Fawsley Hall Hotel and Spa, 14 August 2022
How did you meet?
We met while working in London. After work we would often go for a coffee; sometimes Ebi would draw while I would read. We just didn’t want to be out of each other’s company.
Who proposed, when and where?
Ebi proposed in October 2018. He made a day of it, first taking me to the Landmark Hotel for afternoon tea (where we ate our weight in sandwiches), followed by a walk around Covent Garden before eventually going to The Oxo Tower for dinner. Ebi later said that he had tried to avoid hugging me all day as he was afraid that I would find the ring. After dinner, we went out onto the restaurant’s balcony, overlooking the Thames. Ebi got down on one knee. He was so nervous, he opened the ring box upside down. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
Did you have a theme for the wedding and why?
I don’t think I’m alone when I say that even before Ebi proposed, I had a wedding Pinterest Board. There were so many colour schemes I came across that looked so beautiful – sage green was a close second – and our theme ended up being blush pink and rose gold, with neutral tones running throughout. I just completely fell in love with it when I saw how they looked together.
Did you already know the style of dress and suit you wanted?
I had it in my head that I wanted to wear a long-sleeved dress with lace, but the ones I tried on just felt underwhelming. It got to a point where I felt quite deflated because I thought that I was never going to find a dress I fell in love with. My mum picked up a dress at Bridal Par Helene – which I completely rejected initially because it was no way near that style I had in mind – and told me to try it on, just to rule it out. As soon as I put it on, I felt so overwhelmingly emotional; I knew it was the dress I was going to be taking home.
Ebi: I had originally thought that I wanted a grey suit, perhaps with tails. When we went shopping for the suit (in Moss Bros), we saw a tweed three-piece suit and I knew that was what I wanted to wear when I got married. It wasn’t what I was expecting to choose, but I suppose that’s the way it goes.
Did you have bridesmaids/attendants?
Ebi had his two nephews, Ibbi and Aba, as his Groomsmen and his eldest brother as his Best Man. My sister was Maid of Honour, best friends as bridesmaids and bridesmen, and my best friend’s son as our ‘flower dude’.
Who created your floral arrangements and which flowers were used?
Our flowers were done by an amazing woman, called Kym who is the owner of Serenity Flowers. The flowers used were freesias and roses, with pampas grass and eucalyptus greenery. The freesias were a special addition as that was the flower my grandad had at his funeral; I’ve kept one of them pressed in a diary since he passed away. It was a special way to have him with me on the day of our wedding.
At the reception, we had eucalyptus on the top table. My mum had found beautiful hoops which we spray painted rose gold and decorated with Kym’s beautiful roses.
Tell us about your ceremony.
We’d always said that we wanted an outdoor wedding, and Fawsley Hall gave us the perfect setting to make that possible. We were so lucky with the weather, nearly 30 degrees. The ceremony was so intimate, with our closest family and friends there to celebrate with us; some having travelled from different countries to be there.
Because of the gorgeous weather, most people spent the evening outdoors under the beautiful lighting they have out there.
What was the wedding breakfast you served to your guests?
We had a traditional wedding breakfast – three courses, followed by tea and coffee. We had so many dietary needs to cater for and the catering team went above and beyond to ensure that all of our guests had a high-quality dining experience. They sourced halal options for our Muslim guests and vegan options for veggie friends (the bride included). The meat option was chicken served with creamy mash, gravy and seasonal vegetables.
The veggie option was aubergine with tabbouleh. For dessert we had the classic profiteroles, and sorbet as a vegan option. Everyone commented on how amazing the food was.
Tell us about your cake and who created it.
Our cake was made by the amazing Mindy, who works independently. She put so much love and care into making our cake, which was completely vegan, and made sure to keep us updated with the cake’s progress. Every sample flavour we tried was incredible ad ultimately picked our top three flavours for our three tiers (Biscoff, Strawberry, Lemon with Raspberry). She decorated it in buttercream and gorgeous fondant flowers.
Did you have any wedding favours?
We gave our guests blush pink soaps, beautifully packaged by mum and dad the night before the weddin.! They stayed up until the early hours of the morning, which I love them for.
What music and entertainment did you have, and what was your first dance?
Our music was provided by the amazing DJ Scott. We had our guests choose a song that they wanted to hear at the wedding, which made the playlist even more special.
Our first dance was chosen by Ebi; Rose Betts, Song to the Siren. It was beautiful. My mum and dad joined us part way through our first dance, followed by my sister and her wife. It was such a special moment, made even more special when everyone else started to fill the dance floor with their loved ones.
Where did you spend your wedding night?
We spent our night at the venue in a beautiful suite, although I fell asleep in my dress while Ebi was making me a bedtime tea.
Did you have a honeymoon?
We went to see Ebi’s family in Kurdistan, as his twin and dad couldn’t attend the wedding due to health reasons We had a second celebration with Ebi’s relatives, which was so special. We’re planning to go away this year, but we’re still debating on where to go. Bali is looking like a strong contender...
Did you have any special touches or moments that you’d like to share with us?
I think the most special moment for me was when my mum gave me the garter that she wore on her wedding day. Getting ready with my bridesmaids, mum, nan, sister, and sister-in-law was such a special experience. My nan also looked incredible; it made me so emotional when I saw her walking out in her blush pink dress that she’d kept a secret from everyone.
Do you have any advice for other couples?
Ebi and I were really strict with the savings we put away each month. My mum was incredible, helping us with our budgeting. She had her magical spreadsheet with all of our vendors, pending payments with deadlines on it. It helped so much with knowing where we were each month.
We found so many incredible decorations on Facebook Marketplace (that’s where we found our hoops for our centerpieces). If we’ve learned anything it’s that you don’t have to spend a lot to have a beautiful day.
And finally, if we could do it all again, we would…
Take more time for ourselves. It’s so easy to get caught up in making sure everyone else is having a good time that you forget to check in with yourselves and process the fact that you've actually got married. Our photographers were incredible at pulling us away from the crowd every so often so we could have time to check in with each other, and actually have time to just be together.
Suppliers:
Venue and Catering – Fawsley hall Hotel and Spa
Videographer – Amir Harbe @elagency
Photography: www.octoberjames.com
Hair – Nikki Nicholls
MUA – Rachel Jarvis @racheljarvismua
Dress – Marys Bridal from Bridal Par Helene
Shoes – Bella Belle
Bridesmaids’ dresses – The Pretty Infinity
Suits – Moss Bross
Flowers – Kym at Serenity Flowers
Cake – Mindy @sophisticake
Stationery – All Things Quirky
Signage – Pause Design Home
