Rochelle and Ben knew they wanted to host a glamorous affair, and although there were a few hiccups along the way, they celebrated a luxurious wedding in the picture-perfect setting of Rockliffe Hall surrounded by all their friends and family on Friday 27th April 2018.

The couple first met when they were in their teens at a local carnival. “We dated on a few occasions over the years, but it never seemed to be the right timing for either of us. We met for the last time in 2012 at a mutual friends party and minus a few blips, have been together since.”

Rochelle and Ben not only wanted a wedding that reflected them as a couple, but wanted the celebration to be a little different from the ordinary. “We knew we wanted a glamorous affair, as it reflects our personal taste as individuals and as a couple. Having being to weddings and looking through a lot of magazines we knew we wanted something a bit different. I love bright, punchy colours so instead of the usual lack-lustre schemes we decided to go for something really luxurious and eye catching. Kat from The Whole Sch-Bang got our vision from the get go, and she created something we could only dream of. She is one talented lady!

“Apart from ourselves having the best day our priority was to make sure our guests were looked after and entertained all day. Music is very important to us, as we think the right music can make or break the atmosphere. We both love a mix of R&B, Soul & Jazz and I just can’t bare the typical ‘wedding playlist’. We spent months gradually selecting music for different parts of the day (ceremony, wedding breakfast, turnaround etc) along with the music we wanted our band/DJ to play on the evening. As time consuming as it was, it didn’t go unnoticed.”

Planning a wedding isn’t always easy and not everything goes according to plan. “We have always loved Rockliffe Hall, however, we had originally wanted somewhere a bit closer to home for our wedding to make it easier for our guests. We did have another venue booked for almost a year before changing to Rockliffe Hall, but we ended up having lots of issues with that venue and weren’t confident that our day was going to be what we had imagined.
“Luckily, Rockliffe Hall saved the day by having our date free and we are so pleased that we took the plunge to change venue, even after losing money on the other. Nothing was a problem for the staff at Rockliffe Hall and they provide a fabulous service with the most perfect backdrop. The food was piping hot and each table was served synchronised. They all said it was the best meal they’d had at any wedding. I would absolutely recommend Rockliffe Hall!”

Rochelle and Ben chose Jamie Mac Photography to capture their special day. “I had seen Jamie’s work online a few years prior to booking our wedding. I didn’t even look for anyone else when we came to choosing. Not only is he the most amazing photographer, but he also fits into your wedding day almost like a friend, or guest. He is so professional, but also very personable and we connected with him straight away on our pre-wedding shoot. He was always making sure my dress was right and directing us throughout without being invasive, he knows exactly what shots to get and how to get them. Both him and Neil work great as a team as they know each other well, our guests absolutely loved them. Other than our group shots we weren’t even conscious of either of them being there for most of the day!”

Advice for other brides and grooms?
“Remember why you are doing this. Sometimes I’d find myself getting so bogged down by the details that I’d forget it was actually our wedding. As much as it is lovely having those ‘particular table cloths’ and this ‘exact shade of periwinkle’ you are getting married for a reason and in the end that’s what really matters. On the day we were both so relaxed and I couldn’t have cared less about anything as long as I married Ben. I don’t regret anything about the day itself, as it went as perfectly as anything ever can. However I would change how stressed I was leading up to the day, because it was so unnecessary.”

What was your highlight of the day?
“There are so many to choose from it’s too hard to pin point just one. One of my favourite parts of the day had to be when my brother read a poem to me on the morning. He had written it especially for the day and I wasn’t expecting it at all, it was so special as we are really close. I had quite a few tears during this but once I splashed my face with water and had my makeup done I felt so ready to walk down the aisle. It’s an unreal feeling knowing that all of your family and friends are there to support you both during this huge life event. Also when Paul Lytton arrived just before dessert, he is an outstanding performer. Everybody was blown away by his magic and it created a real buzz in the room just before the evening reception started.”

For more wedding inspiration, make sure you check out our dedicated real wedding section, or read the pretty pages of our regional magazine available online now.