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The Rolls of Monmouth Wedding
Type in the Rolls of Monmouth, Rolls Royce, or Monmouth Wedding into google and you will be directed to one of my favourite local venues; The Rolls of Monmouth golf club, the ex-stately home of Mr Rolls Royce. I’ve done a number of portfolio and marketing shoots there but this was my first real wedding. I met Danielle and Simon at the Rolls of Monmouth Wedding fayre and we then met again shortly afterwards to go through all the details before they booked me.
Following the wedding I asked Danielle and Simon a few questions about their day and thought I’d use their answers as the basis of this blog:
The Photographer
How and why did you choose your photographer?
We had looked at a number of photographers and immediately felt comfortable with Tony’s approach, professionalism and portfolio. He also new the Rolls of Monmouth staff and venue particular well.
How was your experience with your photographer?
Tony was great at all times: on the day, before and after. We had a number of guests comment on how impressed they were and how friendly yet efficient he was. He set up the shoots before hand and made us feel relaxed throughout. The Pre-wedding shoot helped to reduce our nerves in front of the camera and allowed us to really relax on the day.
How would you describe your wedding day in 2 sentences? The perfect day to remember for the rest of our lives, made more special by having our friends and families with us.
The Engagement
How long did you take to plan the wedding?
We were engaged for just over 18 months (check out the pre-wedding shoot).
How did you meet? And how long have you been together?
We met at Bath Uni 11 years ago and started dating 4 years later after living together for the first few years.
Tell me about the proposal?
Simon prepared a romantic dinner for when I returned from work on the Friday. We spent the weekend celebrating our engagement together.
The Dress and Shoes
Who was your dress by? And your accessories and shoes?
Dress from Mia Mia and designed by Alan Hannah
Accessories by Alan Hannah & from Monsoon.
And the suit and bridesmaids dresses?
Simon’s Suit Hugo Boss.
Bridesmaid Dresses Monsoon.
Did you have a theme or colour scheme you were working towards?
We were aiming for a rustic elegance on the day using a mixture of natural tones with a purple/grey highlight.
What sort of flowers did you have and who provided them?
A large portion of the flowers were tulips grown in Simon’s mum’s allotment, scattered with other ivory flowers. The formal bouquets were provided by Perfect Posy in Panther.
The Rolls of Monmouth Wedding Ceremony
What made you decide to get married where you did?
The Rolls offered a dramatic and picturesque background to our wedding day. All the rooms were special and bathed in natural light.
The Formal Wedding Shots at the Rolls of Monmouth
What sort of decoration did you have?
On the tables we had hand decorated jars with flowers and candles
Hessian bunting. and a selection of pictures of our life together.
Did you have any personal touches? Or things that you did yourself?
I (Danielle) handmade: Save the dates, invitations, favour boxes, hessian bunting, decorated jars for flowers and candles on each table, confetti bags, order of the day cards.
My Maid of honor made the cake.
Simon’s mum grew most of the flowers.
Red wine was brought back from Spain by my mum (in payment for dog sitting for 5 weeks).
My Uncle played the ceremony music and first dance and my other Uncle acted as chauffeur.
The Reception inside the Rolls of Monmouth Wedding Venue
How many guests?
We had 90 for the ceremony and during the day and 110 in the evening.
What did you have as entertainment?
Uncle (Paul Miller) – Playing piano during ceremony and for the first dance a Ceilidh Band (Pluck and Squeeze) followed by disco.
Lighting by Newport Event Lighting and Sound.
What were your special moments or highlights of the day? The whole day! We created a number of memories to look back on and would not change anything.
What advice would you give any other couples about planning your big day, or any tips for the day itself?
Plan early. The venue is the first thing and then get your photographer. The good ones get booked up quickly. On the day, relax and enjoy yourselves. Make sure that you give yourself some time to talk with all your guests.