Wedding day: 1st November 2013
Venue: The Rectory Hotel, Crudwell, Wiltshire
Photographer: Martin Dabek of Photodabek

Verity, who altered my dress, was fantastic. She was so speedy and I really appreciated her honest opinions; she helped me create a design I was very happy with. She was also lovely, it was a pleasure seeing her and I could have chatted for hours!

“Perfect Day was very convenient for me, being just round the corner from where we lived. On entering, the shop was small and welcoming, just what I needed as someone who was very anxious about the whole dress buying saga. The girls were all very friendly and attentive; when I went in for my fittings I was the only bride-to-be there, so it felt exclusive and special and I never felt rushed.

They didn’t have what I was looking for at first, but I went back a few months later during an event weekend. The girls had jiggled their diary around (with the help of a very generous customer), which meant I could get a last minute Saturday appointment. It was during this appointment that I found my dress and I thought, this was meant to be! I loved the simplicity of the design and how I was free to customise it. When I put it on, I knew it was the one I wanted.”

“The Rectory Hotel had the relaxed atmosphere we were looking for and when we arrived, it immediately felt like home. There were sweets and dog biscuits on the counter, and we could let our family dog roam free within the hotel and its grounds. The decor was beautiful, real shabby chic, which meant it was impressive enough for our special day but also informal enough to suit the small size and feel of our wedding. The location was also good, with an extra B&B and hotel a matter of minutes away for our guests.

Charlie, the events co-ordinator, was so friendly on our first meeting and her professionalism and helpfulness did not waiver at all throughout our year of planning. We cannot praise the venue enough and what’s more, we thought the value for money was fantastic! We were so happy with our choice and would not have changed a thing about the venue.”

“It’s hard to pick a favourite part of the day, but I think the dinner, especially the speech of our two best men was our favourite part. We laughed and cried throughout, and because of the small number of guests, it felt very special and intimate.”

“With only 38 daytime guests, the guest list caused us the most difficulty in the planning process. Try not to feel pressured about who to invite; be true to who you really want there, rather than who you feel you should have there. I was very nervous about the day and was dreading having all those eyes on me. I thought simply, who could I not live without? That formed the basis of our list.”