Katie and David’s February Wedding
27th March 2019
This blog shares a little insight into the wedding of Katie and David Love, including some of the build up and planning in preparation of their special day here at Layer Marney Tower. I hope you enjoy browsing through some of their official photos and reading about their wonderful memories. (Karen – Wedding Coordinator)
When did the proposal take place and how did it happen?
The proposal took place on a beach in Turkey on our 8 year anniversary. We had gone out for a big family holiday, with both our families joining us. On the night in question, we had gone out for a romantic dinner for just the two of us. We took a stroll along the beach and David found a nice secluded spot. We sat down together and were enjoying each others company when David turned around and popped the question! Obviously the answer was immediately yes!! When we got back to our hotel, both our families were in the bar area and we went over and told them the great news. The rest of the holiday was one big celebration!!
Did you have an ideal venue in mind before you began your search? How many venues did you visit and why did you choose Layer Marney Tower?
We didn’t have any ideas in particular but Katie had always wanted to get married in a castle! We went to a range of venues in and around Essex (none of which were castles!) until we visited a wedding fayre at Layer Marney Tower. Although not a castle, the venue was perfect as it was surrounded with such beauty and history! It took our breath away when we saw the tower for the first time so the decision was made then and there!
How far in advance did you book your wedding day?
We booked Layer Marney Tower 12 months prior to our wedding date. Everything else fell into place after that really! It was very stress-free because all of the transport and catering was done through Layer Marney Tower and Bouquet Garni so there wasn’t much else for us to worry about.
Did you have a theme?
As the Groom was Scottish and the Bride was English, we really wanted to have a theme that combined the two. It just so happened that we are both into history and castles, and had visited many castles throughout both Scotland and England prior to the wedding. We therefore named our tables after various castles we had visited and represented each with the nations flower – either an English rose or a Scottish thistle. The rest of the theme was linked with this, incorporating tartan kilts into the Groom’s party and roses, thistles and red dresses in the Bridal party.
How did you choose which suppliers you used?
All of the catering at Layer Marney Tower is organised by Bouquet Garni; we really wanted a casual wedding breakfast such as a hog roast and this was something they happily provided for us. We chose from a wide range of canapes, all of which the guests loved, and were able to provide and choose the drinks we wanted served on the day, which included a “dram” of whisky during the drinks reception.
Our photographer was chosen from the Layer Marney Tower wedding fayre as we wanted a photographer that knew the venue well. For this reason we went with EPS Photography. Simon was so professional and took so many beautiful shots of us throughout the day.
Alongside Simon, we also wanted a videographer. After watching a range of wedding videos online, and through recommendations on Facebook, we chose New Venture Productions to produce our video. John captured every element of the day, even the tiny details that we missed!
We have been going to see our band, Three Mile Hill, for many years in and around Chelmsford. We knew the guys did wedding receptions so they were an easy choice once the wedding date was decided.
What were the highlights of your day or particularly memorable moments?
The whole day went so quickly! Even now, we are still remembering small details from the day. Some of our key highlights though are driving around the venue in the Rolls Royce as it was such a special car and it allowed us newly-weds to have a few moments together before greeting all of our guests. We really treasured those moments because the rest of the day went so quickly and it was nice to actually try and absorb the beauty of the day. We also loved having a bagpiper, not only to play Katie down the aisle, but also to entertain guests during the reception drinks. In the evening, it was lovely to have photos outside, in front of the tower, especially when we got all of our guests out to use sparklers. We really wanted to make the most of the venue and the night time shots are some of our favourites! It also meant we could keep our guests involved and share even more memories with them. The setting for the wedding breakfast was amazing as we had all of our guests sitting in the Long Gallery with a log fire burning to keep us warm in the February chill!
Do you have any advice for Brides and Grooms just starting their wedding planning?
As a couple, we are both fairly relaxed and I think this massively helped during wedding planning. No day is going to be perfect, so just enjoy everything as it happens. If it rains, so what! If someone forgets their pocket squares, so what! Enjoy the day for what it is and not what you expect it to be. Also, try and remember that the day is about YOU and not your guests because although it is lovely to try and cater for everyone’s different wants and desires, at the end of the day, it is all about you, so do what you want. It is impossible to please everyone so just focus on pleasing the most important people (you)!
All photos supplied by EPS Photography.
