Melissa + Lewis

How did you meet?

We met the most romantic way possible….Tinder! I just couldn’t resist Lewis’ opening line of “Hello, how are you?”. We spoke for a few days, which felt so natural and easy to meeting for our first date where he said I looked like Simba with my curly hair. He really had a way with words, but he quickly redeemed himself by showing all his amazing qualities in just the first few hours.

When did you know they were the one?

I knew very soon, probably a bit too soon! Pretty sure we said ‘I love you’ quicker than milk going bad. But we just trusted the process and went along with it, enjoying every single moment.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

He calms me when I need it most and knows exactly what to say and do to make me feel better.
He is the most authentic and true person I know.
He can light up any room with his smile and sense of humour.

Who proposed and how?

Lewis proposed in Cornwall, UK. We have a thing for sunsets, so he was on a mission for us to get the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Little did I know what he was planning, so I wasn’t making the process any easier! I refused to shower, put nice clothes on etc because I thought it was just a simple chilled sunset evening, I wasn’t imagining getting proposed to! Lewis also knew I didn’t want to be proposed to in front of other people, so we had to get up and move a few times but he couldn’t explain to me why! I had never seen someone so determined to find the perfect sunset spot. When we finally found a secluded spot, we watched the waves crashing against the rocks and watched the beautiful horizon for a while until he started being very soppy and reached into his pocket and presented the most elegant and perfect engagement ring.

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

I fell in love with Archie initially through Instagram! After we got engaged, the UK went back into lockdown and therefore I had a lot of time on my hands for get researching for a dress. I knew I wanted something really simple but the most elegant and slightly sexy dress. When I eventually could, I tried the dress on at Love In Lace Bridal in Kent and I just knew it was the one. I almost didn’t want to try any other dresses on, but then I thought I’ll hopefully never have to do this again so might as well. I couldn’t stop thinking about this dress, until pretty much the wedding day.

What was the best moment for you at your wedding? 

It’s so hard to pinpoint a specific moment that was above the rest, because honestly as cheesy as it sounds, everything about the day was perfect! What I would say, is that we are so happy that we had a top table of just the two of us. This meant we could sit down, with some food and drink and just watch all of our friends and family just having a great time. It was a moment for us to take a breath but also a moment we could really soak in.

What were your favourite details?

The ceremony in the woods was something beyond my imagination and dreams. As I walked down to the woodland, I honestly couldn’t believe how magical it was. The intimacy and beauty was truly amazing. As I mentioned above, having just the two of us on the top table was something we were so happy with, it also looked quite aesthetically pleasing. We actually ran over time during the wedding breakfast, and the staff needed to change the room around ready for the evening and DJ to set up, so we decided to do the rest of the speeches out in the courtyard, which ended up working so well! The sun was going down at this point, so we had the beautiful golden hour hue whilst listening to our loved ones. Our first dance was also a success! Something I was pretty worried about. We found an acoustic version of ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ which we slow danced to for about a minute then it was expertly mixed into Toploader’s more upbeat version, which got all of our guests on the dance floor!

What advice would you tell other brides?

If you can, small and intimate weddings are the way forward! For someone like me, who can be quite anxious at times, it was the most perfect day because I knew I was surrounded by people who love me and wanted to be there.

Any standout vendors?

Our photographer – Charlie Westlake (@studiowestlake)
Our wedding coordinator – Katie (@styleandwonderco)
Our wedding venue – Marshwood Manor (@marshwoodmanor)

MWL DESIGN:

Archie

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Charlie Westlake – Studio Westlake

RETAILER:

Love and Lace Bridal