“On the day she was great – she was almost impossible to notice apart from when we wanted her, when she would magically appear as if from nowhere.”

Turn off your televisions, put down your devices and STOP. RIGHT. NOW because Maddy + Jonty’s wedding day is about to blow your minds… So without further a do, let’s throw back to August last year and their gloriously stylish and effortlessly cool wedding at Stanford Hall, near Lutterworth, featuring dapper menswear, Maddy’s incredible Gemy Maalouf wedding dress and a leisurely stroll back from church with TWO prosecco stops on the way! CHIN CHIN!

How did you meet?

We met in our first year at university, both freshers in the same course – architecture. Three years of seeing each other on and off resulted in going on our first proper date to a curry house after finishing our degrees. We realised at that point we were pretty much the same person and we never looked back!

Tell me your proposal story:

We were in Iceland in the middle of winter, and Jonty had been carrying around an engagement ring, aiming to propose upon seeing the Northern Lights. When they failed to materialise, he decided to seize the moment when we visited Hallgrímskirkja Church. It was lit up beautifully against the night sky, and in the freezing cold and gale force winds, Jonty got down on one knee and proposed. We went straight to the champagne bar afterwards to celebrate.

Why did you choose Stanford Hall as the venue for your wedding day?

Stanford Hall was able to offer us everything we wanted – beautiful backdrops, fantastic countryside scenery, a formal house with plenty of pomp and ceremony, with a party area we had free reign over to decorate however we liked – and no corkage! Both being architects, it was important to us that we were able to showcase our unique vision without being impaired by strict rules.

At the bottom of the driveway to the hall was a beautiful picture perfect church. It meant we could all walk up from the church after the ceremony, with a prosecco stop on the way!

What was it you loved about your outfits and accessories that made you choose them?

Maddy’s dress was a couture Gemy Maalouf wedding dress  – selected because it was completely unique. All accessories had to be equally unusual!

Jonty’s top hat and tails were chosen to be classic and smart, paired with more uncommon dogtooth trousers to be that bit more interesting!

Tell me about the vision you had for your wedding including your theme/colour scheme/styling/flowers:

Our vision was all about being OTT! We wanted our guests to have as much fun as possible so everything was designed with this in mind and to put people in the party mood. This entailed a pink bathtub filled with ice and champagne, neon lights everywhere, a glitter bar, thousands of meters of ribbon, a fire pit, surprise fireworks (a surprise even to the bride and groom!), and Maddy arriving to the church with her Dad on the back of her his motorbike! 

It took a lot of effort and we could not have done half of it without so much generous help from friends and family. Maddy’s Mum did all the amazing flowers in the church herself, and Jonty’s Mum hand cut thousands of meters of ribbon on her kitchen table. We were also lucky that we had access to the venue three days beforehand which allowed us to do a lot of setting up including hanging hundreds of meters of festoon lighting.

What was your first dance and why did you choose it?

We chose Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap. Neither of us listen to the slow or romantic music that’s usually selected for first dance songs, so we chose something that was fun, upbeat and enabled us to release a confetti canon halfway through!

What were the most wonderful parts of the day for you?

Definitely the marriage ceremony in the Church. We both felt that it was the most special and magical moment we had ever experienced.

Why did you choose Hannah Hall Photography as your photographer, and what was your experience of your photography on the day?

We wanted someone unusual, with a very good eye, and also importantly – up for a laugh. We both felt totally at ease with Hannah and, as probably the most awkward people in front of the camera – ever- it was really key that we didn’t have someone who would insist on lots of ‘posing and smiling’ photos. All of Hannah’s photos reflect perfectly the vibe of the day- and this is what we wanted. Her use of colour, light and angles are unique and beautiful!

On the day she was great – she was almost impossible to notice apart from when we wanted her, when she would magically appear as if from nowhere.  She was also great to help us keep the rhythm of the day going well, for example she directed us perfectly when it was time for group shots, and she kept an eye on the time of day to ensure we got some beautiful shots as the sun began to set.

What would be your best bit of advice to other couples planning their wedding?

 Do something different! Think about what reflects your personalities and go for it. Invest in a decent band or DJ to keep everyone partying all night, and of course make sure you have a great photographer that captures the vibe of your day so you can relive it once its all over!

We also had a second shooter which was great in getting multiple shots of the same thing in different angles. As Maddy came down to the church on the motorbike, we got so many fantastic shots that would otherwise have been missed had we had only one photographer.  

On the day – simply enjoy every moment!

GO TEAM! Amazing suppliers on the day included…

Bridal gown: Gemy Maalouf // Dress supplier: Mirror Mirror London // Accessories: Dolecka, PD Paola

Flowers: Maddy’s mum + Once Upon a Time Flowers // Band: Rewind // Caterer: Charnia // Hair + Makeup: Sophie Sheridan [via Aimee Garner]

Groom’s Hire: Neal and Palmer // Cake: Deliciously Devine // Festoon Lighting: MJN Entertainment // Second shooter: Kelly Goyette

Need a photographer that just appears by magic too? I’m your girl.