He got down on one knee trapping me against a cliff… there was only one answer.
Describe your wedding memories in five words.
Amazing, everything we dreamed of!
How did he propose?
He proposed on a morning walk at a eco-retreat in the tea region of Kerala in India.
Walking down the valley below the lodge , he got down on one knee trapping me against a cliff, there was only one answer. It was meant to be and I had no option…
Your wedding planning process How long did you spend planning your day?
Technically two and a half years, as our wedding was delayed by one year. Covid restrictions and uncertainty surrounding them. We knew by May 2020 that our wedding in July was not realistic so delayed it by a year to July 2021. But the date for the removal of all restrictions was delayed by two weeks which meant we had to make some last minute changes to make it covid compliant. Curating an amazing Day and Night music playlist. Many of our suppliers were recommended by Nikki from Fiesta Fields and the rest we Googled for local companies.
The story of your day How did it all unfold?
We had 45 of our closest friends and family for a 2pm service at St Nicholas, Peper Harow. We included a reading from J.R.R.Tolkien and left the church to the Jurassic Park theme on the organ. We had told guests who weren’t able to join us in the church (because of covid restrictions) to wait outside for the confetti throwing. After official photographs outside the church we processed from the church across fields to our tipi reception at Hidden Valley where we were met by the rest of our guests.
We got the party started ASAP with our first dance.
We had a standing drinks reception and gave us a nice opportunity to speak to everyone. We cut the cake as everyone was taking their seats for the speeches and after the awesome speeches the pizza was served. We got the party started ASAP with our first dance as soon as the last person had finished their piece of cake. We partied until 1am and sat round the pit fire in the tipis chatting until the early hours. Most of our guests were joining us for glamping onsite so we were able to keep the party going for longer (which was a priority for us when originally looking for a venue)
Songs you chose to be part of your day
Jurassic Park theme tune for leaving the church as the newest Harridges on the block. Tender, Blur as the first dance, followed immediately by… Livin la vida loca, Ricky Martin Angels, Robbie Williams as ‘official' last song but we went on for much longer
Advice for couples planning their day
We didn’t bother with a seating plan as we wanted our guests to sit with their friends and catch-up and this saved a lot of strife and planning as people dropped out last minute.
What do you wish you could go back and tell yourselves?
A global pandemic was imminent so get married before that.
Your favourite photo and why?
This is Ben’s favourite as we both look so happy and the lighting and colours were amazing.
This is Rose’s favourite because we are freshly married, super happy and my dad is shoving confetti down Ben’s Shirt because he thought that is what is supposed to happen.
Ben and Rose’s Contacts and Suppliers:
Organiser/ Coordinator - Fiesta Fields
Venue - Canvas & Light (Tipi), St Nicholas Church, Peper Harow (wedding ceremony)
Photographer - Michael Keane Weddings
Wedding Dress - WED2B
Hair and Makeup - NW Make-Up
Catering - The Rustic Pizza Company
Band/DJ/AV - Sound & Light Hire Company
Stationary - Norsey Woodland Craft (Woodland Signs)
Flowers, Bouquet etc - The Flower Hub
Rings - Jeppe Leon
DIY - We produced 6 litres of sloe gin for wedding favours and handmade savoury gluten-free and vegan pastries.