We provided On the Day Coordiantion for the lovely Charlotte and Jamie. Here, Jamie tells us about how he and Charlotte met, the proposal and their wedding at Sopley Mill.
Tell us a bit about your history and the all important proposal!
We met over 10 years ago when we were at school. We were part of a lovely friendship group (friends who would later become our wedding party) but Charlotte and I got closer and became an item.
We dated long distance for a few years, while Charlotte did her degree in Manchester and I started studying in Southampton. After Charlotte finished she moved down here and we moved in with each other. I proposed when we went on a walk on a rainy day in Manchester, I took Charlotte to all her favourite places in the city and finally the botanical gardens where she used to visit. Charlotte having no idea what was happening invited a couple of friends so we have some fab photos of the proposal! And we were able to celebrate with a bottle of prosecco in the rain – how very British!
How did you decide on your venue?
We went to an open day at Sopley Mill. It was pouring with rain but we fell in love with it instantly. We loved how rustic and full of character it was and thought if we loved it in this weather then we’d always love it. I made Charlotte go and see a few other venues, as Sopley Mill was the first one we’d been too but none of them came close.
Why did you choose the suppliers that you did?
We found most of our suppliers on Instagram and loved the style of their work and felt that they really suited the look we were going for. We’re quite laid back people and we wanted our suppliers to be similar personalities. So it was really about finding people who had a similar philosophy and we could work well with. Every one of our suppliers far exceeded our expectations and we’re very happy with our choices!
Did you find it easy to stick to a budget?
We found it pretty easy to stick to our budget, mainly because of incredibly generous contributions from our parents. We set out rough ideas for what we could spend on certain things at the start and kept track of it all on a spreadsheet that I made. Early on we discussed our priorities for the wedding with photography and videography being the main one. This allowed us to overspend in the areas that meant the most to us and cut the things that didn’t, such as favours!
We did overspend on a few things but we wouldn’t have changed anything and managed to make some great savings. We made a lot of the decorations ourselves or bought them from charity shops and eBay. Charlotte’s dress was also a steal from wed2b.
What are some stand out moments from your wedding day?
We loved seeing all of our guests having such a great time. Being able to spend time with our families and friends was great. Things like having the sparklers didn’t just make amazing photos but they were great fun. We also loved having some time to ourselves when the photographer took some bride and groom photographs, with Sopley Mill in the background. It was a great opportunity to chat about the day so far and spend some time just the two of us.
Would you do anything differently?
We wouldn’t change a thing about the day. Looking back at the photos and video just makes us so happy and it’s a memory that’s going to last forever. We’re so lucky that we had the perfect day and we are so grateful to everyone who made it happen for us.
SUPPLIERS
Photographer: Stephen Duncan Photography
Venue: Sopley Mill
Wedding Planner: South Coast Weddings
Videographer: Thompson Wedding Films
Cake: The Crumb Factory
Decorations: Linen and Lace
Catering: Red Cherry Catering
Bar: Tom’s Bars
Ceremony Music: 4Strings Quartet
Evening Entertainment: We Perform
Bridal Make Up: Tara Sanger Makeup
Bridal Hair: Grace Bailey Hair
Florist: Willow and Wisps