Charlotte & Alex: Modern Romance with a Summer Twist at Notley Abbey

After viewing endless wedding venues, nothing seemed quite right – there was always something that felt like a compromise. But Notley Abbey is a venue like no other. We instantly knew it was the one as soon as we drove up the beautiful driveway, which sounds clichéd, but it is truly the most stunning venue. It has the feel of pure luxury and class, without being stuffy. The staff are also absolutely amazing – so many of our guests commented on how friendly everyone who worked there was and how refined all the elements of the day were.

We wanted a venue that was exclusive hire and tucked away, and that had rooms for some of our guests to stay in, all of which Notley offered. Notley Abbey also allows a late finish, which was perfect for us as we both love to party and meant we could enjoy the day for as long as possible – there’s nothing worse than having such a fun time at a wedding and it finishes too early!

The whole team at Notley Abbey is absolutely fantastic; the entire process was incredibly streamlined and organised, which was something we truly appreciated. Nothing was too much hassle, and the team was always on hand to answer any questions we had, offering advice and guidance every step of the way.

I loved wedding dress shopping; it was so much fun, and it’s some of my favourite memories from the planning process. My dress was the ‘Adrienne’ dress from Pronovias and was a dress that I had saved down long before we were even engaged. After trying it on, I loved it, but I wanted to try on as many different options as possible to make sure. After visiting a few boutiques, I headed to the Pronovias flagship store on Bond Street with my Mum and Best Friend to try on my dress again, and I just knew it was the one! I didn’t want traditional wedding shoes, so I opted for bright pink Manolo Blahniks, and I loved the fact that you could catch a glimpse of the pink as I walked.

I went for a textured updo for my hair, which was truly a work of art, courtesy of the amazing Charlotte White. My makeup artist, Leah (from Belle’s Beauty), was also absolutely amazing – especially when I decided I wanted a different makeup look from what we had gone for during my trial. Neither my hair nor my makeup budged all day, which was amazing considering it was so hot, especially during the ceremony.

Alex went for a bespoke tuxedo from Waterers Menswear, a fantastic independent local tailor in our hometown of St Albans. We also hired the rest of the groomsmen’s suits from here. The bridesmaid’s dresses were from Reiss and were one of the first things we purchased as they were the perfect shade of pink/nude that matched our colour scheme. All of our bridesmaids looked stunning and so elegant!

The theme was classic elegance, and everything, from the save-the-dates to the invites and on-the-day stationery, matched the theme and colour palette. We wanted everything to have a timeless and elegant vibe; however, we also wanted to ensure that our personalities and our relationship as a couple shone through. We wanted to ensure the day was fun and truly ‘us’, yet still considered and stylish. Our wedding favours on the tables were biscuits iced with ‘Char’s Big Day ft Alex’. We had a champagne tower, heart-shaped sunglasses for guests, and exited our ceremony to the iconic Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Unwritten’.

Sonning Flowers were our florists, and we opted for white and cream roses and hydrangeas with lots of foliage. We had a stunning flower arch above the front doorway, meadow flowers along the aisle, and then bud vases and candles on the tables.

All of the food during the day was provided by the in-house Harper Weddings catering team, who were amazing. We both love pizza, so we ended the evening with pizza from our favourite local independent pizza vans, Mozzarella Fellas, which went down a treat with our guests. We were so busy dancing that we didn’t get a chance to grab a slice, but Adam made sure to leave us with a pizza each, which was a great surprise to see waiting for us in the room when the night had ended. Our very talented friend Lauren (Little Gray Cakery) made a three-tier cake, and it was delicious. We provided cake boxes so that guests could take a slice of cake home with them, which everyone loved.

Finding a photographer was one of the most challenging tasks. However, when we saw Toni’s (Antonia Grace Photography) work, we knew we wanted her to capture our wedding day. Toni is highly talented and made us feel completely at ease throughout the day – she captured all the candid moments and all the fun shots perfectly. We can’t thank her enough for the beautiful photos and memories that she has captured for us.

Both of our most memorable moments were our vows. We wrote our own, and we aren’t a soppy couple, so it meant so much to declare such emotional things in front of all of our family and friends. We wanted the day to be one big party, and it really was just that. It was a day full of love and laughter. We had a champagne tower, which was such a fun moment and addition to the dinner, and a great way to move into the speeches and evening part of the wedding.

Seeing all our nearest and dearest together in one place was truly special, and we are fortunate to have such a fantastic family and friends.

A top tip for other couples is to ensure you do what both of you want. Weddings are filled with many opinions and much excitement, but stay true to what you both want and what is authentic to you. Your guests feed off your vibes, so if you are having fun, they will too.

Secondly, take ten minutes just the two of you (with a glass of champagne) to take it all in. The day is so busy, and it’s essential to have pockets of time together. We also tried our best to stay together throughout the day so that we could share as many of the same memories.

Finally, enjoy yourself – the day really is over in a flash, so savour the planning, the prep, and soak in the day as much as possible.