Against the enchanting backdrop of Recommended Venue, St Giles House, in Dorset, Emily & Ben tied the knot on a day full of love, laughter, and unique creativity that ensured every last detail was thought out to perfectly represent Emily & Ben as a couple. The bespoke oversized bow for Emily's hair, the enchanting Christmas decorations and the power ballad first dance made this day one we won’t be forgetting anytime soon. All of the suppliers involved were absolutely incredible and Emily & Ben are so happy with everything from their day. They specifically wanted to shout out their photographer and our Recommended Supplier, HS Photography, who was phenomenal and captured the most incredible images from our day. Plus, the couple had Recommended Supplier, Edward Southwell, to film the day!
I think what made our day unique was that this wasn't just our wedding day - this was a love letter to each other, our children and all our closest friends and family. We poured our heart and soul into making the most incredible day, whether that was hand-making our invitation suites or creating the perfect playlists for each part of the day.
Emily & Ben
Nestled in the heart of Dorset, St Giles House is a stunning country house wedding venue that had the perfect setting for Emily & Ben's special day. The venue exudes elegance with its regal architecture but what really sets it apart is the secret basement club—with a dazzling disco ball that adds a touch of modern flair to the historic charm! The venue was Emily & Ben’s only non-negotiable, so when wedding planning, this is where they started. To add some modern elements to the otherwise classic venue, the couple included things like bows in the bridal outfits (obsessed with that bow veil) and a string quartet playing modern songs.
As a December wedding, Emily & Ben wanted to have subtle Christmas decorations so they included a large wreath, Christmas trees and nutcrackers in the decor. The colour scheme was rich and bold with emerald green, gold and plum tones. The reception hall dazzled with disco balls scattered across the floor almost as much as Emily did in her short white sequin wedding reception dress! Each detail, from the heart-shaped cake crafted by Emily's sister to the handpicked local suppliers, spoke to the couple's commitment to a personal and heartfelt celebration. The retro wedding cake was a vegan alternative to the tiered cheese tower. Yum!
There are so many moments from the day that we loved, so it’s hard to narrow down. I think the best moment was walking out of the ceremony into our reception room with the string quartet greeting us with ‘At Last’ by Etta James and having just a moment for the two of us to take it all in. It was also special having our son, Freddie, walk Emily down the aisle as the father of the bride has passed away.
Emily & Ben
The best advice Emily & Ben have for other engaged and planning couples is to take your time, do your research, and stay organised! The couple had a physical planning notebook along with spreadsheets so that they could tick off everything as they went along. Take a look at our wedding budget spreadsheet and 18-month wedding planning checklist for help keeping organised. Emily & Ben loved picking out all the details that made their day so special. Part of this was getting stuck in with DIY projects to try and stick to the budget. The couple made all their invites, signage, place names, wedding newspapers and selfie mirror! Take a look at our DIY wedding favourites for more ideas to get creative with.