A fun, fairytale wedding for Carly & Connor

real wedding:

A fun, fairytale wedding for Carly & Connor

8th of June, 2023
Old Thorns Hotel and Spa
Photography by Carla Mortimer

A beautifully traditional, fairytale wedding for Carly and Connor, childhood sweethearts who got together in 2009 and have been together ever since!

Here we share their wonderful fairytale wedding, which was so much fun. Planned, booked and paid for in five months! This is how they did it…

How did you meet, and when?

We met when we were 15 at Connor’s best friend’s house party. It was 2008! We started going out together on the 13th of January 2009 and have been together ever since!

Did you have a budget for the wedding and stick to it?
Yes, and no! It was £12,000, and we spent around £21,000

The dress search… How many did you try and how did you know when you had found THE ONE?
I tried on 12 dresses before the 13th. I put number 13 on and it just seemed to have my name written all over it! My beautiful gown was Maggie Sottero from Creatiques Bridal Boutique in Southsea.

Did you have a hen do?
Yes, we went to Magaluf on a last-minute deal, because it was a last-minute wedding!

Was there a theme to your wedding?
Yes, sage green. A company called Little Details decorated my venue using it as a theme and they supplied the chair covers and sashes, the petals down the aisle, the table decorations, the welcome sign and the flower arch.

What was the best decision you made for your wedding?
Having a videographer – we chose Portsmouth-based Russell from Bride & Zoom. I also loved our flower wall, sweet cart and table plan from Victory Events.

Did you make any cost savings?
The venue package was pretty decent to be fair. I saved loads on making my own flowers using artificial flowers, and I bought the bridesmaid and flower girl dresses I bought when they were discounted.

Did you follow all of the traditions?
Not really, no. We did go with Something Old, Something New… though.

What were your favourite moments?
All of it! My best bits were getting ready with my family and best friend, having one-to-one time with Connor for our photos, and the speeches.

And what were the challenges? Do you have any regrets? Anything you would have done differently?
No challenges – I loved it, and it was done and dusted within five months! I wish I had more photos of me with my guests. The day sort of disappeared!

Were there funny moments?
The photographer asked me to kick my dress out and Connor ended up booting me in the leg!

What advice do you have for other brides?
Don’t stress about things that are out of your control, and enjoy the day as much as possible. Oh, and take photos of you with all of your guests!

Where are you going for your honeymoon?
We went to Tenerife for a family moon and have planned a honeymoon in Greece.

Photographer: Carla Mortimer
Wedding venue: Old Thorns Hotel and Spa
How many guests did you have? 80
Wedding dress: Maggie Sottero from Creatiques Bridal Boutique
Flowers: Styled by the bride using flowers from Shein
Stationery: Made by the bride
Shoes: New Look
Accessories: Tiara from Creatiques, jewellery from Warren James
Hair: Kirsty Payne
Makeup: @annahardimentmua
Cake: By the bride’s friend Karla
Bridesmaids: Maya Deluxe range
Menswear: Moss Bros
Videographer: Russell from Bride & Zoom