From Planner to Bride: What My Wedding Taught Me.

All images courtesy of @jordhanphotography www.jordhanphotography.co.uk

Weddings have always been something I’ve had a passion for, but becoming a bride myself completely changed the way I experience them.

Before my own wedding, I understood timelines, logistics, styling, people management and how to create a seamless celebration. But planning my own day gave me something entirely different. I now have a deeper understanding of the emotions and the weight behind every decision.

Because weddings are never just about the details.

They’re about how those details feel.

Why We Chose Rockbeare Manor

Choosing our venue was the first and probably the biggest decision during the planning process. We had viewed one other venue beforehand, but from the moment we visited Rockbeare Manor, it just felt right.

The setting is truly breath taking from the moment you arrive. When you come up the driveway you see the manor nestled behind the most beautiful meadow of wildflowers.

From the grand manor interiors (it’s decorated so luxuriously, but tastefully) to the peaceful surrounding countryside. Every part of the venue feels elegant, romantic, and timeless. One of the things we loved most, was how beautifully each space flowed throughout the day. From the stunning bridal suite overlooking the wildflower meadow, to the intimate dining room where we held our ceremony, and the ballroom where we celebrated into the evening.

It gave us the perfect balance of luxury and warmth, which was incredibly important to us. We wanted our wedding to feel beautiful and refined, but also relaxed, personal and joyful. It was also great to be able to hold both the ceremony and reception conveniently in the same place without it feeling samey or boring for our guests.

As a wedding planner, I have seen so many types of venues, but Rockbeare Manor has something really special about it. The atmosphere feels calm and welcoming while still being incredibly luxurious, and the team - special shoutout for Will in particular - made us feel so cared for throughout the entire process.

Looking back now, I genuinely cannot imagine getting married anywhere else.

The Morning of the Wedding

The wedding morning was one of the most special parts of the day. It was full of love and anticipation.

Me, my bridesmaids, flower girl and my mum all got ready together in the bridal suite, which felt incredibly grand, with it’s huge windows and decadent mirrors. One of my favourite parts of the suite was the beautiful balcony overlooking the flower meadow of daisies. It created such a peaceful, natural backdrop while we all got ready together.

There was so much excitement in the room all morning. Seeing everyone dressed up, laughing together and sharing those girly moments before the ceremony made everything start to feel so real.

My bridal hairstylist Toni, created the most beautiful half-up half-down hairstyle for me with soft loose curls that I absolutely adored. As someone who is mixed race and has hair that isn’t always easy to work with, I genuinely didn’t think it would be possible to achieve the exact look I had envisioned. Toni was such a calm presence amid the wedding chaos. She completely transformed my hair, tamed my frizz beautifully and somehow made it feel effortlessly soft and romantic while still feeling like me.

My makeup artist and good friend Deanne, also made me feel so confident and beautiful before walking down the aisle. Deanne worked absolute magic with my skin and created a look that made me feel like the best version of myself. Soft, glowing, the perfect pink blush, but still natural. She waited with me while I stood with my dad, watching the bridesmaids walk in pairs to the ceremony, awaiting our turn. It was such a lovely moment to share with her. Having someone I trusted so much there during those special final moments before the ceremony meant everything.

Creating a Wedding That Felt Like Us

One of the most special parts of planning our wedding was creating a day that genuinely reflected us as a couple.

Our ceremony took place in the dining room at Rockbeare Manor, styled so beautifully by @all_floral and @lauralouisehallweddings. The room was centred around a breath taking crescent moon floral arch filled with white and blush roses, while the ceremony chairs were finished with soft white draping and delicate pink roses.

Walking into the room for the first time, taking it all in with my dad by my side, is a moment I’ll never forget. Seeing the smiling faces of everyone we love as we walked down the aisle made it even more special.

My bouquet, created by @bloomingdels_, featured soft white, blush pink and peach tones with all my fave flowers: dahlias, ranunculus roses, sweet peas, and peonies. It was romantic, elegant and it had just the right amount of whimsy! Everything I had envisioned. The groom and groomsmen wore matching rose buttonholes which tied everything together perfectly.

And then there was the music.

I walked down the aisle to the beautiful sound of harpist @alicewonderharp playing Great Fairy Fountain from The Legend of Zelda. This is a game that means so much to my husband and I. Gaming is how we met, one of the things that connected us for years over long distance. But Zelda is a sure fave of ours. I have so many tattoos I’ve lost count, but my very first tattoo was a Zelda tattoo! We both grew up playing Ocarina of Time & Majora’s Mask on the Nintendo 64 and connected on this. More recently we shared our experiences of playing Breath of The Wild & Tears of the Kingdom on Switch. So this song was one of those details that felt deeply personal to us and instantly made the ceremony feel even more emotional, even if our guests didn’t recognise it.

The Moments Between the Big Moments

One thing planning my own wedding taught me is that some of the most meaningful parts of the day are often those quiet, stolen moments in between. As the bride and groom, we were so honoured to have everyone we love in the same place to celebrate our marriage. But it also meant being pulled in different directions for the entire day. The day felt like such a rush that it made those moments when it was just us two even more meaningful.

After the ceremony, we took a few minutes to ourselves to enjoy a glass of Pimms and some pulled pork and halloumi canapés together. It was great to share our excitement about finally being husband and wife before re-joining our guests. Having that small pause with your partner in the middle of such an emotional day is something I would recommend and make sure to plan for every couple.

We then stepped outside for our confetti moment and spent time taking photographs with the people we love most, beautifully captured by @jordhanphotography and filmed so perfectly by @richer_films. Looking back through our wedding photos and films was such a great way for us to relive the day. Jord & Han and Tommy & Rich managed to capture everything, the important moments, the ones that you had forgotten about because the day went by so quickly, and the candid ones we didn’t even get to see! It was so great getting to see our wedding from so many different perspectives. Not a single precious moment was missed and we’ll treasure their work for the rest of our lives.

Throughout the drinks reception, the incredibly talented @a_sketch_journal painted our ceremony and also some portraits of our guests live during the wedding. I had hired Clare to paint for us as Alex’s surprise wedding gift. We love looking in art shops together and I knew he would appreciate such an important moment in our lives being painted. I’m so happy with this decision, our guests loved their paintings and ours is probably the best keepsake from the day. It instantly went on our living room wall!

Thoughtful Details Make the Difference

As both a bride and planner, my wedding made me appreciate even more how impactful thoughtful details truly are.

Before entering the ballroom, we poured a toast drink for our guests at our pink prosecco tower (of course it had to be pink…) This was one of the most fun and memorable moments of the day. Everyone stood in anticipation of getting to take their drink from the tower. The pink prosecco was also super refreshing after spending time out in the sun.

Then we stepped into the ballroom. Every detail felt beautifully cohesive, thanks to the gorgeous work of @all_floral & @lauralouisehallweddings. Seeing every detail brought to life so perfectly is such a rewarding moment as a planner. The tables also included menus designed by me, and our table names and place cards were hand made by my close friend and design partner @celestinestudios.

We listened to heartfelt speeches from our best man and matron of honour, before giving our own thank you speech. It was such an overwhelming moment, thinking about the amount of love in the room. This was followed by the most delicious three-course meal that our guests are still talking about now - compliments to the chefs at Rockbeare Manor!

Later in the evening, we cut our beautiful buttercream three-tier cake, made by the talented @edibleessenceuk. It was decorated with floral designs and gold leaf. It looked almost too pretty to eat. Jen at Edible Essence has previously made a birthday cake for me, so I knew it was not going to disappoint! She even made an individual gluten free cupcake for one of my guests, which was very thoughtful.

The Party

After the cake cut, we shared our first dance as a married couple. It was probably the one thing I was nervous for all day, as neither of us are dancers! But we definitely chose the right wedding song - Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars. This was one of the songs that played during my husband’s proposal to me, so it carries a lot of emotion. This definitely helped us to relax and ease into the moment. Ever since the wedding, I’ve found myself randomly humming the song at unexpected times and it instantly puts a smile on my face. Richer Films featured the song in our wedding videos and it matched the footage from our day so well.

We spent the night dancing, celebrating and making memories with all the people that mean the most to us. Our DJ was incredible and knew just what to play to keep the party going until midnight. When we weren’t dancing, we were taking goofy photos with cut outs of our cats at the photo booth. I still can’t believe that our guests loved and abused the photo booth so much that the printer stopped working…we definitely got our money’s worth there! It was the best ending to a perfect day.

Why This Changed Me as a Planner

Getting the experience of planning my own wedding reminded me that luxury weddings are not always about perfection.

They’re about emotion, atmosphere, intention and creating moments people will remember forever.

It made me even more aware of how important it is for couples to feel supported throughout the process. Not just practically, but emotionally too. I understand more than ever how overwhelming wedding planning can sometimes feel, how deeply personal every decision becomes and how important it is to trust the people you choose to be around you. The day goes by so quickly and as a bride I realised how tough it can be to have to weigh up everything and make informed last minute decisions on your own day, when you’re right in the thick of it. Jord & Han, our wedding photographers (honestly they are so much more than just photographers, they were amazing) constantly kept us both grounded throughout the day.

Most importantly, this experience reinforced why I care so much about creating weddings that feel authentic to each couple.

As a planner, my goal isn’t just to make weddings look beautiful. It’s to create a space where my couples can feel present, relaxed and able to fully enjoy one of the most meaningful days of their lives.

And after experiencing it for myself, that means even more to me now.

Whether you’re dreaming of an elegant manor house celebration, a romantic destination wedding, or something entirely unique to you, I would love to help bring your vision to life. Let’s create a day that feels unforgettable for all the right reasons.

If you’re currently planning your wedding and looking for support, I’d love to hear from you.

Until the next chapter,

Sadie x