When a romance begins at a Halloween Party aged 16, there’s a true love story in store for us all. When we asked Ellie about how she knew that James was the one, this was what she had to say:
“We’ve done a lot of growing up together, and all versions of us have loved the other- there’s never really been a question of anyone else for either of us.”
I mean is this is a lyric from a Taylor Swift song because it sounds like it!!
Tell us about the ring and the proposal:
“We bought the ring together in Florence, Italy, on holiday. There is a bridge which historically sells jewelry called the Ponte Vecchio, that I had told James about at the start of our trip. He surprised me on the walk home from sightseeing one day by taking us via the bridge and we chose the ring together with money he had been saving up. James proposed privately in our hotel room later that evening, and it was perfect!”
The planning of a wedding can often seem quite overwhelming for any couple, and therefore they often visit lots of wedding fairs for inspiration, guidance and ideas. It was so lovely to hear from Ellie & James that following their visit to Thicket Priory they were blown away by our professionalism, passion and knowledge, this lead them to instantly feeling relaxed and ready to plan their dream day! Ellie also said “I used Pinterest a LOT for inspiration, and it was surreal seeing it all come together on the day.”
We cannot recommend using Pinterest more highly, and if you do, get following Thicket Priory as there is so much to inspire the look, feel and general vibe of your wedding.
Follow us HERE.
The importance of Ellie and James’ nearest and dearest became apparent not only during the celebrations, but in the planning. They made the heart of their wedding all about bringing together their family and friends to create a collaboration of people they trusted and found so much enjoyment in seeing them being a part of their big day.
From James’ Dad being the DJ, #DJMike, to a friend of Ellie’s mum Ali being the Celebrant, “we had a lot of people chipping in, not necessarily for budget reasons but because we wanted to make our big day a celebration of our love and that has always included the people that we are surrounded by! Having all of those people that we love involved made the day even more special, and helped our guests to feel included – which is what it’s all about!”
Let’s talk about THE dress…
“Funny story, the wedding diet had gone too well, and the dress was emergency purchase from Coast a few days before. A bit stressful, but they had the style I wanted and it turned out perfectly. I’d say my favourite element of the whole bridal ~fit~ was my veil. A mantilla veil was something I’d wanted from the start of planning, after James and I had seen all the lace markets in Spain whilst on a trip. The veil is what I’ve kept to pass down.”
Hearing from Ellie & James about their most unforgettable moment of the day, this is what they had to say:
“The day was littered with so many wonderful memories, we loved dancing with our friends and family, the heartfelt speeches, seeing all of our guests have fun and receiving a beautiful compilation of letters to the bride organised by my best friend Amelia.
At the end of the night, James and I shared a private dance with no one else around, no cameras or anything (thanks for the suggestion Anna!) and it was such a gorgeous way to end our day. We’re not people who are super comfortable being in the spotlight, and having that shared moment together was a gorgeous way to have a breath and a final moment to enjoy the day we’d just had.”
To back up just how much the community of friends and family meant to our lovely couple, here’s what they had to say about awarding the ‘gold medal of the wedding Olympics’:
“So many people contributed so much to make the day special, it was so overwhelming to feel the love pouring from everyone in their actions to help us create our dream wedding. I’d say the main gold medal goes to the friends & family who helped us to set up absolutely everything ahead of the big day. No job was too big or small, and it helped us to relax knowing that they had it all under control. Some things take a village, and we have a great one!”
Paired up with the support from their ‘home’ network was the supplier team helping to deliver smooth, efficient, well organised operations throughout the three-day midweek wedding. Checking in on Tuesday, checking out on Thursday, the running of the venue and the catering was a big part of ensuring Ellie, James, and their guests had the best time. But what did they have to say about this:
“Our caterers, Purple Chilli, were absolutely excellent. They were so helpful and friendly throughout, and the food and service were incredible and one of the best features of the day.
I will say that Thicket Priory staff are also the unsung hero’s of our wedding.”
*check out those cute plates, which Ellie & James went to paint together with their nearest and dearest so that they all had a personalised wedding place setting on the day. Too cute!
What was it about your venue that gives it the WOW factor?
“What about Thicket isn’t WOW… ? I think there is a vibe to Thicket Priory that sets it apart from other venues, there is so much thought and attention to detail that goes into everything. It is the perfect canvas for any style, theme or aesthetic. Thicket Priory is timeless, the whole building is so gorgeous, it is such an establishment and your guests will feel so pampered. I would recommend Thicket Priory for the support you get from your wedding coordinator alone, we would have been lost without Anna, and she worked so tirelessly to help us create the most perfect day. Every single staff member was committed to making the experience perfect. I have nothing but positive things to say about our experience with Thicket Priory, and Anna, if there is a gold standard for wedding venues they are it!”
…always goes down well to throw a little more magic into Thicket Priory…
When we asked Ellie about how James was during the planning process, it is so clear to see just how well matched they are! We found both Ellie & James to be the most polite and appreciative couple; often finding James in our wake helping to tidy up and ensure that everything was where it needed to be, it was dreamy! Hearing just how Ellie felt about having James by her side during the planning and wedding itself was so beautiful, adding yet another chapter to this gorgeous love story!
“James was so involved with planning, although I think that he mainly enjoyed the ‘going out for coffee and breakfast to discuss wedding planning’ element. When it came down to the small details, I definitely took the lead, but it helped massively to delegate tasks to him like following up with payments and getting info from guests to let me focus on the more creative elements. On the night before I was quite overwhelmed, and James took on every task I threw at him, supported me, fielded messages and calls, steamed dresses, provided hugs and held everything down. I didn’t need to explain anything, he was a 10/10, and I am so lucky to have him!”
…and I can’t help but think how very Sinatra these photo vibes are! What a cool couple!
How did you style your venue? Did your wedding day have a theme?
“We played around with lots of different ideas, and we settled a theme which was simple and timeless. Lots of lace, very cute vintage details, and elements which were us. My favourite flowers, James’ favourite cake, handmade favours, etc all just sort of fell into place around us when it came to styling.”
…my personal favourite photo from the wedding, diving into a slice of pizza at the end of the night!!
What’s your funniest memory from the day?
“The whole day we were giggling and having fun, I’d say something that made me laugh the most though was James’ speech. He’d been talking with me about what he was putting in there and I’d helped him a bit with his drafts when he’d asked. On the day though it was completely different (& hilarious), and it caught me off guard. It was one of the highlights of the day for me, everyone loved it.”
Finally, what’s your best advice you could give to couples who are about to tie the knot?
“Before we started planning, my mum told me to write down what I wanted to walk away from the wedding feeling like, and what we wanted to achieve on the day. The most important thing for us? We wanted to make sure that we (& our guests) had a fun time, and made cherished memories with those we love.
It’s easy to get caught up in the small details, what social media tells you that you need to include in the day, having things which only function to produce a certain picture. Remember why you’re getting married, and what is important to you. Check in with those priorities throughout your planning process to remind you of what you set out to achieve, and that you are marrying the love of your life and that’s all that really matters!
Also, film a little video at the end of the night when you go to bed and say the highlights of the day. It’s so easy to forget the little things, and having that video takes us right back to how it felt on the day. Another wonderful suggestion from my mum, she’s pretty smart!”
I couldn’t say it better than this, Ellie is one wise bride and I would recommend to all to take this advice! What a great way to ensure that you get everything out of your wedding celebrations that you had imaged…and no doubt more!
Have a beautiful day!
Love Anna xXx
Supplier Shout-outs.
Wedding Date: Wednesday 29th January, 2025
Catering: Purple Chili Events Catering
Photographer: Jamie Dunn
Bride’s dress (designer and shop): I got it from Coast
Groom’s suits: Charles Tyrwhitt
Hair: by friends Thea and Cara
Make-up: Bride
Flowers: arranged by a family friend Rachel
Cake: Samar’s Sweet Treats
Stationery/wedding favours: Bride on canva, we also used withjoy.com and it was amazing.
Entertainment: James’ dad – DJ Mike
Magician: Tim Litchfield
Videographer: family friend David
Celebrant Alison Chapman
