Real Weddings Milton Keynes: Ellie and Darryl’s travel-themed wedding

Ellie and Darryl met at work, when Darryl was Ellie’s team leader. “There were no feelings to begin with, but a bit of banter and chat and we started to fall for each other,” she says. “Our first official date was at the cinema. Plus, we’d had a couple of nights out with friends before that, which is where the attraction really started to grow. I think we were seeing each other for about six weeks before he asked me to be his girlfriend.” 

A proposal on the trip of a lifetime

"We both dreamed of travelling and we talked about it from the beginning of the relationship,” says Ellie. “Three years in, and on the trip of a lifetime to Australia and New Zealand, Darryl proposed to me. We were at Uluru during the last few days of the trip. It was absolutely beautiful and such a lovely memory to treasure.” 

Shopping for the perfect crepe wedding dress

Ellie found her dream dress at WED2B’s Milton Keynes’ store. “I had a great experience,” says Ellie. “Other brides told me that I would probably come out with a dress that was completely different to the one I thought I wanted, but the opposite happened!" 

"I picked four dresses in total, one of each style, but I always knew I wanted a sheath gown. The minute I walked into the dressing room I saw Henri, a crepe wedding dress, and couldn’t stop staring at it. This was my first choice, the first dress I tried on and the dress I eventually took home! It was absolutely stunning and my seamstress couldn’t believe what great value it was.” 

Finding a venue

“We searched around lots of venues but none really stood out or gave us that feeling,” says Ellie. “Then I saw Hanbury Manor, in Hertfordshire, on Hitched. There were two choices of room but we knew we wanted the Garden Court for a July wedding.

"From the moment we drove in we were in love with the venue and it just clicked! We both agreed within minutes that it was the venue for us.” 

The big day

The couple married on 31st July 2021. “I stayed at the venue the night before with my oldest sister and maid of honour,” says Ellie. “We woke up at 7am to get ready and have breakfast, then the hair and makeup team arrived."

"My dad met me in the room before the ceremony and then the staff escorted us across the grounds. While the guests waited we had a playlist of soft, romantic music, such as ‘Can you Feel the Love Tonight’ by Elton John and some John Legend.”

“My dad walked me down the aisle and, even though we had prepped this for months, I still walked too fast! Our exit song was ‘The Power of Love’ by Huey lewis and The News because we’re big Back to The Future fans."

"The most memorable moment is walking down the aisle and seeing my husband-to-be. I didn’t really look at anyone else, I just wanted to be with him.”

Holiday memories 

“Our theme was travel, as we got engaged while travelling. We also planned to do another trip after the wedding but this was sadly cancelled due to Covid,” says Ellie.

“Our signage had planes and travel lines on it and our table names were places we went to in Australia and New Zealand. The top table was Uluru, which is where Darryl proposed. We also had a little world globe with our names on, next to a homemade, vintage suitcase for cards and gifts.” 

“To reflect the summer vibe, there were two large blossom trees in the ceremony room and beside the top table, along with matching pink sashes on the chairs. The tables also had mini blossom trees as centrepieces. Our favours were little suitcases with sweets!” 

“Our wedding cake really caught everyone’s attention because it was so unique. We don’t really do cake, and we’ve been to weddings where we can’t even remember what it looked like. So, we had a giant Colin & Connie the caterpillar from M&S! Everyone loved it and so did we.”

Canapés, champagne and dancing

After the ceremony there were canapés and champagne while the photos were being done, then everyone sat down for the wedding breakfast. “We entered the room by coming down the stairs, which felt very dramatic," says Ellie. "Then there was a three-course meal and speeches before the evening party began.” 

“Our first dance was to ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’  by Elvis, which is special to us as it played during the film on our first date,” says Ellie. “We also had a magic mirror, light-up letters and, of course, a DJ. It was the best day of my life!” 

My top tips…

“Walk slower when walking down the aisle!” says Ellie. “It’s the moment you’ve dreamt of for such a long time, so take it in. Also, don’t stress about the small things, like favours or signage, as no one notices. Please talk with your suppliers about what you want. There were a few mistakes made, which none of the guests noticed, but perhaps if I was more pushy it wouldn’t have happened. Book the week off work before your wedding. I had one day off beforehand and was so stressed. Lastly, on the day, have someone designated to give you water to drink. It’s a life saver!”

Ellie’s Dream Team

Photo & Video: Timothy Guy & Danny Bligh 

Venue: Hanbury Manor

Makeup: Makeup by Rosie 

Hair: Christie Holloran Hair

Florist: The Ivy Florist

Entertainment: Pixel Perfect Entertainment 

Cake: Marks & Spencer 

If you would like your big day to be one of our real weddings please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Or click here to find your dream crepe wedding dress like Ellie’s.