A Perfect Day For A Wedding: Highlights to Hiccups • Sistabliss Tribe

Rosie in english cottage wearing her Madi Lane bridal gown and holding her bridal bouquet.

Hello from the new Mrs in town, that’s right, I got married! Not even a global pandemic can get in the way of true love, and on Sunday 18th July my now husband and I finally got our happily ever after.

Our wedding was over two years in the planning. It wasn’t without its challenges, including three government enforced lockdowns and ever changing rules on weddings and everything that comes with planning one. For those who know me, you’ll know I am neurotic when it comes to planning, organisation and important decision making. I poured hundreds of hours of research into every detail and every supplier, to achieved what turned out to be the best day of our lives.

It’s funny, despite probably never having planned a large event before, brides are thrown into the deep end. Organising a huge whole-day event which comes with the pressure of being the greatest day of their lives. It’s tough, tears are inevitable at some stage along the way, but it’s all worth it in the end. I’m so excited to share the highlights of our day with you. I was so blown away with the suppliers we chose that I will also include the info of those I highly recommend.

7 hours until I Do

Following tradition, Ryan, the groom, stayed with his buddies the night before the wedding. So I got to enjoy a special evening with my mum and little sister watching ‘My Best Friends Wedding’ before an early night to catch some beauty sleep.

In the morning, the other bridesmaid arrived bright and early, ready for our hair and make up artist to work her magic. Shannon Belle was our incredibly talented fairy godmother who turned bedhead into effortless looking curls. As it was a scorcher of a day, we had little hope for our make up holding out until the evening. Yet it did with no touch ups – she’s that amazing.

Meanwhile, Ryan had been busy turning our venue into our dream wedding setting, without being able to consult with me! He put out signage and the other finishing touches, lining the aisle with petals and adorning the tables with place cards and wedding favours. Luckily he had our ridiculously amazing florist, Emma at Wild & Green (who i’m also very lucky to call my auntie), on hand to guide him.

We had fallen in love with our venue, Upwaltham Barns, when we viewed it back in spring 2019. We were attracted to its natural beauty and attention to detail. It took little effort to make the space ‘us’ and was the perfect setting for a quintessentially British wedding.

1.5 hours until I Do

After 5 hours and a can of hairspray later we piled our dresses into the car and headed to the venue. Yes I drove to my own wedding, it was bizarre, nerve racking and yet so special. We snuck from the car into the Jasmin Cottage, a beautiful luxury two floor cottage within the venue grounds.

It was here that the mad rush began. We had to get into our dresses, add the final touches and be papped from all angles before my interview with the registrar.

I purchased my wedding dress from Wild Flora, a stunning little boutique in Battle, East Sussex. After a tough decision between 3 beautiful designs, I chose a Madi Lane gown, with Mocha satin layers and ivory floral detailing. I truly believe this dress was made for me, and only wish I could wear it again and again. I was delighted to find the perfect gold and freshwater pearl jewellery to compliment my dress in Olive Bonas.

To join me down the aisle, I had my two best friends and my little sister as bridesmaids, and cousins as page boy and flower girl. Having chosen a mocha dress, it was challenging finding complimentary colours for my bridesmaids. I eventually opted for mauve, finding the perfect dresses on Asos for my bridesmaids, and a flower girl dress from Monsoon (which she couldn’t stop twirling in!).

Ryan’s six groomsmen took to seating our 90 guests (all covid restrictions would allow) and attempting to settle Ryans increasing nerves, albeit unsuccessfully.

0 hours until I Do

The moment we had waited over 2 years for arrived! My bridal party and I walked through the gardens to the East Barn where my groom and everyone we love was waiting for us. It was so swelteringly hot, I was fanning my face until the second the doors to the aisle opened. I’m not sure if it was the 30 degree heat or my intense anxiety that caused my hot flush, but it’s a miracle I didn’t pass out.

My dad had flown over from South Africa and hotel quarantined for 10 days to walk me down the aisle. ‘I Can’t Help Falling In Love’ covered by Hayley Reinhart softly played, as my Dad gripped my shaking hand to guide me down the aisle. Then Ryan turned round and immediately burst into tears. In that moment all my nerves melted away and all I could see was him.

We said our vows, exchanged rings, signed the register and just like that became husband and wife! Naturally we had both been so anxious about tripping over, saying the wrong words or dropping the rings. But in that moment it was effortlessly easy. We walked back down the aisle as Mr & Mrs to the song ‘Kiss Me’ covered by The Boilers.

The new Mr & Mrs

We got 5 minutes alone together in the cottage to enjoy a Hugo cocktail and let the events of the last 30 minutes sink in. Then it was time for the classically British tradition of a confetti line, as our guests propelled handfuls of dried petals at our heads (and incidentally, down my dress!).

The celebrations began with a drinks reception of Hugo cocktails (if you haven’t tried one, do, you won’t regret it) and beers. Enjoyed to a backdrop of my perfectly curated playlist of chilled summer tunes including the wonders of Ziggy Alberts and Jack Botts among others.

In between the cocktails and canapés, it was time for photographs. Our photographer, Alisa Roberts, is one of a kind. She really went that extra mile, helping the day run smoothly and capturing every moment. And wow, did she make the most of all the venue grounds had to offer! Due to the beaming hot sun, we were limited to the few shady spots to snap photos. Alisa expertly found beautiful nooks like this one below, in the owners private garden.

2 hour post I Do

It didn’t feel like long before everyone was seated in the South Barn for our wedding breakfast. We named each table after a special place we had visited during our last trip to South Africa, where we got engaged. As wedding favours, every guest had a personalised luxury handmade soap from the Clovelly Soap Company. A nod to a great day out we had together in Clovelly – they smelt incredible.

Upwaltham Barns have a catering company in house, who are nothing short of spectacular. To keep the meal fun and light, we opted for sharing platters over a more formal style meal. The platters were piled high with meat, pigs in blankets and all the roast trimmings. The rave reviews from our guests confirmed what we already knew, the food is to die for. It is true what they say, as the wedded couple, you barely eat anything and never finish a drink – i’d give anything to go back and try everything I missed on the day!

Then it was time for the all important speeches. My parents both spoke beautifully, with my mum reading a poem she had written for me which had everyone in tears. It was at this moment that Ryan was expected to stand and deliver his grooms speech. But he is not a confident public speaker, and i’m a great believer that if you want something done right do it yourself. So I took one for the team and thanked everyone with a little humour thrown in for good measure.

Last but not least, the best mans speech. Hilarious as expected, and just the right amount of inappropriate.

We opted to cut the cake earlier in the day, so our family members who were leaving after the meal could enjoy a slice. We had ordered our cake from the fantastic Beachside Bakery pre-pandemic, when we expected to be catering for almost double the number of guests. So it’s safe to say we had a lot left over. Our three tier cake featured three different sponges, Coffee, Lemon and a classic victoria sponge. All snuggled under a thick layer of butter icing subtly decorated with fresh flowers. Our cake stand was actually a log slice cut from a fallen oak tree in Devon, which we varnished and felted on the base.

5 hour post I Do

After the worlds most delicious chocolate brownie dessert and several bottles of wine, the party commenced! Due to the glorious weather and restrictions on dancing inside, we took the party outside. All thanks to our venue and DJ being so fabulously flexible, helping make our day special in spite of the restrictions.

Now neither Ryan or I are particularly comfortable being centre of attention. So our first dance was something we weren’t really looking forward to. And yes, it was awkward as hell and totally out of our comfort zone, but we were safe in the moment together. I made the fatal error of not removing my shoulder straps, and had limited mobility, but managed a sway to ‘Yellow’ covered by Amber Leigh Irish. Eventually we waved everyone up on their feet to join us. What was my most dreaded moment of the day soon became my most treasured, dancing arm in arm with loved ones beneath the orange sky, after 18 months without dancing or hugging.

As the clock struck 9, the heels were finally kicked off! We chose Toast to provide the entertainment for the evening as recommended by the venue, and they didn’t disappoint. Nick, our DJ, played chilled summer tunes early evening to compliment the outdoor setting, before pulling out the absolute bangers after dark.

There was ‘oops up side your head’-ing, and sister sledge all mixed in with some Ibiza classics – getting everyone up dancing for the first time in over a year.

And the rest they say, is history.

Perfectly imperfect moments

So did anything go wrong on our special day? There were bound to be a few hiccups. From my bridesmaid visible burning the front of her dress with a steamer the night before the wedding, to me totally forgetting to put my veil on for the ceremony. All things we laugh about now. Not forgetting a few guests cancelling last minute due to ‘getting pinged’ – only in 2021!

And of course, we cursed Boris Johnson when we found out our wedding was on the very last day of 18-months of social distancing restrictions. But now in hindsight, we can say it was the best thing that could have happened. Why? We got to speak to every single person at the wedding, something we don’t think we would have achieved with 75% more guests. Also the venues marquee was only kept up during the restrictions, and without this sheltering our guests from the burning sun, many would have hidden inside rather than joining in the fun outside. I truly believe fate ensures everything is just how it is meant to be.

The best piece of advice I received? It’s inevitable small things will go wrong, but often they are elements guests would never know because they weren’t involved in the planning. Best advice I can give you? Have amazing bridesmaids by your side who don’t tell you about the unfixable hiccups until it’s no longer something to worry about.

Reflection

The tears, the stress spirals, the several paper cuts, the moments of doubt whether a big wedding was still the right things to do in a pandemic, are now mere tiny dots in the rearview mirror. I can hand on heart say, our wedding day was the best day of our lives, pure magic, and we do not regret a single decision. We feel so incredibly lucky to have been able to have the day we dreamed of with 90 of our friends and family. Especially when thousands of other couples were unable to celebrate with even all their close family.

Below is a handy list of all our suppliers I recommend and their instagram links, so you can check out their portfolios. If you have any questions about them or any other details of our day, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram.

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