Kasia & Nathan's wedding was pretty amazing. They had their ceremony at St Peter & St. Paul's Church in Wadhurst, but the rest of the day (morning prep, drinks reception, wedding breakfast & party) was at Kasia's parents' house, a short drive outside Tunbridge Wells. I'd been here before for the wedding celebrations of Kasia's cousin (Abi) & Nabil, and was blown away then by the house, grounds, and location.
Kasia and Nathan had chosen an massive Yurt for their wedding breakfast & first dance, which was located at the end of a field next the house, with a lit pathway connecting the two, and smaller yurts for their guests to stay in either side of the path. It was a beautiful background to the drinks in the garden, and then later on, was the setting for the meal and initial stage of the party. The whole area looked amazing, and I could tell that Kasia and Nathan were overjoyed at seeing their planned vision come to fruition.
Kasia was driven to the church in her father's classic Ford Anglia - a beautiful little car that made it there safely, but soon after parking, started leaking petrol. Unfortunately this meant Kasia's godfather (the driver for the day) missed the ceremony as he waited outside the church for the AA and local fire service to arrive, but the chaps fixed the car up in time for the car to return to duty, taking the newly married couple back to the house.
Once all the guests arrived at the house, drinks & canapes were served, and everyone enjoyed the glorious summer weather in the garden with backing music courtesy of a playlist put together by the bride and groom (if this playlist is accessible on spotify, you must let me know it). I loved all the music choices but it was a strange coincidence that just as we were doing a few portraits before the meal, the song "Young Blood" by The Naked and the Famous came on. I've loved this song ever since first hearing it on the soundtrack to the snowboarding film 'The Art of Flight'. Just hearing it again made me emotional, and then in talking about snow experiences with the couple, Nathan got emotional as it brought back his own memories from their time in Banff.
There were speeches from the father of the bride (Steve), the groom (Natham), the best man (Ali), and the whole day had one of Nathan's groomsmen Tarek acting as MC. All the speeches were brilliant & I loved how Farek introduced them with some info on the wines being served - a nod to Nathan and Tom's start up business "Vino Mojo" - check it out if you love good wine). I also have to specifically mention the caterer "Food to Di For". Not only was Di possibly the nicest caterer I have ever worked with but the food was amazing. She is going straight onto my recommended supplier list!
For their first dance and initial part of the party in the yurt, they had a guitarist (Sam Mayo), and then everyone moved to the barn for the rest of the night with DJ Marcel Mendez providing the music.
Throughout various times of the day, I realised how similar my tastes were to theirs - whether in a love of snowsports, or travelling, the music selection, or interest in nutrition & fitness. This may account for why I loved their whole wedding - if I was planning my own wedding again, I'd like it like theirs.
Congratulations Kasia & Nathan!
Now, let's hear a bit more about the couple and their day in their own words:
How did you meet, & how did you become engaged?
"We met at the University of Exeter, when we were 19 and 20 years old. Through the ski club, skiing and the mountains became a consistent theme of our relationship. We’re both passionate skiers and it was in Val Thoren on a University ski trip that our relationship really blossomed. After University we moved to Canada for two years to work in Banff as ski and snowboard instructors (living the ski dream). A few years after moving back to London and working in the city, we went out to the alps, hiked to the top of a snowy mountain and got engaged with the world's most spectacular view."
How long did you take to plan your wedding?
"18-months. The big ticket items came in the first few months and then about a year later everything else got sorted."
What made you choose your wedding venues and how did you decorate them?
"Family home - fortunate to have a very beautiful natural setting that required little decoration"
Who gave you away / walked you down the aisle? And did you walk down the aisle to a particular song?
"Father of the bride. Our close friend played a live acoustic version of Ronan Keating, When you Say nothing at all."
Did you provide wedding favours? If so, please provide details or what and where you sourced them
"One of the bridesmaids made sloe gin and we bottled them into tiny bottles to give away as favours, although most were drunk at the breakfast."
Please describe your cake and why you chose it?
"My sister made it"
What was your favourite part of the day and why?
"Dancing in the barn until 3am, although the end of it is less well remembered"
On reflection, is there anything you would have done differently with foresight?
"Trial runs on hair for groom and bride."
If you could impart any words of wisdom to a bride to be planning her marriage and wedding day, what would they be?
"Give clear areas of responsibility to the wedding party so all the stress is taken away from you on the day. Be strict on how long you spend taking photos, it’s important to get the right shots but you can miss some of the day by getting carried away spending too long. Parkershots is very good at getting this balance, but we have friends who’s photographers have been less good."
The Suppliers:
- Food: Di Harris - Food to Di for https://www.foodtodifor.com/
- Hair: One four seven - https://www.onesevenfour.net
- Makeup: www.rosannemua.com
- DJ: Marcel - https://www.facebook.com/MarcelMendezMusic/
- Yurt: Cheltenham yurt hire
- Videographer: Jamie - Songbird
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