Future Mr + Mrs Creswell
27th September 2020 | Bedford Embankment
Instagram: @themisstomrsbudget | Photos: Ela Walenda Photography
If you're part of the Instagram bridal community then you'll know bride to be Jamie as @themisstomrsbudget! Jamie and Chris are on their 4th wedding date - 12th April 2021 (previously 18.04.2020, 12.09.2020 and 04.10.2020) at Bassmead Manor Barns. You might recognise them from our Lockdown Love series! Jamie shares her engagement shoot and tells us all about wedding planning...
Why did you decide to have a pre-wedding shoot?
We wanted to have a pre-wedding shoot to commemorate our 2nd Postponed wedding date. When our 18th April 2020 wedding got cancelled due to Covid we were in full lockdown and we couldn’t even have anyone visit, we took our own photos with our camera and a tripod in our garden to commemorate that date. We postponed to 4th October 2020 and when we decided to postpone that date we wanted a way to commemorate our 2nd would be wedding date in a way we were not able to before.
How did you meet and how long have you been together?
We met on Tinder in June 2015. Chris was my first match and the only person I met up with from there! My friends told me I should just go on lots of dates and enjoy myself, but that really isn’t me, I was looking for a husband and that’s what I found!
Tell us your proposal story:
Chris proposed in front of Cinderella Castle at Disney World in Florida on 5th November 2018. It wasn’t a complete surprise proposal we had talked about getting married and both decided that would be our next step once we bought our house together in November 2017. I knew he’d bought a ring in October 2018 as he used the joint bank account. We were due to go to Florida in November 2018 and he’d confirmed that that was where he was going to do it at some point during our 2 week holiday (he was worried he wouldn’t be able to hide the ring from me as I do all the holiday packing for both of us and at least this way if airport security pulled it out of his bag it wouldn’t have ruined any surprise). I first went to Disney World when I was 14 with my dad and my younger brother and whilst we were there I saw someone get proposed to outside of the castle and I told my dad that’s what I wanted when I was older. I’d told Chris this story too when we first visited Disney World together in 2016 and I secretly hoped this was where he would choose to do it but I was worried that it would be too busy and we’d have lots of tourists watching us, and Chris had told me that he had a different plan that didn’t involve the castle or Magic Kingdom as it would be too busy. I always book a really early breakfast in Magic Kingdom at Beauty and the Beasts Castle (Be Our Guest Restaurant) as it gets you into the theme park before it opens and before the crowds and means you can get a photo with the castle without lots of people behind you. There are Disney photographers waiting to take your photo all along the route to the Castle so once we were allowed in to the park I dragged Chris down Main Street towards the photographer closest to the Castle for our ‘Empty Castle’ photo with nobody else around. Unbeknown to me whilst I was setting my bag down out of shot Chris had told the photographer that he was going to propose. So we posed together for our empty castle photo and then the photographer asked us to turn towards each other for some more photos. At that point Chris got down on one knee and took out a ring. He’d taken the ring out of the box and put it in an organza bag so that I didn’t see it in his pocket, he’d tied up the bag really tight so it took what felt like ages for him to actually get the ring out, and then he asked me to Marry him. I didn’t actually say anything I just threw my hand at him for the ring to go on and then once he stood up I gave him the biggest hug. All of this of course was being captured by the Disney photographer and I’m so glad we have our actual engagement and proposal photos. It’s still the best day of my life so far. Chris says he didn’t intend on proposing at that moment, he was going to do it that day at some point when we were on our own with low crowds but when I dragged him for the photo in front of the castle and he saw there was no one else around he decided to do it there and then (it was about 8am in the morning) so that he didn’t have to worry about losing the ring in his pocket on the rides and it meant we could spend the whole day celebrating and as it was only the second day of our holiday we spent the rest of the two weeks celebrating and in an amazing engaged happy bubble.
Bedford Embankment was where we met for our first date. It’s a public park alongside the River Great Ouse. On our first date we walked along the river chatting away and then we had icecream! I was worried he was too good to be true from talking to him on Tinder and might therefore be an axe murderer so we met in a really public place.
Did you find the shoot helpful for helping you feel more prepared for the wedding day?
We don’t think we will feel as awkward and uncomfortable on our wedding day now, we now know what sort of poses our photographer is going to want us in and I’m no longer worried about what our wedding photos will look like as I think our pre-wedding photos are beautiful and even things I don’t like about myself and worried about (inherited double chin, big nose, crows feet/laughter lines) I actually didn’t mind in those photos.
Did you feel nervous behind the camera?
Yes I felt awkward the whole way through although I did relax a bit the more the shoot went on. I think part of the problem was our pre-wedding shoot was in a public park and people were watching and walking past and I was in a white dress so I stood out – people thought we’d just gotten married! At our wedding it won’t be a public place and it’ll just be people we know there so I’ll hopefully feel more comfortable.
Would you recommend that other couples have an engagement shoot or do you feel it is not necessary?
Yes I’d recommend it, it’s a good way to get used to your photographer and to be sure you’ve made the right choice in photographer for your wedding day. Also the photos are lovely to have as memories especially during these pandemic times! Had Covid not happened we wouldn’t have had a pre-wedding shoot as they’re often called engagement shoots and we already felt like we have our engagement photos from the actual moment when he proposed, but it’s definitely better to think of it as a pre-wedding shoot. We’ve ordered a photobook of our photos to keep and to be able to show our future children, we’ve also ordered a couple to give as little Christmas presents to our parents and grandparents.
Did your photographer give you any tips before the shoot?
Just to relax and be natural with each other. We have a documentary style photographer so the photos aren’t overly posed she will try and capture natural photos too.
What advice would you give to other couples who do plan to have a pre-wedding shoot?
If your budget allows you to, definitely have a pre wedding shoot to get used to being in front of a camera ready for your wedding day.
What is your favourite photo from the shoot?
It’s so hard to choose a favourite as I love so many of them. My all time favourite has to be the one next to the big tree of me and Chris where he’s kissing my forehead. I don’t like proper kissing photos of us as he’s so tall I look like a giraffe trying to reach him but I love this one of him kissing my forehead.
Were there any stand out moments in the shoot?
Yes I feel like our Puppy Lola was on top form during our photoshoot she was throwing out all her best poses and making everybody laugh. My Bridesmaid came along to our shoot too for moral support, I felt a lot better having someone I knew looking at us instead of just strangers, she also helped hold onto Lola when she wasn’t having a photo with us and she even carried the photographers bag around! Best Bridesmaid ever!
Tell us about your wedding plans...
Our wedding is in a 300 year old Barn Venue called Bassmead Manor Barns. The only venue we fell in love with. Colour theme is rose gold, my flowers will be sunflowers and roses. We are hoping for a medium sized wedding of 50 guests in the day and 80 by the evening subject to Covid restrictions of course.
Do you plan to incorporate any of the photos into your wedding? If yes, how?
We haven’t thought about this yet, but we may have the photobook of our photos available on our wedding day for people to look through.
What are you most looking forward to about the wedding date?
Actually getting married on one of our set wedding dates! We are on our fourth now. I’m going to cry so much on my wedding day now as I won’t actually be able to believe it’s happening.
What has been your favourite part of wedding planning so far?
Finding my wedding dress and creating my Bridal Instagram Account to be able to speak to all the other Brides to Be who have been so helpful and supportive during Covid.
From Brides, With Love xo
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