Sealed With A Kiss: Leanne + Ben at Marwell Hotel

Sophisticated pearl and lace with a sparkling grand finale…

Leanne and Ben met through their circle of friends. With a solid foundation of friendship through good times and bad, they grew from strength to strength. It was inevitable that true love would soon blossom.

During a family holiday to Orlando, Florida, Ben picked the perfect location to ask that all-important question. After dinner in their favourite restaurant, the pair crossed the road to Clearwater Beach, where they watched the sun set and enjoyed an intimate proposal. The whole family gathered the following morning to celebrate the happy news over champagne and pancakes – sounds like our kind of celebration!

Documentary style photographs captured each loving kiss between the bride and groom and all those little wedding details – including their DIY candy cart. These first look shots of Leanne in her wedding gown are full of sweetness and sentimentality.

Leanne wore a breath-taking ivory Pronovias gown with flouncing skirt and on-trend lace illusion on the back. Her something borrowed was her best friend’s flowing veil with petite Swarovski crystals which was complemented with a bespoke headpiece embellished with jewels and pearls.

“Ben’s grandparents married in the same church as us over 50 years ago. His grandma passed away three years ago and his grandad’s grandparents are also buried on the grounds. It is very close to our hearts.”

“The Marwell Hotel holds many memories. My sister and her husband married there ten years ago and I was a bridesmaid. The following year, I also had my 18th birthday party there with all my friends and family. The Oakwood Suite holds up to 200 guests, which is the number we had overall – so it suited perfectly! The room itself is light, airy and has such a nice feel to it. Plus it is just a beautiful, unique woodland venue with friendly staff and fantastic service.

“The team at Marwell worked so hard at making everything run perfectly without any hiccups. They were present and on hand for every guest request (choices that weren’t even on the menu were whipped up right away!). They were so flexible with what we wanted and they made everything seem possible. The gardens were perfect for our guests; the sun was beaming all day. The garden was full of games which all the children (and drunk parents) had great fun playing with.”

“Our photographer, Adam Knight, was recommended through a friend of ours. He popped over one Sunday morning to meet with us following the initial enquiry. We both felt really relaxed with him and loved his style. He was personable and accommodating and we felt assured that he would capture our day as we wished, with a journalistic style.”

“On the day itself, Adam had such a calming influence, I felt so relaxed with him and he fitted in so well with the bridal party. We wanted a second photographer who Adam kindly arranged to spend time with Ben at our house. She was also lovely and they both complemented each other. Adam worked endlessly on the day, staying on late to do our final sparkler photo.”

The wow factor surprise of the night was a bridal party dance routine to Beyonce’s ‘Love On Top’. The bride and her squad spent a whole year practising to knock the groom completely off his seat! “He had no idea and said that we looked amazing! All our hard work paid off!!”

“Our favourite memory has to be right at the end of our day. All our family and friends were on the dance floor, everyone was mixed up so all our family and friends were totally interlinked. They are put their arms around each other and started kicking in time to the ‘New York New York’ with myself and my husband in the middle. It was so nice to see the two sides of the family join together completely in happiness and fun. It was unforgettable.”

Huge thanks to Leanne and Ben for sharing their special day with us and to their photographer Adam Knight for allowing us to publish these stunning shots. You can see more of his work at www.aknightstalephotography.co.uk

Supplier Information

• Venue:

  Marwell Hotel

• Photographer:

  A Knight's Tale Photography

• Wedding Dress:

  Brides of Southamton

• Florist:

  Penny Lane Flowers

• Hair Stylist:

  Bridal Hair in Hampshire (Michelle Crosser)

• Makeup Artist:

  Made Up Brides (Amy Richards)

• Hair Accessories:

  Once Upon a Time Tiaras

• Singer:

  Carl Winter Vocalist

• DJ:

  DB Events

• Photo Booth:

  Giggle Booth

• Wedding Cake:

  Chalming Cake Designs

• Wedding Car:

  Lawnswood Limousines

• Wedding Decor:

  Tie the Knot Events

• Balloons:

  Balloonique