Sometimes, you meet a bride who can turn your world upside down. She can enter like a whirlwind and show you completely and utterly why you love your job. Meg was one of those brides, her journey was so emotional and I know that she won’t mind me saying that she really blossomed into the most beautiful butterfly! I know she is going to be part of our little family forever. Here she shares her experiences and tips to help inspire you.

Who is your other half and how did you meet?

My husband Aaron and I don’t actually remember when we first met, but we know that it was most likely in 2008 / 2009 and probably at our local skate park! We had quite a few mutual friends which is how we were introduced and had been friends for years, it was only after we were both invited to watch a world cup football game in 2014 that we started to get really close; funnily enough, I am not really that into football but I decided to go that day anyway – perhaps it was fate! 

Eventually the friendship blossomed into a love story and, nearly 7 years on, here we are today!  

Was it a romantic proposal?

The proposal – wow! Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected anything as romantic as what Aaron planned, and he even managed to do it without me suspecting a thing! 

My best friend Hannah and I booked a girl’s trip to Verona, Italy in March 2019 and just before we left, Hannah told me she had found a beautiful bar for us to go to on the last night of our stay.

We spent our last day visiting Venice which was amazing, and after getting back to our hotel and putting on our glad rags we set off for the bar! Unfortunately, this did include what can only be described as a near-vertical hike up some of the steepest steps I have ever seen, but I was assured that the view from the top was worth it and as promised, it was. We both walked over to the edge of the view point, where Hannah said to me ‘stand facing the view and I’ll take a photo of you with the scenery’, little did I know that hidden behind some trees was Aaron waiting for us, and while I was stood looking out over the view of Verona at sunset I heard 3 little words – ‘Meg, turn around’ - there he was, down on one knee and asking me to marry him! 

Of course, Hannah had been in on the whole thing to make sure I was in the right place at the right time and she even managed to get the proposal on camera too! 

What made you choose your wedding venue?

I had always dreamed of a barn wedding, but Aaron’s taste is a bit less rustic than mine – that’s where Rivervale Barn really fit us both perfectly! Rivervale is definitely a modern take on a barn, with a bright and airy feel while also having warm wooden beams and high ceilings, it was the perfect combination of our tastes. But the thing that really sold the venue to us was the outdoor ceremony space - The Spinney; the second I saw it I just knew that was where we had to get married!

As for the feel for the day, I basically just wanted flowers everywhere! The theme was that of a meadow / English garden, and we wanted everything to look as though it had grown there all by itself - this was no easy task for our florist but they absolutely nailed it!  

How did you choose your various suppliers?

I actually found a lot of my suppliers through recommended supplier lists; I didn’t get them all from our venue’s recommendations though, I stole a few from different venues we looked at too! I found it was a great starting point when there is an ocean to choose from, and from there I whittled it down to the suppliers I thought fit us the best. Otherwise I found Instagram really useful – you can get yourself stuck down all sorts of rabbit holes on there!

I must say our photographers, Joe and Matt, really exceeded our expectations. We had a feeling they would be amazing, especially after we had our postponement shoot with Joe, but they really went above and beyond and kept us laughing all day…not to mention the photographs themselves are out of this world!

Venue – Rivervale Barn

Photography – Joe Mallen Photography

Videography – Green Biscuit Films

Florist – Lily’s Flowers

Cake – Sarah Louise Cakes

Hair – Rivervale Beauty

Make-Up – Hollie Ellis and Elysia Carroll

DJ – DJ Ashley Riggs

What tips would you give to other brides planning their day?

The most important tip I can give is really try to take every moment in! So many people said this to me before the big day, but no one prepares you for how quickly time will pass and it’s so easy to get swept up in it all. My advice would be try and take a moment to step back, slow down and really feel everything happening around you at least once on your day. 

What was your favourite part of the planning process? 

To be honest shopping for my dress was the thing I was the most nervous about after I got engaged. I was a very self-conscious bride and worried that I would never find a dress that I felt beautiful in…until Emma came along! At every appointment, over every hurdle and even on my wedding morning, Emma was there to hold my hand. I have to say the Boo experience will always be something I treasure, as Emma and the team turned the one thing I was most nervous about into one of my favourite parts of the whole planning process. 

What was your most memorable moment of the day?

I would have to say the moment I saw Aaron standing at the end of the aisle. 

After having to postpone our wedding and wait an extra year, through all the moments I was feeling sad or anxious or faced with uncertainty, the thought of seeing him standing there was a daydream that would keep me going. It was the moment that all of the planning and stress we were faced with became worth it, and I can say hand on heart that moment was everything I dreamt it would be. 

How did it feel to plan a wedding during a global pandemic?

Our wedding was originally supposed to go ahead on the 20th August 2020, however the pandemic had other plans! 

I have to say, for a long time it felt like one step forward, two steps back - especially as, for a little while, there was still hope that things might be able to go ahead by the time August came around. We made the decision at the end of May 2020 to postpone by an entire year to the 11th August 2021 with hope that things would be ‘normal’ by then and that we could enjoy the lead up to the wedding we always hoped for. 

While the start of 2021 wasn’t what we planned, and in fact restrictions only fully lifted 3 ½ weeks before our wedding, I can honestly say the love we both felt on that day was more than we could have ever imagined. Whether it was because of the extra time we had to wait, or just because we finally had everyone together again, it felt like after all the heartache it was well and truly worth the wait! 

And they lived happily ever after x