An Elizabeth Dye Gown in Peach Tulle for a Romantic and Whimsical Seaside Wedding in Whitstable

Happy Sunday lovelies.  I hope you have great plans for the day ahead, but even if you have a really busy day, do make time to sit down for a short while and read today’s glorious seaside wedding.

We have the most gorgeous gown to share, and the most wonderful coastal setting-  I guarantee you’ll fall head over heels. Cathy, an investigator for the Civil Service, married her beau Moyo, who works for South East Coast Ambulance Service, on the 12th April 2018 at East Quay Venue in Whitstable, Kent.  The day was packed with interesting details and laid-back style and we were especially delighted to hear that Cathy discovered her Elizabeth Dye gown at The Wild Heart Bridal Boutique in Rochester, Kent – who is a member of Luxe Bride, a collective of the best luxury bridal boutiques in the UK (each of which we most highly recommend.

“Choosing a dress is obviously a very personal decision for brides.  I personally wanted a dress that was completely different to the dresses I’ve seen before, something alternative and bohemian to match the venue.  I knew that I didn’t want embroidered or glitzy features, but other than that, as long as it complimented my figure I was open to anything.”

Photography by Blue Lily Weddings

“I tried on about 15 dresses but the Paloma gown was the only one that I tried on twice.  The colour of the lace seemed to perfectly match my skin tone, the blush tulle was stunning and there was some beautiful features with the open back and modest plunge neckline.  I was very excited and maybe a little anxious about choosing a dress other than ivory/ white, but I think it was actually the colour that decided it for me.  I never imagined that I would wear a blush dress but I loved it!”“My late grandparents both lived in Whitstable so it has always been a place of sentimental value.  It was the first beach we visited as a couple and has continued to be our happy place. Come rain or shine – we love to be beside the seaside. Moyo and I had always said that we didn’t want an overly fussy day.  East Quay Venue, with its rustic and honest charm, was absolutely perfect for us.  It allowed us to choose a theme that was still romantic but more relaxed and alternative.”

On her feet Cathy wore silver sandals from LK Bennett while for jewellery she opted for gold drop earrings by Dinny Hall and a rose gold necklace by Jenny Packham which the seamstress attached to off-cuts of the tulle from the gown to create a sash belt.

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To finish the look Cathy added a flower crown by florist Graham Greener. So pretty and romantic.

Hair was the work of Kim at She Said Yes Bridal Hair and Cathy opted for a soft up do, adorned with her half flower crown.  For her make up (by Jessica Hawkins Make-up) she chose a natural look, which went perfectly with their relaxed day.

Moyo wore a beautiful tweed suit from Next, paired with a tie from John Lewis, while his groomsmen accessorised with socks from Happy Socks.

“Moyo is known for his very loud socks which in no way at all match his outfit so we decided to have the groomsmen wearing the loudest and random socks we could find!”

“I changed jobs in February 2014 and began working in the same office as Moyo. We discovered a mutual interest in cycling and Moyo invited me on a date – we hit it off from there.  We moved in together the following year and the engagement came a year after that (in September 2016) whilst on a trip to Athens and Crete with friends.  We had spent the day at the beach and decided it would be nice to all drive and find a nice spot to watch the sunset.  Whilst I was taking a photo of it, Moyo dropped to one knee beside me and popped the question.  I said yes instantly and we received an applause from a few locals that were soaking up the last of the sun.  We celebrated as a group with drinks on the beach.”

“I found my dress and then started immediately searching for my bridesmaids dresses.  I found the perfect style and colour on ASOS – a very soft grey-blue that matched the softness of the shade of my dress.”

“From then on our colour theme was blush, pale blue and we decided to add a touch of gold here and there.”

“We kept it quite simple – I didn’t want to have lots going on and I think we were able to find the right balance with the groomsmen’s chinos and wheat-coloured waistcoats/jackets matching the natural, relaxed and soft theme.”

The bridesmaids paired their dresses with gold shimmer sandals from Next, fresh flowers in their hair and earrings from Accessorize.  The little pageboy looked very smart indeed in an outfit from Marks and Spencer.

Flowers were the work of Jane at Graham Greener, who created everything from Cathy’s fabulous floral crown, to the beautiful bouquets and decorative floral arrangements dotted around the venue.

“Graham Greener is local to Whitstable and well known for working with the venue.  I had a few meetings with Jane in which we discussed that we wanted natural muted tones with lots of texture and  she hit the nail on the head.  Seeing the flowers and hair accessories for the first time was the first time I shed a tear on the day – they were absolutely breath-taking.”

Cathy, her maids, pageboys and parents all walked to the ceremony down the seafront, past the brightly coloured beach huts.  It was somewhat breezy, but the smiles don’t falter for a moment.  On the arrival at the venue, Cathy’s dad accompanied her down the aisle, to ‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz.

“Moyo bought my engagement ring from Kaizen Antiques, which is local to us.  I’m not for bling so I chose a slim platinum band. It’s simple but exactly what I wanted.  Moyo opted for a plain band.”

These beautiful light-filled photographs come to us today from the camera of the talented Blue Lily Weddings.  Its their first time on the blog and I’m very taken with these wonderfully present photos- each one makes me feel like I’m really a part of the moment and is so filled with expression.

“We chose Marek simply because his photographs are incredible; he has an effortless style that is soft, romantic and honest and he isn’t gimmicky- he just seems to capture beautiful moments and lets the couple, the guests, the scenery, the weather speak for themselves.  Marek is a very lovely guy, he’s so easy to get on and was just so enthusiastic and talented.  We knew we had chosen a winner.”

“The decor was natural, romantic and whimsical. We wanted to recreate the setting for a beautiful al-fresco evening with fairy lights and tea lights.”

“We used plain glass jam jars with twinkling candles around the whole venue and placed them among the foliage.”

Catering was courtesy of Marks and Spencer, while the beautiful four-tier cake was the work of Cathy’s talented sister, and the topper the work of florist Jane.

“We had authentic boxed fish and chips for dinner with the option of sausage and chips, halloumi and chips or stuffed peppers as an alternative.  Then because I LOVE cake, we had the most epic dessert table with everything from gateau and gypsy tart to macaroons and meringue kisses.  We also had beautiful liqueurs for pimp my prosecco including gooseberry gin, ginger liqueur and strawberry vanilla vodka.”

“I love a biscuit and I love rose-flavoured treats so my sister and I baked flower shaped lemon or rose flavoured shortbread biscuits, and created marble fondant icing to top them.  To add a finishing touch we used a stencil from Not On The High Street to spell our “CATHY + MOYO” on one biscuit and “12.04.18” on the other.”

For evening entertainment Cathy and Moyo hired a photo booth from Magic Mirror Selfie Booth Hire, as well as booking live band, The Beat Roots, who kept guests dancing all evening, and performed the newlyweds’ first dance, ‘Time After Time’ by Cyndi Lauper.

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“Whatever you worry about going wrong on the day, don’t!  Honestly you will float along all day without a care in the world so just enjoy the emotion and savour the moments – don’t stress.  In the words of America’s Next Top Model, “Easy, breezy, beautiful!”

So many thanks to Moyo and Cathy- it has been such a pleasure to write up this beautiful day.  Have you fallen head over heels for Cathy’s Elizabeth Dye gown (like me)?  I believe this is the first time we’ve featured a bride wearing this designer,  but I would love to see more of her work.

Much love,

Shona x