Charlotte + Jock
The picture-perfect Mandalay House & Garden was the backdrop for Charlotte and Jock’s summer nuptials.
The theme
We didn’t have a specific theme – Mandalay House & Garden is such a gorgeous wedding venue, we really let the beautiful gardens speak for themselves. Our guests were dressed in black tie and our styling had a clean, crisp and fresh feel.
The planning
We worked closely with Hygge Studio on the styling, florals, graphics and design elements. They were so helpful and knowledgeable – we had a good idea of how we wanted everything to look and Hygge were so great at pulling everything together and bringing our vision to life. As our wedding day approached, we worked closely with Charlotte Debenham from Events by Charlotte regarding the management of the whole day. Charlotte was so amazing; she has such a calming presence and made us feel like there wasn’t a single scenario she couldn’t handle. She knows Mandalay back-to-front and made everything run seamlessly.
The morning
The morning of the wedding felt so surreal! My three bridesmaids and I stayed at Mandalay the night before the wedding so we didn’t have to worry about travel on the day. It was a great choice as it made for a stress-free morning with no rushing. The lovely Deb who owns Mandalay cooked us breakfast and made sure we had everything we needed. Soon after breakfast, my mum, sisters, mother-in-law and sister-in-law arrived and we all got our hair and make-up done together.
The ceremony
The ceremony was so special and everything we could have hoped for! We had an acoustic duo sing while our guests took their seats. I remember hearing them start to sing my ceremony entrance song from the house and I immediately felt so nervous and emotional – I didn’t want to start crying before walking down the aisle!
The reception
The reception was on Mandalay’s Outer Court where we brought in our own marquee and had the flexibility to choose all of our own design elements. We worked with Hygge to bring the styling and graphics to life. We wanted the space to look modern and elegant so we chose three long tables with white tableware, white florals with pops of greenery, fairy lights on the marquee roof and the band playing outside under Mandalay’s gorgeous festoon lights. Jock and I didn’t want a separate bridal table, as we preferred to sit amongst our family and friends.
We had a delicious sit-down dinner served family style, catered by Indulgence Food Design, and Are You Being Served took care of the drinks, bar and waitstaff. We were able to select our entire menu based on our preference, and Indulgence organised a personal tasting at our home a few months before the wedding. In between courses, our nearest and dearest gave speeches and made us feel so loved. My dad’s speech in particular was so special and his beautiful sentiments are something I will never forget. We finished the night on the paved outdoor dance floor, which was the perfect setting on a very warm evening!
The Details
Photographer: Ali Bailey
Location: Mandalay House & Garden
Events planner: Events by Charlotte
Event stylist: Hygge Studio
Dress: GretaKate
Groom’s suit: Oscar Hunt
Hair: Adriana/Boris the Cuttery
Make-up: Leah Baines
Cake: Heidelberg Cakes
First dance song: ‘Stand by Me’ by Ben E. King
