The wedding of
Helen & Ed
Lainston House, Winchester
Real Life Weddings at Lainston House
How did you both meet and how did the proposal occur?
We’ve known each other since Helen was around 5 years old; we both played at a tennis club in Leicestershire. Ed was actually best friends with Helen’s brother for several years before we got together around 12 years ago... thankfully he eventually came to terms with the idea of us being together!
The proposal was on our 11-year anniversary in March 2022. We were sat in our pjs on a rainy Friday afternoon with some Doritos (looking our best!) and Ed pulled out a ring box from behind a sofa cushion. We had a few friends and family come and celebrate that evening.
What did you love most about Lainston House?
Everything… It was exactly what we were looking! We’ve always wanted to get married outside and the South Lawn was perfect. The grounds and the house are beautiful and the winding drive-way in is something very special. The staff were brilliant, everyone made the day run so smoothly.
Did you have a theme or a particular style for your day?
We both play a lot of tennis and so it was always going to be involved in some way. We wanted a relaxed garden party/Pimms on the lawn feel to the day.
We gave our florist free reign and simply specified that we wanted bright colours and she did an amazing job and suited the day perfectly. We also set-up a pop-up tennis net on the lawn which was great as a lot of the guests also played tennis, so they really enjoyed that.
What do you remember most about the day itself?
The whole thing. We remember the drinks reception after the ceremony as everyone was so happy for us and wanted to share their congrats and hugs with us.
We also remember our first dance with the band starting immediately after and our guests ready to dance the night away.
Sophie, Alberto and Ben also made us feel comfortable and gave us confidence that the day would go ahead as we’d imagined. We felt so looked after and we couldn’t have asked for a better day!
Were there any special moments during the planning or the big day?
One of the biggest surprises was Ed had arranged for friends and family to arrive at a certain time in the evening on the day he proposed, to celebrate (very confident I would say yes!). This was such a surprise and it was lovely to have everyone we loved there to celebrate that moment.
There were so many special moments throughout the day, too many to recount. One special moment, was between the wedding breakfast and the evening reception we went up to our suite to take a moment ourselves. It felt special and Ed captured a lovely picture of me with my feet up with a glass of wine with the sun shining through.
What advice would you give to a couple starting out on their wedding journey?
Our advice would be to start planning early. We started a couple of weeks after getting engaged and it meant the whole planning process was relaxed and enjoyable. It also means you can get a broader range of suppliers as they get booked up quickly.
Our second piece of advice would be to get a band in the evening, if you can. We had a band and the energy they gave to the guests was incredible and it meant the dance floor stayed full the whole night.
Lastly, and will be said a lot, try to stay in the moment. The day goes so quickly, and it can feel overwhelming at times, so do take a few moments throughout the day to yourselves and enjoy the occasion of the day.
Suppliers & products
Photographer @paulgregoryphotography
Flowers & styling @claudiandb
Helen's Dress @hannahelizabethbridal
Ed's Suit @mossbros
Cake - Martha Hollis
Guitarist Jack Daynes via @encoreentertainmentuk
Band @tailoredents
Hair & Make Up @eviecervenkamua