For Samuel and Charlotte, their dream was a wedding, one that balanced traditional and ethical elements with a relaxed and fun atmosphere. From colourful florals inspired by their favourite hues to a venue filled with unique charm and a basement nightclub, every detail was thoughtfully chosen. Their eclectic autumn wedding, set at the stunning Voewood in Norfolk, was exactly how they imagined and more. We catch up with the couple to find out how they met, hear about their unique press-covered proposal and plan their big day…
How did you meet?
“We met at university after joining the Theatre Arts Society. We then were the only two in our developing friendship group to attend the theatre on campus, so we regularly had to sit and talk together about the shows!”
The Proposal
“Samuel proposed in the same theatre where we got to know each other and where we were both working at the time. He told Charlotte he wanted to show her some new theatre lights – and then totally surprised her with a presentation detailing our relationship before getting down on one knee! She had no idea it was going to happen, even if it was on our sixth anniversary! You can see more about it HERE. Shortly after saying yes, Charlotte raised all the typos in the presentation. (Love is real, folks). We went to our usual pub quiz straight after this, and then won for the first and only time to date!!! Kind of a bigger achievement. It really was such a shock for Charlotte – the convo the night before of her saying, “I know you’re not going to propose to me” was a genuine jokey remark.”
Planning The Wedding
“We wanted a wedding that had the traditional elements you would expect while also being very relaxed and enjoyable for everyone. Visuals were really helpful in planning – wanting bright florals and lush greenery. We focussed on what we liked (even on simple things such as Samuel’s favourite colour being pink and Charlotte’s being blue) to make decisions and always worked together every step of the way. We are procrastinators at heart, so having a wedding with no planner was a challenge! At times, it was stressful accounting for everything (the sudden panic that we were missing some placenames two nights before the wedding and rushing to make more!), but it was also so fun! You only do this once (fingers crossed!), so just enjoying yourself is the most important thing – life is too short to get too upset over what shoes you’re wearing!”
The Venue
“We looked around a couple of venues but struggled to visualise getting married at them. You would have fairytale weddings there – but it felt too “proper” for us! Charlotte’s mum found Voewood and we couldn’t believe it – the beautiful grand house we were looking for but stuffed full of artwork and curiosities you have to experience to believe. After one visit, our mums looked at each other and said they knew we’d found the place – and we did too! Voewood also has beautiful gardens which we were lucky to still be able to enjoy for a November wedding. Even if the weather was terrible, there is more than enough going on in the house to entertain. We made a “Scavenger Hunt” for our guests to complete throughout the day based on lots of the art there. The staff are beyond wonderful! Plus, it has a nightclub downstairs!!!”
The Dress
“Charlotte had been looking at dresses online for a while and thought she knew what she wanted. She still went with an A-line with a sleeve moment as she planned…but she didn’t expect to have colour on her dress! It feels like a big deal to pick a dress but try not to panic! The first place Charlotte wanted to get a dress from unfortunately fell through, so she booked an appointment with Pure Brides, who kindly fitted her in quickly. She brought her mum, two of her brothers, and one of their partners, who she could rely on for a good fashion opinion. When trying dresses on, just be open to anything – and retry them on if you’re not sure! It was only on the second wearing that everyone realised her dress was the one. Have fun, as it’s a totally cool time to play dress up!”
The Suit
“Samuel knew he wanted a pink suit which isn’t always easy to find… We were very lucky to find an affordable suit that also had a version in grey that we used for the groomsmen/bridesmaids. It also happened to match Charlotte’s dress (not that Samuel knew at the time!) – which shows if you know your colour palette and vibe, you’re in a good position. Samuel initially dreamed of having an embroidered suit but struggled to find one that wasn’t a fortune. We did even explore buying embroidered patches and sewing them onto the suit but decided against this. It’s okay not to achieve everything you set out to at the beginning – budget, skill, and availability constraints meant the initial embroidered plan didn’t work. However, it ended up being for the best as the suit was perfect in the end!”
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
“Our bridesmaids and groomsmen’s outfits were simpler than most weddings as 5/6 were men! Charlotte’s three brothers were her bridesmaids, while three of Samuel’s friends were his groomsmen. The men wore grey suits in the same style as Samuel’s, as it is a lovely neutral colour, and went with blue/pink ties and buttonholes. They are also very reusable for future occasions! Charlotte’s father wore a matching outfit to her brothers. Samuel’s best man had the hardest task, as she needed to match the others. She mostly handled this herself and did an amazing job – she wore a grey tulle-stye skirt but then a grey jacket and tie to match the rest of the groomsmen. We wanted her to be comfortable to wear what she wanted and look fabulous – which she did! Samuel’s sister was our flower girl and she found a beautiful flowy dress in our chosen colour of lilac.”
The Details
“We wanted beautiful bright flowers and lush greenery to decorate the venue, which isn’t the easiest for November! We were fortunate to be recommended Clare from The Flower Fairy Florist. She was an absolute dream to work with – she asked us about our vision and made more sense of it than we had! Her work was stunning, and she is so lovely on top of that! We had dried flowers for buttonholes, Charlotte’s bouquet, and hair decorations that were made by Florence and Flowers. We think everyone was obsessed with their work as much as we were! Two cakes were made by Charlotte’s mum and one by Samuel, based on his late grandmother’s recipe. We wanted the cakes to feel special and connected to our families (and this was helpful with our budget!). We also designed invites, placenames, etc., ourselves for the personal (and cost-effective!) touch.”
“We wouldn’t have had the successful wedding we did without Lisa and Neil! They are the most amazing people and INCREDIBLE photographers! We cannot recommend them enough – book them now if you’re planning a wedding! Charlotte isn’t very good at being glam, so our make-up artist, Victoria from Edit Clinics, and Leanne Moralee, our hair stylist, were lifesavers. Just so talented and so kind! We were very worried about what to do with Samuel’s hair for the wedding,g as there is so much of it! But somehow, Leanne managed to make it impossibly neat with no concerns at all.”
“What is a wedding without the food? Thank you to Back to Your Place for all the planning support and amazing catering on the day. Epic Event Hire provided stunning decorations and also a fantastic DJ – just so many great suppliers in East Anglia!”
Ethical Elements
“When preparing for your wedding, it is important to restrict yourself so you don’t overspend – but also so you don’t overly impact the planet. We had many ideas that we abandoned when realising how much single-use plastic they would involve, how little they contributed to the day, etc. Our confetti was biodegradable, and our florist, The Flower Fairy, uses sustainable techniques. Clare dismantled her displays the next morning for our families to take home so the flowers had continued use. For table decorations, we used playtexts we already owned, as well as spider plants that Samuel had grown in old sauce jars. We sourced lights and decoration pieces from friends, as well as rented items from Epic Event Hire. We stuck paper welcome signs, etc., onto cardboard we already had – it doesn’t sound glamorous, but if it works and gives something an extra use, then why not?”
The Best Part of The Day
“Seeing all our friends and family in one place. It’s the only time you’ll have some of the strangest crossovers of the people in your life – and it’s incredibly magical because of it! The day does go by quickly – but a wedding isn’t just the one day. It’s the months beforehand finding the right venue, the stressful weeks before realising you forgot to order enough ties, and the night before practicing your first dance because you meant to but ran out of time! Just enjoy the whole planning process because it really is so much fun.”
Words of Wisdom
Not everyone will agree but…don’t plan everything far in advance! If you’re getting married in a romantic place in the middle of summer, you may need to get some suppliers in place but keep enjoying the process over time. We will cherish the three months before the wedding forever as we did most of the work then and spent every evening making decisions together. Sometimes, deliriously making a top hat for a teddy to go on your cake during the week of the wedding is for a reason! Take inspiration from your surroundings – our venue had a piano, so we booked a pianist (Louise was fantastic and made the day extra special!). Although you should be flamboyant and extra all the time – a wedding is when you’re welcome to do it. Take your chance! Pick all the things you love and proudly display them – including your soon-to-be spouse!”
What are you most looking forward to about being married?
Our lives haven’t changed much (beyond the new surname!). It’s just so wonderful to look at your special person and be like, “Wow. We’re married!!!” We have the memories of a fantastic party and many more to come 🙂
The Suppliers – Eclectic Autumn Wedding With Ethical Details at Voewood, Norfolk
Photographer Lisa and Neil Wedding Photography @lisaandneil
Venue Voewood @voewoodweddings / Dress Pure Brides @purebrides / Groom Slaters @slatermenswear / Florist The Flower Fairy Florist @theflowerfairyflorist and Florence and Flowers @florenceandflowers79 / Hair Leanne Moralee @leannehairartistry / Makeup Edit Clinics @editclinicsltd / Catering – Back to Your Place @backtoyourplace / Furniture and Tableware Banqueting Hire @banquetinghire_official / Decoration, Lighting and DJ Epic Event Hire @epic.events.norfolk / Pianist Pianist Louise
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