REAL WEDDING: Jodie & Alex - The Bridal Buzz

real wedding:

Jodie & Alex

Photography by Natasha, Honeydew Moments

This lovely laid-back couple had a great take on wedding planning – book everything that matters most and then save like mad! A pretty spring wedding full of seasonal flowers and candles, surrounded by nature! They had such a beautiful wedding, thanks, in part, to Uber… here we share their story.
Location: The stunning Syrencot, a captivating private county estate set in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside.

How did you meet, and when?

We originally met during secondary school when we socialised in similar groups, but it wasn’t until Alex came back to Clevedon from university and joined Clevedon Athletic Club that we started talking to each other. We bonded over our competitive nature, I think!

What was your budget? Did you stick to it?

When we started our wedding planning, we didn’t really understand how much everything would cost, but we knew what mattered most to us. So we booked our suppliers, put down deposits and started our serious saving mission!

How many dresses did you try on before you found the one?

I always knew my dream dress would be from The Mews – it’s a gorgeous boutique filled with French gowns and it offers such a beautiful experience. The Bukowski dress by Laure de Sagazan was a firm favourite from the minute I saw it.

What made your one your ONE?

My dress felt so natural as soon as I put it on. The silk skirt felt beautifully soft, with stunning lace across the top and finished with tiny pearl details – I honestly love it still so much now!

Was there a theme or colour scheme for your wedding?

We were inspired by the theme of our venue, a very romantic setting surrounded by nature. We wanted to draw in more of the spring season by filling the venue with soft colours and seasonal flowers.

How did you decorate your venue?

We fully trusted our florist and dear friend Tracy Pallari to fill the space with flowers and candles, she had a vision and we knew she would elevate the space so beautifully.

What were your best decisions for the wedding?

Booking our evening band was a real highlight for us and our guests. They were such a VIBE! Seeing our favourite people singing, dancing and having so much fun is a memory that will stay with us forever. The lead singer, Layla, has the most soulful voice. She had a six-piece band behind her, and together they performed banger after banger. I was fan girling them HARD!

Did you make any cost savings, and how?

We decided to do a lot of the stationery ourselves and also make a wedding website. This definitely saved some pennies and was a fun creative thing to do!

What were your favourite moments?

Our ceremony felt very raw and intimate. Alex was surprisingly nervous, which is very unlike him; he is always so chilled, laid back and joking around. As soon as I met him at the end of the aisle, we held hands, stood close to each other and felt so so in love. We also wrote our own vows, and so saying them was such a lovely moment. Our words were a mixture of light humour, gratitude towards each other and our promises for our future together. It felt really special to speak to each other so honestly.

Any funny things happen? Embarrassing moments?

We had a slight drama during the morning setting up prep (unknowingly to me) where my mother-in-law had accidentally forgotten to bring a box of bits that were put together to dress the tables. To say this mortified her is an understatement! After panicking about this with some family, the only solution she could think of to bring the box to us was to order an Uber… A friend who has a spare key to her home let herself in so she picked up the box and placed it in the Uber car ready for a 70-mile trip to our wedding venue – the Uber arrived mid ceremony and I still had no idea! The money she would have spent on this honestly makes me feel unwell…

Did you follow all the traditions?

Not overly. A few definitely trickled through, but we mostly wanted the most relaxed day possible. An untraditional highlight would be walking down the aisle with my mum, and she was so excited to share that moment together.

What were the challenges of planning and organising the wedding?

I think planning anything with that amount of people who you care about is always going to come with challenges. There were a few family logistics to navigate!

Any regrets? Anything you would have done differently, or included with hindsight?

I wouldn’t change a thing! The day was perfect, and everything happened just as it was meant to, whether that was in our plan or not – we had no expectations and let the day just happen around us.

What advice do you have for other brides?

Easier said than done, I know, but don’t worry about anything! Your day will be perfect because you’re marrying the person who you love! Let everything happen, trust the process, drink some bubbles and have THE BEST TIME!

The Details

Photographer: Natasha – Honeydew Moments
Wedding venue: Syrencot
Wedding dress designer: Laure de Sagazan from The Mews Bridal in Clifton
Flowers: Tracy Pallari Flowers
Stationery: DIY via Etsy
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Accessories: Rings from Fenton
Earrings from Missoma
Headband from Tracy Pallari
Hair: Tracy Pallari
Makeup: Sally from Makeup by Sally
Cake: Claire from Caked Patisserie
Bridesmaids: Ivory dresses from Ghost
Menswear: Groom’s suit from Reiss, Best Men and Groomsmen from Moss Bros
Entertainment: String quartet from The String Quartet based in Wiltshire. Evening band called Funk Delight
Videographer: Ben Radley Wedding Films
Venue decoration: Chantelle from Love with Letters

Thank you so much for sharing your special day with us, Jodie & Alex. It feels like we should be friends with you and we love your approach to life and love. A happy ever after to you both!

Share your wedding with us [email protected]

Read more amazing real wedding stories here