Here’s a great confetti shot from Liz & Dave’s snowy wedding at Gosfield Hall!

Bride Nicola tells us about her and Richard’s lovely wedding in Chelmsford…

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?  ~  We had our wedding at Hylands House in Chelmsford.  The venue is such a beautiful place and the gardens just made it the perfect venue.  We looked at lots of different places and Hylands ticked all of the boxes.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?  ~   Our theme was Alice in Wonderland and the colour that we chose was cornflower blue.

What was your dress like and why do you love it?  ~  My wedding dress was a Maggie Sottero design and was quite simplistic; it was ivory with a chiffon type bottom with a flower detail at the waist.

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’  ~   My something blue was probably my bridesmaids- they were dressed in blue!  My something borrowed was my sister’s garter.  My something new was my necklace that Richard bought me for the day and my something old was a Sixpence that I put in my shoe for luck.

Where did your groom get his morning suit?  ~   The groom got his morning suit from Moss Bros.

Did you buy each other wedding presents?  ~   I bought Richard a watch.   Richard bought me a necklace and earrings to wear on the day (a last minute decision after he realised that I had bought him a present!! Haha!)

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?  ~  We had a three-tier fruit cake made by Simply Cakes.  It was delicious and was decorated with a detailed pattern (an embroidery effect) with three sugared flowers on the top, which were replicas of the flower that was on my wedding dress.

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?  ~   I would have to say two places- firstly my friends, we attended a few weddings over the last two years and we not only had the benefit of their advice but also got to see how everything went on the day, so we had a good idea what we did and didn’t want and what was successful.  Secondly- Wedding magazines- they were a great source of information and I loved going through all of the different ones and tearing out the ideas that caught my eye so I could get inspiration for my own wedding.

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.  ~  Everyone was amazing, I have to say our florist Jades flowers did a fantastic job.  Beverley and her team were able to bring my ideas to life and everyone commented on how lovely the table decorations were.  Our caterers also did an amazing job, the food was delicious and the staff on the day were brilliant and made the day run smoothly.

Do you have any advice for future brides?  ~  Try not to worry about the little things, I worried about every last detail- I made the wedding invites and I tried to make every one perfect.  The day goes so quickly, so just savour every aspect and don’t allow the little things that don’t necessarily go to plan affect your day.

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?  ~  The picture with Richard sitting at the piano and me standing looking at him has to be my favourite of the day.  Although it’s quite hard to pick as Jo did some great shots on the day.

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?  ~  Definitely.  We found Studio Rochford at the wedding fayre at Hylands House and they did an exceptional job.  It’s amazing for me to get a picture with my eyes actually open and I was really delighted with our final album.  Jo did a fantastic job on the day and went above and beyond, she helped co-ordinate the wedding party and helped with everyone’s buttonholes.  After being to a few weddings and witnessing a few photographers both Richard and I knew that we had made the right choice with Studio Rochford.

In the next  interview with our Brides of 2011, Cat tells us about her special day…

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location? ~ Our ceremony was at Holy Family and All Saints Church in Witham (my local church) and our reception was at Le Talbooth restaurant in Colchester.  We chose the venue because it was the nicest that we looked around with the friendliest staff, and because it was a restaurant we knew the food would be good!

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme? ~ Forest green colour scheme, no real theme, a very traditional wedding.

What was your dress like and why do you love it? ~ My dress was ivory, A line, strapless, quite traditional.  There was beading work on the left side of the bodice, which was subtle but very pretty.  I loved it the second I put it on - it was elegant and flattering, and it felt really light so I was really comfortable in it!

Tell us about your ’something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’ ~ My something old, borrowed and blue was the garter that my mum wore when she married my dad.  I had a couple of other “borroweds” as well - my hair jewels were from my aunty and my veil was from a close friend.  And there was a small blue flower on my bra too!  My something new was my dress. 

Where did your groom get his morning suit? ~ Pronuptia in Birmingham

Did you buy each other wedding presents? ~ Our rings and the honeymoon were our presents to each other.

Can you tell me about your wedding cake? ~ We made it with Kit’s mum!  It was good fun and not as stressful as I’d thought, because Liz is so good at making cakes and she was really relaxed about it all.  Apparently the icing of the cakes was far more stressful though!  We just had plain white icing, and got the florist to decorate with flowers between the layers.

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information? ~ A mixture of friends, family and magazines - Kit’s older sister was invaluable, as were two of my close friends who got married the year before us.

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service. ~ Absolutely everyone we dealt with did, we were so lucky!  The staff at Le Talbooth were fantastic, everyone went the extra mile - from silly things like checking with us that everything was ok on the day, from allowing us a few visits to show around our parents, to returning phone calls promptly and being upfront about payments.

Also, the service from Studio Rochford was impeccable.  Every single thing we could have asked for was provided for - from cups of tea when we came around to view the photos(!) to memorising the names of our close friends and family, they again, went the extra mile.

Do you have any advice for future brides? ~ Try not to get bogged down in the politics of planning the wedding - there will be aspects people disagree over, but remember that none of it is personal, and at the end of the day, it’s whether you and the groom have a good time that matters.  Most importantly, when the day arrives, allow yourself time to sit back and absorb it all, and go with the flow - little things may go wrong, but it doesn’t matter, just enjoy the whole day.

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it? ~ The hardest decision I’ve made in a while (I have about fifteen favourites!) but I think favourite favourite is this simple picture of us together looking very happy.  My other favourites are the one of us in the church sitting down, where Kit’s looking over at me and the big group shot of everyone at the venue.

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you? ~ 100% perfect.  Couldn’t have asked for more!  Thank you so much.

 We are loving our look-back at 2011 with some of our wonderful couples!  Today Laura share with us the thoughts and preparations behind her wedding day at Leez Priory.

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?

We decided to have our wedding at the gorgeous manor of Leez Priory, we decided to have it here purely because of the beautiful architecture of the building and landscapes of the surrounding lawns. As soon as we stepped into the venue we knew it was the one for our wedding.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?

 We had a vintage and garden theme. It was based around lace, sage green, and dusky pink, with vintage pearls, roses and ivy in the flowers.

What was your dress like and why do you love it?

 My dress was purely lace; it was a fish tail fit with a sweet heart neckline.  I loved it as it felt so couture; the lace said it all and it was the fit I always wanted.

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

Something Old -  My Grandma’s Wedding band, she sadly passed away and I borrowed her wedding band from my mum to have in my bag all day.

Something New - My Jewellery and bag

Something Borrowed - My sister’s ring cushion from her wedding

Something Blue - My Garter which has blue ribbon on it! 

Where did your groom get his morning suit?

 He hired them from Moss Bros

Did you buy each other wedding presents?

 No as we had a honeymoon of a lifetime to go on so saving our pennies for Dubai and the Maldives!

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?

 It ran in with the theme of the wedding with lace detail, pearls, and pink roses on the top. The cake was a simple 3 tier cake, with the bottom being chocolate, middle sponge and top chocolate!

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?

 Magazines!! I spent hundreds on them! Searching through them then cutting them up for my scrapbook!!

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.

 Supplier of our cake was fantastic she was very supportive and was well valued.

Do you have any advice for future brides?

Do not stress! What will be will be, and to search around for little bargains if you have a theme as it all adds up!

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?

Yes you caught the feel of the wedding perfectly, we were blessed with the weather and the effort you took into capturing the most stunning pictures of the venue and capturing moments that we can treasure forever, we can not thank you enough.

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?

 I have 2! Portrait of us both as we never have professional pictures taken of us and it is truly perfect, then also one of us both walking away in black and white kissing as it just captures the moment perfectly.

Samantha & Lee had a beautiful wedding day at Highley Manor in West Sussex and chose Sally at Studio Rochford to photograph the big day as she is Lee’s step-sister!  Here we ask Samantha to give us her reflections of their special day.

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?

It took place at Highley Manor, West Sussex.  We chose the location as I had always wanted a manor house or stately home and the owners couldn’t have done enough to assist us.  Furthermore it was near a lot of our family and friends and we live close by as well.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?

Teal was my chosen colour, although getting all the shades to match as closely as possible was extremely difficult!

What was your dress like and why do you love it?

My dress was a Suzanne Neville ‘Fontaine’ dress and it was made of gorgeous silk, A line, sleeveless, full length.  I loved it because it was long enough for a start(!) fitted beautifully, and had added a little flower to the side of it to make it a bit more different to a standard dress of that design.

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’

My something ‘new’ was pretty much everything I had on! But I treated the jewellery as that.  Something borrowed and blue was a garter I borrowed from a friend, which I didn’t actually end up wearing… and the something old was that I had borrowed my bridesmaid’s tiara that she used for her wedding.

Where did your groom get his morning suit?

The groom got his morning suit (with the Bride’s direction!) from our local Moss Bros and we got all the other suits from here too.

Did you buy each other wedding presents?

Not really, we’d spent enough on the wedding!  I did buy him a couple of jokey presents and he had bought a couple of jokey things for the speech but we had told each other we weren’t going to do that.

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?

I wanted to have a pretty simply cake but I didn’t want sponge so unfortunately had to get one made.  However it turned out beautifully and was a 4 tier ivory iced square cake with two tiers lemon drizzle and two chocolate.  I didn’t get any of the lemon drizzle but I’m told it was lovely!!

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?

 This is really difficult as I spent ages online researching.  I wanted to make sure I was getting a good deal and to try not to be bankrupted, but at the same time I wanted things to be nice and look lovely.  I would say the most useful source is the internet but definitely magazines help get an idea of how things can look.

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.

Well naturally the photographer, which goes without saying!!!

But also the shop I bought my wedding dress – Truly Gorgeous in Chichester, West Sussex.  Sunay was fantastic – she knew what would look good on me and did her utmost to get it for me, and it fitted perfectly.  Would thoroughly recommend her.  Furthermore she wasn’t local to me – took me an hour to get there and she did her best to accommodate my working in the city and living an hour’s drive from the shop.

Do you have any advice for future brides?

I think I started planning a bit too soon, which meant I didn’t have the excited panic at the end of it but still managed to get stressed!  I would say just be organised, don’t let anybody bully you into doing something you don’t want, and if you want something (and can afford it) go for it!  I nearly got ready at the venue in an effort to save money on the cars, but in the end decided to get ready at my parents and get an old 1957 Bentley and I loved every minute of it and it was well worth the money.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask if people can knock money off.  I only started this towards the end of the purchasing which was a mistake.  Some people won’t do it, but it’s worth a try!

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?

Most definitely.  We had gone with Studio Rochford because of family connections but in reality they were the one company that actually provided the service we were looking for.  We met with Jo when we came to visit initially who was incredibly helpful and gave us an idea as to how we would want our album.  Sally did a spectacular job on the day with an unruly family and a pre-wedding disorganised bride (in relation to photos!).  She said she was nervous but you would never have known!  My mum and her family (no relation on this side!) specifically commented on what a great job she (and her daughter) had done.  Would definitely recommend them!

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?

My favourite photograph is the one with Lee and I on the stairs looking up.  I love how my dress looks here and the contrast of it against the stairs.

Nicki & Jordan’s wedding day was filled with laughter from beginning to end and was a real joy to photograph!  The happy couple had been secretly attending dance classes to prepare for a surprise routine for their first dance and were then joined on the dance floor by their bridal party for another routine!  They were brilliant!  Nicki shares with us how she planned her special day.

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?  We got married at Sacred Heart Church in Southend and the wedding reception was at The Lawn, Rochford. We chose the church as it is Jordan’s family church and we chose The Lawn because we loved the style of the house and grounds and by chance it fitted perfectly with the horse and carriage.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?  Our colour scheme was purple as this is my favourite colour.

What was your dress like and why do you love it?  I chose my dress, as I knew it perfect for me when I first tried it on. It was a white A-line dress with sweetheart neckline. It had embroidery around the neckline, at the waist and base of the front and end of the train. I loved this dress as it gave me a lovely shape and made me feel very special in it.

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’  My something old was a sixpence and a small silver horseshoe that my Mum sewed into the back of my dress. My new was all the clothes I wore, something borrowed were earrings, which my Mum had, and they matched exactly to the necklace I had bought and my something blue was the ribbon on the top of the horseshoe and the seamstress had sewn a bow into the bottom of my dress.

Where did your groom get his morning suit?  He got them from Del Tailors in Benfleet.

Did you buy each other wedding presents?  No we didn’t. At the time we didn’t have the money after paying out for everything else. We also felt that the day itself would give us more memories than any object could.

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?  I wanted a fairly traditional wedding so we went for a three tiered fruit cake, white icing, purple icing petals and the stand holding each tier had silk roses in them in purple and cream.

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?  The Internet came in very handy to get ideas. We went to quite a few wedding fairs and these enabled us to speak to suppliers to get a feel of whether they were more set on what they did or whether they would take our ideas into consideration.

Do you have any advice for future brides?  Set yourself a budget and stick to it but most importantly enjoy the day and try to remember as much as possible as although you may not believe it when people say how fast the day goes…. it really does.

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.  It’s really difficult to narrow it down to just one supplier but the ones that really provided a first-class service were Ultimate entertainment: James was the DJ we used and he was brilliant.  When we booked him we had to select 20 of our favourite songs, then a few weeks before the wedding he met with us to get an idea of what type of music we wanted.  For us it was all about getting people on the dance floor!  Bridal Boutique is the other supplier who provided a first class service. There was no pressure to try the dresses on quickly and all the staff were so friendly that they greeted you as if you had been friends for a long time.

 Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?  Studio Rochford was definitely the right photographer for us. They had done the wedding photos for both my sister-in-law and a work colleague, so I’d met Jo before and seen the fantastic photos they take. Because Jo and Sally were so organised we got the photos done quickly which meant we could spend time talking to the guests. The photos that they took were all so lovely it made it very difficult to narrow them down to fit into the album. 

 What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?  Jordan & I in the doorway to the Lawn. I love this photo because this is the point we were finally able to relax. Plus the colours show off my dress in great detail.

The Lawn, Rochford is one of our favourite wedding venues.  Jennifer explains why their day was particularly special…

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?   The Lawn - venue was close to home, which was important to us as we didn’t want friends & family to have to travel far and pay to stay in a hotel. I had also looked through photos of The Lawn on your website and thought they looked lovely. 

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?  Our colour scheme was dark blue and silver.

 What was your dress like and why do you love it?  Silk, strapless A-line gown with some glitz - it was my idea of what a bride should be.

 Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’   Something old was a ring from my Nan, something new was the dress.  Something borrowed was a pair of earrings from my mum & something blue was my flowers & the sapphire ring from my Nan.

 Where did your groom get his morning suit?  Moss

 Did you buy each other wedding presents?  David bought me a print of our church ~ St Peter & St Paul, Hockley, with our names & date of marriage.

 Can you tell me about your wedding cake?  A three tier ivory cake from Sugar craft in Hullbridge with iced roses and lace (2 fruit and one sponge)

 What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?  Wedding Bible by Sarah Haywood 

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.  Sugar Craft - I simply picked a cake and it arrived on the day without any hassle and looked perfect.  Firework company = Pyro-vision, they were organised, professional and delivered way beyond our expectations.  Francine Spurr Bridal Makeup - such a professional service and so calming on the morning of the wedding.  And of course Jo - Studio Rochford, nothing was too much for Jo from distracting screaming children to fixing my veil! Brilliant service. 

Do you have any advice for future brides?  Take a few moments to look around and take everything in, after putting so much planning in, make sure you enjoy it, taste a canapé, listen to the band, smell the flowers!

 What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?  So many but the picture of David and I signing the register is my favourite - it’s the one that makes it official and a place I wasn’t sure we would get to given my poor health in the years prior to the wedding. I think I look relieved, happy and hopeful and I love David’s smile.

 Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?  Yes, we couldn’t have asked for more. So glad we found you!

Victoria & David’s stunning wedding at Boreham House was planned, booked and celebrated within six weeks!  In the first of a series of interviews with our brides of 2011, Victoria gives us the inside story of her special day…

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?  Our wedding took place at Boreham House. From the moment we pulled up to the venue, we knew this was where we wanted to get married! The magnificent long drive up and the fantastic lake in front of the venue sold it for us! It was also a good distance away from where we live, not too close/not too far, which was exactly what we were looking for, giving guests the option to stay the night or taxi home.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?  Our colour scheme was green…. my favourite colour!

What was your dress like and why do you love it? My dress was a big dress!! Fitted to the waist, then puffed out… the skirt had fantastic rose detailing on it… I fell in love with the dress as soon as I tried it on… you will never get another chance to wear a dress like that, so why not?! I felt like a princess!

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’  Blue - my sister brought me a blue brooch to pin on my garter.  Borrowed - I borrowed my sister’s garter.  Something new - new underwear. Something old - my nan’s jewellery.

Where did your groom get his morning suit? Anthony Formalwear in Billericay. Can thoroughly recommend! Beautiful suits and fantastic service!

Did you buy each other wedding presents? Yes, we decided to buy each other perfume/aftershave. It was a surprise though, as we chose the smell we most loved smelling on each other

Can you tell me about your wedding cake? Very plain and simple.. 4 tiers of separate mini square cakes with a large one on top. With a flower on top. That way, we had a mixture of chocolate, plain sponge with jam and fruit Yum!

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information? Without a doubt, my sister!! My sister only got married 2 years ago, so she had all the contacts I needed! Although I couldn’t have done anything without the internet… searching companies, reviews of companies, ideas and ordering online!

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service. Bellissima Bridal in South Woodham Ferrers… As you are aware, I booked my wedding within 5 1/2 weeks so first thing on my list was the dress!!! Bellissima went above and beyond their call of duty…  I popped into the shop on the off chance on a Saturday and without an appointment.  The manager allowed me to try on dresses in the ‘mother of the bride department’ squeezing my large dress into a tiny changing room!!  Luckily  I found my dress! They allowed me to use the dress off the rail (a size 14 to be turned into a size 6/8 was not easy!!) They managed to squeeze me in to their hectic diaries with fittings etc and the dress was ready on time! All staff members were very friendly and they made my experience even more special!

Do you have any advice for future brides? Take in every single minute of the day and make the most of it…. it goes so so quick! 

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it? Our favourite photograph was the photo of both of us in front of the lake!! This is the exact shot of what we fell in love with! We just loved our venue!

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you? Absolutely!! We had been recommended by many friends that you were the place to go to and we were absolutely not disappointed!! From the moment we spoke to Jo, she was so friendly and so easy to get on with. We felt really at ease and felt we could say whatever we felt.  Jo again managed to squeeze us in to her schedule without a blink and we knew it was then meant to be! On the day, Jo took complete control and got some AMAZING shots!! The one thing we were concerned about was not having a videographer.  We were concerned that certain parts of the day might be missed… but that was not the case!! Jo captured every single part of the day and as I look back through all of my photographs, every photo tells the complete story of the day, not one part was missed!! Thank you so much Jo!! xxx

Featured in this month’s Master Photographers Association Magazine is Jo’s portrait which won an award at the Master Photographers Association Awards in Newcastle in October.  Jo was a finalist in the ‘family portrait’ catergory and she was awarded an Award of Excellence. Her beautiful portrait of Nicole and brand new baby Emily is one of our favourites!  We love the soft natural colours and Nicole looks so serene just days after giving birth while baby Emily is totally scrumptious! 

Another rainy wedding ~ this time for Pam & James at Leez Priory.  Pam’s Mum looked as proud as punch when she saw her daughter all ready for her big day.  As always, us Brits never let a drop of rain spoil the fun and a fantastic wedding venue such as Leez Priory will always have great places to shoot - both inside and out!