A Glitter Infused, Rainbow Coloured, Brighton Wedding…
I couldn’t help but have a big grin across my face when looking through Amber & Simon’s Wedding photos!
They threw the wedding rule-book out the window, and simply made sure their wedding was all about them, their closest friends & family, and their love of Brighton. Their happiness and personality shines through in every photo and I just LOVE it!
Photography by Paloma…
Why you love this wedding…
I loved how easy going and fun loving both Amber and Simon were. They just had their nearest and dearest and it showed. All the thought they’d put into every detail and all the colours!!
Favourite details of the day…
Simon had the inside of his beautiful suit embroided with the words “You really got me” from the Kinks’ song. Also the fact that although neither of them are local to Brighton, they love the city so much they decided to get married here.
Favourite moment of the day…
Walking through the Laines with both of them on the way to their venue. We had so many people shouting congratulations and good wishes, it was so much fun!!!
Amber & Simon…
Tell us how you met and got engaged…
We met having succumbed to the world of internet dating, I (Amber) ‘hooked’ my man through a well known site & it went from there really… move forward 2.5 years, it was August bank holiday last year (2016) & I was making a cup of tea in the kitchen. Out the blue (for me anyway, he had it planned!), Simon got down on one knee & proposed! I just couldn’t believe it, I’d thought that marriage probably wasn’t on the agenda for us, but it just shows you never know what’s around the corner! I didn’t believe him at all ! Told him to stop mucking about as it wasn’t nice but when I eventually realised he was serious, I burst into tears, was so overwhelmed… Simon however reminded me that he was still on one knee & it was starting to hurt so was it a yes or a no haha !! No need to tell you the answer!
How would you describe your wedding theme?
A laid back glitter infused, Mod’s v Vintage Mash Up !
What were your favourite details?
(Amber) I absolutely adored my flowers, they were big, blousy & so colourful… plus the ribbons… total ribbon porn ! The Music Bar looked sensational all dressed up for a party & our cake tower was amazing ! All our favourites in one big lush tower! Of course my dress, it was a dream, I felt so glamourous, it was just beautiful.
(Simon) Had to be my suit, what an experience, all the extra touches that made it so unique & personal, also our band, being a huge lover of old soul, ska & R&B, it was a total no brainer when it came to booking them, they’re so talented, was one of the first decisions we made!
Was your favourite part of the day?
There were so many ! Amber stopping the Bridal taxi on route & jumping out with her maids for a quick shot to calm the nerves in a local pub – Seeing each other for the first time in the amazing ceremony room surrounded by all the people we love… Simon looking sooo sharp in his suit & Amber just blew me away, she looked so beautiful – Spending an hour together just after we’d married, wandering the Laines of Brighton with the biggest grins on our faces! – Photos in the record shop… so Simon! – The party, our band, the dancing… all immense – Walking back to our apartment at 2am after all the fabulous chaos of the day & getting a huge cheering Mexican wave from all the clubbers outside a venue, was so funny & a perfect end to an amazing day!
How was your day unique?
Simply put, it was just us. We felt no pressure to conform to tradition, there were no formalities, no table plan or dress code – we didn’t even have enough seats for everyone! All we wanted for a perfect day was to be surrounded by the people we love, have a simple but meaningful ceremony & ensure the speeches were short, the drinks were long & the party was loud…
What made you chose your wedding venue?
(Amber) One of my earliest memories as a child was coming to Brighton & having my photo taken with the monkeys on the pier, I must have been about 10… it’s been a big part of my life ever since.
(Simon) I also had fond memories & so naturally, when we started dating, Brighton & weekends away were & continue to be, a big part of our life. Even Amber’s engagement ring was made & bought in the South Lanes & so it was the obvious choice when we were planning our day.
The Pavilion is such an iconic building & one that Amber has always loved – knowing our party would be a big noisy & informal affair, The Pavilion was our ‘grown up & luxurious’ part of our day & it didn’t disappoint…talk about wow factor ! We still feel very privileged to have been married there. As for our party, we had 3 requirements 1) A late licence 2) Room for a band & 3) big enough to hold circa 120 people… The Latest Music Bar ticked all 3 boxes & more besides…An old Music Hall with a stunning Atrium on the ground floor & a club in the basement was a total dream & more than we could have hoped for. It’s an outstanding venue with a fabulous team.
Tell us about your wedding outfits and why you picked them…
(Amber) Being a huge fan of old style Hollywood Glamour, I knew my dress would have to be classic & of that era. A friend reminded me of the dresses made by The Velvet Birdcage in Worthing & when I looked at their website, I just knew I would buy my dress from them, their style was me to a vintage ‘T’!
The first dress I tried was a peacock blue strapless number with a feather design… from that silhouette, my stunning dress was born. Completely bespoke, we chose material’s, colour, lace, beading & added sleeves, the team were fantastic & I knew it would be gorgeous. It was 6 months later (only 2 mths before our wedding) when I saw my finished dress for the 1st time. I was so nervous ! No need though because it was utterly beautiful… my sister cried & I was speechless, it was love at first sight – Boom… job done !
(Simon) As an old Mod, my suit had to look sharp & be true to the era so for me, it was all about finding the right tailor, I’m a sucker for quality so knew I’d end up with something bespoke. Browsing the internet one day, I came across an article written by King & Allen Tailor’s on suits from the 1960’s and what made them special, their level of detail was spot on – I made an appointment with their Surbiton branch the very next day. From there, it was a case of finalising the style & choosing the material for my suit, waistcoat & hand made shirt. The detailing was impeccable… initials on the shirt cuffs, a lyric from our song on the inside of the jacket, right down to the last embroidered buttonhole on my waistcoat. An outstanding service.
What was your budget?
Excluding our outfits which we agreed we would each pay for ourselves, our budget was £10k… we came in a little over… we drank a lot of rum !
What was your biggest expense?
The food probably, but there again we had a lot of guests to feed. Our Caterer’s, Ren’s Kitchen in Worthing were outstanding. We had no outside space for our preferred option of street style food & so they recreated it for us inside, by preparing smaller tapas style dishes… it went down a storm & was worth every penny.
How did you save money?
We set a clear budget for each supplier, if it was over, we compromised elsewhere or advised them of our budget & whether they could work within that figure. Amber wasn’t fussed by designer shoes or elaborate hair pieces, so they came in at under £50. As for decorations, Ebay, Amazon & free time were our friends, so a lot of time was spent scouring the internet for cheap decorations. We used wallpaper as table runners & saved & glittered numerous jars, bottles & pots… it’s amazing what some glitter & metallic spray paint can spruce up ! Keeping everything informal also meant we didn’t need a table plan, place cards, order of service, menus or favours. Invites were a simple card with an A4 photocopied insert of additional info. Guest updates & RSVP’s were by email, social media or text which meant our budget went further & we could splurge elsewhere.
What was it like working with your photographer?
As soon as we met Paloma, we just knew she was the one for us. She just got ‘us’… neither one of us enjoy our photo being taken really but she made it so much fun that we totally forgot about the camera & felt instead as though we were out on a jolly with a friend, our guests said the same… we were all putty in her hands… She’s awesome & very talented!
Advice to any couples about to get married?
1) Agree your budget & write a list of what’s important for you, what you will & won’t compromise on & any aspects/traditions you don’t mind leaving out. Agree it together. If you know in advance it will help so much when well-meaning family members try to ‘help’ with the planning but don’t quite understand your vision !
2) When the planning all gets a bit much (& it will !) have a ‘wedmin’ free weekend & go have some fun, just be a couple again.
3) ….Lastly, take some time out with your new spouse on your wedding day & have a quiet 20 mins, just the two of you… it was the best advice given to us, the day goes so quickly, so take some time to congratulate each other before the celebrations take over… oh & have a wonderful day!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful day with us!
The Suppliers…
Photographer: Photography by Paloma http://www.photographybypaloma.co.uk/
Wedding Venue: The Royal Pavilion – http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/
Wedding Reception: The Latest Music Bar – http://latestmusicbar.co.uk/
Wedding Dress: The Velvet Birdcage – http://www.velvetbirdcage.co.uk
Brides Accessories: mix of Etsy & ebay vintage finds
Brides Shoes: Debut at Debenhams – http://www.debenhams.com/
Grooms Attire: King & Allen Tailoring – http://kingandallen.co.uk/
Bridesmaid Outfits: Blue from Lindy Bop https://www.lindybop.co.uk/ – Lemon original 50’s prom dress
Brides Hair & Make-up – Kitty Boo Creative – http://kitty-boo.co.uk/
Transport: Brighton & Hove Radio Cabs Ltd – http://www.brightontaxis.com/
Flowers: Kelsey Flower Show – http://www.kelseyflowershow.com/
Band: The Wooden Men – http://woodenmen.azurewebsites.net/
DJ: DJ Gremlin, Hove
Lisa loves Design – http://lisalovesdesign.co.uk/
Cake: Honeycomb Cakes – http://www.honeycombcakes.co.uk/
Food: Ren’s Kitchen – http://www.renskitchen.co.uk/
Décor: Balloons – The Balloon Company – http://www.balloonsbrighton.com/
Letters – The Giant Letter Company – http://www.giantlettercompany.com/
Other – all pre bought via ebay/amazon/china !
Wedding Boutique says
Just LOVE this. So much fun and personality jammed into one wedding day!