A DREAMY DAY

from Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding - Issue 94 September/October 2022

by County Wedding Magazines

OUTSIDE THE BOX

A dreamy day Elisha and Adam had an Italian wedding with a grey and gold colour scheme

Images courtesy of Jack Aldridge Photography

Elisha and Adam met through mutual friends at school and have been a couple ever since. No matter how much time they spent together, they always managed to make each other laugh and have made so many amazing memories over the years.

Adam proposed on Christmas day after hiding a ring in a cracker to surprise Elisha – of course she said ‘yes’. The pair set the wedding for July 25th 2021, and created a memorable day surrounded by loved ones.

SETTING THE SCENE

When it came to finding the perfect setting for their special day, the couple fell in love with The Italian Villa in Poole. It was the beautiful gardens that first caught their attention and the venue’s stunning décor, especially in the Medici Suite where ceremonies take place. With beautiful arches, pillars and floorlength windows overlooking the gardens, the pair knew it was perfect location for their vows.

To decorate the fabulous spaces, the couple hired The House of Styling and the team captured the pair’s vision perfectly. A stunning foliage arch was placed at the top of the aisle, which created a beautiful backdrop for the “I dos”. Candles, terrariums, trees and hanging tea lights added a magical atmosphere to the ceremony space and set the tone for the rest of the day.

The reception space was already decorated with fairylights, so the couple added hanging wisteria and lanterns above the dancefloor. The trestle tables were decorated with foliage, white flowers in small pots, candles, tea lights, terrariums, floating candles, gold pineapples and grey napkins.

The groom wanted to incorporate some of his favourite films into the table plan, so each table had a Marvel symbol paired with a movie quote.

For favours, each guest was given a mini bottle with spirit inside, which doubled up as place names. To add some extra fun, everyone also had a scratch card.

The pair wanted rustic and natural looking blooms, so they opted for wildflowers, green foliage, olive vines and peonies – the bridesmaids had smaller versions.

As the wedding took place during the end of the pandemic, the bride created personalised tissues and hand sanitisers that could clip onto bags – this was very popular with loved ones.

The pair served beer and prosecco during the drinks reception – their favourite beverages. As the venue was set within botanical gardens, guests had access to look around the beautiful spaces during this time.

To keep guests from going hungry, a barbecue was served with five different meat and vegetarian options. For dessert, loved ones enjoyed beautifully presented white chocolate, raspberry and honeycomb domes. There was a snack buffet in the evening with mini fish and chip cones, burgers, bacon rolls and cheese toasties.

A huge hit with guests was the snack bar with pick ‘n’ mix sweets, personalised cookies, crisps, pretzels, popcorn and the wedding cake which featured raspberry, white chocolate, butterscotch and lemon flavours.

While searching for the perfect gown, the bride fell in love with a mermaid-style dress by Justin Alexander. To finish off her look, she wore a matching pearl cathedral-length veil and a custommade flower crown. She says, “I felt so excited once I was all ready as I look exactly how I’d envisioned”

Adam wanted to stand out from the groomsmen and wore a custom blue pinstripe suit with a grey checked waistcoat and brown shoes from Moss Bros. The others wore navy blue three-piece suits.

The bridesmaids wore grey multiway dresses while the flowergirl wore a white dress with flower petals to match the bride’s gown.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

The pair hired a DJ and steel drum combo to keep guests entertained in the evening, which was a huge hit with their loved ones. Guests said they’d never experienced anything like it before, they thought it was really different! People were on the dancefloor all night having such a lovely time together.

The day was such a whirlwind for the couple, but they mainly just felt so happy to be getting married surrounded by loved ones after Covid restrictions stopped people from seeing each other. “The day was more than we’d hoped and imagined – the ceremony really stood out to us the most”, says the bride. She adds, “A funny moment from the day was when one of the groomsmen split his trousers from front to back on the dancefloor.”

Adam thought that before the ceremony, him and Elisha were doing a first look. She says, “I convinced him that our photographer Jack wanted to try something different, and we dressed the best man in a dress and veil – we got some great photos and videos!

Another memorable moment from the day was when the groom’s brother did the most incredible speech that was so lovely and funny.

The couple’s suppliers really did make their day extra special and one to remember, especially Kirsty and Laura at The House of Styling. The bride says, “Not only did they completely nail our dream day, but they were so incredible throughout the planning process. They would check in during the lockdowns, were so good when we had to change our date and nothing was ever too much trouble.” She adds, “Our photographer was also amazing and made us both feel comfortable. It felt as though he was one of our friends, which we felt was important when we booked him as we would be spending nearly the whole day together.” The venue’s wedding coordinator was just the best and made sure everything ran smoothly on the day, Drew was so helpful and friendly to everyone.

HONEYMOON

As Covid restrictions had only just started to relax, the couple decided to go on a minimoon to Bath in a lovely boutique hotel. They have booked a tour of Italy for their honeymoon, which will start off in Sorrento and Capri, before travelling to Florence and Rome for two weeks.

The Port House , Marina Keep , Port Solent PO6 4TH has just finished a major refurbishment which has seen the venue transformed into a beautiful waterside venue with contemporary furnishing and delicious bespoke Hampshire food and produce , the on site caterers are vanilla catering and Events. Vanilla’s key ethics are attention to customer service and the use of top quality local ingredients. These result in bright, modern, food styles, presented with attention to detail in an unfussy yet friendly manner. They are members of county food group Hampshire Fare and are thus committed to using as much locally sourced produce for their menus as possible. www.hampshirefare.co.uk On booking your wedding at the Port House you are appointed with a wedding planner who will advise on everything from timings to table plans. This is a complimentary service supplied to all couples There is a fully licensed bar on site which has been manufactured from reclaimed railway sleepers making it a wonderful focal point at the venue. Parking is complimentary and plentiful.

The Port House is licensed for civil ceremonies and can be hired for exclusive use for you wedding day. In its flexible, purpose designed space, it is capable of accommodating small numbers for intimate private fine-dining through to weddings for 180 guests.