Laura met Mike on dating site Elite Singles. “It’s hard to envisage how we could have met any other way, seeing as we were both so busy with our jobs,” says Laura. “After a few weeks sending messages we had our first date in a pub. Mike was every bit the charming, charismatic gentleman – plus he was tall, dark and handsome, so I was on to a winner! The banter flowed easily, plus we both love animals, which was a big bonus as I’m a veterinary nurse. It was clear from that first date that this was something special.” Mike proposed to Laura a little over two years later. “In that time I’d given birth to our son, Mikey, which was incredibly emotional as he was two months premature. He spent two weeks in intensive care, with Mike spending every night sleeping on the floor beside my hospital bed. We settled into family life just as Covid hit, taking this time to find our first family home. On the day of the move, we arrived to collect the keys from the previous owners, who’d kindly ‘left’ us some Champagne cooling. They made a very swift exit, just in time for me to turn around and see Mike on one knee, asking me to be his wife. Virtually everyone was in on it but me!” The couple set the date for the 5th August, 2022, choosing Gosfield Hall for their big day. Here, Laura tells us more about their amazing wedding… LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION It was important for the couple that their wedding venue was easily accessible for all of their guests. “With family spanning from Surrey and London to Kent, we narrowed our search to Essex to give everyone equal travel distance,” continues the bride. “We knew we wanted somewhere that would allow us exclusive use, where we could hold the ceremony and reception, and a venue that oozed character, elegance and class. Gosfield Hall ticked all of those boxes! It’s a stunning building with a multitude of character in every corner, from the impressive high painted ceilings to the grand staircase. The beautiful courtyard and grounds are incredible, as is the immensely regal bridal suite. If there was ever going to be a place that you could embrace your special day and feel like a princess, then in my opinion it could only be here!” When it came to a theme Laura and Mike decided to complement the natural décor of Gosfield Hall. “We wanted to capture the elegant vibe of the venue, with a subtle edge of simplicity, opting for ivory and gold tones, along with hints of blue for Mike and Mikey’s suits, as well as the bridesmaids’ gowns. In my head I envisaged an iconic Wedgwood pottery blue, going on a hunt to source fabric samples of a suitable colour. This was not easy! Luckily, I had the team at Gosfield to help source lots of suppliers, including an amazing venue dresser. I cannot recommend JF Styling enough! They arranged the venue exactly the way I wanted, putting together ideas and showing me how different options could work. They were completely on board with keeping the ivory and gold theme with the chic elegant feel, too.” IT’S ALL IN THE DETAIL Theme set in place, the couple set to work deciding how they wanted to accessorise the venue to suit their vision. “For our signage, we opted for gold framed vintage-style mirrors, with vinyl decals for our welcome sign and table plan,” says Laura. “For the ceremony, we used the venue’s gold Chiavari chairs, dressed with interwoven ivory voile. We kept the aisle bare to expose the natural stone flooring, and had fresh white rose petals lining the edges by our florist. We also used clear Perspex plinths, which housed a large gold candelabra with ivory candles and beautiful artificial displays of cream and white flowers. Post-ceremony, the chairs were used for the wedding breakfast, and the candelabras became our centre pieces, with a couple of extras.” Decorating the tables with carefully thought out detail was also key to the couple’s big day. “As a finishing touch we opted for gold beaded charger plates for each setting, as well as gold-rimmed glasses and gold-tipped cutlery,” continues Laura. “We used a simple folded blue napkin and had our name places laser engraved on to gold mirrored coasters for guests to keep. We opted to not have formal favours at the tables, and supplied sticker books, bubbles and small toys for the children that attended instead. It was also important for us not to have a gift list for friends and family, instead asking for donations for the charity, Bliss, who looked after our son when he was born. We did this via a JustGiving page, and have become one of the biggest fundraisers of the year to date.” 37 REAL WEDDINGS
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