Our wedding today is very special, as bride Ashleigh is a part of the Miss Bush family! As a wedding videographer, Ashleigh has worked with the team and lots of Miss Bush brides for a number of years now, so it was wonderful to help her find a wedding dress of her own, and to be involved in her wonderful festive wedding day to her high school sweetheart, Harry.
There is so much to love about their day; from the rich, warm colours and the adorable jumper-wearing dog, to the thoughtful wintery touches, lush velvet bridesmaids dresses and of course Ashleigh’s unique and edgy dress/jacket combination.
The wedding is a showcase of some of our absolute favourite Surrey wedding suppliers; Surrey brides take note as you’re about to see work from some of the very best suppliers around! The wedding took place at the beautiful Gate Street Barn in Bramley, and was captured by Surrey wedding photographer Hayley Bray.
THE DRESS
Ashleigh wore a unique dress combination, opting for Maggie Sottero’s ‘Kirstie’ topped with the exquisite lace Castelao jacket by Yolan Cris. With award winning stylist Sharon Roberts on hair and Tania Stephenson Oliver providing the make up, Ashleigh was in very good hands and her final bridal look was fresh and contemporary with a hint of edginess to complement her unique dress combo.
Ashleigh tells us more about her experience shopping for a wedding dress;
“I didn’t go into the chapel with any clear ideas of what I wanted; I just had an open mind about it all. As a wedding videographer, I had seen a lot of wedding dresses in my time, so I didn’t want anything that I had seen on another bride. The first dress I tried on was a similar style to one of my bride’s dresses, so knew it wasn’t the one. It was a really odd feeling; even though I could have looked good in it, it felt like I had stolen her dress!
I figured out that I wanted something edgy or different. Emma disappeared, and pulled out the most amazing dress combo I have ever seen! Once it was on that was it! The Maggie Sottero Kirstie Dress and A Yolan Cris Castelao Jacket; winner!”
“My bridesmaids came to help find my dress. They didn’t cry with the first two I tried on, but we certainly knew the Maggie Sottero dress and Yolan Cris jacket was a winner, as they all burst into tears. They were also shocked to see how detailed it was. It was like nothing they have ever seen before.
I am very lucky, to have been able to get to know all the Miss Bush team over the years. Even though I invited my bridesmaids, I could have walked into the chapel by myself. The Miss Bush ladies are my friends, and I trusted everything they said and did. Buying my dress was completely stress free, and when I came in for fittings, I just danced around in my dress.”
“My dress was so detailed and had a lot going on, so I didn’t accessorise with jewellery. I always favour natural to bling, therefore had flowers as my hair accessories. I wore snowflake earrings, that Harry had bought for my birthday that month, but no other jewellery.”
ABOUT THE DAY
With the wedding taking place just days before Christmas, Ashleigh and Harry wanted a rich, warm festive feel without the potential cheesiness of a full-on Christmas themed wedding. Over to Ashleigh to tell us more;
“We both love Christmas! But wanted to create a style that was organic and natural (not full of the Christmas tack you see around the holidays).”
“We knew we wanted to include things that we love, such as the inclusion of animals, my love for gold decor and the aim of creating an environment much like our own home. Obviously, the first colour that comes to mind when you say Christmas is red. But red is such a hard colour to get right! Therefore, I went down the route of a more Edwardian style, which included a much deeper red. It was great, because my dress fitted in perfectly too!”
“My favourite part of the day was watching Harry cry; and he cried a lot! As a videographer, I watch out for those raw emotions, as they express how happy that person is. I wasn’t expecting him to cry. It meant so much!
It sounds crazy, but it was also great when the wedding was over! We went back to the Shepherds Hut at Gate Street Barn and stayed up till the early morning reflecting on what just happened. It was like we didn’t see each other for ages!”
FINAL WORDS
Ashleigh shares some words of wedding planning and dress shopping experience, from the unique perspective of both bride and wedding videographer;
“Try to plan the wedding, just the two of you. Including family and friends can get complicated. They may not understand at the time, but guests/family/wedding party will enjoy your wedding more, when they don’t have any jobs to do.
Don’t think your wedding as a big Pinterest board. Pinterest is good for inspiration, not to be completely copied. Expect your ideas to change a little different in reality, (It will usually look more amazing, than you ever thought possible!)”
“At the end of the day it is about the people, not the fancy nick-knacks you have around your wedding. Try not to spend your wedding day worrying about decorations, and anything beyond your control. It is all about spending time with your new spouse, and those you have invited on the day. You will have more fun! Plus your photographs and video will look more pleasing capturing your smile, instead of a ‘worried’ moment. You don’t want to look back on a photo thinking ‘Oh.. that was when the napkins were slightly the wrong colour’.
Book great and trusted suppliers! And respect the hell out of them, they make your day amazing! This includes those behind the scenes too (chefs, venue staff etc.)
Bring your dog to the wedding, if you have one! They keep the kids entertained and make great photos.
If you are having a winter wedding; embrace the cold weather conditions. They make great photos! Natural light is always better than indoor shots.”
SUPPLIERS
Photographer: Hayley Bray Photography
The Dress: Miss Bush
Florist: Gill Pike Florist
Bride, Best Woman and Maid of honours Hair: Sharon Roberts Hair
Bride, Best Woman, Maid of honour and bridesmaid Makeup: Tania Stephenson-Oliver
Hair for bridesmaids and makeup for bridesmaid: Stephanie Dorelli
Videographer for the day: Jenny Davies
Film editor: Ash Videography (The Bride!)
Catering: Tandem Catering
Venue: Gate Street Barn
Thank you so much to Ashleigh and Harry for sharing their gorgeous festive wedding with us – such a pleasure to read all about it and see all of the beautiful images!
Leah x
