Intimate, small and relaxed wedding at The Old Rectory in Hastings! This gorgeous little venue near Hastings seafront gave Anna and Gary a cool and very relaxed, garden party feel. With guests enjoying the homely and modern rooms, or the small garden out back, this wedding gave the personal, family vibe, that Anna and Gary wished for. Yet, only a short walk away is Hastings beach and the hustle of the old town which made for some stunning backdrops. Check out their day below.
First names: Anna & Gary
Ages: Both 28
Wedding date: 15th July 2017
Venue: The Old Rectory in Hastings Old Town.
How did you guys meet, tell me all?
We met when we were 16/17 back in school and were introduced by mutual friends. I wasn’t really interested in Gary to start with and thought him and his friends were rather annoying if I’m honest! Not much has changed there… haha! Only joking! After about 6 months of playing it cool and not asking me out, I received a Valentine’s card from another boy in our year, this was all he needed to spur him on and take me on a date. 11 years on he still hasn’t officially asked me to be his girlfriend, but I think we can let that go now that I’m his wife.
How did you get engaged, is there a cool story?
Gary planned a surprise trip away for us for our 10th anniversary. I didn’t know where we were going until we arrived at the Eurostar and he presented me with a ticket to Paris! This was probably the most romantic thing he had ever organised! However I still hadn’t thought he might propose, although I did think it was strange when he wouldn’t leave our cases in the separate luggage cart. In the middle of our trip we visited the Eiffel tower, it was quite a cold day and he was very insistent on not zipping his coat up, much to my annoyance! Not long after, he turned round and got down on one knee and presented me with the ring… I didn’t even see it coming! It was afterwards that I learnt the ring box in his pocket was too bulky for him to do his coat up and he was secretly freezing. I’d always joked about how romantic it would be to get engaged in Paris, but it genuinely never even crossed my mind during our trip. I didn’t think he could organise anything so romantic and is definitely a trip we’ll both remember for many years to come.
What made you choose your wedding venue, did you look at many?
We knew we didn’t want a big wedding and were looking for something a little different, close to home and a bit more intimate – there’s nothing worse than a huge hall with no guests dancing! After a bit of research online, we saw the pictures for The Old Rectory and we knew it would be perfect for us. It was the only venue we looked at! Beautiful flower filled gardens and stunning interiors, we couldn’t wait to hold our special day there. The option to have the venue to ourselves for the whole weekend meant we could make the celebrations with our friends and family last for longer than just our wedding day.
What was the inspiration/theme of your wedding?
Neither of us particularly love the limelight, so we decided early on that we’d like a relaxed atmosphere and nothing too formal. A garden party where we would ‘say a few special words’ whilst we’re there. We wanted nothing more than for our friends and family to enjoy themselves with garden games and a BBQ and to just have a great party. We went for classic and pretty decorations – pinks, golds and navy for the boys, luckily the incredible décor in our venue meant we didn’t have to do much to it in order for it to look beautiful.
What is your first song and why?
We don’t love being centre of attention, so we decided to buck tradition and not have a first dance – we’ll both be dancing all night anyway! (Ross’ edit – they had a first dance! It was blooming awesome!)
What would be your number one tip to other couples planning their wedding?
Don’t stress about anything, it makes the planning process much more enjoyable, everything will come together in the end and your day will be perfect.
Check out Anna and Gary’s Wedding at The Old Rectory in Hastings below.
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Other Suppliers at this wedding at The Old Rectory in Hastings!
Hair stylist: Chloe
Website: http://www.chloesloveisinthehair.com
Make up artist: Ally Lambert
Website: http://www.allyb-makeupartist.co.uk
Brides dress: Tying the knot bridal boutique
Website: http://www.tyingtheknotbridal.co.uk
Bridesmaids dresses: House of Fraser
Website: http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk
Suits: Debenhams
Website: http://www.debenhams.com
Florist: Fleur de Lynn Designer Florist
Website: http://www.fleurdelynn.co.uk
Cake: Dee’s Creative Cakes
Website: http://www.deescreativecakes.co.uk
Caterer: Venues own chef
Website: http://theoldrectoryhastings.co.uk/weddings-and-events/weddings
Band/DJ: Sovereign Discos – Big day events company
Website: N/A word of mouth
Stationary: Vistaprint
Website: http://www.vistaprint.co.uk
Garden Games: Rent Event
Website: http://www.rent-event.co.uk
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!
Let’s chat about your day!
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.
