S & F wedding - Engagement shoot

Choosing a wedding photographer was one of the most important tasks for us. Knowing that your wedding photographs are going to be one of few physical memories of your big day, you can see why it's important to choose the right photographer. For you. 

I know a few couples that haven't been happy with their photographer's final product, which makes me sad. As someone who loves photography (looking more so than taking), I wasn't going to take any chances. I started with the usual Googling and searching supplier lists such as those on RMW. Nothing really captured my attention though. 

After thinking I would never find the perfect photographer for us, we stumbled across VLA Photography at our venue's supplier open day. As soon as we met Jon and talked through our requirements, we were instantly excited. Seeing some of his photos helped as well, but we were just so taken with Jon's relaxed and friendly approach that we decided to book a consultation with him. Obviously, that went well and we booked with VLA.

Yippeee!

Our wedding package included an engagement shoot, which we nearly missed out on. Time passed by so quickly whilst planning the wedding that we forgot about the engagement shoot until about six weeks before the big day. I think we ended up having theses photos taken only a few weeks before the wedding.

Jon likes to hold the engagement shoot at your venue, so off to Gate Street Barn we went. It was late October/early November so we had to take a chance with the weather. Second time round we got lucky.

Having the engagement shoot was the perfect opportunity to work with Jon and get to know his working style, and also get used to having our photograph taken. It's safe to say that neither Fraser nor I are shy, retiring types, but having your photograph taken by a professional feels different. I didn't want to be the 'un-photogenic one'. In all honesty, we found the whole experience really easy and Jon had some brilliant tricks to make us laugh, smile and look like we're completely head over heels for one another (which we are).

 

Jon has captured our spirit perfectly and the images completely reflect our entire relationship: FUN! No one makes me laugh as much as Fraser does, and we had some good giggles during our engagement shoot. We certainly didn't want sappy, romantic style photos; that's just not us.

Hilarious huh?

Gate Street Barn was the perfect location - just look at that backdrop. So many autumnal colours and  natural beauty.

We love these photos so much that we put together a wall display of our favourites in our bedroom. After all, there's not many photos that capture our relationship so well and that are so natural.

We can be romantic...

I've only just realised that the engagement ring does not feature in any of the photographs.  Am I sad about that? Absolutely not! The ring is just the material element of our commitment to one another. What's important is that we're together and we're ALWAYS happy - a ring won't do that for me but Fraser will!

 

I hope you've enjoyed looking through the photos. Massive credit to Jon Fraser of VLA Photography. We cannot recommend him enough. Really.

The end...

Shones
xoxo

S&F Wedding - The Dress...

Having booked the date and venue, the next focus was the dress. I really wasn't sure what to make of the impending experience and whether I would enjoy it or not. I started with Pinterest and magazines to get an idea of the styles I did like. I was very certain from the beginning what I did NOT like. Looking at dresses was fun for a while but it soon became overwhelming and a little irritating what with the lack of prices online...

I started my search at a Bridal Boutique in Hull while I was at my parents over Christmas. I knew my mum would be brutally honest about what looked best on me.  I tried on a variety of styles, even the obligatory 'meringue' dress, and quickly knew what I did, and did not, want. A really important factor for me was to find a dress that reflected me and my personality i.e. the dress that everyone would look at and say "that's so Shona". I know I achieved that. And feel lucky that I didn't have a long and painful search for my dress. You'll know yourself when you've found the right dress - you won't want to take it off...

The first dress I considered a 'contender' was a Justin Alexander tea length dress (style 8706), however there was a satin band that I just did not like. Sometimes the minor details can be the deal breaker. You HAVE to love every single detail of the dress. I did, however confirm that I wanted nothing but a tea length dress for my wedding day...

Justin Alexander 8706 (front)

Back

After Christmas, I booked another set of bridal boutique visits; this time closer to home and with my sister - another brutally honest family member. The first boutique I visited was Wedding Frox, in Cranleigh. I didn't mess around and asked straight away if they had any tea length dresses. Initially the assistant didn't think they did [sad face] and then she was directed to the end of the (very long) rail to a dress they had "just received yesterday". As soon as she took it off the rail I knew it was "the one". I was so excited to try it on...

It was so perfect! It ticked every single requirement: classic, simple, elegant, timeless, lace, fuss free, and had lots of tulle. I honestly could have walked out of the shop in it there and then.  The dress I chose was a Kenneth Winston, Private Label by G - style 1550. I had not come across Kenneth Winston during my original searches, which meant I had no preconceptions about the designer/collections in general. I think this was a blessing as it made me confident that I loved the dress for how it looked and fitted me, rather than loving it for being a fashionable label. 

KW style 1550

My dress...

I was set to buy the dress there and then but the assistant advised I go to my other appointments that day and at least sleep on it. I thought that was really sensible and trying on other dresses certainly helped confirm my decision about the Kenneth Winston dress. Bizarrely, the KW dress was not the dress that made my sister cry. Go figure!

I guess what really sealed the deal for me was the fact that the KW dress would work perfectly with my bridal shoes. I'd already decided that I wanted shoes in Fraser's tartan, which I thought would a) look awesome and b) provide a sense of unity between us on the day.  I wanted the wedding day to be as much about him as it was me.

'Muted Fraser' tartan shoes

I had the shoes custom made at Upper Street and they were perfect in every way. Fraser (and everyone else) absolutely loved them, and I personally love the fact that I can wear them again and again.

I also wore a birdcage veil and pearl studs from Lily Bella. As we got married in November I also had a marabou shrug, which I purchased from John Lewis. It was bucketing it down on the day, so our photographer brought the lovely white umbrella, which I actually love. I just think it adds another dimension to the photographs - rain isn't all bad huh?

Tips for wedding dress shopping:
- Go with family and friends that you trust wholeheartedly and can accept (any type of) feedback from;
- At the beginning of your search, be open minded. Try on all styles of dresses as it will really help you decided what does and does not suit you;
- Know your budget and tell the shop even if they don't ask. There's really no point trying on a £3k dress and falling in love with it, if you only have £1k to spend (it was a £3k dress that made my sister cry);
- Wear supportive, nude underwear, especially a strapless bra. You'll be getting undressed in front of strangers, so try not to be too shy either - they'll have seen it all before, no doubt!
- Don't forget to try on veils and other accessories to see if they work well with the dress - you don't want to leave anything to chance...
- Be completely in LOVE with every inch of your dress, every single inch. If you are not 100% in love with your dress, do not buy it and hope you'll grow to love it. It's one of the most important purchases you'll make as a woman - LOVE EVERY SINGLE INCH OF THAT DRESS!

Here's some of my favourite photos from the day - I hope you like them...

 

 

Shones

xoxo

S&F Wedding - The venue

Gate Street Barn

After the proposal we were focused on setting the date and finding our dream venue. We both wanted to get married down south, near Guildford, rather than Scotland (where Fraser is from) or Hull (where I'm from) as we knew it would be difficult to select suppliers and organise everything from afar. We also loved the idea of getting married in the area we now call home and having all our friends and family see what a beautiful part of the country we live in. 

Before Fraser even proposed I'd done a few secret searches of wedding venues in and around Guildford (who doesn't?) and stumbled across Gate Street Barn (GSB). Just from the images on their website I got a feeling that this venue was a major contender. I've never told him about my secret searches; I just made it look like I found it when I was looking, legitimately, at venues. No doubt, I'm busted now!

It turned out though that Fraser also loved the look of the venue and was up for visiting it sooner rather than later. So we booked a viewing with the lovely ladies at Gate Street.

I should say, at this point, there were so many positives about GSB including:

• The beautiful setting; 
• It's licensed to hold civil ceremonies, which meant the whole day in one place; 
• A beautiful interior which could be decorated to our liking/theme; 
• No corkage charge; 
• A huge supplier list; 
• A bridal suite to get ready in in the morning; 
• A 15 minute drive from our house; 
• Endless positive reviews and comments from couples and guests alike

Photo: VLA Photography

What wasn't to love? We donned our best poker faces and greeted Jane, the owner, at the office, who was beyond lovely. Positive sign no. 1. Beautiful bridal suite. Positive sign no. 2. Amazing, amazing barn with beautiful high beams, beautiful chairs, beautiful floor, twinkling fairy lights, sensational chandeliers... ❤️ Positive sign no.3. A separate area called The Pheasantry housing the bar and where guests gather when they're turning the barn area around, filled with hanging hops - perfect for all our beer loving friends. Positive sign no.4. The grounds and the huge fire pit, which would be great for our autumn wedding. Positive sign no.5.

By this point, I was doing pretty well with my poker face. Fraser, on the other hand, was squealing with excitement... we were sold! What I particularly liked was that Jane was not pushy at all - she clearly stated their booking policy and left it at that. The team don't really need to give it the hard sell as it's such a beautiful venue - it does all the talking itself.

Still beautiful in the rain

 

23.11.14

We didn't visit any other venues. Our hearts were set on GSB. A few days later we confirmed our booking and ticked 'venue' firmly off our list. 23.11.14. The countdown had begun...  

Some words of advice when choosing your wedding venue:

• When you visit your venue imagine it's your big day there and then. It really does help you think about how the day might run and what you and your guests will experience.
• Ask lots of questions! Go with a list. Main things at this point are terms and conditions, cancellation policies, payment terms, understanding if there's any hidden extras and what is/is not permitted.
• Search the Internet for wedding photographs at your venue - I did this a lot and got a really good feel for how people had decorated the venue, good locations for photographs, different suppliers and what they could offer. Search wedding blogs too to get a good idea of others' personal experiences of getting married at the venue.
• Know your budget - that way, if you fall in love with a venue that is outside of your budget, you should be prepared to make sacrifices elsewhere. The venue is a deal breaker, I think.
• Be prepared to negotiate (not for everyone; but if you don't ask, you don't get). I left that to my husband as he's pretty good at that sort of thing... 
• Go with your heart - you'll know what's right for you both. Any niggling doubts are a sign - deal with them. Don't settle for less than you're worth. It's YOUR big day!

 

S&F Wedding - The engagement...

So, I should probably start from the beginning for my Wedding Wednesday series. The engagement. Let's go back to August 2013...

At that point Fraser and I had been together nearly five years and we knew we wanted to get married at some point but we had no firm thoughts on when. I'd begun to tease him a little about proposing, mainly due to the fact that everyone was getting married around us. We were attending three or four weddings a year at that point so marriage was not too far from our radar. My sister had been teasing Fraser quite a lot; in fact, one Christmas she'd written a gift tag pretending to be from Fraser saying "Will you marry me?" Bless him, he nearly had a heart attack!

I think like most men, Fraser didn't want to be pressurised into proposing and wanted to do it when the time was right for him and in his own way. Cue 9th August 2013.

He'd asked me to book the Friday off work and said that he wanted to take me on a surprise day out. His reasoning for this was that he'd been away with work quite a bit and planned to be away over the coming months. Fair enough. Did it cross my mind that he was going to propose? Initially yes, but his reason was so valid that I couldn't decide for certain. I did bombard him with lots of questions, number one being:
S - "Are you going to propose?" 
F - "NO!" Of course he had a full response prepared to throw me off the scent, and he did just that. Good man.
S - "Do I need a passport?"
F - "NO!" 
I think I was more disappointed that I wasn't going abroad than the fact I wasn't being proposed to. After many more questions, all I managed to get out of him was that I needed to pack an overnight bag, pack swimwear and some smart evening wear. My mind immediately went to 'spa day', to which I reassured myself further that Fraser was definitely not going to propose. That just wasn't his style, right?
9th August arrived and off we went in the car; still with no idea where we were heading. A3, M25, signs for Staines - Staines? - what the hell is in Staines? 

Luckily we weren't heading for Staines, we were heading for the gorgeous Runnymede hotel, set on the banks of the River Thames, near Windsor. As soon as we drove up I knew Fraser was definitely not going to propose. It was all just so cliche and, dare I say it, predictable (pah, how wrong was I?). We checked in, went up to the room, dumped our bags and checked out what the hotel had to offer. Fraser did confess that he thought we were long overdue some quality 'Shaz' (Shona+Fraz) time, and he'd heard good things about the hotel, so took the plunge. Yes, the hotel had a spa, and it even had an outdoor swimming pool (amazing). The weather was beautiful that day too, so we headed straight outdoors and grabbed our sun loungers. 

After we'd sunbathed, visited the sauna and steam room, we went back to the room and got ready for dinner. Still no proposal.
Dinner was absolutely delicious. I have no recollection of what we had; I just remember Fraser tipping the pepper pot over his main and the lid coming off - a mound of pepper landing on top of his dinner. I found that quite hilarious, the server was mortified but the chef did an excellent job of preparing a new dish within minutes. Now, I do remember dessert, because I LOVE trifle. Still no proposal though.

After dinner, we retired to the bar and had quite a number of drinks. Still no proposal. We both started to feel a little tipsy, so retired to the room. I went to the bathroom and unbeknown to me, this is when Fraser did his 'prep' (he put out the proposal card on the dresser). By the time I'd faffed around in the bathroom I was pretty tired. I laid on the bed feeling a little tipsy and tired, not noticing the card for at least 40 mins. On reflection, I do recall Fraser acting rather strangely during those 40 minutes - up and down like a yo-yo, waving his arms around whilst stood in front of the dresser. Nope, I didn't have a clue. FINALLY, I noticed...
S - "Is that a card? For me?"
F - "Yes, why don't you open it"
<opens card>
<sees message>

THE proposal! It caught me completely off guard. 
S - "Are you serious?"
F - "Yeah, so how about it?"
S - "YES, YES, YES!"
<wipes tears from eyes>
What I loved about the proposal was that Fraser never actually said those four little words - will you marry me? - instead, he left it to that one image to do all the talking. He also combined two of my favourite things into his proposal - photography and a (greetings) card (I love cards more than presents). It was perfect! Truly perfect. I love the fact I have a physical memory and keepsake from the proposal, and not just a ring - although Fraser didn't have a ring for the proposal as I'd told him not to buy one. I'm not a big fan of jewellery and am rather fussy when I do wear it, so I wanted to personally try rings on and thought choosing it together would be much more fun than Fraser hoping he'd made a right choice alone.
Of course, we went ring shopping the next day and I made my choice quite quickly (see photo at top of page). I knew instantly it was right for me: simple, understated, practical yet different to some of the more traditional engagement rings out there.

After calling family and friends to announce the news, I knew what I had to do next...

Let the planning commence!

Shones
xoxo