Tim + Joanne : A Grey and Ivory Wedding at The Elephant Hotel

On top of Tim and Joanne’s wedding cake sat the cutest pair of elephants there could ever be!

A grey and ivory colour scheme accompanied by an elephant cake topper created the perfect accents for an intimate wedding. Joanne’s lace dress wowed with tasteful sparkling detail while the men made a handsome group in their tailored grey suits. A relationship built on love and genuine appreciation for one another was captured perfectly by Masha Unwerth Photography at The Elephant Hotel.

The Beginning

“Tim and I first met around the year 2000 when we were working for the same utility company. Although we chatted and got to know each other as colleagues, we were at different places in our lives at that time. When Tim left the company in 2006 we remained in distant contact meeting a few times a year for social occasions with mutual friends. In 2013 we became closer whilst sharing our life experiences – my mum was very ill and Tim had recently lost his mum. We were a great form of support for each other and became even closer. We discovered how much we had in common, learning about and appreciating each other’s qualities.”

The Proposal

“We booked a long awaited holiday to 3 locations in the USA. We started our holiday in New York and on the second night we went for a meal in BarSixtyFive located within in the Rockefeller Centre. After the meal, we were enjoying a drink and the amazing views at the top of the Rockefeller Centre and Tim went to take his camera out of its case and instead produced a beautiful diamond ring and proposed to me! It was an absolute surprise and it was made even more special when I discovered that he had contacted my dad before we left to ask for his blessing.”

The Venue

“We loved the décor, the location of each of the rooms and the relaxed atmosphere. As soon as we walked in and were shown around, we could visualise our wedding taking place there. We chose to have an intimate wedding and the size of the rooms that we used were perfect for our needs – neither too large nor too small and they all flowed brilliantly. The large and pretty garden area was just what we wanted, allowing guests to sit and mingle as well as providing a great backdrop for the photographs.”

“The fact that we could have our ceremony, reception and overnight accommodation in one venue was a huge plus for us. It meant that our guests could arrive and just relax and it also meant that our fathers who are both registered disabled could enjoy the day without having to struggle to walk a great distance.”

“The overall package that the venue offered impressed us. The staff were attentive and friendly and all of our guests commented positively about them. The Elephant organised a pre-wedding menu tasting session which was fantastic. It allowed us to try different options and know in advance what the food looked and tasted like and also how the wedding breakfast room would look when it was set up for an event. The layout of the venue meant that our guests could mingle between the bar, garden and wedding breakfast room with ease and the décor and the lighting gave each room a lovely ambience.”

The Photographer

“Our favourite things about Masha included her style, attention to detail and creativity. After we saw examples of Masha’s work online, we knew that she would do a fantastic job of capturing the key moments of our wedding day. From the moment we contacted Masha, she put us at ease. We loved her clear, direct approach and appreciated her regular communication as the day approached. As organised people, we loved the fact that Masha was also really organised! She asked lots of questions to ensure that we were clear about what we wanted to achieve and what factors were important to us. We met prior to the wedding to walk around the venue and clarify any details, which we found really reassuring and helpful. On our wedding day itself, we used our pre-agreed plan for the day and taking Masha’s advice, nominated a close friend to help gather people together for the group shots. This made the whole process stress-free and enjoyable.”

Wedding Attire

“Our main colour scheme was grey and ivory with a splash of fuchsia and we also used these colours subtly with our choice of attire. Tim had a bespoke suit made for him in grey with a champagne coloured shirt and an ivory tie. The best man and our fathers also wore grey suits and both the button holes and my bouquet had grey/green, ivory and fuchsia flowers and foliage. I chose an ivory dress with lace sleeves and wore fuchsia nail varnish. I thought I would choose a less detailed dress but as soon as I put this one on, I loved the detail and the subtle sparkle and knew it was the one for me!”

Wedding Theme

“We didn’t have a theme but we knew that we wanted the day to have a relaxed and classic feel to it and we wanted subtle touches rather than a distinct theme.  As our venue was called ‘The Elephant’ and elephants are a symbol of good luck, we chose to have elephants as our cake toppers which are very talented cake maker made for us. We also gave a small engraved elephant as one of the wedding favours and we used a silver elephant ring stand for rings during our ceremony. We used butterfly’s and music as symbols to represent our late mothers and some handmade welsh treats and mini wooden welsh love spoons to represent Tim and his welsh family.”

Special Moments

“The actual ceremony itself was the most special moment for us both. Having our loved ones surrounding us as we made our vows, with beautiful music from our pianist and sparkling fairy lights, created such a romantic and magical atmosphere. The registrar did struggle a little with the pronunciation of my maiden name which made both us and our guest’s chuckle and still gets mentioned now!”

“Another memorable moment was when our lovely neighbours presented us with a handmade card with a photo of our much-loved cat Phoebe on the front with a superimposed crown on her head – signing if from ‘Princess Phoebe’! They had spent a long time trying to get Phoebe to keep still and pose! They also surprised us by decorating our house and leaving us some lovely food and drink to return home to. We are very lucky to have such kind neighbours who are also our friends.”

“Just a big thank you to everyone who played a part in making our day so very special. It was a day we will always treasure and it was everything that we hoped it would be and more.”

Supplier Information

• Venue:

  The Elephant Hotel

• Photographer:

  Masha Unwerth

• Groomswear:

  Simon Dowling Bespoke

• Bridal Shop/Designer:

  David Tutera for Mon Cheri – Confetti Bridal, Wokingham

• Florist:

  Ambience Venue Styling

• Wedding Cake :

  Jo Parke – Elegent Tiers

• Makeup & Hair:

  Helena Larsen -Sugarpaint Makeup

• DJ:

  City Nights Disco

• Magician:

  Dan Hudson

• Pianist :

  Steve Christie