Juliana and Luke met four years ago whilst working for the same company in London.

"As corny as it sounds, when we met we just knew we were meant to be together."

The Proposal

Luke proposed to Juliana on New Year's Eve 2012. They went for a meal at their favourite restaurant with Juliana's sister and her other half, and at midnight went outside to watch the fireworks over the river. As everyone started to go back inside Luke held Juliana back. He struggled to pull a box out of his jacket pocket, then nervously asked Juliana to marry him; she didn't hesitate in saying "yes". They danced and drank bubbly into the early hours of the night.

Hen and Stag Parties

Juliana and her hens flew to Budapest, where they were collected at the airport by a vintage limo-style Trabant. They enjoyed a trip to the Szechenyi Thermal Baths, a wine tasting session, and lots of fabulous food.

Luke and his stags celebrated in Bratislava, where they enjoyed a few activities and lots of drinking.

The Wedding Theme

Juliana and Luke didn't have a specific theme for their wedding; they just wanted the day to be really fun and relaxed, with great food, music and dancing. They chose antique purple as their accent colour, highlighted in their young bridesmaid's dress which they matched to the ushers, best man and groom's ties.

The Bride and Groom's Outfits

It took Juliana almost eight months and approximately 50 dresses to find her 'dream dress'. She chose a Lusan Mandongus fishtail dress of soft French lace over Italian laser cut lace, from Teokath of London.

"The moment I put it on and looked in the mirror the tears just rolled down my face. No other dress had filled me with such emotion, so I knew it was the one."

As the dress was over Juliana's budget she took some time in deciding whether to buy it, but her sister convinced her it was the one. As she ordered the dress she was told the designer was running a competition that weekend. A week or so later whilst looking online for flower arrangements the competition popped up, so she decided to enter, and a week before Christmas Juliana received a phone call saying she had won her dress!

Luke chose a blue, tailored three-piece suit with a swoop-neck waistcoat, which he wore with a white shirt and purple knitted tie, from Gieves and Hawkes.

The Bridal Party

Juliana had three bridesmaids. The 2 adult bridesmaids wore purple dresses from Wtoo, and the young bridesmaid's dress came from Dessy.

Luke's groomsmen wore suits of their choice, with ties to match the colour of the bridesmaids' dresses.

The Wedding Flowers

Juliana and Luke chose "simple flowers with a touch of antique beauty", designed by Michelle Rust. Juliana's bouquet had lots of texture, with mini succulents, pale pink peonies, sweet avalanche roses and lisianthus. The bridesmaids' bouquets were smaller versions of Juliana's, and the groomsmen's buttonholes were a single freesia, which was chosen as it was Juliana's mother's favourite flower, and a special way of remembering her on the day. For the ceremony the aisle chairs had a single hydrangea tied to them with purple ribbon, and there was a large arrangement at the front of the room. The dining tables for the wedding breakfast had low floral arrangements.

The Wedding Ceremony and Reception

The wedding ceremony and reception both took place at Nonsuch Mansion in Cheam. It was the first venue Juliana and Luke looked at, and they fell in love with it instantly.

They were married in a civil ceremony, attended by 80 guests. Juliana walked down the aisle to Pachebel's 'Canon in D', played by harpist Rebeca Jones.

The Wedding Cake

Juliana and Luke chose a three tier cake, with two layers of chocolate cake and a Victoria sponge layer. The cake was covered in butter cream and was a simple, rustic design, decorated with peonies and roses to match the wedding flowers, and there were also cupcakes and cake pops for the children. The cakes were made by Rachel Hill of Rachelle's.

The Wedding Photographer

Juliana and Luke chose Anna Hardy as their photographer, having fallen in love with her style and creativity as soon as they saw examples of her work.

"She captured the essence of the day so perfectly that we will be forever grateful to her for giving us the most precious visual reminders of our beautiful day."

Although they can't pick a favourite, Juliana and Luke both particularly like the picture of them signing the register, as Juliana is laughing and Luke is looking slightly surprised at what has just happened!

The Wedding Details

As the venue was so beautiful, Juliana and Luke felt it didn't need any extra decoration, so the only additions made were the flowers. For their favours and place names Juliana made pink chocolate lips and dark, milk, and orange chocolate moustache lollies, and CDs with a selection of the guests' favourite songs, put together by Juliana's brother.

Memories

"Some of our favourite memories were from the cocktail hour arranged for after dinner, with a great Frank Sinatra impersonator, Paul Holgate of Sugar Town, singing some of his classic songs; he was also our DJ for the night.

Juliana: "The part of the ceremony when neither the registrar nor Luke could say my middle name and had everyone laughing...especially me.

"The couple of precious moments we got together just as we exited the ceremony before we joined our guests."

Luke: "My wife taking my breath away when I saw her coming down the aisle, and my obvious delight that she turned up.

"The loving gift and message I received from Jules a little before the ceremony.

"My little daughter's face (young bridesmaid) when I told her how proud of her I was."

The Wedding Community

"I loved reading the real wedding stories as they gave different ideas that I could incorporate into our wedding day."

Tips and Ideas

"Invest in things that will really matter to you and your guests i.e. great food and entertainment, because that is what you, your friends and family will remember for years to come."

Bride’s Top Tips

"Remember that the day is about the two of you. Plan things that you really want included in your special day, because if you have a good time all of your guests will too."

Groom’s Top Tips

"Share responsibilities and immerse yourself in the detail. The day will be much more special and memorable for it."

Best Buy

"We had a photobooth for the evening which everyone from the youngest to the oldest took full advantage of. We have hilarious photos and video’s which we can look back on whenever we need a reminder of our day."

Money Saving Ideas

"Advise suppliers from the outset of your budget so you don't waste anyone’s time. Make your own favours if you feel like you can as it’s a great feeling to know you made something yourself."

Bride’s Beauty Tips

"I have really weak nails which break constantly, but I really didn’t want to wear false nails on the day of the wedding.  So, about three months before the wedding I started to have gels painted on, which meant all of my nails were the same length and looked great on the day!"

To see more beautiful pictures from this wedding view the 'An Elegant, Relaxed Wedding at Nonsuch Mansion' post on The Wedding Community blog.

Photography: Anna Hardy

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