Lauren and Ryan, wow what an amazing day you had!
Lauren and Ryan’s The Old Mill Aldermaston wedding was absolutely divine. Their personalities truly shone through, happiness and love radiated and I love the F1 influences in their decor. Oh my.
From their exquisite outfits to the blousy blooms, rustic styling, outdoor ceremony and magical fairy lights, you are going to love it all. I urge you to read their lovely accompanying report too, their story is gorgeous.
Nicola Belson Photography, thank you ever so much for sharing with us your totally beautiful captures of this super romantic day.
The Old Mill Aldermaston Wedding
The Proposal
Ryan proposed on Christmas Day 2022 in front of both of our families in my mum’s living room. It was perfect.
He told me he had one more present for me and brought in a large, gift-wrapped box. I opened it to find a HelloFresh box, which made me laugh as we order it weekly. Inside, it was filled with petals, and I soon found a small box. When I opened it, there was a beautiful ruby and diamond ring. Ryan got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
It was the best moment of my life – until the wedding!
The Vision
We both wanted to get married in the summertime, somewhere with beautiful outdoor spaces or a great view. When we found The Old Mill, it was perfect.
I wanted everything to look natural and timeless. Even though sage is very popular at the moment, I chose it because it felt so natural and matched the outdoors. I envisioned classic whites and greens, with hints of blush and champagne, to keep it elegant but not overdone. I wanted a whimsical feel to the day, and above all, we wanted it to reflect our personalities.
For it to be fun, romantic, and full of love.
Budget
We did a mix of low and high-budget items at our wedding. We had fireworks and two F1 simulators, but I got ready at home, we stayed at home on the wedding night, and my mum made our wedding cake. We thought carefully about what we really wanted and where to spend our money.
It all came together perfectly for us.
The Venue
The Old Mill in Aldermaston. Driving up the drive, you start to see glimpses of fields, maybe a horse, and hear the sound of running water. You pull in and there’s a lovely house, surrounded by flowers, trees, and a river. You might even see swans, if you’re lucky.
There wasn’t much need to decorate the venue, as the garden is so beautiful. The conservatory has an amazing installation of plants and flowers hanging from the ceiling, and the mill room is filled with fairy lights. Our perfect place.
The Ceremony & Music
We were super lucky with the weather and got our dream, which was an outdoor ceremony. For us, the ceremony was the most important part of the day. We had a steel drum band playing while the guests were waiting.
I felt really calm as I waited to walk down the aisle. I took a deep breath, heard the rustling of the trees, and felt a light breeze. This was it! The most important moment of my life.
- The bridesmaids walked down the aisle to Bloom by The Paper Kites.
- I walked down the aisle to Sea of Love by Langhorne Slim & Jill Andrews* (we heard it while watching This Is Us and thought it was perfect).
- My close friends did a reading of Union by Robert Fulghum, and Ryan’s sister wrote a personalised poem about us.
- We walked back down the aisle to Crazy in Love by Beyoncé.
During the signing of the register, we had:
- Love You For a Long Time by Maggie Rogers
- Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish
- Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
First Dance: Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez & Em Beihold
Your Outfits
I knew I wanted a big dress because, to me, that’s what would make me feel like a bride. I visited Bicester Bridal, where their experience really shone through. They focused on helping me find the perfect dress, and as soon as I stepped into it, I knew it was the one. It had everything I loved about other dresses, plus some amazing details. It felt perfect for both the venue and the theme.
My shoes were from Rainbow Club, and I wore a tiara and veil from Etsy. My earrings were simple pearl ones from Boohoo, and Ryan’s cousins had given me their grandmother’s ring and earrings, which I kept with me on the day as a special touch.
Ryan knew he wanted to wear a light-coloured, non-traditional suit. We went to Moss Bros, where he found the perfect one. At first, I wasn’t sure when he picked it out, but as soon as he put it on, I knew it was the one. He looked like a groom.
The bridesmaids wore beautiful sage dresses I found on ASOS, which came in different styles but in the same colour. I wanted the girls to feel comfortable, so they each chose the style they preferred. The groomsmen’s suits were hired from Moss Bros, and they all looked fantastic. We made sure they’d be comfortable no matter the weather.
Choosing the outfits was such a fun process, but it was surreal not seeing everything together until the big day. I’m so pleased with how it all came together!
The Styling & Decor
- Styling: The Wed Shed
- Flowers: Willow & Blooms
- Theme: Whimsical with F1 touches.
Ryan works in motorsport and loves racing, and the whole family is mad about F1:
- Our table names were tracks Ryan had raced on.
- We had two F1 simulators.
- Ryan’s helmet was used as our guest book!
Pizza Names:
- Cheesy Churchill
- Palmer Ham
- Veggie Lovelock
- Bumble Bite
These names all have a special meaning to us, and it was fun for guests to guess what they meant!
Favours: We gave miniature bottles of Pepsi Max Raspberry. Ryan and I met online on Bumble, and my first message to him was: “Have you ever tried Pepsi Max Raspberry?”.
DIY Touches: We made a wooden pallet with fairy lights and photos of us with the guests. I bought a template from Etsy and personalised all of our stationery including save the dates, invites, ceremony program, place names and thank you cards.
The Honeymoon
Mauritius! We stayed at Lagoon Attitude, and it was absolutely stunning. One of the highlights was a day trip to Île aux Cerfs, where we had an amazing time snorkelling. Ryan did lose his wedding ring in the ocean, but we replaced it once we got home. It’s definitely a funny memory to look back on!
Your Photographer
Nicola Belson
Memorable Moments
- Our first dance, we’d joined a Latin and ballroom dance class and performed a routine for it.
- The speeches: Ryan’s was 15 minutes long! It was absolutely brilliant.
- Reading our personal vows.
- My mum and my friend Beth making sure the cake Mum made was perfect.
- Opening our gift from our close friends which was an inside joke! A glug jug.
- Having a special dance with my dad.
- Fireworks.
- An intense game of Jenga on the patio.
- The pizza!
- We had so much going on throughout the day, which we absolutely loved!
Advice For Other Couples
Remember the day is about you two, enjoy the process and make the most of it all.
Schedule some time just for the two of you after the ceremony. We went for a drive for 5 mins and it was great to have a moment to take it all in!
Does it get any more stunning!? I think NOT.
Lauren and Ryan, I can’t thank you enough for sharing your magical The Old Mill Aldermaston wedding story with us.
Further Reading
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