Real Life Wedding

Sapir & Steve’s Elegant Summer Wedding

Following a surprise proposal in Rome, Sapir and Steve had just seven months to plan their elegant summer wedding at Gaynes Park.

The Wedding & Reception Venue

Sapir and Steve knew that they wanted to host their wedding in the countryside and, when they arrived at Gaynes Park, they knew it was the perfect venue for their big day.

“We both love nature so getting married somewhere in the city was not an option for us. That’s why as soon as we arrived at Gaynes Park, we knew it was the perfect place for us, and I had butterflies!”

The Orangery at Gaynes Park wedding venue in Essex is the perfect setting for a summer wedding — © Leah van Zyl

The Orangery at Gaynes Park is set up for a summer wedding ceremony — © Leah van Zyl

The Mill Barn at Gaynes Park in Essex is set up for a summer wedding reception — © Leah van Zyl

“The venue had everything we wanted – nature, animals, beautiful surroundings and the stunning Orangery. It was elegant and rustic too, which we loved.”

Wedding Planning

The couple chose an August Monday for their wedding and planned the whole event in just seven months.

“The first steps were choosing my wedding dress and finding the venue. The date we chose was one of the only dates left as we booked quite late, but due to this it became one of our biggest savings! We also used the Internet a lot for research and used Gaynes Park’s recommended list of suppliers.”

A bride prepares for her wedding ceremony at Gaynes Park wedding venue in Essex — © Leah van Zyl

The Bride’s Dress & Accessories

Sapir visited Confetti & Lace at Lakeside and had quite a surprise when she started trying on dresses: “Originally, I thought that I’d go for an A-line style dress but once I tried on the mermaid style, I knew it was for me. I felt amazing when it tried it on and after this gown, nothing else seemed as beautiful or as special so I ended up buying it!”

To accessorise her gorgeous Mori Lee gown, Sapir wore a beautiful two-tier elbow veil and Carvela sandals with golden bead embellishments. “I also wore a new Swarovski bracelet that my parents bought me, drop earrings borrowed from my sister and a diamond necklace that Steve bought me a couple of years ago as my ‘something old.”

The bride wore a lace bridal gown for her summer wedding day at Gaynes Park in Essex — © Leah van Zyl

The bride wore a crystal hair piece for her wedding day at Gaynes Park wedding venue in Essex — © Leah van Zyl

The Groom

Sapir and Steve chose Steve’s outfit together and when Sapir saw Steve in his grey three-piece fitted Ted Baker suit, she thought he looked very dashing indeed! Steve also wore a lilac tie and, along with all the men in the couple’s families, a lilac buttonhole.

The bride and groom say their wedding vows in front of guests in the Orangery at Gaynes Park in Essex — © Leah van Zyl

The Decorative Touches

Sapir adores lilac so the decorations and details were all planned to complement the bride’s bouquet of lilac and white roses.

In the Mill Barn, each table was decorated with a ‘tree’ full of flowers and the top table was dressed with several small floral boxes and tea lights. There were also similar ‘trees’ on stone plinths in the Orangery for the couple’s wedding ceremony and the registrar’s table was finished with small floral boxes, all by Luke & Lottie.

The couple welcome guests to their wedding at Gaynes Park with a rustic wedding welcome sign — © Leah van Zyl

High floral stands created beautiful table centrepieces for a wedding breakfast in the Mill Barn at Gaynes Park — © Leah van Zyl

The Mill Barn at Gaynes Park wedding venue in Essex is dressed for a summer wedding reception — © Leah van Zyl

Wedding flowers sit in a rustic wooden crate for a summer wedding at Gaynes Park — © Leah van Zyl

A traditional three-tiered white wedding cake is adorned with pink wedding flowers for a wedding at Gaynes Park — © Leah van Zyl

Another very popular feature was the couple’s cake from Honeybee Bakes. The three-tier cake included layers of cherry Bakewell, triple chocolate and rich fruit cake, and was finished with lilac ribbon, white beading and fresh flowers.

The Wedding Day

Sapir arrived for her ceremony with her mum and dad, and both her parents accompanied her down the aisle to the sound of ‘All of Me’ by John Legend.

After the ceremony, the celebrations began in the beautiful Walled Garden with strawberry rose sangria, amaretto classic and elderflower sparklers.

A bride and groom sign the wedding register during their wedding ceremony at Gaynes Park — © Leah van Zyl

“My best memory of the day is definitely walking into the Orangery and seeing Steve. It was the moment I realised that this was actually happening and I was going to marry the love of my life.”

Newlyweds enjoy the walled gardens at Gaynes Park wedding venue in Essex on their wedding day — © Leah van Zyl

Newlyweds make the most of the beautiful Long Walk at Gaynes Park in Essex — © Leah van Zyl

Guests then enjoyed a delicious wedding breakfast in the Mill Barn that included a salad of crispy duck, grilled rib-eye steak and triple chocolate brownie before the speeches began.

“My dad’s speech was definitely memorable – he has a great sense of humour and it definitely showed! Steve’s speech was beautiful and emotional, mentioning what he loves about me and my family too.”

The newlyweds then kicked off their evening reception with their first dance to Joe Cocker’s ‘You Are So Beautiful’, a track that’s very special for the couple.

The bride and groom take a moment away from guests on their wedding day at Gaynes Park — © Leah van Zyl

Newlyweds stand under the beautiful Pavillion at Gaynes Park wedding venue in Essex — © Leah van Zyl

Wedding Planning Tips

“My top tip would definitely be to have a rough idea of how much you’d like to spend. Be clear what are your ‘must haves’ and what are the areas where you can save. By booking the venue only seven months in advance we managed to make a great saving!”

“If I could do it again, I would definitely try and spend more time with our guests. We were pulled in so many different directions in the day, everything became a bit of a blur.”

A bride and groom pose for a dramatic wedding photo in the countryside that surrounds Gaynes Park wedding venue in Essex — © Leah van Zyl

For more wedding inspiration, take a look at Hannah and Tommy’s Woodland Themed Wedding, which had plenty of flowers and personal touches to give you great ideas!

Suppliers

Photographer & Videographer :	Leah van Zyl
Flowers :	Luke & Lottie
Bride’s Shoes :	Carvela
Wedding Dress :	Mori Lee
Bride’s Accessories :	Confetti & Lace
Groom’s Suit :	Ted Baker
Disco/DJ :	Jason Clark
Cake :	Honeybee Bakes
Stationery :	Pure Invitation
Rings :	Swarovski