After a surprise proposal in Cyprus, primary school teachers Charlotte and James began to plan their summer wedding that included some magical Harry Potter inspired details.
The Wedding & Reception Venue
As they started planning their big day, Charlotte and James knew that they wanted a venue that was modern, elegant and rustic and, as Charlotte’s mum knew that James would be proposing whilst they were on holiday, she had already begun the search for venues! When the couple arrived home, they had a list of venues to visit.
“Gaynes Park was the second venue we visited, but we instantly knew it was ‘the one’,” says Charlotte. “When we walked into the Mill Barn for the first time, we were blown away. One of the best things about Gaynes Park is that it’s exclusive – you’re not sharing your day with other wedding parties.”
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Deciding on your priorities early on is always a good idea, and Charlotte and James did exactly that. “When it came to our wedding budget, we had an idea in mind, and we had to decide on the areas where we’d go ‘all out’ and on the other aspects of the day that weren’t as important to us. I think it’s important to decide as a couple what is super important to you on the day and which areas you aren’t so fussed about.”
The couple didn’t have a fixed idea of what the wedding would look like however, they found that with every supplier they met it all suddenly came together. Charlotte is also a big Harry Potter fan, so she knew she wanted there to be little nods to that woven into the day.
Charlotte found her beautiful wedding gown at Dress in Love in Hertford, and she admits that when she put it on, it felt very special.
“I didn’t have a set idea on what I wanted, but after trying on a few dresses, I knew that it was the style for me. It was really exciting and quite emotional when I put it on as I knew that I would be wearing it on my actual wedding day.”
Charlotte finished her look with Pink by Paradox shoes, Swarovski earrings and a matching necklace, along with a veil decorated with scattered diamantes. Her garter included a nod to Harry Potter with its ‘Mischief Managed’ motif.
Charlotte’s six bridesmaids wore fabulous separates and gowns that worked perfectly with the soft pink, nude, white and glittery look of the day. “Three of my maids wore a sparkly ombre top with tulle skirts, and three wore dresses with sequin tops from Monsoon. They each chose their own shoes because I wanted them to be super comfortable on the day.”
James and his groomsmen wore dark royal blue suits from Hugo Boss with white shirts, pink ties and braces which looked fantastic in the photographs!
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The seasonal beauty of the Walled Garden meant that Charlotte and James could keep the decorations in the Orangery simple for their drinks reception that followed the church ceremony. The Gather Barn was dressed with festoon lighting by Mediterranean Occasions and flowers in cute jam jars, whilst inside the Mill Barn, there were more wonderful decorative touches.
“We added fairy lights, sequin tablecloths and flowers to the Mill Barn and there was our cake, a fabulous three-tier white buttercream design from The Cake Doll and this was decorated with flowers and a Harry Potter-inspired ‘Always’ topper. My Mum made heart-shaped biscuits for wedding favours, and we also bought favours from charities that were important to us.”
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After a very emotional church wedding service, the newlyweds arrived at Gaynes Park with their friends and family to begin the celebrations in the Orangery and Walled Garden. Guests were greeted with Pimms and strawberry sangria before moving to the Mill Barn for their wedding breakfast and evening reception.
“The food was possibly our biggest wedding splurge, and it was totally worth it. We served a lobster and king prawn tartlet to start, chicken with new potatoes for the main course followed by a vodka sorbet palette cleanser and a trio of desserts.”
After the speeches that were emotional and hilarious in equal measure, a sparkling white dance floor and magenta lighting were added to the barn and the evening party could begin. Charlotte and James danced their first dance to ‘Hey Ho’ by The Lumineers, and the party continued late into the night.
“Our guests also stayed at the Coach House on the night of the wedding, and it was lovely. The rooms were beautiful, clean and very homely and our guests were really happy with their stay.”
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“I’d definitely recommend that couples try to enjoy the build-up and the planning. It can be stressful but it’s the lead-up to the best day of your life, and you don’t want to look back thinking that you were stressed and snappy.”
“There will always be things that don’t go to plan. For example, it had been 30 degrees and above with beautiful sunshine for weeks before our wedding but on the day, it was raining and windy. I was freaking out but I wish I hadn’t – some of the best photos are with my veil blowing in the wind or with us kissing under an umbrella. Our lighting also looked better than it might have in the sunshine and I was glad my makeup wasn’t melting in the heat!”
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