Liam & Beckie got married at the beautiful Georgian Surrey venue of Nonsuch Mansion in November 2018. After their wedding we asked them a few questions about the planning and the wedding day…

The Proposal

It was very ‘us’! A private, romantic and intimate proposal at our home, on Beckie’s birthday.

Did you have a vision for the wedding or was it something that just developed?

We had a good idea of what we wanted. We knew we wanted a gorgeous winter wedding and that we wanted not only ourselves but our guests to have a relaxed and fun day, in a venue local to us. Beckie grew up in Cheam and her dream was to get married at Nonsuch Mansion. After viewing the mansion, we both knew it was the venue for us. It has a stunning, with a long and colourful history and is located in just the most beautiful park.
We wanted to secure suppliers whose work was not only outstanding, but those who we personally liked and whose advice we could trust. We knew this would be an important aspect in ensuring we had the perfect, stress-less experience.

What were the main reasons for choosing to book a wedding videographer?

Hiring a videographer was one of the top items on our agenda! There were several reasons for this. It was important for us to be able to revisit the day whenever we desired. Not only that, but the old cliche of being able to bore any future Children their parents Wedding Day! We had also put lots of research into wedding videos and we had been warned by friends and family that the day would go by quickly and those that had married and not had a Videographer, had regretted it.

Who was your photographer?

Martin Price. His work is phenomenal.

Who made your dress and where did you find it?

Beckie purchased her dress at Aurora Bride in North Cheam. The designer was Stella York and it was a SS19 preview dress that she had initially refused to try on. So, Beckie would always advise any Brides who are shopping to research, go to the best stores and try on every style, letting the assistant guide you!

Where did your wedding inspiration come from?

Beckie bought many, many Wedding Magazines for inspiration! She also visited some local, and national, wedding shows. She started a Pinterest board and we would both Google suppliers, items and ideas. We looked to our own shared personal interests and loves for newness, like bands we both had been to see and our pet cat, and tried to incorporate these where we could. Our theme was Navy, White and Silver. Our florist was Jodie at Boutique Blooms. We were drawn to her creativity and natural flair for flower styling. We had white roses and silver foliage styled in glasses and vases of mercurised silver glass. Beckie knew she wanted lots and lots of candles to create the intimate atmosphere and Jodie really incorporated this wish.

Who made your cake and how did you decide on how you wanted it to look?

Liam’s’ Mum and Brother are both bakers and food caterers by trade and they helped us bring our delicious cake to life! We had three tiers, one Victoria Sponge, one Blue Velvet and one Carrot cake, decorated in three differently styled icings. One tier in sugar crystal, one sprayed silver and the other was white butter icing piped in the shape of roses . We took inspiration from designs they had previously made, mixed with our colour theme and ideas seen on Pinterest. Our hairdresser actually recommended the lady who made our cake topper. We had miniature figurines made of clay or ourselves and our cat, with personal touches. Beckie wearing Disney ears and Liam clutching an Xbox controller. Our guests loved it and we now have a little keepsake from our cake that reminds us of our special day.

Who provided the food and how did you choose the menu?

Nonsuch’s Caterers are Bovingdons. Choosing our menu was the hardest, but most fun, decision of our wedding! We are big foodies so the fact that Nonsuch use such a prestige catering service also sealed our venue choice. Nonsuch hold a taster evening and you are invited along to try samples of the menu and of course, the wonderful wines! They hold tasters with several couples at a time, but it is still a very personal and intimate seating. Your coordinator serves the food to you and they style the Orchid room like a restaurant so it feels like a real ‘date night’. There is more than enough to eat, portion wise, and you can ask as many questions as you like. They are also so accommodating if you want to tweak the dishes. The food is outstanding and the choices were so varied. It was hard to choose. However, after much deliberation, we settled on a Cheese Souffle starter, (we adore cheese) Lamb Rump for main and a Panacotta dessert, finished with a mini macaron (Beckies favourite sweet treats!)

Do you have any particular memorable moments from the day?

It would be hard to pick one! Beckie had some particularly lovely moments getting ready with her Bridal Party. We had a few minutes to ourselves just after our ceremony which was nice, as so many people want to speak with you during the day, we would recommend taking those five minutes to yourselves. Our speeches were suitably embarrassing! And of course, our first dance. However, the moment that stands out to us was at the very end of the evening, during the last few songs, all of our wedding guests were up dancing and singing. We just knew everyone was having an amazing time. These moments make it all worthwhile and have been captured on our wedding video!

Do you have any advice for couples who are at the start of the wedding planning process?

Don’t rush. Get a few ideas together and build up a vision around them. Incorporate as many personal touches as you can, from your hobbies and pets, to music tastes and shared interests. You, and your guests, will really notice these throughout the day and it will make your wedding distinctive and unique. Take time in choosing suppliers. When you have found the suppliers for you, use their knowledge and experience, let them guide you. We believe that we had a really relaxing and special day which ran itself, and ran smoothly, due to this. Most important of all, don’t forget that your wedding day is about you and celebrating your love. Be flexible with others where you need to, but put yourselves first. Relax and enjoy it!