding party whilst they enjoyed the film, and the all-important gin and beer bars kept them well refreshed!
“This for us was so much more enjoyable than a DJ and everyone said how fun and different it was. We are glad COVID made us think outside the box - it certainly helped us create a memorable day for everyone.”
Top Tips from Ben and Hannah
- Don’t worry about everything being absolutely perfect because as long as you have each other, your day will be perfect - especially if Wasing Park is your chosen venue.
- Eat more. All the emotions meant we didn't have the appetite to fully enjoy all the delicious food. Other than that, we wouldn’t change a thing, even the smaller numbers!
“A final thank you, to the incredible team at Wasing Park. The support given to us throughout the whole planning process was second to none. Nikki and her team helped keep us calm and pull everything together. It was a dream of a day, at the most perfect venue.”
Photography by Studio Rouge
Bride’s dress: Pronovias
Bride’s accessories: Jimmy Choo
Groom’s suit: Black Tie
Bridesmaid’s dresses: David’s Bridal Watford
Hair and Make-up: Make-up - Amanda Strugnell Hair – Humi
Lighting: Party Lights
Wedding rings: Robert Gatward
Wedding cake: Purita Hyam Chocolate Wedding Cakes
Flowers: Faux Bloom
Invitations: Lulabee
Videographer: Minty Slippers
Evening Entertainment: Go Cinemas
Marquee: Ten by Fifteen
Bean bags: Furniture Hire UK
Wedding favours: Personalised M&Ms