Real life wedding at South Lodge

What can we say, our paths just happened to cross in exactly the right place, at exactly the right time – perhaps it was fate! Martin planned the most beautiful proposal during a candlelit dinner on the beach in Halkidiki in Greece whilst we were on holiday, he had spent weeks planning the proposal and got down on one knee just after dessert. It was a beautiful moment and one we will cherish forever – the hotel staff came dashing over with a bottle of champagne and a celebration cake, it was so special!    

South Lodge is a stunning wedding venue set in the most beautiful grounds overlooking the South Downs and it’s brought to life by a team of dedicated and passionate staff who bring the hotel to another level – we couldn’t have asked for better during our entire wedding planning journey or on the wedding day itself, the whole experience was a joy! Due to the pandemic, we ended up postponing our wedding more than once but the team at South Lodge made the whole process an absolute dream – a special mention has to go to Emma Kerridge who is an absolute credit to South Lodge and a pleasure to work with! Emma went so far above and beyond time and time again, making sure nothing was too much to ask throughout our wedding planning journey. The team at South Lodge were fantastic at catering for dietary requirements and we were even able to have our entire wedding menu gluten free which was amazing. Liz and the team on the wedding day itself executed everything to perfection – we’ve lost count of the number of guests who came up to us telling us it was the best wedding they’d ever attended and the food was incredible. Everything was absolutely faultless, we couldn’t have asked for better – thank you all so much.

Our colour scheme focused around pastel shades of pink, pale blue and ivory, which were echoed in the bouquets and floral arrangements, bridesmaid dresses, suits, cake decoration and room décor. We chose a floral theme with each of the tables having a floral name which we loved.

I wore a lace and tulle ball gown dress by Maggie Sottero with a chapel length veil adorned with crystals which was absolutely beautiful and made me feel like a princess on the wedding day. I also wore a stunning crystal tiara from Hermione Harbutt which complemented the dress perfectly, not forgetting the Jimmy Choos of course! I went dress shopping with my mum and as soon as I tried on the dress at Mathilda Rose we knew this was ‘the one’ – my mum was in tears as I stepped out of the dressing room!

Making precious memories with our nearest and dearest who had travelled from far and wide having spent so much time apart over the past few years, in large part due to the pandemic, the memories made will stay with us forever – thankfully we also have the incredible photos and video to relive the day over and over!

Never underestimate the power of a spreadsheet (and a list – several lists in fact!) – planning leads to perfection. It might feel difficult to let go of some control but make sure you delegate jobs to be done on the day itself to avoid any unnecessary additional stress and remember to take in every moment – it goes so fast, we definitely underestimated how quickly time would pass on the day even though everyone told us it would fly by!

And of course, don’t forget to enjoy the wedding planning journey – ours lasted almost 4 years!

Photography @kimburrowsphotography
Videographer @thirdreelfilms
Flowers @chirpee.flowers
Styling @bows_hire
Sarah's Dress @mathilda_rose_bride
Sarah's Tiara @hermioneharbutt
Bridesmaid's Dresses @maidtomeasure
Cake @eatnmess
Make up @kimberleylouisemakeup
Harpist @nicolavealharpist
Photobooth @absolutebooth