Charis & Matt
Photography by James Frost
The Bride
Charis The Bride: I tried on almost thirty dresses before I realised I wasn’t going to find what I wanted off the peg. A friend referred me to the amazing Danielle Jade Windsor, who agreed to design my dress with less than five months till the big day! My dress was everything I hoped for, floaty, Grecian and sooo comfortable! I’m delighted because I get to wear it again in December, when we have a celebration back in my New Zealand hometown. I was very lucky in this department because my auntie, Tracey Henton, is an incredibly talented makeup artist. She flew all the way from Los Angeles to be there with us on our big day, and I managed to rope her into doing makeup for all five of my beautiful bridesmaids – she was busy! My hair and makeup was done by a good friend of mine, Lucy Olivia Ward from The ID. She’s a master of her craft, and words can’t describe how fabulous she makes you feel.
The Groom
Matt and the groomsmen all hired 3 piece Ted Baker suits and ties through Moss Bros. Tip – when you hire everything with them, the groom goes free – and you get to keep the ties. Everybody loves a freebie!
The Wedding Party
It was so important to me that my bridesmaids were able to wear dresses that made them feel comfortable, so I chose champagne coloured, knee length dresses from Etsy (The Daintyard) and the girls tied them in whichever way they liked. I was so nervous ordering dresses from Singapore, but they arrived quickly, looked lovely, and cost a fraction of some of the infinity dresses on the market in the UK.
The Venue
We knew right from the beginning that we wanted to celebrate in rustic charm, so when we stepped inside Southend Barns, it completely stole our hearts. We wanted our guests to relax and enjoy every second of our day, so having our ceremony and reception in one venue was perfect. We loved all the little touches Southend Barns offered, like the lawn games and the fire pit for toasting marshmallows.
The Decor
Matt and I hail from the opposite sides of the world and met while travelling, so it seemed only fitting to incorporate a travel theme into our day! Matt’s parents are passionate about antiques, and they helped us source vintage suitcases, globes and cameras – meaning we could make every centrepiece unique. We chose to keep our decorations simple, to let the beauty of the barn speak for itself.
The Catering
We used Field and Fork for our wedding breakfast, and they surpassed all our expectations. We had so many wonderful comments about their food and service. They also created our gorgeous cheese tower, which served as both our cake and evening buffet.
The Flowers
All the bridal bouquets and buttonholes were put together by the wonderful Abigail Overton from Albert & Arthur, and then we took a DIY approach to the rest of the flowers. We collected jars and our mums decorated them with hessian and lace. We used ivy from the garden, ordered loads of Gypsophila and green and white Chrysanthemums; and it turns out, Matt’s sister is brilliant at arranging flowers! It was a real team effort.
The Entertainment
The entertainment was one of our easiest decisions, as one of Matt’s good friends, Vikesh, is a DJ at HV Entertainment. He’s a real crowd pleaser and kept people on the dancefloor all night long. One of the highlights of the evening was the grooms ‘surprise’ DJ set later in the evening! We also had the Camilli String Quartet girls playing during our ceremony and drinks reception.
The Photography
Photography was right at the top of our priority list. We spent hours searching for the right person, and it was the one thing we refused to compromise on. We were so fortunate to find the extraordinary James Frost at James Frost Photography. He exudes this quiet confidence and you just know you’re in safe hands. We loved his approach, he nailed it.
The Videography
We booked the super talented Jonny Hall upon a friend’s recommendation, and we couldn’t be happier. Our video speaks for itself and brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it! He is just so charming, super professional, and we’ve already recommended him to everybody we know who’s getting married.
Advice
In the lead up to our wedding a friend said to us “the best thing about your big day is that everybody wants you to win”. It’s so true. Don’t get lost in the small stuff, because ultimately, it’s the people around you that will make your wedding the best day of your life. It goes by so quickly, so commission a member of your bridal party to remind you throughout the day to “stop, look around, and live in the moment”.
