This morning's wedding contains perhaps the largest wedding bouquet I have seen. Like EVER.

And it is blinking gorgeous to boot, much like bride Sam and her beautifully clad dusky blue maidens also clutching their own daisy bouquets.

David's groomsmen don't scrub up too badly either in their blue three-piece suits and beaming grins; I particularly love the fact that David has distinguished himself sartorially with a spotted tie. Oh I do love me a bit of polka dot action.

This dazzling pair also had an awesome wedding cake shaped like a tree trunk and emblazoned with their initials surrounded by a heart...just like proper old skool graffiti. Oh and there's possibly the best group shot of all the men at the very end that I guarantee will make you want to recreate it for yourselves.

Take it away Sam.

Sam The Bride: I wanted a dress that made be feel relaxed on the day that wouldn't limit my ability to dance the night away. I fell in love with the 30s style of the 'Eden' by Jenny Packham dress with its intricate beading and it reminded me of the elegant dresses worn by Lady Mary in Downton Abbey! Due to the detail of the dress, I decided to keep the accessories very simple with Jenny Packham drop crystal earrings and a bracelet from Malcolm Appleby given to me as an engagement gift from my mother-in-law.

Dave wanted for him and his groomsmen to look sharp and smart in suits with a modern cut that would also complement the bridesmaids. Jack Bunny's dark blue suits did just that. The groomsmen all wore light blue Reiss ties which matched the Maids to Measure bridesmaids dresses and Dave differentiated himself with a blue and white spotty tie from Paul Smith and wore a yellow rose in his button hole instead of the others in white. Dave also wore Malcolm Appleby cufflinks, given to him as an engagement present by his mother.

We looked at various venues online and Gaynes Park was the only one that we went to visit and decided there and then that it was the perfect venue for us. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, the grounds were immaculate and cleverly landscaped to ensure bursts of colour all year round. The size and capacity perfectly matched the number of expected guests and the fact that both of us are from Essex but lived close by in London meant that the location was ideally suited to all of our family and friends.

Due to the venue's location in the middle of the countryside, we decided that a specific colour scheme wasn't really necessary but that we wanted everything to mimic the surroundings, regardless of the colour. We opted for blue for the bridesmaids dresses as this was the colour that suited all three of them and ran this colour through the groomsmen's accessories.

It was important for us to have a florist that was local, creative and helpful and therefore Oya from N16 Flowers was perfect. After our first meeting, it was evident that she understood our concept completely and could work with us on the specified budget. The flowing bouquets that she created for me and the bridesmaids were absolutely stunning and exactly what I have envisaged. She created beautiful table pieces consisting of three glass jars which were full of purple, blue and white cottage style flowers. For the ceremony she has designed a beautifully intricate autumnal centre piece and beautifully scented lilies adorned the Orangery and central barn. The buttonholes for the groomsmen and pins for my mum and mother-in-law were also wonderfully simple and elegant, using roses.

I was lucky enough to have three bridesmaids that all had similar body shapes but it was still paramount that they all felt comfortable in the dresses and that the colour and style suited them. Maids to Measure was great because it let them have a tailor made dress for a very affordable price. They also wore three small crystal hair pins from Mirror Mirror in Angel to match by headpiece in their up do's created by hairdresser Jack who works for Silhouette Du Barry. They all did their own make up and my sister did mine using MAC and London Academy Make Up.

We knew that this would be the most emotional and personal point of the day so it was really important to have music that had a special meaning for both of us. I walked down the aisle to 'Kissing You' by Des'ree that was sung by one of my best friend's Louise who has a stunning voice and this definitely heightened the emotions in the room. My sister also wrote a reading for us that was both creative and incredibly funny. One of Dave's groomsmen also did a reading from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 'Le Petit Prince'.

We met Tony the Wedding Magician at an open evening that Gaynes Park invited us to and we were extremely impressed and entertained. The guests absolutely loved him and was a great talking point for guests that hadn't previously met each other. LoveLight Entertainment were also great with their choice in music, pleasing all generations and were happy and willing to take requests.

Galloping Gourmet catered for the event and the food was absolutely sublime. We chose lamb for the main course for meat-eaters and the vegetarian option was a spicy aubergine dish. For the meal we chose a Spanish white wine and an Argentinian Malbec. For the post-ceremony part of the afternoon and speeches we chose sparkling English wine from Breaky Bottom in Sussex.

As soon as we saw Philippa's website we were head over heels in love with her alternative style and couldn't have wished for better photos which completely captured the spirit and joy of the day. The books that she made for us were wonderful Christmas presents for each set of parents who can't help but get them out at any and all family get-togethers!

Photography by Philippa James
Venue Gaynes Park, Essex | Dress 'Eden' by Jenny Packham | Cake Amanda Macleod | Shoes L.K. Bennett | Groom's outfit Jack Bunneys | Hair Jack At Silhouette Du Barry | Headpiece Mirror Mirror | Band Matt Strafford Duo | Florist N16 Flowers | Catering Galloping Gourmet | Stationery Knots And Kisses | Bridesmaid dresses Maids To Measure | Magician Tony The Wedding Magician | DJ Lovelight Entertainment DJ.

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