Blog by my team member Laura:

"On the eve of a decade together, Jenny and Michael chose to celebrate the kind of love that only grows stronger with time. Their wedding, set deep in the heart of the Surrey Hills at The Green Escape just outside Dorking, felt more like a magical retreat than a ceremony.

Hidden away in a woodland haven, surrounded by wildflowers, beautiful tall trees, and the soft glow of white lanterns, their day unfolded like a love story crafted by nature.

When I arrived, their friends and family, and Suki from the Green Escape with her team, were setting up decorations, games, and the outdoor dining space ready for the day's event.

Jenny’s Mum and Dad had parked up their camper van, and guests were arriving and ‘wheelbarrowing’ their bags to a shepherd’s hut! It was all hands on deck, and all go!

The couple hosted an intimate celebration with just over 20 of their closest family and friends. In a leafy paradise in woodland dotted with shepherd huts, fire pits, and those small, personal touches that speak volumes like sheepskin rugs on the benches, wildflowers in vases everywhere, homemade confetti lovingly prepared by Jenny’s mum and practical signs of a rural setting, like insect repellent and plasters thoughtfully tucked into the bathroom. 

Jenny’s sister had even designed the wedding signage using Jenny’s daisy tattoo as inspiration!

Oh, and I can’t forget there was a disco ball hanging in the middle of the party area, of course – looking slightly incongruous but essential for a party, and there was to be a silent disco to end the night – so it really was an essential!

We started the ceremony by asking all the guests to create a flower circle from a basket of wildflowers - creating a sacred space of calm and connection on the floor around the couple, a symbol of unity and eternity. It was beautifully fragrant too!

Jenny and Michael exchanged vows they'd written themselves. There wasn’t a dry eye when Michael spoke his out loud and Jenny responded with hers, bringing tears to his eyes as well.

The ring bearers, Jenny’s brother James and Michael’s sister Kit, added a personal layer of charm, even when Jenny’s brother had to make a dramatic dash to the car, just as the ceremony started, to retrieve the wedding ring. It was real, raw, and perfectly imperfect.

The readings were as unique as the couple: from the soulful lyrics of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” read by Jenny’s Father Richard, to Wilfred Arlan Peterson’s timeless "The Art of Marriage" read by Michael's Mother Pauline.  Each added depth and individuality to the ceremony.

The couple’s parents all joined us to sign a commemorative certificate before I had the privilege of presenting them as Mr Michael and Mrs Jennifer Abbott!

Then, just as the last petal of homemade confetti had drifted to the ground, Jenny and Michael danced their way down the woodland aisle, in another twist of genre, to none other than Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Their guests cheered, laughed, and danced right along with them!

And because every story has its playful twist, one of Michael’s Grooms’ Squad had sneakily tucked photos of the couple’s beloved animals inside Michael’s jacket pocket - a touching surprise that his animal babies were next to his heart the whole way!

The couple and their guests were enjoying food cooked in an outdoor wood oven by one of their close friends, and a beautiful woodland setting table had been laid for their wedding breakfast and speeches. 

As I took my leave,  the after-party was underway, and Jenny and Michael were last seen heading off into the woods for photos on the forest's zip wire. Because when you marry your best friend, why walk when you can fly?

I wish Jenny and Michael a wonderful marriage full of lots of laughter, many more animals, and I’m sure their friends and family will support them all the way.

Congratulations and love from Laura x