Mazie, the gorgeous and ever-so funny bride in today’s real love story, used to work with me in what seems like a long-lost life. These days, this effortlessly cool girl can now be found working alongside her sister as co-founder of Beija London; a pretty awesome lingerie brand that is THE best for all shapes and sizes. They also do bikinis ladies, for those looking for honeymoon beach attire.
I have one. I love it.
The venue that stole Mazie’s heart was Kew Gardens and boy was it the perfect playground for this vibrant couple.
Enjoy…
Notes from the Bride
Mazie says…
I grew up in Richmond. Many of my weekends as a nipper were spent at Kew Gardens. So, the search for a venue lasted, at most, three seconds. Getting married at Kew was something I always dreamt of. Not always, originally I just loved the gift shop.
We needed a venue that could handle a lot of guests. I have one of those annoying families which is huge and unfortunately, everyone does actually like each other. So, when we get together, people do actually want to see each other. My husband (Jon) and I have grown up together and have made some great friends along the way. Kew allow for up to 200 in the Orangery for dining. We had 192!
My wedding dress was from a shop in Bristol and the designer was Maggie Sottero. I didn’t love trying on all the dresses. My style is very casual I didn’t feel like myself in any of them. For me it was so important I was comfortable. I love the simplicity of the two piece I found.
I got into the shape of my life in the lead up to the wedding. For the three weeks prior, I trained every day with a PT. I must say a thank you to Luke at Equilibrium. He realised the importance of my children one day thinking that their mum was attractive on her wedding day when I bore them with the photos in 20 years time.
The bridesmaids dresses came from House of Fraser. They were 75% off – £40 each. Many adjustments needed to be made. I was adamant the girls had to feel comfortable too. I bought 2 extra dresses and my Mum, along with her best mate, made the Flower Girls skirts out of those. Mum also made their little tops. The fabric was from Shepherds Bush market. I adore how they all looked. Aside from Jon, on the day I was most proud of the 8 girls, they looked so beautiful.
The Groomsmen’s gear came from Dress 2 Kill on The Cut, Waterloo. We picked the colour from a tiny swatch. We had no idea how they were going to turn out, but we were really pleased. My husband made the cardinal sin of succumbing to a current trend and didn’t wear any socks. Everyone thought he was mad. He is.
The favours were mini succulents in a tin pot and my auntie did the calligraphy. I like plain and uncomplicated things. Grey and white it was.
Our florist was a local lady Veronica Platt. She understood exactly what I was after – whites, greys and greens.
For the catering, we used Create who were a recommended supplier from Kew. They were fantastic. I wanted the whole day to feel relaxed and informal so we did sharing platters across the two massive banqueting style tables. Thankfully, I was told banqueting tables are better for conversation than circles. We wanted people to have as much fun as possible while getting to know each other. I would strongly recommend the banqueting tables.
Create really understood what were after. It was absolutely delicious. Roast lamb, with loads of various salads, sweet potatoes and corn fritters. We sent them moodboards of food in the style of Hemsley + Hemsley and The Detox Kitchen. The food was fresh, delicious and their team were incredible.
Deborah Grace, the photographer, came recommended from a good friend of mine. I took one look at her website and knew she was right. When we met for the first time, Deborah said that “she loves capturing the moments more than the classic wedding family shots” which is just what we wanted. There is too much fun to be had and I didn’t want to spend the precious time having photos taken. We had a 2nd shooter which, was a great idea and I am so glad that we did. We have so many images and we adore every single one.
Credits
Venue Royal Botanic Kew Gardens
Photography Deborah Grace Photography
Bridal Designer Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaids House of Fraser
Groomsmen Dress 2 Kill
Florist Meadow Sweet Flowers
Caterers Create
Based on a weekday wedding in August.