IMOGEN & MIKE
WEDDING DATE
15th July 2023
CEREMONY
Holy Cross Church, Essex, England
RECEPTION
Barnston Lodge (@barnstonlodgeweddings)
NUMBER OF GUESTS
100
HONEYMOON DESTINATION
Sicily & Provence
Imogen wears Luca by Liz Martinez
HOW DID YOU MEET?
At Work! Not especially romantic or original, I know. The slight twist in the tale is that we met two months into a size-month secondment I was on to Sydney from London. We started dating very quickly after meeting and by the time I had to return to London after less than four months together, we'd made the decision that Mike would move to London to join.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE?
Mike proposed on our six-year anniversary, and still managed to surprise me! We were away for the weekend at The One & Only in the Wolgan Valley and while I may not have been entirely surprised has the proposal happened at some point that weekend, I'd thought the same thing on countless earlier trips, so wasn't getting my hopes us.
Mike completely shocked me thought, we he proposed in the middle of a horse ride, something me and my unwashed helmet hair were unprepared for.
HOW LONG DID YOU GIVE YOURSELVES TO PLAN YOUR WEDDING?
Around 20 months
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WEDDING DRESS JOURNEY?
I had walked past The Ivory Room almost daily when living in Paddington and as soon as I got engaged, I knew I wanted to visit. I waited until my parents were visiting from the UK to book in, as it was very important to me to have my mum at my first appointment.
Having always loved dresses, I was quite unsure what I wanted in "the one" but Jess, Nicole and the rest of the TIR team made it such a fun experience. I tried on all sorts of styles, changed my mind a lot and eventually found one that felt both unique and very "me"
Jess & Nicole were so supportive throughout my journey, and I also so appreciated their enthusiasm and honesty. I truly trusted and valued their input and can't thank them enough.
Left: ILuca by Liz Martinez | Right: Luca by Liz Martinez in mini
DID YOU HAVE A SECOND LOOK/RECEPTION DRESS?
Yes - I sort of had two! My dress from The Ivory Room had a detachable long skirt which converted the dress into a mini for the dancefloor. Originally this was the only dress I wanted, but I ended up buying a more traditional day dress too, to better suit the church ceremony setting.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING AESTHETIC?
Classic English summer with a modern tilt. I wanted the day to fell and look timeless, but relaxed and fun for guests.
WHAT MATTERED MOST TO YOU ON YOUR BIG DAY?
Creating a beautiful and fun day for our guests (and ourselves!). With a list of guests travelling long distances and from overseas, we wanted to make sure everyone felt special and appreciated and could really enjoy the celebrations.
It was also really important that everything felt like us, and part of the magic of Barnston Lodge was being able to select every element - a lot of work, but SO worth it.
WHATS ONE TRADITION YOU DID AWAY WITH AND WHY?
Bouquet toss! I've never been a fan of this and would prefer to think of boyfriends becoming inspired by the romance of the day rather than being pressured by their girlfriends' catching skills.
WAS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR BUDGET YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE SPENT MORE OR LESS ON?
No, my husband and i (and, we hope, our guests) had the best day and I wouldn't change it at all!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO UPCOMING BRIDES?
Set a deadline at a sensible time the day before the wedding to stop doing, stop stressing and start enjoying. For me, a 4.30pm nail appointment with my bridesmaids created this: from that point onwards, I told myself 'what will be, will be' and it meant I woke up on the big day much happier and more relaxed than I'd ever hoped for.
YOUR DAY, YOUR WAY!
First look OR Saved it for the alter
Matched bridesmaids (different styles) OR Mismatched bridesmaids
Bridal table OR Seated with guests
Choreographed first dance OR Just went with it
Stayed together the night before OR Stayed apart the night before
Hair up OR Hair down
Local wedding OR Destination wedding
Indoor Ceremony / Reception OR Outdoor Ceremony / Reception
SUPPLIER DETAILS
Gown: The Ivory Room
Veil: The Ivory Room
Shoes: Loeffler Randall & Bella Belle
Hair & Makeup: Emma Poppy Hair & Makeup (@emmapoppyhairandmakeup)
Bridesmaids Dress: Shona Joy
Florist: Cherubs (@cherubsflorists)
Photographer: Jessy Papasavva (@jessypapasavvaphography)
Videographer: Songbird (@songbirdweddingvideos)
Cake: Lucy Mackintosh (@lucy_tosh_nosh)
Stationary: Written by Emily (@written_byemily)
Band and/or DJ: Heatwave via Anthem Music Agency (@anthemmusicagency)
Entertainment: String Quartet - Magic Strings
Wedding Website: Bliss & Bone
Wedding Planner: Me!