We didn’t leave the dance floor all night!
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We’ve been together for 11 years and just celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary. We have a French Bulldog named Hercules.
I am a Wedding Planner (Sarah). I own Mose &, and I work across the UK and Europe creating weddings and events for gorgeous couples and clients. I’ve always worked in events but have truly never loved a job more than being a Wedding Planner.
Josh works in finance and has done it for his entire career. We are the typical ‘creative and numbers’ partnership, and both have very different strengths, which makes us a great team!
We recently moved out of London after a decade of working and living there. We moved back to the Midlands, where we both grew up and took on a big renovation project, which we’ve recently finished! We adore travel, our Frenchie Hercules, interiors, long weekends away, great food, and lots of time with our family and friends.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We have known each other since we were teenagers and went to the same school. Josh is my brother’s best friend, so we grew up going to parties and hanging out together. There was never any romance at the start, but Josh went travelling to Australia for 3 years. On his return 12 years ago, we saw a different side to one another and realised we had loads in common. 11 years ago, on a night out for St. Patrick’s Day, we didn’t stop talking all night; we chatted about travelling, wanting to live and work in London and we were both taken aback at how much we gelled after a few drinks we secretly kissed and the rest is history.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
As we had a lot of friends in common and my brother to consider, we kept our dating secret in the first couple of months to make sure it was something we both were serious about. I think pretty quickly, we both knew it was something special. We went on loads of secret dates to places we’d hoped not to be seen by anyone we knew, and these are still some of my favourite memories. About two months into dating, I got a text from Josh saying… “I’ve told your brother,” which was the moment I knew.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Josh booked a spontaneous trip to the Cotswolds, which is our happy place and where we go to escape regularly, so it didn’t spark any suspicion. He planned a full day out, breakfast at Daylesford Farm, followed by a walk around Broadway. We got to Broadway Tower and climbed to the top, there was no one in sight and it’s usually so busy there, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I burst into tears, and we called our parents from the top of the tower to share the news. That evening, he then surprised me with a night at one of our favourite hotels, and we met up with family the following day to celebrate. It was perfect and it’s so nice we can go back and visit our special place regularly.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Entertainment, good food & flowing drinks were our 3 non-negotiables. For us, entertainment was a huge importance and I really believe there is nothing better than a live band. I’ve seen so many great bands whilst planning events & weddings across Europe, but we decided on Salut, who are London-based. We flew Salut over from the UK, one of our biggest splurges, but we have no regrets as they made our day! Salut performed from the drinks reception all the way through to our late-night after-party. They had every one of our guests dancing on their chairs and singing Oasis at the top of their lungs during dinner, which is a moment that will be etched in my mind forever. They followed dinner with a big show band set to kick off our evening and then a DJ-sax for our after party in Atzaro nightclub. We didn’t leave the dance floor all night!
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
We were super lucky that our day was fairly stress-free. We did fly all the way to Ibiza to guarantee the weather, and it began to rain on the morning of the wedding, but luckily, it quickly passed, and we had a gorgeous day celebrating in the sunshine. The best advice I can give is that no matter where in the world you are getting married, ensure you have a great plan B wet weather contingency as it keeps the stress at bay, knowing that either option is a great route.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story? The history of the ceremony dress…
I spent quite a bit of time dress shopping, trying on loads of different styles and getting a feel for what I wanted. I didn’t plan on bespoke from the start, which made the process with Emma Beaumont even more special. I found a few dresses I liked but didn’t love and decided to book an appointment with Emma to discuss my vision. Emma instantly got it; she sketched out my dress in a matter of minutes and said… ‘how about this?’ It was genuinely everything I had envisioned and more, and the design process and visits to her Knutsford studio were so special. I also had my veil made by Emma, with our initials and wedding date embroidered on it.
We had a similar experience with Josh’s suit. I have a great relationship with the wonderful team at Clements and Church through my work, and we went to visit them to get some inspiration. We loved our first visit, and as my dress was bespoke, we decided to get Josh a classic bespoke Tux that he could wear again and again. They did such a gorgeous job and personalized so much of it for him. Josh has our wedding date embroidered on the inside of the collar.
LOCATION Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel, Ibiza, @atzaro_hotel PHOTOGRAPHER Sarah & David James, @wearethe_jamess PLANNING & STYING Mose &, @moseandweddings VIDEOGRAPHER Infin8 Images, @infin8images_ FLORIST Aurea Floral Studio, @aureafloralstudio HIRE Velvet Circus Ibiza, @velvetcircusibiza ON-THE-DAY COORDINATOR Kerry Anne Winton, @kerryannewinton CELEBRANT Family friend CATERING Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel, Ibiza, @atzaro_hotel STATIONERY Invites – Notes Studio, @notes.studio; On-the-day – Ten Story Stationery, @tenstorystationery BRIDAL DRESS & EMBROIDED VEIL Emma Beaumount, @emma_beaumont_atelier BRIDE’S SHOE Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo ACCESSORIES Earrings – Chanel, @chanelofficial HAIR & MAKEUP Made Up In Ibiza, @madeupinibiza BESPOKE TUX Clements and Church, @clementsandchurch GROOM’S SHOE Russell and Bromley, @russellandbromley ACCESSORIES Watch – TAG Heuer, @tagheuer BRIDESMAID DRESS Pretty Lavish, @prettylavishuk GROOMSMEN TUX Moss Bros, @mossbros
