An Essex Wedding - May/Jun 2019 (Issue 86)

PICTURE PERFECT The Little Horse Picture Booth (or Rosie as she’s known to friends!) is a solar-powered vintage horse box photo booth. Rosie is converted from a 30-year-old vehicle by owners Anna and Adam Prescott and runs on 100% renewable energy. “We took an existing concept and turned it into as green a business as we could,” says Adam. “We wanted to reuse as much of the original horse box as possible, and when needed, care was taken to introduce new items from environmentally friendly sources.” What’s more, all travel incurred through the business is carbon offset through a tree-planting scheme. Fitted with a solar-panel roof, the stored electricity is enough to run in total darkness for hours. “We’re totally off-grid and our 4x4 towing means it can be set up almost anywhere,” Anna tells us. Visit thelittlehorsepicturebooth.co.uk Mic drop It’s time for you all to meet The Wedding Rapper – yes, you heard right! Nick Stedman is a songwriter, producer and recording artist who has ghost written for UK urban artists and has been featured on BBC Introducing. He has now turned his talents to weddings. “I was given the honour of being best man for a friend’s big day and I came up with the idea of performing a bespoke rap for my speech,” Nick explains. “I threw in embarrassing moments, memories and some heartfelt thoughts. The reaction from the crowd was amazing and I knew it’d work for other people’s days too.” It all begins with a consultation so Nick can find out your needs. He then sends a questionnaire to gather all the information needed for your personalised song. From this, the creative cogs start moving. When written, a copy is sent to you to make any changes needed and once you’re happy it’s then recorded. Lastly, you just decide whether you want Nick to perform on the day, or you can play the recording. “I love writing songs for people as each story is so different,” Nick says. “The icing on the cake is being able to perform for their loved ones and sharing that special moment.” To find out more, visit theweddingrapper.co.uk aprescottphotography.co.uk AL-PACA MY BAGS Prested Hall, a country house hotel and exclusive wedding venue in Feering, has announced its partnership with Butlers Farm to bring cute alpacas to couples’ special days. According to Instagram, alpaca weddings are the biggest trend for 2019 weddings – and I can totally see why. The domesticated long-haired South Americans have the most adorably expressive faces while their calm temperament makes them a huge hit with wedding guests. “Unlike their bigger cousins, llamas, alpacas enjoy company and more importantly they don’t spit!” laughs handler Liz Giblin. “We’ve already got a couple of weddings under our belt and the animals behaved impeccably. People fall for them wherever they go and they love the attention.” Couples marrying at Prested Hall can have the furry friends attend their drinks reception and mingle with the guests. Liz will join your reception and lead the animals around the beautiful lawn. They can even be booked as a ring bearer. “With our extensive grounds and easy access, they’re totally at home here,” says Prested Hall’s PR manager Lindsay Gray. “They make a great talking point and are a brilliant surprise for an unsuspecting bride.” Check out the website, prested.co.uk TIE THE KNOT Browning Bros’ lakeside venue Chalkney Water Meadows has exciting plans to obtain a civil license, giving couples the freedom to legally marry in this tranquil and picturesque spot. It’ll mean modifying the existing lake pontoon and living willow archway to create the ideal setting. To keep up to date, visit browningbros.co.uk 10