THE LOVE STORY

● How and where did you first meet?

Nik and I met whilst we both worked for Disney! We were in different teams but we’d occasionally both go to a separate office where you had to hot desk. One day in 2019 we happened to both sit next to each other and introduced ourselves - that was the start of our “office romance”!

● What were your first impressions of each other?

I’d seen Nik around the office before and thought he was very cool, always surrounded by people and seemed friendly! He saw me around and thought I was cute but it wasn’t until we “coincidentally” sat next to each other that we finally got to talking and we hit it off immediately!

● When did you know you were in love or that Nik was "the one"?

I don’t know if there was an exact moment but during our first trip together to Oxford I could tell I’d already fallen for him! Wandering the city, exploring the botanical gardens, grabbing morning coffees…it felt so natural and joyful! I knew I wanted to do this with him forever! I felt completely myself with him and even doing the most mundane things with him, made my world feel so much bigger and brighter!

“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

— Quote Source

● Tell us about your first date.

I could never forget this story because he made me get up at 6.30am on a SUNDAY! You can get last-minute tickets to the musical “Matilda” on a Sunday if you arrive when the box office opens (which at the time opened around 8am) and he suggested we try to get tickets for the matinee and get breakfast together. We managed to get tickets and ended up spending the whole day together. We didn’t really want the date to end so kept suggesting more things to do, like going to a few bookshops and then getting drinks. It was the best, and last, first date I’ve ever had!

● How did the proposal happen? Who asked, and where?

Nik put so much thought and preparation into the proposal! It was early 2022 and the world was opening up again after Covid. My family had planned a trip to California to visit extended relatives and visit home - I’m half american so I was so excited to show Nik around. Nik and I have a tradition of visiting botanical gardens on every trip, so on our first night in California, we stayed at a hotel away from family to enjoy a day, just the two of us. He insisted we had to visit the Huntington Gardens in LA. That morning, we wandered through the gardens, enjoying the sights and each other's company. In the Chinese gardens, we found a quiet, secluded gazebo. Nik, being the photography enthusiast that he is, set up his camera - something I didn’t think twice about as he always sets up his camera to get a good shot! But little did I know he was about to pop the question! It was such a romantic proposal and having that peaceful spot to ourselves made it even more special. I had a slight suspicion something was up as Nik had actually lost the ring when we landed in California (which I had no idea about until after the fact!!) Overall, a beautifully memorable proposal!

THE WEDDING DRESS & THE BIG DAY

● How did you choose your wedding venue and what made it the perfect fit?

Nik and I visited quite a few venues at the start of planning, as we hadn’t yet figured out the kind of location or atmosphere we truly wanted at our wedding. Exploring different options helped us narrow it down to two finalists. We knew we wanted a setting that embraced nature and the countryside, especially since we both love autumn and we wanted this reflected in our surroundings! We were also looking for a place with beautiful interiors that still felt intimate. Highley Manor ticked every box! It’s incredibly romantic and offered everything we needed, including the option to get married outdoors in October, which miraculously, turned out to be the sunniest October day you could imagine! The Highley Manor team also made the planning process seamless, handling the catering and coordinating with our vendors. We truly would’ve been lost without our amazing wedding coordinator, Yvette, who ensured everything ran smoothly. It was the perfect venue for us.

“I was looking for a place that felt welcoming and personal, and BRIDE By Aster really stood out from the rest. It was the most excited I’d felt about visiting a boutique!”

● What was the inspiration behind your wedding's theme, decor, and colours?

Autumn was a huge inspiration behind our wedding theme, decor and colour palette. It’s our favourite season, so choosing to get married in October felt only natural! Burnt orange was featured in the bridesmaids’ dresses and the groomsmen’s ties, paired with hunter green (Nik’s favourite colour), warm browns, earthy tones, and touches of gold throughout the rest of the decor. To enhance the autumnal feel, we incorporated decorations like leaves and pumpkins, which added a cosy charm. That being said, Highley Manor already has such a beautifully cosy atmosphere that it didn’t need much added to it! As avid book lovers, we also wove that interest into our theming. Each table at the wedding breakfast was named after a book that holds special meaning for us both.

● What were you looking for in a wedding dress?

When I started wedding dress shopping, I thought I should choose something that matched the venue and the overall atmosphere we were trying to create. I also assumed it would be smarter to pick a dress that simply suited me, even if it wasn’t necessarily what I was drawn to! I was completely wrong! I believed that if a dress complemented both the venue and myself, it would be perfect - but that wasn’t the case at all! I initially tried on several “classic” styles that were elegant and simple. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a simpler dress, I just didn’t feel like myself in them. I’ve always been drawn to more unconventional styles but thought I wouldn’t suit those types of wedding dresses! The moment I tried on a more avant-garde dress at BRIDE By Aster, everything changed. I knew I couldn’t go back! From that point on, I focused on finding a dress that not only made me feel beautiful, but also truly felt like me.

● How did you choose the bridal boutiques you wanted to visit?

This is a tricky one because I actually used a few different approaches when choosing which bridal boutiques. I think it’s really important to do your research and find boutiques that align with your style and what you're looking for in a dress. I started by scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram to get a sense of the types of dresses I loved. If I found a specific dress I wanted to try, I’d look up which boutique stocked it and book an appointment there. One of the boutiques I visited came from a friend’s recommendation, she’d had a great experience, so I knew it was worth checking out. I also spent time researching boutiques near our venue, especially ones that carried dresses I couldn’t find online no matter how many deep dives I did! That’s how I discovered BRIDE By Aster. I was looking for a place that felt welcoming and personal, and BRIDE By Aster really stood out from the rest. It was the most excited I’d felt about visiting a boutique!

“I asked him afterwards what he thought when he saw me walking down the aisle, and he said he mostly felt relieved that I’d actually turned up! ”

● How many boutiques did you visit on your dress journey and how did you know you had found THE ONE?

I visited three boutiques during my wedding dress journey, each with its own unique style and atmosphere. Since I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking for at first, it was the perfect opportunity to try on a wide range of styles from minimalist and modern to vintage and avant-garde. I knew I’d found the one the moment I slipped it on I just didn’t want to take it off! Even after trying on other dresses, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I kept comparing everything else to that dress and found myself wanting to go back to it again and again. What made it even more special was that it wasn’t anything like what I thought I wanted. It was a total surprise! Hannah, the boutique owner, had pulled it as a wildcard for me to try and I’m so glad she did. I loved that she encouraged me to try unexpected options, because sometimes a dress looks completely different once it’s on. This one made me feel completely like myself. It was comfortable, sparkly, and had the perfect fit. It truly felt like it was made for me!

● What accessories did you choose and where did you buy them?

Since my dress had such beautiful detailing - lace, pearls, and sparkles - I wanted to keep my accessories fairly simple, allowing the dress to shine. To complement the pearls on the gown, I chose a pearl-embellished veil in a soft champagne tone from BRIDE by Aster that matched the dress perfectly, along with delicate pearl earrings. I had a comfort-first approach when it came to shoes and opted for small, plain white heels that were easy to move in and yes, they had a pearl detail to keep the theme going! I’ve never been a big “accessories girl,” and it helped to keep things budget-friendly: the earrings were from a lovely jeweller on Etsy, the shoes were from Next!

● Did you enjoy dress shopping? Any especially good or not so good experiences?

Overall, I really enjoyed wedding dress shopping and had lovely experiences across the board. That being said, I did feel a bit anxious before most of my boutique visits - not knowing what to expect made me nervous! Thankfully, every boutique I visited was kind and thoughtful, which helped ease those nerves once I arrived. Wedding dress shopping is such a personal and experience, so it’s important to choose places that make you feel comfortable and confident. The only boutique I felt truly calm walking into was BRIDE By Aster. The website and their Instagram page, gave me a clear sense that they genuinely care about their customers! I honestly felt so supported and cared for throughout my entire appointment - it made the whole experience feel so much more inviting. I honestly wish more boutiques offered that same warmth and reassurance because the uncertainty around what to expect had put me off booking a few others.

● How did you feel walking down the aisle in your dress and what did your partner think?

There’s so much build-up to that moment of walking down the aisle, but when it finally arrived, all I felt was pure excitement. As I walked in my dress, I felt beautiful, confident, and completely at ease - delicate and pretty, but also so comfortable. It really helped me relax and soak in every moment of the ceremony. I felt like a fairy princess! As for Nik’s reaction… I asked him afterwards what he thought when he saw me walking down the aisle, and he said he mostly felt relieved that I’d actually turned up! But really, he thought I looked absolutely stunning.

ADVICE & REFLECTION

● What was the most challenging part of the wedding planning process?

There are quite a few challenges to planning a wedding, especially when you haven’t planned one before! I think what Nik and I found most challenging was the amount of vendors out there! There are so many options to choose from that I think sometimes it’s easy to feel a bit lost, especially if you haven’t nailed down what you really want. What we found really helped with this was just talking to a lot of different vendors and doing our research. It was only when we started talking to quite a few of them that we got a better idea of what was important to us and how much we should budget for each vendor. I know it’s pretty much common practice these days but keeping a spreadsheet full of your desired vendors (and a budgeting spreadsheet) is a LIFESAVER! Otherwise, it’s so hard to keep track of everything!

● What advice would you give to other couples who are currently planning their wedding?

Advice I’d give to other couples currently planning is to definitely take recommendations from friends or family in terms of vendors. As I mentioned above, there’s so many options to choose from so if you’ve got any friends or family who’ve gone through the same thing, definitely lean on them and their recommendations! Speaking of leaning on friends and family, another piece of advice I’d give is to delegate tasks to friends and family on the wedding day itself (where possible!) You want to be present and enjoy your wedding day and if friends or family are able to help take some of the pressure or stress off by assisting you with some tasks e.g, picking up the cake, setting up decorations etc then ask for help! If someone offers, don’t be shy to take them up on it! It’ll really allow you to fully be present on the day and not have to worry about the small things.

“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

● Is there anything you would have done differently about your wedding?

Nik and I have spent time reflecting on our wedding day and honestly, there’s not a lot we would change!! Mostly because everything felt so “us” and we were able to celebrate with all of our family and friends. Having all the people we love in one room really was so special! However, if we did change anything, it would probably be to have made sure Nik had a relaxing morning getting ready on the day! Nik had a few tasks he had to do in the morning so he wasn’t able to relax as much as I did. Additionally, we wished we had time to greet every guest during the wedding breakfast. Nik and I tried to go around to each table in between courses but found we just ran out of time. Ideally we would have had time to greet each guest individually.

● What was the best purchase you made for your wedding?

The best purchase we made for our wedding was honestly our venue, Highley Manor! It really provided us with everything we had dreamed of in a wedding venue, a stunning intimate manor house surrounded by the most beautiful grounds. It was extremely accessible for our guests and its rooms allowed some family and friends to stay. Not to mention, the staff and our wedding Coordinator Yvette were fantastic! They helped us feel so supported and put at ease leading up to and on our special day. Other than that, personally my best purchase was the wedding dress! When else do you have the opportunity to buy such a beautiful dress that you feel incredible in?! Whenever it’s acceptable to wear your wedding dress to work, I’ll be wearing it!