Kate & Matt
20th July 2021 | Coombe Hill, Buckinghamshire
Instagram: @mrsberrytobe | Photos: Triple Fox Photography
Why did you decide to have a pre-wedding shoot?
I was lucky enough to win the pre-wedding shoot as part of the From Brides With Love 10K follower giveaway in March 2021! We decided not to have an engagement shoot when we first got engaged to try and save money, so it was a lovely surprise to win one!
How did you meet and how long have you been together?
We met at Loughborough University in our Freshers week in 2012. I made friends with a girl who went to school with a guy who Matt was living in halls with (his Best Man!) and we all met up on the last night of Freshers week. I remember saying to my flatmate (my Maid of Honour!) that I think I will marry this guy one day! We’ve been together for nearly 8 years now.
Tell us your proposal story…
Matt decided he wanted to ask me to marry him in January 2020. He designed the ring (using a diamond from his grandmother’s ring) and had it secretly delivered to our house! We had a weekend away to Sorrento booked in early March where he was going to pop the question, but this trip got cancelled a couple of weeks before due to the COVID outbreak in Italy. We also had a holiday to Florida booked for my birthday in April so he decided he’d propose in Disney instead! When that holiday got cancelled and we all went into lockdown, he didn’t know whether to delay the proposal again… On my birthday, I opened his present which was an ornament of Mickey proposing to Minnie. I immediately thought that he had planned to buy a ring and propose in Florida but couldn’t, so this was a lovely way of telling me that he plans to do it soon. Then he pulled the ring box out of his pocket and asked me to marry him, on the morning of my 26th birthday in our house we’d just bought together!
Why did you choose the shoot location?
Ginte, our photographer, chose the shoot location after lots of research! Matt and I had never been to Coombe Hill before but were blown away with the beautiful views! We want to go back and explore it some more.
Did you find the shoot helpful for helping you feel more prepared for the wedding day?
Yes 100%! Neither of us had had a professional photoshoot before so we didn’t really know what to expect. I’m glad that we have some experience in front of the camera now and we know what’s coming on our big day!
Did you feel nervous behind the camera?
I was surprised with how nervous I felt at times! I thought Matt would have been the more nervous one out of the two of us, but he was a natural! Ginte, our photographer, helped to calm my nerves and I relaxed into it a bit more.
Would you recommend that other couples have an engagement shoot?
Definitely! Not only does it give you some practice before the wedding day photos, but you get a collection of photos of you and your fiancé (and your puppy if you’re like us!) to cherish forever.
Did your photographer give you any tips before the shoot?
Ginte was brilliant! She sent us a ‘What to Wear’ guide a few weeks before so we were prepared and on the day of the shoot she told us to relax and ignore other people around us and if at any point we felt overwhelmed, to just play your favourite song in your head! It really helped!
What advice would you give to other couples who do plan to have a pre-wedding shoot?
Just relax into it, forget about all the people around who are watching (you’ll never see them again!) and just tune in to you and your fiancé!
What is your favourite photo from the shoot?
I love all the photos so much but if I (Kate) had to pick a photo it would be the one of Matt and I just looking at each other and laughing and Matt’s would be the one of the two of us sat under the tree with Buzz looking straight at the camera with his tongue sticking out!
Were there any stand out moments in the shoot?
The funniest part was when Ginte asked Matt hug me from behind and whisper his favourite cereal in my ear! It really made us laugh and we ended up with some great photos because of it! And if you were wondering, his favourite cereal is Coco Pops!
Tell us about your wedding plans...
We’re having our wedding at Micklefield Hall in Rickmansworth, which is a mix of a barn venue and a country house! Weather permitting, we’re hoping to have our ceremony outside at their temple by a pond, it’s an absolutely stunning location! Our theme is greens, whites and golds with lots of foliage. We’re having a fairly big wedding of 85 guests.
Do you plan to incorporate any of the photos into your wedding? If yes, how?
Yes we’re going to display some photos on our card/gift table and we’re also having a Polaroid style photo-booth so we’ll peg some of these photos up to get the ball rolling!
What are you most looking forward to about the wedding date?
I think just having all our favourite people together and enjoying our day with them! After so long of keeping apart, our wedding will be such an amazing opportunity to all be together and celebrate happier times with family and friends!
What has been your favourite part of wedding planning so far?
My favourite part has been setting up my wedding Instagram account! I never knew they were a thing until I got engaged and they kept popping up on my ‘who to follow’ page. I’ve loved getting to know other brides, getting inspiration for my wedding and also having a place to share my own plans. There’s lots of things I wouldn’t have even thought about having at my wedding if I hadn’t set one up so I’d definitely recommend doing it if you’re a bride-to-be who loves Instagram!
From Brides, With Love xo
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