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Real Life Wedding – Mr and Mrs Harker

Real Life Wedding Couple

 

The third instalment from our real life wedding couples and it comes from Mr & Mrs Harker who got married at Walworth Castle in July 2019 – how time has flown over since then! Jess caught up with them to recap about their dream day!

 

Names: Rebecca and Ben Harker

Date of your wedding: 28/07/2019

 

 

How far in advance did you book your wedding and how did you know Walworth was the venue for you?

We booked Walworth Castle four months before our big day – quite short notice! We had been looking for somewhere that offered an evening only package as we were not keen on having a big formal sit down meal. We saw online that Walworth offered a Twilight package, so we enquired. We were sent the details and we booked an appointment. After discussions with our parents, we decided to look into extending the day so we could make the most of it. We saw that Walworth did a lovely Afternoon Tea so when we went to view the venue we asked if Afternoon Tea was possible for our wedding breakfast. The team were so accommodating and put a bespoke package together for us.

On the drive into the castle, we both just fell in love and could really see ourselves getting married there. We didn’t really have a date in mind but my sister in law who was to be a bridesmaid was due a baby in the September, so we wanted it either before that on the beginning of 2020. After going through some dates and sending some texts to the Bridesmaids to check they were available, we booked the date of Sunday 28th July 2019 there and then!

 

 

What was your favourite part of the planning process?

Our favourite part of the wedding was the planning meetings at the venue. We felt like Walworth really worked with us to have the day we wanted and in what order we wanted. We could have whatever Reception Drink we wanted, and Ben got his favourite beer! I think from the first day we saw the venue we knew what we wanted from our day and within a week we had booked a photographer, ordered a cake, booked a florist, and organised the venue styling of our room. We had even done the guest list and table plan! It all seemed to come together really quickly, and we were amazed at how easily we were able to get everything organised!

On a personal note, I also loved going shopping for my wedding dress and feeling like a real life princess!

 

 

Did you have any hen and stag do’s? If so, where did you go and what did you do? What did you enjoy the most?

I went to the spa with my mam and bridesmaids and best friends and also had an afternoon out with family and friends for food and cocktails. Ben went to a beer festival with his friends.

With it being last minute we didn’t have time to plan anything too big but we are quite low key anyway, so this was perfect for us.

 

 

What was your wedding theme and who styled Walworth for you?

We had a colour scheme of Navy and Lemon and had blue, lemon and cream lanterns hanging in Cardinals Court. We had chair covers with navy sashes and these were done by Lisa Charles!

 

We actually had a family friend to come and do a lot of the other room styling with artificial flowers on the pavilion outside and dressing the isle with watering cans with flowers in, he really did make it look so beautiful, it was perfect.

 

Our table setting theme was penguins – because I love penguins and Ben proposed to me by giving me a rock with ‘Will you marry me’ engraved on it, because when a penguin finds a mate, they find the best rock on the beach and offer it to them. We had a different breed of penguin on each table.

 

I have a sunflower wedding bouquet which was absolutely beautiful, the bridesmaids had baby’s breath bouquets and the men had yellow gerbera buttonholes – these were done by flowerswithfleurbyamy and were all stunning.

 

 

What did you have for your wedding breakfast and evening buffet?

We had afternoon tea for our wedding breakfast and also an ice-cream cart for the guests with the reception drinks. For the evening buffet we had hotdogs and sliders, a doughnut wall, and a sweet cart.

 

What was your favourite part of the day?

I think our favourite part of the day has to be the ceremony and actually becoming Mr and Mrs. Aside from that we loved watching the day unfold and it all come together. I But aside from that I think just watching the day unfold and all come together as it had been planned. The evening was great because it was nice to relax and have a drink and dance with our families and just be in the moment of the day once all the formalities were done.

 

Rebecca – I loved getting ready on the morning and watching the guests arrive out of the window and getting all excited. I loved my dad coming up to the room to see me in my dress for the first time. I loved getting our little girl ready because she looked like a little princess.

 

 

 

What advice would you give any couples looking at Walworth Castle as a wedding venue?

Go for an outdoor wedding, it was amazing! If it rains the team will ask if you want to move it inside. It’s worth hedging your bets – the pavilion is so beautiful, and all of our pictures were lovely! Lady Palmer’s Pavilion truly is unique. If you want anything different and are worried to ask, just do it! The team were so accommodating, and we couldn’t believe how easy the whole process was!

 

 

 

Sum up your wedding day in three words.

A perfect day.