"Rockbeare Manor took my breath away when I first viewed it," says Alice, who had help from two key people when it came to planning their "springtime, English country wedding".
Continuing the family theme, Rich's sister, Aimee - who works as director at the venue - and his cousin, Clementine - who runs a wedding styling and planning company called Barrel and Lace - were on hand to help. "They made our wedding what it was," says Alice.
The springtime theme incorporated rustic and vintage touches: there were large churns filled with eucalyptus, small vases, chalk signs and a beautiful arch for the ceremony draped with lace. Flowers were key to the aesthetic: the fresh palette of crisp whites and greens focused heavily on foliage. "My boutique was beautiful, featuring eucalyptus, veronica, peonies and sweet pea," says Alice. "And we had a stunning 50-foot foliage runner for the banquet-style dining table."
After a very calm morning - "I thought I was going to be far more nervous!" laughs Alice - the bride glided down the aisle wearing an exquisite lace dress, and with hair and make-up done by talented friends.
"Weirdly, I was least looking forward to the ceremony, but I loved every second, and it might have been my favourite part!" Alice says. "The love we felt from the people in the room was very special and saying our vows in front of those we feel closest to in our lives was something I'll never forget."
Following the ceremony, which was attended by 50 of the couple's closest family and friends, it was time for a specially chosen wedding breakfast.
"We chose our favourite foods for the day - an antipasti starter, served on large wooden, sharing boards, and fillet of beef for the main," says Alice. "The vegetarian option was an asparagus, broad bean, pea and spinach risotto, then offered tiered cake stands when our evening guests arrived, alongside savoury canapes."
Continuing the family theme, the amazing four-tiered, semi-naked sponge cake was made by Rich's mum, and was decorated with flowers and foliage with a 'Mr and Mrs Windsor' cake topper.
After the cake was cut, it was straight into the dancing!
"We booked a band we've known and liked for many years - The Move-Ons - who do covers from the 1960s to present day, with an indie/rock focus," says Alice, who also had a DJ to fill the gaps between the sets, so nobody left the dance floor all night!
While her favourite moment of the day was simply too hard to pick, Alice didn't have any doubts when it came to her best piece of advice.
"Put your trust in other people to help bring your dream wedding to life," she says. "Trust your florist - they're the expert. Trust your friends who offer to help on the day. Trust your make-up artist, you will look the best you've probably ever looked! You can't control every single aspect of your day, so that's why other people are there to support you."
Photography Nova Wedding Photography novaweddingphotography.co.uk
Venue Rockbeare Manor rockbearemanor.co.uk
Styling Barrel and Lace facebook.com/Barrel-and-Lace-1088982187826103
Flowers Emma Hewlett Flowers emmahewlett.co.uk
Dress Grace Loves Lace graceloveslace.com.au
Bridesmaid's dress Blush Fashion blushfashion.boutique
Flower girls' outfits John Lewis johnlewis.com
Page boy's outfit Monsoon monsoon.co.uk
Entertainment The Move-Ons facebook.com/themoveons
Stationery Kilkie Sands Calligraphy kilkiesands.com
Copyright Wed magazine 2018
.jpg)
.jpg)
.JPG)
