Jon & Sarah’s GingeFest DIY Woodland Wedding

Where did you get married/why did you choose the venue did you have any type of theme to your day/ colour scheme.

As ex scout leaders, we knew we wanted to spend our wedding day outside, surrounded by trees. We’d seen photos online of Wise Wedding Venue in Tonbridge and after visiting, we booked straight away. Not only was it in woodland, but it had lots of quirky additions we loved. Unfortunately they don’t currently have a marriage licence, so we chose the gazebo at The Royal Spa Hotel Tunbridge Wells for the service and then headed off to the woods for the rest of the celebrations. Theme wise, we just wanted bright and fun, with a festival type feel! Oh, and the colour orange was a must as the evening entertainment was ‘Gingefest’!

Which flowers did you choose?

This was easy to chose – gerberas are my absolute favourite and the sunflowers gave a bright, summery feel

Which style was the brides dress?

.I knew I wanted a 50’s style dress, as it suits my shape and I’m very confident wearing that style (plus it shows off the shoes). I went to a lovely local boutique that specialises in 50’s wedding dresses and had plenty to choose from. I knew I wanted ivory, but was open to fabrics. The lace on the one I picked was beautiful and I loved the neckline. As an added bonus, they stocked orange petticoats!

How did you have your hair/make up and why?

Hair and makeup for the day was also 50’s style. Victory rolls, black winged eyeliner and lots of lashes! This is a look I love and am used to wearing, so knew I’d feel comfortable on the day

Which colour did the groomsmen/ bridesmaids wear?

The groomsmen had really sharp looking grey, slim fit, 3 piece suits, accompanied by the most amazing orange/blue ties and pocket squares. Each groomsman then personalised their outfit with their own choice of boots/shoes, to compliment their personalities. Our 5 year old twin boys weren’t left out and they had suits to match the ‘big’ boys The bridesmaids dresses were a nod to the 50’s and a gorgeous neutral peachy/pink colour. It went well with all their skin tones and hair colours and matched their shoes perfectly

How did you feel that the day went as a whole?

The day was perfect! We couldn’t have asked for more. The sun shone, we got to stand in front of our family and friends and commit to each other, the groomsmen surprised us with an awesome wedding car, – a 1953 Pontiac Superchief – an amazing afternoon of good food with a definite festival feel, all topped off with live music; three bands playing an eclectic mix from original performances, to Pink Floyd through to David Bowie. And we got to spend our wedding night in a tree house!