A RIVERVALE BARN WEDING: TAYLOR & NATHAN

Share a little back story?  How did you guys meet?  Who made the first move?

Back in July 2018, Nathan and I were both on an online dating platform. We’d toyed with the idea of meeting up but never actually set a date. On the 28th July we happened to be chatting and both revealed that our plans for that evening had been cancelled. Therefore, at 5pm, Nathan messaged to say ‘Great, I will pick you up at 7’. Despite my greatest protesting that you couldn’t give a girl so little warning for a date, he boldly told me that 2 hours was plenty of notice. Never did I think that 5 years later, on the exact same day, I would be marrying him!

Where and when was the proposal?

Nathan’s secret keeping skills leave a lot to be desired, so I did know this was on the horizon. However, having asked my mum, dad and my late grandad for their permission to marry me, Nathan organised to take me to my nan’s beach (Hastings) where I spent many happy summers with her and my grandad before she passed in 2017. He knew a public proposal was my worst nightmare so he found a pretty empty spot on the beach and got down on one knee. His jumbled words are still a puzzle to us both to this day but the words ‘Tay, will you marry me’ were the only audible five words that he stumbled out!

What was the favourite part of your wedding day?

Our favourite part of our wedding day was the moment when we had our surprise singing waiters performing and we were at our top table. We both looked at each other briefly and realised how much love was in that room – from nods to those that we had lost, to the abundance of love being shown by everyone there. It was a real, ‘They’ve got us!’ moment that we still talk about now.

What was it that made you choose Simply Beautiful Photo & Film to capture your day?

Simply Beautiful Photo & Film had captured a distant friend’s wedding and she had shared her video and photos on social media a few years prior. The video and images were incredible and I had always said that when it was time for me to get married, I would definitely be enquiring. Low and behold, when the time came, speaking to Sarah Jane in our initial meeting and meeting Sally for our engagement/pre-wedding shoot confirmed it all. They were simply the most amazing people to work with – especially for two people who struggle to have their photo taken at the best of times!

Have you got any top tips for couples who are planning their wedding?

The one thing I would say to any couple is to really prioritise the few things that matter most to you on your day. Don’t run yourself ragged trying to do every social media trend, next wedding idea or to please everyone else – you need to enjoy it, it really does fly. I prioritised a couple of key photos and moments for our day and let everything else run. To our knowledge, nothing went wrong but don’t sweat the small stuff! Get lost in the moment, embrace having everyone who loves you in one place and dance the night away.