We are excited to introduce our new wedding blog: Two Become Fun.
A place designed for those who may be planning their own wedding or simply interested in the world of weddings altogether – we would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all. We have been keen to create this space for a long time now and we’re finally here!
As we encapsulate a variety of weddings hosted here at The Old Mill Aldermaston and explore the finer details of the ever-growing creativity in this industry, we hope to inspire all future and current couples with potential ideas for their big day, whilst celebrating the Brides and Grooms of The Old Mill.
To kickstart this new adventure, we will be taking a closer look into the wedding of Anna and Alex, who celebrated their wedding on Saturday 27th May 2023 here at The Old Mill.
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Amidst the morning excitement, Anna and her bridesmaids made use of our on-site dressing space to prepare for the day ahead. Breakfast platters were provided by The Little Kitchen Company (their chosen caterers for the day) to accompany the getting-ready process; softening the early start that all weddings seem to come with. Whether that's due to excitement or the one thousand and one plans in place, an early start tends to always be the case. Nevertheless, nothing that a glass of our complimentary bubbly cannot fix - helping to calm the nerves and make the morning a fun one! Something, Anna herself appreciated on the lead up to the ceremony.
Whilst final touches to hair and makeup were gradually completed throughout the morning, the moment for Anna to get into her dress soon arrived.
Side note for any brides-to-be, never underestimate the time it takes for this part of the day – buttons may be easy to fasten on a pair of jeans but it’s a whole new level when it comes to a wedding dress! Make sure to leave plenty of time.
As the ceremony time fast approached, Alex and his groomsmen made their final pose for the camera; guests took their seats; whilst our bride and her bridesmaids made their way down towards the conservatory in preparation for the procession to commence.
With the conservatory dressed by The Wed Shed and months of planning in place, it was finally time for Anna to make her way down the aisle to greet her husband-to-be - accompanied by music from Bon Iver (re:stacks). A quick fluff of Anna's train from Wedding Coordinator, Chris, and she was ready for those picture-perfect moments.
Once rings had been exchanged and the register signed, a new Mr and Mrs were welcomed by their nearest and dearest - exiting the conservatory to You Make My Dreams (Come True) by Halls and Oates.
Something we at The Old Mill always suggest doing very shortly after the ceremony is the confetti shot (if a group picture is on your radar too, this point in the day might also provide a good time for it). There's bound to be someone gasping for a drink or another that needs to nip to the toilet quickly, so now is your moment to get everybody together in the one place before they disperse. If you've found yourself a good photographer, they too will be keen to get this shot done! Fortunately for Anna and Alex, their photographer, Joe Mallen, captured the moment beautifully. Joe photographs many weddings at The Old Mill and looking at the photo below, I'm sure you can see why he's our most recommended photographer. Anna herself commented on our supplier relationships: "it was...such a huge weight off [our shoulders] that you had such a great relationship with all the suppliers, it felt like one big team, so we could step back and know that it would all come together perfectly around us".
Of course, you may wish to source your own suppliers for your perfect wedding day, hence our flexibility when it comes to choices like these. But, when suppliers know a venue, they really know a venue!
On Anna and Alex's wedding day, they made sure to allow plenty of time in their schedule for photos to be taken across the venue, whilst their family and friends sipped on pink gins and bucks fizz.
There can often be a debate around this time of the day. Should it be short? Should it be long? Whatever your preference, making sure you leave enough time for your photographer to take you across the grounds and capture one of the biggest days of your life seems rather important. Your family and friends are likely to do the same and go on a little adventure of their own!
Next thing you know, it was time for food! Anna and Alex chose to have a sit down Wedding Breakfast, catered for by The Little Kitchen Company, with a banquet-style layout. Now, table layouts for weddings is another hot topic of conversation, so we'll save that for another time!
The Mill Room was dressed beautifully with decor arranged and provided by The Wed Shed - adding those hints of pink to correlate with the wedding theme in a sophisticated fashion, whilst also making sure to highlight the characteristics of the bricked walls.
Shortly after the wedding breakfast, the toast wine was served and speeches began. On this occasion, Anna and Alex positioned the speeches after everyone had eaten. However, you may choose to save and look forward to the speeches post-food or 'get them out of the way' (as some grooms may say) prior to eating - it's something for you to decide. Wedding timelines, traditions and ideas are ever-changing nowadays, so do what suits you!
When do you cut the cake? Another decision to make! You might choose to do it as you enter the room as Mr and Mrs or perhaps you'll wait for your evening guests to arrive?
Party time. Fortunately for our bride and groom on this warm, May evening, the weather was ideal to dance the night away under the stars (literally) on our patio area. DJ Edd Arlott was chosen by the couple for their evening entertainment and he did not fail to fill the dance floor! With the evening reception of your wedding being the part that many tend to remember (or not!), choosing the right DJ or band to liven the party and bring the energy to your wedding night is vital.
To end the celebrations on a high and to squeeze in one more photo opportunity for Anna and Alex's wedding memories was sparklers. You're never too old to enjoy a sparkler and plus, they make some stunning photos!
With our festoon lighting adding that extra bit of sparkle and DJ Edd Arlott keeping the party going all night, Anna and Alex's wedding day gradually came to an end.
We, at The Old Mill, wish them all the best in their future as Mr and Mrs and hope to see more fun, exciting and entertaining weddings like this in the future. Their wedding was quite frankly 'goals'.
