Real Wedding

Lucinda and Navin’s Wedding at Botleys Mansion

Explore Botleys Mansion

The Proposal

Lucinda and Nav’s relationship dates back to 2010 when Nav started working for the company Lucinda worked at already. The couple started dating and became serious around Christmas time 2 years later.

Six years to the date after their first encounter, Nav chose his moment to propose and it certainly was a moment to remember. It was Lucinda’s 30th birthday and the couple were in Venice. Nav went all out to impress his lady with an unforgettable proposal featuring a bottle of champagne, a bunch of stargazer lilies, a birthday cake, a card and most importantly, a diamond ring!

The couple spent the following 16 months planning their magical wedding day.

Lucinda’s sister Annabel was chosen to be the Maid of Honour and her two additional bridesmaids, were Zoe (Lucinda’s best friend) and Caroline, her cousin. The girls all wore pink dresses from True Bridesmaids – chosen in a colour shade to match the rest of the bright and vibrant wedding colour scheme. The bride looked stunning in her a-line gown and the groom’s party wore morning suits in a stylish grey combo.

The style and colour of flowers meant a lot to the couple. They wanted their wedding flowers to represent the beauty of an English country wedding but with added pops of colour to add more of an exotic Mauritian twist. Wedding florist Rosie Orr did an incredible job with styling Botleys Mansion throughout. Lucinda carried a hand-tied, slightly wild posy bouquet filled with cream delphiniums, hydrangeas, white thistle, astrantia, vendela, Miss Piggy and bubblegum roses and rosehips. The couple wanted to make sure that Lucinda’s bouquet replicated the overall theme of the day; a soft champagne base with pops of vibrant coral and pinks. The groom, both fathers, the best man and two ushers all wore a simple vendela rose button hole.

Choosing a Mansion Wedding Venue in Surrey

After returning from her dream proposal in Venice, the organised bride-to-be started searching for the perfect venue close to her and Nav’s shortlist of two special churches in Cobham and Horsham.

“We knew that Botleys was ‘the one’ as soon as we drove up the sweeping drive” said Lucinda. “The scene was set – a magnificent, grand house set in plentiful manicured grounds. Quiet and private with incredible views over the nearby parkland. First impressions really matter and the splendour of inside really matched the views outside. When we entered the reception hall, we were greeted with a glass of bubbly, warm smiles and a large space with classical-style marble columns and statues. Botleys Mansion is certainly impressive. And as soon as we met the team, we knew that we could trust in them to deliver our perfect day.”

Without hesitation, Lucinda and Nav chose a wedding date and put their deposit down at Botleys Mansion during their first visit. They managed to grab the only date available in September and then went on to book St. Andrew’s Church in Cobham – the same church Lucinda’s parents were married in, many years before.

The Big Day: 22nd September, 2017

Lucinda and Nav celebrated a 1pm wedding ceremony at St. Andrew’s Church in Cobham.

Their emotional vows were sealed with a kiss and the couple were congratulated by the 88 guests who witnessed their marriage, before everyone headed up the road to Botleys Mansion to continue the celebrations.

The newlywed couple hopped in to a traditional Viscount Landaulette and their guests followed behind in a coach. They were greeted by the Harper Team with bubbles and canapés before exploring the Mansion house which had been decorated to perfection. A pianist created atmosphere in the entrance hall and guests mingled with one another before being called down in to the glass-roofed Atrium at 4:15pm for a hand-picked wedding banquet.

Each reception table featured an oversized flower arrangement on a tall silver candlestick, with smaller votive candles dotted around the base. A small caricature of each wedding guest was placed at each setting, with a personal note written by the bride and groom. The tables were named after places that Lucinda and Nav have been to on holiday as a couple. The top table had to be ‘Venice’ after the location of their engagement.

Real Life Wedding Advice

Wise words from the bride and groom:

Try not to miss all of your drinks reception (if you’re having one). Photos are great, but it’s so lovely to relax and chat to friends and family. Think about the length of your drinks reception and if you can, put aside some time after your photos to join the throng and enjoy time with everyone before you sit down for your banquet.

Your wedding day passes in a flash. Before you know it, it’s over. We were lucky to have been given this advice before our day – take time with your new husband/wife to bask in the moment. Think about how you’re feeling, what you’re doing and embrace what’s happening around you. You will treasure those little snapshots when looking back on your special day.

This is quite practical, but if you can, employ a cleaner to come and blitz your house before you return from your minimoon/honeymoon. When you’re in just-married wedded bliss, the last thing you want to return to is a lot of frantic pre-wedding mess to tidy up.

Wedding Breakfast Menu

Starter

Twice baked lobster thermidor soufflé, baby asparagus, sea fennel & borage flowers

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Main Course

Roast breast of guinea fowl, confit potatoes, caramelised onions and green beans with sauce chasseur

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Dessert

Chocolate pot with a melting middle, caramel ice cream and chocolate crumbs

Evening Buffet: Mini bacon butties and mini chicken butties

The Honeymoon

Lucinda and Nav love to travel, so it was an obvious choice to set a honeymoon style wedding gift list, as opposed to a high street department store option. The generous monetary gifts they received from younger guests enabled them to book a two-week honeymoon of a lifetime to Thailand where they got to wash and feed rescue elephants as well as stay in a luxury floating tent in a wildlife reserve and see numerous historic and cultural sights in Bangkok and Ayutthaya.

As an alternative gift list option for their older guests, the couple also set up an art fund. As they already have their own house, they thought that an art fund could allow them to buy a couple of pieces of beautiful art to keep in their house for forever memories.

Wedding Suppliers

Wedding Venue: Botleys Mansion
Wedding Photographer: Barker Evans Photography
Bridesmaids Dress Designer: True Bridesmaids style M754
Wedding Flowers: Flowers by Rosie Orr
Wedding Car: Linara Wedding Cars
Bridal Beauty: Kristina Gasperas
Wedding Cake Designer: Designer Cakes by Elle
Wedding Magician: Darren Delaney
Wedding Band: Pop London
Wedding Toastmaster: Richard Birtchnell
Dancers: Tropical Flowers Sega Dancers
Wedding Insurance: John Lewis

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