Annabel & Mike

This morning we're jetting off to Marrakech for a glorious light and colour infused wedding at Fawakay Villas. Annabel and Mike said their vows against a backdrop of sunshine, strutting peacocks and the most amazing fire show whilst guests sipped their drinks poolside. I particularly love that Annabel opted for a rose gold frock from David Fielden which suits her and the exotic venue perfectly. Come and take a look...

Annabel The Bride: Mike and I met when we were both 15 in Somerset where we both lived. We lost touch for years, but randomly bumped into each other in 2007 when we were travelling in Australia.  We finally got together three and a half years ago when we bumped into each other at a supermarket in Bristol and went out for a drink and things happened from there; our first date was at the lido in Clifton, a spa followed by some lovely food. Mike proposed in the Atlas Mountains in Marrakech when we were on holiday, it was a total surprise and executed perfectly overlooking waterfalls in the mountains. We married almost exactly a year on from Mike proposing. Transporting eighty five people in a foreign country wasn't the easiest, but organising food and decor was actually a complete breeze as the owners of Fawakay Villas - Dawn and Francis - had the most beautiful setting and fabulous eye for detail. As soon as we saw Fawakay we both knew this was where we wanted to get married and hoped everything else would fit into place!! We both love traditional Moroccan styling from the hot colours to the intricate details and laid back feel. We chose vibrant purple and gold for our colour scheme.

The Bride's Fashion

I visited the Carina Baverstock boutique in Bradford on Avon where I bought my dress. Once Carina knew the style of our wedding she bought out seven dresses but I didn’t need to look past the first; it was perfect. A perfect dress by David Fielden that felt amazing on and was the colour of champagne and rose gold. My hair and makeup was applied by a close friend who is in the industry. Despite the fact I'm a makeup artist I wanted to feel pampered and enjoy not stressing on the day; having my friend look after me was a real treat. I accessorised with a delicate and pretty Hermione Harbutt headpiece, which was bespoke. It was a lovely experience, I met Hermione and asked if I could have a copper wire with rose beads and soft pink pearls. This was perfect as it looked fabulous with the dress.

The Groom's Fashion

Both Mike and his best man had suits tailored from Suit Supply in London. They chose a sharp blue suit with a rose pink tie.

Flowers & Cake

At Fawakay there was a Moroccan garden. One of our guests was a florist and she picked flowers in the morning to create a natural beautiful bouquet. Our cake was truly amazing. To fit with the setting, we had a French style patisserie cake, layered with raspberries and cream.

Entertainment

We chose to have Moroccan musicians from the local village after the ceremony during the canapés; this was rather unusual but a huge hit. After dinner we had the most phenomenal fire show, again two of the local villagers put on a fire show like we’ve never seen.

Photographers

Our photographers were Hannah and Toby at Red On Blonde. They were amazing throughout the whole experience, very professional and we love love our pictures as they captured us how we asked for. Fun, natural and informal.