Sarah and Matt had a gorgeous Buxted Park Hotel wedding in East Sussex. Even with the falling rain, it’s safe to say this lovely couple had such an amazing day! (Wedding tip: If it rains, be like these guys and use it to create some awesome wedding pictures!) From the coloured umbrellas and cool bow tie, to the glow sticks and sunglasses in the evening, this was such a fun wedding day. To describe this wedding, I would say it was segregated into two clear parts. The elegant and classical day, then the all out rave in the evening! Check out Sarah and Matt’s story below.
First names: Matt & Sarah
Ages: 31 (Matt) & 28 (Sarah)
Wedding date: Saturday 10th September 2016
Venue: Buxted Park Hotel, East Sussex
How did they meet?
On a blind date set up by a mutual friend. Matt organised the whole date as a surprise, Sarah just had to turn up! They met at the Southbank Christmas Market (it was December 5th) for some mulled wine in amongst the Christmas stalls, then we went for dinner before heading up to the Hilton Sky Lounge Bar by Tower Bridge, where they drank only the silliest sounding cocktails on the menu. The night ended on Laurent Perrier with Matt wearing a furry stick-on moustache that Sarah brought for him, and a kiss…. All with London lit up as the backdrop.
How did they get engaged?
On the 2nd (technically 3rd day) at Glastonbury Festival 2015. We had been out all day and all night. It was sunrise, as we sat in our tent with our friend Sophie (aka. The Maker as she was the one who introduced us) and her partner Stephen, who was making some hot chocolate on the stove. Matt rummaged around in his bag and then Sarah turned around to find him on one knee with a ring box (that he had made himself), with a silver band ring in it with the words ‘Marry Me? and ‘Glastonbury 2015’ Engraved on it. Sarah was speechless, mouth open and after some prompting to actually respond from Sophie, Sarah said yes! After a celebratory hot chocolate, everyone went to sleep for a couple of hours before the monumental celebrations began. Highlight was seeing Florence + The Machine later that day on the Pyramid Stage!
What made them choose their venue?
We had been searching for a couple of months or so with no luck, when our friends from Eastbourne asked us if we had been to check out Buxted Park Hotel? It hadn’t come up on our search, so we set up an appointment to go and see them. Buxted wasn’t originally what we had set out looking for, we’d been going down the barn and festival type wedding but nowhere had a late license. But when we got to Buxted Park Hotel, it was stunning. We fell in love with it instantly! When the wedding co-ordinator at the Hotel told us we could have the whole place to ourselves, a 24hr bar and a late music license, we knew it was the right place for us!
What was the inspiration/theme of their wedding?
We had originally wanted to do a festival wedding, but that wouldn’t fit in with the beautiful house and grounds at Buxted Park, so we’ve gone for classic and elegant. We do however still have a touch of festival in the evening, with Disco Shed playing the night away in the Ballroom. They travel the country playing festivals (they have played at Glastonbury, Bestival, Latitude along with other festivals) and won an award for their Disco Shed on George Clark’s Amazing Spaces, Shed of the Year (Channel 4) back in 2015. http://www.discowed.com/
What was their first song and why?
Our first dance song is the Florence + The Machine’s version of ‘You’ve got the Love’. We both love that version of the song and love Florence + The Machine, so the choice was pretty easy. We aren’t the slow song, choreographed dance type couple.
What would be their number one tip to other couples planning their wedding?
Get a Wedding Planner! It’s a lot to plan while working full time and having a life around it. There’s so much research, meetings, decisions and hard work involved that if you can afford to, get a Wedding Planner… Other than that, you could get yourself a Wedding Planner book that helps you know where to start, what you should be doing and when. We got one a little late in the game from Clintons Cards and I wish we’d had found it earlier! Friends of ours have just got engaged and we got one for them to get them off to a good start!
Get yourself comfortable and check out Sarah and Matt’s wet but very gorgeous Buxted Park Hotel Wedding below.
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Hair stylist: Alison Miller – She has been Sarah’s hairdresser and friend for about 7 years and is also a guest at the wedding (she can keep the Bridal Hair in-check all day!)
Website: No website unfortunately. But the Salon is TJ’s Loft in East Grinstead. Address: 6 Whitehall Parade, East Grinstead RH19 1AP Tel: 01342 317171
Make up artist: Wendy Perry – Dior Make-up Artist at Debenhams in Crawley. Sarah has been a customer of Wendy’s for about 8 years and Wendy actually did Sarah’s make-up before her blind date with Matt!
Brides dress: Fross Wedding Collections in Uckfield
Website: http://frossweddingcollections.co.uk/
Bridesmaids dresses: Monsoon
Website: http://uk.monsoon.co.uk/
Suits: Groom’s Suite is a bespoke Gresham Blake (Groomsmen are in TM Lewin’s – all different already owened by the boys)
Website: http://www.greshamblake.com Max in the Brighton store helped us the from beginning to of the process right the way through to the end. Cufflinks, shirt and bow tie all Gresham Blake.
Florist: Helen at Church Lane Flowers in Seaford (she is unbelievably well priced in comparison to everywhere else we looked and also did the wedding of one of our Best Men – that’s how we found her)
Website: http://www.churchlaneflowers.com/
Cake: Tina who runs Sprinkles and Swirls from her home
Website: http://www.sprinklesandswirls.co.uk/
Caterer: Buxted Park Hotel
Website: https://www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/buxtedpark
Band/DJ: Disco Shed/ Disco Wed…. Saw on Channel 4’s George Clark’s Amazing Spaces Shed of the Year last year
Website: http://www.discowed.com/
Stationary: Done ourselves
Venue Decorations & Chairs: Bows Hire Ltd.
Website: http://www.bowshire.co.uk/
(they have supplied the chivari chairs, aisle runner, bay trees and uplighters in the Ballroom…… Everything else has been done by us)
Are you looking for a wedding photographer? Would you like someone who photographs it in an alternative, fun and natural way? Fancy seeing your wedding pictures on my Instagram and on other cool wedding blogs? Get in touch and let me know all about your day! I need to know the date, ceremony and reception details and most importantly all the ideas you have!
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I am a Kent wedding photographer who has been featured within Your Kent Wedding Magazine, Rock n Roll Bride and Your Sussex Wedding Magazine, with images also published in the The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Independent, The News Of The World and many other large newspapers and magazines.
Sarah & Matt// Buxted Park Hotel Wedding | Kent wedding photographer | http://www.rosshurley.com | Ross Hurley Photography
