OUR KENTISH CEREMONY
MARRIED AT THE SPA HOTEL
TUNBRIDGE WELLS ANNA & NIGEL JACQUES-PETTINGER DIDN ’ T LET SHOWERS SPOIL THEIR SPECIAL 1920s THEMED DAY
Photography by : Penny Young Photography
THE VENUE Anna grew up in nearby Groombridge and so we were looking for somewhere local to there . The first venue we saw was The Spa Hotel , and we immediately knew it was the right place and team to make our dream day come alive . We cancelled all the other appointments straight away !
THE OUTFITS We were staying in a little village near Chatsworth , Derbyshire and behind the local pub was an independent wedding dress boutique called Alexandra Anne . Anna called in and they made her feel incredibly special ; she had a vague 1920 ’ s theme as the basis for the design , they immediately understood what Anna was after and found the perfect dress . Anna placed an order that day and then we had to arrange to travel several times from Kent to Derbyshire for fittings etc .
As for Nigel ’ s suit , we had driven past Hardman & Hemming in Southborough many times and always noticed their window displays . He had never had a bespoke suit made for him and warmed to the idea of a unique ivory coloured suit . He made an appointment and was impressed with their ideas and approach .
THE CEREMONY On the day of our wedding , we woke up to a threat of rain . But with the support of The Spa staff , we decided to go ahead and have our ceremony outside . It started to rain just as Anna and her bridesmaids began to walk down the aisle ! We were fine ( under the temple and not looking around !) but eventually we realised that we no longer had any smiling guests . So , halfway through we had to decamp into the hotel . The staff were superb and turned one room into a wedding ceremony room in ten minutes .
THE RECEPTION We decided not to have a wedding cake and instead , we performed a champagne sabrage which went down very well with all our guests – and worked first time ! Following our meal we had Mint DJ for the evening supported by a live saxophonist on the dancefloor , and for our first dance we we created a mix of Prince Ali ( from Aladdin ), Unintended ( from Muse ) and Because We Can ( from Moulin Rouge ) – all favourites of ours . As neither of us is a talented dancer we had three lessons from a professional dancer who choreographed a simple set of routines that made us look as though we knew what we were doing . And for some of the time it worked !
THE PHOTOGRAPHY Penny Young was our photographer . She was recommended by The Spa and we looked at her website and liked her style – full of informal happy natural pictures of a high quality . We wanted the photos to highlight the fun and happiness evident on the day . So , we kept the formal photos to an absolute minimum . We also asked her to capture the drama of the day and we felt she did that perfectly . We have now received over 700 photos and are delighted .
THE HIGHLIGHT Honestly , the highlight for us was the totality of it – how it all fitted together ; how much fun people had ; the atmosphere ; the sheer enjoyment of our special , magical day .
76 | AKENTISHCEREMONY . COM | WINTER 2023