Wedding Ideas

Guy & Mark

The rustic beauty and autumnal colours of Gaynes Park made the perfect setting for this couple’s big day.

The Proposal

After thinking about proposing to Guy for quite a while, Mark popped the question one evening with the help of a little Love Heart:

“We’d been to a wedding the previous weekend and the favours were Love Heart sweets. One said ‘Marry Me’ so I asked. I bent down on one knee, handed Guy the little sweet and asked, ‘Will you marry me?’”

“Tears filled Guy’s eyes and he said yes before hugging me and giving me a massive kiss. It turned out that he was thinking of asking me and had asked his Mum for advice!”

The Wedding & Reception Venue

Guy and Mark set about searching for their perfect venue and, knowing that their guest list would include several children, they were keen to find a venue that looked fabulous, offered everything they wanted and had space for the younger guests to play.

“On the recommendation of a colleague, we visited Gaynes Park and immediately fell in love with the place.”

“The immaculately maintained gardens and unspoiled rustic beauty of the Mill Barn were our favourite aspects of Gaynes Park. We booked 16 months in advance to secure the date we wanted. We chose autumn because that’s our favourite time of year and then used the autumn colours as our colour palette.”

The Orangery at Gaynes Park is a beautiful setting for wedding ceremonies – wedding venues Essex — © Steven Hobart Photography

The Coach House at Gaynes Park provides stunning contemporary guest accommodation — © Steven Hobart Photography

“The gardens at Gaynes Park are stunning. All the children could run around safely and have plenty of room to have fun.”

The Outfits

To work with their ‘traditional with a twist’ plan for the wedding day. Guy and Mark opted for a stylish and sophisticated look:

“I wore a black tailcoat with pinstripe trousers, a gold waistcoat and burgundy cravat. My father and my best man matched with me.”

“Guy wore a navy tailcoat with pinstripe trousers, a silver waistcoat and purple cravat. His uncle’s outfit matched Guy’s.”

The couple didn’t follow the ‘something borrowed…’ tradition but did add a personal touch to all the outfits:

“All the gentlemen, included Guy and I, wore silver Lego block cufflinks and buttonholes with Lego superheroes on them. The ladies were given a silver chain with a single silver leaf attached. Their floral sprays also had Lego superheroes on them.”

A close up of the buttonholes which were a single white flower and a Lego man — © Steven Hobart Photography

Guy and Mark exchange wedding vows in a beautiful wedding ceremony — © Steven Hobart Photography

The Decorative Touches

Thanks to the natural beauty of Gaynes Park, Guy and Mark didn’t feel that they needed to do much to decorate the venue as the rustic elegance of Gaynes Park spoke for itself, but they did add some of their own touches throughout the day:

“We had a couple of old family photos in the Orangery and a family member made our beautifully simple table centrepieces for the wedding breakfast in the Mill Barn and they included old pictures to make the decorations more personal.”

The place names doubled up as favours and each guest took home a Lego block keyring with their name printed on the side and a little Lego man on the top with Guy and Mark’s names and the date of the wedding on his chest.

“We did add some extras in the evening with an LED dance floor and colourful lighting by Mediterranean Occasions arranged around the barn to give a real party atmosphere for the entertainment.”

The wedding table centrepieces were circular mirrors with candles on top for a romantic feel — © Steven Hobart Photography

The couple’s wedding table plan was presented on a mirror for a sophisticated look – wedding ideas — © Steven Hobart Photography

Each guest was given a Lego block keyring as a wedding favour – wedding ideas — © Steven Hobart Photography

The couple’s love of Lego continued throughout the day and also inspired their wedding table names — © Steven Hobart Photography

Superhero emblems inspired the couple’s wedding table names – wedding ideas — © Steven Hobart Photography

A number of Lego men are lined up and used as part of the couple’s wedding décor – wedding ideas — © Steven Hobart Photography

The Wedding

Guy and Mark held their ceremony in the Orangey and they were accompanied by their mothers in a very symbolic way:

“I arrived from one point and Guy walked through the gardens. We met in the middle where our mothers handed us over to each other before they led the way to the registrar.”

Thanks to the lovely weather, the drinks reception was held outside before everyone moved to the Mill Barn for the wedding breakfast. With a nod to the day of the wedding, the couple served a traditional Sunday roast, which was followed by a trio of desserts.

“Guy’s uncle read a speech and was humorous and touching. My brother, who was best man, gave a speech that was funny, witty and more importantly, written by my Dad.”

“I didn’t get to finish my speech as I was too emotional and my new husband stood up to give me the tightest hug ever, before I had finished.”

The couple exchange wedding rings during the wedding ceremony at Gaynes Park — © Steven Hobart Photography

The couple’s love of Lego was evident throughout their wedding and was also a cake topper on their wedding cake — © Steven Hobart Photography

The newlyweds share a kiss under the romantically lit iron pavilion perfect for wedding photos — © Steven Hobart Photography

The Jersey Guys performed for the wedding couple inside the beautiful wedding barn — © Steven Hobart Photography

“Our big ‘must have’ for the wedding was to book ‘The Jersey Guys’, a Jersey Boys tribute act, as a surprise for the guests. We’re so pleased we did because everyone loved it.”

The Evening Reception

After post-dinner teas and coffees in the Orangery, Guy Mark and their guests moved back to the Mill Barn to cut their cake before the big surprise of the evening:

“We cut the cake, the music started, the curtains were drawn and The Jersey Guys began their performance. Although we’d booked them over a year before, we’d kept it a secret from everyone.”

After The Jersey Guys, a DJ entertained everyone for the rest of the evening before Guy and Mark retired to bed for the night.

“Some of our guests stayed in The Coach House and we thoroughly enjoyed having breakfast with our family the next morning. All our guests enjoyed themselves so much.”

The Honeymoon

With a long-haul honeymoon planned for later this year, Mark wasn’t expecting a post-wedding getaway but Guy had other ideas…

“Guy treated us to a trip to Cork in Ireland. This was only for a few days but we were really able to relax. While we were there, I was able to kiss the Blarney Stone so apparently I now have the gift of the gab!”

Wedding Planning Tips

Guy and Mark allocated a large chunk of their budget to the wedding food and drink they served to their lucky guests. This was a great move as all the guests loved the menu from our expert on-site catering team. On the other hand, the couple made savings with their decorations. Everything they planned worked brilliantly:

“If we could do it all again, we wouldn’t change a thing. The day was perfect.”

“My advice would be to plan, plan, plan. We were able to enjoy the day because everything was organised and we’d planned every detail in advance.”

“Constant communication between suppliers/performers and the venue is key in ensuring the smooth running of the day.”

If you’re looking for more real-life inspiration for your big day at this beautiful Essex wedding venue, then you have to check out Amanda and Steve’s Rustic Spring Wedding.

Suppliers

Photography :	Steve Hobart Photography
Groom’s Suit :	Moss Bros
Entertainment :	The Jersey Guys
Cake :	Sweet Pea Cake Boutique
Stationery :	Vistaprint
Rings :	Swag
Favours :	Fab Bricks