The Bride Edit - Amy
The Bride
Name: Amy (Ball)
Location: Berkshire
Venue: The Retreat at Elcot Park
Wedding Style: Spring romantic countryside
Our Story
We had known each other for years, friends with my brother; we never 'ran' in the same circle so it never even a consideration that we would be a match. Little did I know, he had liked me for years; and one day the stars aligned - we met up with my brother in tow on a random day and never looked back. Fast forward 10 years later, we had bought a house and welcomed our lovely dog to the team! Christmas Day 2023, we went for a lovely festive morning dog walk in the Berkshire Countryside and just like that, Tim was on one knee and asked me to marry him! It was an immediate yes (!), followed by a Christmas day full of joy. The best Christmas ever!
The Best Decision You Made
Doing what felt right for us - setting a limit with guest numbers and only inviting those that we felt had an impact / were part of our lives as a couple.
This was sometimes difficult as it meant limiting family and friends, but ultimately on the day we looked around and felt that our room was full of our favourite people to share our special day with!
What Would You Do Differently?
I think the only thing we would do slightly differently would is relating to the photos. We had some incredible photos and loved them all, but wish we had thought even more about the shot list on the day; there are some now that I wish we had taken and some we could have skipped. We spent quite some time on the photos and wished we'd had some time inside with guests for the reception drinks.
Your Wedding Morning
How did your wedding morning feel?
Super relaxed despite the early start! Just me and the girls plus my dog! We had breakfast delivered to the room; it was chilled and full of happy vibes. Wouldn't change one thing!
Did you exchange any gifts, letters, or special keepsakes?
My beautiful bridesmaids gave me some special cards and gifts where were totally unexpected, plus my mum gave me a gift too - I was so lucky to have them all with me. I also added a photo in a mini holder of the hen girls on each of their place setting for the wedding breakfast with a note on the back.
Did everything go to plan?
Luckily, yes! I planned the wedding in every moment; I organised everything into clearly labelled boxes; with a guide for the day and gave this to the onsite planner to coordinate. I think by being so organised, I knew nothing in my control could go wrong as it was all there and ready to go! The weather was on our side, but it was windier than expected, so we had to have the drinks reception inside instead of on the lawns, but it really didn't make a difference to the day - it was, for us, perfect.
Supplier Highlights
Any suppliers you loved and would recommend?
Oh my goodness, our suppliers were incredible and somehow, we managed to use small female-owned businesses which felt even more special.
- Huge shoutout to my florist who not only took my brief and ran with it; but created the most beautiful floral curtain for our ceremony/wedding breakfast backdrop I could have asked for (also one of the best decisions I made!) @wild.at.5 (Berkshire florist)
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@hayleyrandallphotography was also amazing - Hayley felt like part of the wedding party yet remained a camera ninja, we barely knew she was there snapping away and the end result was some incredible photos with the most amazing colour exposure too - fantastic!
And of course I should add that I was of course a PrettieCo customer during the planning stages and used the beautiful cards for my Bridesmaid / Flower Girl & Wedding Reader proposal boxes, plus more photo cards for the girls as part of their hen do gifts!
Give the small businesses a chance - the passion our suppliers had were hands down worth it!
A Note to Future Brides
Don't lose yourself! The wedding planning process can be long and sometimes quite lonely, making decisions after decisions always wondering what the right choice is. Stay true to who you are, what you want as a couple and you will no doubt, look back and remember your day as the most amazing perfect day full of love and ultimately, marrying your best friend. Best day ever!
With thanks to Amy for sharing her story 🤍