A Real Wedding | Mr & Mrs Hurley

Sep 3

From a magical winter proposal in NYC to a dreamy summer wedding, Emily & Ollie Hurley share with us details of their special day!

Tell us about your proposal?

Ollie proposed in New York City, at the Edge NYC (highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere). NYC was our first holiday together, where Ollie told me he loved me, back in 2018. The proposal was a surprise on my birthday, 28 December 2021.

Tell us about your bridal party and how you came to choose them?

My sister Hannah was my Maid of Honour, and I had 5 bridesmaids - cousin Kasey, best friends Alison, Georgia, Becky and Rachel (who is Ollie's best friend).

'Emily chose our Blush Classic Multiway Dresses for her girls'

What made you choose your venue and tell us about your theme?

We fell in love with the beautiful grounds of Braxted Park in Witham, Essex with the picturesque driveway and the country manor house. The Orangery at Braxted is exquisitely decorated with arched windows, which we could picture having our wedding. Our theme was simple, neutral, modern and elegant.

What was your favourite part of planning?

Candidly, we found wedding planning very stressful! However, we really enjoyed the food and wine tasting session at Braxted where we chose our menu for our wedding breakfast - although I am not sure this strictly counts as planning! We also loved planning our honeymoon and minimoon trips for something else to look forward to!

What was the hardest part of planning?

Styling the venue, liaising with multiple suppliers and keeping track of our budget was quite challenging. In the lead up to our day as well, the weather forecast kept changing a lot - so we had to have a number of calls with the venue to ensure we had a Plan B in case the heavens opened!

Bride’s Favourite moment on the day?

The ceremony, especially seeing Ollie at the top of the aisle.

Groom’s favourite moment of the day?

When we were sat at the top table during our wedding breakfast, and looking out across the room at all our family and friends enjoying themselves and seeing our day come together.

Tips for future couples?

Make the most of every minute as it goes by so quickly! Make sure to plan for all weather occasions, don’t rush booking your suppliers until you are 100%, and check exactly what is included with your venue.

Anything either of you would do differently?

Go abroad, perhaps!

Honeymoon plans if any?

Mini-moon in Hvar, Croatia for 5 days immediately after our wedding. Followed by our Honeymoon which will be a Safari in South Africa, Marataba Luxury Lodges and Mauritius, LUX Grand Gaube. Travelling in September 2023!