The first is a wedding we featured in our digital magazine, but as it’s one of my faves I simply had to share to these pages. Over to Jeni and the story of Jamie & Christian’s beautiful day at Voewood in Norfolk.
Jeni at Vanilla Rose Weddings says…
I first met Jamie & Christian almost two years before their wedding date, and grew incredibly fond of them as clients and friends throughout our planning journey together. I felt pangs of adrenaline and true emotion as I watched them take their first steps down the aisle together to begin their ceremony!
Christian spent his childhood years in North Norfolk, so it seemed fate that when I came across the perfect venue for them in my search, it was located just 5 minutes away from his family home in Holt. We spent several days touring the country looking at a variety of venues, but as soon as Jamie & Christian saw Voewood in person, they knew it was the only one for them. An Arts & Crafts style house, set in beautifully tailored gardens, with a feeling of grandeur whilst completely homely at the same time; it would be hard for anyone not to fall in love with the place!
I’ve worked with Julie Michaelsen on a number of occasions over the last few years, and have always been a fan of her work. Jamie & Christian wanted their wedding day to be captured beautifully, making the most of the natural surroundings that Voewood has to offer, whilst remaining unobtrusive throughout the day. Julie did just that, and her use of natural light to create flattering and soft imagery is exactly what Jamie & Christian wanted from their photography – they are absolutely delighted with their gorgeous images, which I’m sure they will treasure for years to come!
Jamie & Christian were keen not to introduce too many flowers into their day as it wasn’t one of their top priorities. My Design Plan for them included an abundance of soft greenery, whites, and a hint of yellow (a colour they’re both drawn to!) and Donna at The Country Garden Florist was just the perfect person to bring our vision to life! The outdoor ceremony in particular looked spectacular, and the gorgeous aisle arrangements teamed with a collection of my cylindrical vases and Church candles suited their natural surroundings entirely.
I have worked with many catering companies in my 6 years as a Wedding Planner, but working with Annabelle and Jake at Florentina has to be the best experience I’ve had! From the moment we first met them, to the very end of Jamie & Christian’s wedding weekend, they couldn’t have been more wonderful. The food looked and tasted absolutely delicious, and their attention to detail is second to none! Jamie & Christian opted for a Trio of Gressingham Duck starter, followed by a Roasted Whole Sirloin of Red Poll Beef with all the trimmings, and an incredibly tasty Caramelised Sicilian Lemon Tart for dessert. Sweet canapés were a particular highlight later into the night, to soak up the alcohol from the superb signature cocktails served by Florentina’s sister company, Frizzante!
As the venue has the most beautiful architecture and gardens, I suggested that Jamie & Christian incorporate this into their stationery. Julie at Hollyhock Lane drew a lovely illustration of the wooden entrance doors into the house as a sneak peek of the venue for their Save The Date cards, without giving too much away, and then another illustration of the whole house to use for their main invitations, with added touches of greenery and florals to frame the wording. The Order of Service booklets, table names and menu cards all included a different element of the illustrations, and all looked beautiful on the day.
Jamie & Christian say…
We found Jeni from Vanilla Rose Weddings shortly after our engagement. We knew that juggling a busy work life along with planning an event that neither of us had any experience in would be a challenge. Looking back, it’s the best decision we made.
Jeni brought with her a wealth of experience, which meant that we had a range of options to choose from. In that respect we were never starting from scratch and we were able to clearly see what we liked and didn’t like.
Jeni created mood boards that started to bring all the ideas together and focused our attention to the right preparation at the right time in the lead up to the big weekend.
She also introduced us to some fantastic suppliers who understood just what we wanted and were really fun to work with, creative and excited about the project.
On a personal note, Jeni was a joy to work with; she is completely thorough, has amazing ideas based on a huge range of experience and was a total star during the wedding weekend. There is no way we could have imagined the wedding we ended up having without her input and we’re really missing our regular planning discussions! We can’t thank her and everyone else involved enough.
Venue Voewood
Wedding Planner & Prop Hire Vanilla Rose Weddings & Events
Photography Julie Michaelsen Photography
Catering Florentina Events
Bar Frizzante
Florist The Country Garden Florist
Stationery Hollyhock Lane
Wooden Signage Merrie & Bright
Suits Walker Slater
Based on a weekday wedding in January. Includes 2-night venue hire and accommodation.