As the clock struck midnight and it became Ami’s birthday Joe asked her if she’d like her birthday present… he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. A truly magical proposal on top of the snowy Empire State Building.
Ruby, Ami’s sister in law, gifted her a wedding guide for Christmas; Let the planning begin! Ami used Pinterest throughout her planning – the perfect way to find inspiration as well as projects to take on themselves.
Ami and Joe wanted a venue with a “wow factor”. It was important to them that everything was in one place and that guests didn’t have to travel throughout the day. After spotting The Castle on Facebook and doing some further research on Hitched they came to view.
“Clearwell Castle ticked every box”
“The sweeping driveway that leads up to the front of the castle had us both in awe as we walked up during our first visit. We wanted our guests to feel amazed as they arrived and knew instantly that they would be. The Ballroom… the tall ceilings, large windows and long aisles; the castle managed to make me feel like I was in a church even though I wasn’t. The Cellar Bar in Clearwell Castle was so original, unusual and we could already envisage it coming to life at night with all of our family and friends.”
Slate blue, coral pinks and peaches were Ami and Joe’s colours for the special day.
It was important to Ami to add personal touches to the day – flip flops for the ladies toilets, personalised biodegradable confetti and Ami even crocheted her own bunting for the cake table.
Ami being from Gloucestershire, where cheese rolling is a tradition, thought it would only make sense to have a Cake of Cheese (supplied by Clearwell Castle). Ami added a cake topper and a mirrored “Mr & Mrs” heart, this was a sentimental gift from someone at Ami’s work who she had cared for.
They named each of their tables after landmarks they visited in New York. Crafting their seating plan together they created a map of New York with the tables laid out in geographical order.
Linking to their love of Harry Potter they gave each of their guests a sparkler as a favour with a little tag saying ‘lumos’ – this was part of their big plan to get everyone outside to surprise them with fireworks!
After Ami tried on the dress of her dreams… it was not what she expected! Searching through over 30 dresses the perfect one clicked!
“I finally tried on my dress and my bridesmaid Eloise started exclaiming ‘she’s swooshing!’ as I spun around in it. It fitted perfectly (no alterations!) and felt like it had been made for me. It was a strapless mermaid fit gown with a sweetheart neckline, a blush colour with ivory lace overlay. I wore a beaded belt to accessorize and a veil with crystal droplets at the hem.”
Something Blue – her blue beaded garter that matched a gorgeous hair vine made by one of her close friends.
Something Old – a simple pearl necklace that Joe had got Ami for their first Christmas together, 7 years ago.
Something Borrowed – Her sister’s greek style Pandora ring.
Something new– Everything else!
Ami also had two memorial charms clipped to her bouquet, one for her grandfather and the other for her grandmother a lovely way to make them a part of the special day.
Simple low heels but with lots of sparkle were the perfect shoes. Ami had a harry potter quote engraved on the bottom to give them that personal touch.
Joe and the groomsmen wore blue Ted Baker suits. They all had matching blue waistcoats to match the suit, but Joe had a tweed one. The tweed waistcoat had a blue colour that perfectly matched the bridesmaid’s dresses.
The boy’s ties and pocket squares were a gorgeous pink to compliment Ami’s flowers and blush pink dress.
“Joe looked great, and our family and friends insisted he looked like he was a model!”
Ami walked down the aisle to Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran – she entered with her father. A lovely touch as her parents actually honeymooned in Tenerife.
For the Wedding Breakfast…
Camembert to start
Pork Belly for main
Chocolate and Cointreau parfait for dessert
The speeches were perfect with tears for the Father of the Bride, laughter for the Groom and hilarious stories by the Best Man (of course about Joe!).
“We chose Wonderwall by Oasis. This had been our choice even before we got engaged! We both grew up listening to Oasis and it felt like the perfect choice for us as a couple.”
Ami and Joe’s advice for other couples… “Book the venue that makes you go wow, because it will do the same to your guests. Everyone has been commenting on how perfect the venue was.”
If they could do it all over again Ami would “strap a GoPro to my bouquet so I could live it all again!”
Ami and Joe had to change their original honeymoon plans, it didn’t stop them from having an absolute dream break. 5 nights in Bali exploring jungles, temples and even volcanos. They moved on to Singapore for 2 nights where they watched the sunset, light shows and walked through the botanical gardens and across the Grand Prix track. They then completed their honeymoon with 7 days in the Maldives where they enjoyed relaxing on their balcony, of course, this was only when they weren’t snorkelling!
“Clearwell Castle was just the perfect venue. The organisation was flawless, the day ran smoothly and was just wonderful. We can’t thank Aimee and the rest of the staff enough for their care in looking after us.”
Suppliers
Wedding Attire: Wed2B & Moss Bros
Accessories: Pandora
Bridesmaids Dresses: Lulus
Rings: Diamond Heaven
Photographer: Josie La Torre
Videographer: John Ashley