Alice and Josh met during their first year of university. “We became really close friends and eventually it blossomed into something more,” Alice says. We fast forward to 2022, by which point the couple had been together for nine years, and they’d gone out to celebrate this milestone anniversary in York. Unbeknownst to Alice, Josh had enlisted the help of her mum to decorate their living room with balloons and banners while they were out, and when they arrived home, the Champagne was waiting. Josh dropped to one knee and proposed with this late grandma’s ring. “It was the perfect end to the night, and the rest is history,” Alice says. Not long after the couple became engaged, they began to discuss what they’d be looking for in a wedding venue – spacious, all in one place in case it rained, a country house, an intimate feeling for the ceremony, and accommodation on site. Rise Hall was the first wedding venue the duo looked at, and it set an incredibly high standard from the outset! “It truly had everything we wanted, and it became the literary Pride and Prejudice classical venue we were looking for,” Alice explains. So, they wasted no time and secured their date for 18th November 2023, almost a year to the day after their engagement. Join us as we get the lowdown from the bride herself... SETTING THE SCENE Since Alice and Josh are both bookaholics, they had their hearts set on a literary theme for their big day. “We focused mainly on books, a classical style and an autumnal colour palette,” Alice shares. Jen from My Pretties UK was enlisted to style the venue, so it seemed like the perfect plan to ask her to do the flowers too to ensure everything worked together in perfect harmony. Arrangements featured a stunning palette of burgundy, terracotta, dark green, plum and gold, with a breathtaking selection of roses, dahlias, hydrangea, cosmos, ruscus, lisianthus and more. “Jen was fantastic,” Alice tells us. “The florals were beautiful colours and suited our theme so well. All our favourite flowers were in there, and she also offered a bunching service for us the day after, so our friends and family could take a bouquet home to remember the special day, and ensuring they weren’t wasted.” The multi-talented Victoria, Alice’s MUA, also has a flower preservation company and later set some of the flowers in resin as keepsakes for the couple. While Jen brought the couple’s vision to life when it came to most of the venue styling, there were some elements the couple wanted to do themselves due to their personal nature. The memorial tale to loved ones who couldn’t be there on the day, and collecting classic books to match the theme were two areas that Alice and Josh took care of. The big-day bake was also taken care of by family. Josh’s mum, Anne, has made cakes for the whole family and nearly every wedding, so it was a tradition they wanted to continue. Anne decorated a three-tier cake with handmade sugar flowers to complement the flowers in style and colour. The bake was vanilla with raspberry and white chocolate buttercream, with raspberry jam. She also made a crispy toffee marshmallow cake for the evening, as it’s a family favourite. This had a Lego topper. Alice and Josh opted for the venue’s Silk catering package with canapes for the drinks reception. The wedding breakfast REAL WEDDINGS 27
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