BETH & SIMON ~ SOPLEY MILL, DORSET.

Weddings

18 Aug

A boho inspired wedding with destination styling

Beth & Simon were just the loveliest couple you could ever ask for. From the moment they enquired about their Dorset wedding I knew I was the right fit for them. Their day was all about being in the moment and enjoying every part as much as possible. They even opted for no family portraits at all so that all of the ones they love could be totally present in the day.

For a mid-August day, the weather gave us some lovely overcast skies but still had that lovely warm feel of a British summer. The soft light complimented the day so well with the neutral colours and tones that Beth and Simon had gone for and the styling has a very destination vibe about it.

Sopley Mill was a great backdrop for the two to get wedded with its warm brick tones and ample garden space to accompany the largest of guest lists. It gave the wedding a very quintessential British feel to it.

If you’re looking for a dorset wedding photographer, please drop a message and let’s chat.

Venue: Sopley Mill, Dorset

Names: Beth & Simon Proffitt

Age: 27 & 30

Wedding Budget: £26k

Tell me how you met, all the details

After travelling Australia for 2 years, I popped home for Christmas. A few nights of jet lag I decided to pop onto tinder to see who was on there that I recognised. I had zero intention of meeting anyone, I was simply being nosey! The first person that came up I accidentally superliked (still cringe to this day). I got a message a few minutes later from Simon saying ‘well I’d be punching’. After a couple of days of chatting we decided to meet up and hit it off straight away. I was leaving 2 weeks later for a month back in Australia, and a year in New Zealand. After an emotional goodbye we agreed to keep in touch. I did a 10 day tour of the outback in Australia with no signal, and all I could think about was Simon. I decided it meant more to me to be home with him, rather than continue travelling. When I got back to a place with signal, I booked a flight home for the end of January and text him ‘what are you doing on X date, fancy a trip to the airport?’ with a screenshot of my ticket. The countdown was on, and 5 years later we are happily married and I know I made the right choice!

How did you get engaged?

Well… the initial ‘engagement’ story is far more interesting than the actual engagement. My boyfriend and I went to Croatia for 3 weeks, and we had spoken about marriage and knew it was something we both wanted. We hired a boat for the day, had beers and Prosecco on board, and I was so sure this was my moment. He anchored the boat and asked me to turn and face away from him, I then heard a splash and thought how weird it was that he was going to propose in the water. After a panicked ‘turn the boat on, we need to leave’ I turned around and realised he jumped in the water to go for an emergency number 2, and this was not how I was getting engaged! Fast forward a year, and my boyfriend took me glamping in Cambridgeshire for the weekend. We were having an outdoor picnic with some bubbles and he popped the question. It was intimate and beautiful, the second best day ever!

How & why did you chose your venue?

We chose Sopley Mill after viewing 2 others, we both had that ‘this is the one’ moment and secured the venue the same day.

Tell me more about your wedding dress

After trying on too many wedding dresses and different styles, I went to Chameleon Bridal for the second time. They pulled a ‘wild card’ off the rack and I just fell in love. I was adamant I didn’t want sparkles or a full skirt and walked away with both. We were hoping for an outdoor wedding and I was aiming for a relaxed boho vibe. My husband had a neutral linen suit for the day, and the groomsmen had linen trousers and a shirt (no jackets or ties!)

What was the theme / styling / inspiration for your day?

Relaxed boho

Was there a stand out moment from your day, explain the moment?

The speeches were my favourite part of our day. We had a speech from my dad, my mum, my husband and the best men. To this day people still comment on how beautiful our speeches were and I couldn’t agree more!

If you were to do it again, is there anything you would change?

Honestly, I’d not sweat the small stuff. I spent so much time worrying about center pieces and napkin colours, to not even notice them on the day! I’d put more concentration on food and drink, and less on decoration. We had hoped for an outdoor wedding in August, but ended up inside, which initially I was gutted about. However looking back now, I couldn’t be happier it turned out the way it did.

Any tips for future couples?

Don’t worry about anyone but yourselves! Of course, you want your guests to be happy. But you are spending a fortune to please everyone else, give yourself the time to embrace the day for what it is, don’t panic if you haven’t spoken to every guest yet, or taken enough pictures with people. You won’t look back and be grateful you spent an hour catching up with auntie Jean, but you will look back and regret not spending more time with your new husband.