Lisa and Paul met through a mutual friend. "I was 16 and Paul was 19," says Lisa. "We got on really well and have done ever since. We've been together for 17 years and have two beautiful children together."
Paul popped the question after 16 years together. "It was a complete surprise," shares the bride. "He asked me at my 30th birthday party in front of all our friends and family. He put the ring in a gorgeous balloon, and I had to pop it and find it beneath rose gold feathers."
"We absolutely loved The Glass House," explains Lisa. "It was a modern blank canvas that lent itself well to any theme. It's set within a golf course, so the property is surrounded by beautiful fields and there are several spaces to take amazing photographs. There were also lots of local hotels nearby for travelling guests to stay. It's such an amazing venue that's so spacious and light."
The happy couple chose a modern floral gypsophila theme. "We wanted the wedding to be textured and dainty but still have a modern feel," adds the bride. "Bash Parties & Events were able to bring this theme to life and not only take a new spin on a gypsophila wedding but transform the space into a romantic setting. Traditionally, the flower is used within rustic themes, but we added pinks and lilacs to make it a bit different. Our invitations and table plan included flower hoops that we brought to life in our centrepieces. We used hoops and large trees to not only create texture but also height and depth to the overall look of the room. We wanted to make sure the gold and pink traditional feminine theme took on a new edge while still being trendy. The pink and lilac glass bubble balloons added a modern touch and brought the colours to life, and tied in the pink and mauve tones. We were so glad that we decided to add coloured glassware and crockery as this transformed the tables and brought the different colours to life. We added pink glass lanterns and candle holders alongside white and gold cutlery from Whitehouse Event Crockery."
For their favours, the couple gave their guests sugar cookies which also doubled up as name places.
“Instead of having a traditional cake, we decided to have four separate bakes with matching macaroons, cake pops and doughnuts,” recalls Lisa. “They were draped with gypsophila and had pink bubbles on the front to tie in with the centrepieces. The Sweetest Thing Cakery and Bash Parties & Events worked together to ensure everything looked amazing. We made the dessert area a huge focus of the room, and it paid off.”
“Our catering was provided by Twelve Restaurant & Lounge Bar,” says the bride. “We had a wonderful four-course sit-down meal.”
"I wore a gown called Hayley by Hayley Paige," shares Lisa. "I wanted a dress that was girly yet modern. The colour was amethyst and had multi-tonal layers of tulle to create a lilac tone that looked different depending on the light. It had hand-beaded florals, which added a dainty yet modern touch. I chose long sleeves as the beadwork was incredible. I absolutely loved my dress and felt amazing in it. Wedlocks Bridal Hair styled my hair in a long ponytail with a custom-made pearl headband from Victoria Percival. I chose matching single drop pearl earrings and pink Valentino Rockstud shoes."
Paul and the groomsmen opted for suits from Marc Darcy. "He wanted a checked suit but with a light and summery feel," explains the bride. "Paul opted for a mid-blue option which had a delicate pink check throughout to match my gown. He stood out from the groomsmen with a block navy waistcoat and accessorised with navy shoes, a tie and a belt. Marc Darcy was great as he was able to get the same design in a variety of sizes, including versions for his pageboys."
“The bridesmaids wore a light pink off-the-shoulder gown from Maya Deluxe,” adds Lisa. “We were able to get the same coloured dress with the same embellishments in a range of styles to suit everyone, including mini-versions for the younger maids. Bash Parties & Events made gypsophila flower hoops with ribbons for the girls. I wanted to choose something different to traditional bouquets, and the flower hoop was the perfect alternative as it matched the rest of our theme.”
"We chose to have TheDeadBeats, a local band, as our entertainment," recalls the bride. "They were amazing and kept the party going. They played a setlist that suited all our guests, and after the wedding, people couldn't stop talking about how good they were! We were so glad we chose to invest in this aspect of the wedding."
"It was a really emotional day as we had lots of ups and downs in the lead-up," says Lisa. "It was our third date due to COVID-19, and Paul had to undergo unexpected surgery linked to a previous cancer diagnosis which came out of the blue. We weren't sure if he would be well enough for the wedding, but thankfully as he was a candidate for a new transformational robotic surgery, he was able to have the operation and be well enough for the day. My grandad was poorly too, and it was undecided whether he would make it, but thankfully he did. It was an emotional day and a huge family celebration. Sadly, my grandad passed away four weeks after the wedding, but the fact he was there made the day even more special, and there certainly wasn't a dry eye in the house."
Lisa's sister, the owner of Bash Parties & Events, added a special touch to the day. "It was lovely seeing her work first hand and to see what goes on behind the scenes," shares the bride. "She was able to achieve our brief, and it turned into more than we could have ever hoped for."
"The speeches were brilliant," explains Lisa. "One best man had to self-isolate so my sister stepped in and added a speech to the day featuring a video message from Paul Elliott from the Chuckle Brothers. It's a long-standing joke that goes back to Paul's teenage nickname, and the best man ended up being the punchline of the joke, which was hilarious. The speeches were focused on the emotional rollercoaster we've been on leading up to the day but were the perfect mixture of humour and sentiment."
