They say wine is the nectar of the gods, and the Crazy Bear in Stadhampton, Oxfordshire was certainly a celestial setting for Becci & Ben’s wine inspired wedding. Becci and Ben are just as crazy about this legendary drink as they are for each other. It is not surprising then that they met whilst both working for Majestic Wine co. They hit it off on a works night out and now years later are still working in the industry but in the slightly more glamorous setting of Dubai.
Becci brought the Dubai glamour with her for her wedding, choosing dazzling gold and black for the event’s colour scheme, which perfectly suited the decadence of the Crazy Bear Hotel with its glitzy mirrors and opulent decor. The Crazy Bear in Stadhampton is one of Oxfordshire’s most luxurious wedding venues and suited this couple perfectly.
What really made this celebration unforgettable was the evident adoration between this couple. Becci and Ben shared so many laughs throughout the day and at the same time their relationship had such a warmth about it which showed at the most poignant moments. Thank you so much for letting us share in your wedding, being able to witness such affection between two people is truely special.
Becci radiated and rocked in her exquisite bridal gown which was adorned with the most beautiful rose gold beading and Swarovski crystals. Becci’s “Champagne” satin and silk dress was designed and made by Lebanese mother/daughter team Ekaterina & Maria Bridal Boutique in Dubai. The veil was just as fabulous, as Becci told us, “My ivory veil was handmade in Dubai by an Egyptian lady with the beads and crystals hand selected to match those on the dress, from the Gold Souk in Dubai. It took her a week to hand stitch all the patterns on the veil to match the beading pattern on the dress!” And the results were totally worth it! Her glamorous look was completed with her gorgeous Italian leather stilettos with gold beading and a gold clutch with Swarovski crystals, both by Mario Rossini, the most understated of bling by Dubai standards I was told! ❤ ❤ ❤Hair and make-up were expertly done by Claire Nicole who got the looks they wanted spot on: “I wanted a gold, smoky eye and natural lip, Mel (Becci’s best friend and maid of honour) wanted red lips for Hollywood glamour and mum went for a natural look to complement her custom made pale pink outfit.”
Ben’s wedding band was personalised to him, in fact he designed it himself and it was then custom made for him by friend and jeweller Paul Townsend in Dubai. Together Becci and Ben designed his suit, shirt and waistcoat which was then hand made by a man mysteriously referred to only as “The Master”, Ben’s Indian tailor in Dubai! They selected a charcoal cashmere/silk blend of fabric for the suit and the waistcoat and the shirt was pure white Egyptian cotton. The suit lining, waistcoat back, cravat, and handkerchief were gold silk to pick up on the colour scheme of wedding. Ben also added his own personal touch to the colour theme by choosing Jasper Conran leather shoes sporting purple laces! I just love how all the details of the day were thoughtfully chosen and individual to the couple and they did what they felt was right for them, rules are for breaking right?!
Becci’s elegant white Orchid and Sweat Pea bouquet was by La Belle Floral Designs who also did the table and ceremony arrangements. Becci’s mum Sheila is passionate about floral design and together worked closely with La Belle Floral Designs, who provide a very personal service to make sure they understand and deliver on their client’s vision. Becci explains, “My mum has a great knowledge of flowers including all their complicated Latin names! My bouquet was inspired by a stunning trailing design my mum saw in one of her floristry books.” The Sweat Peas in Becci’s bouquet were also very meaningful as they were Ben’s late Grandmother’s favourite flower, a beautiful tribute to her memory.
Grapes and gold featured and dazzled throughout the many reception details as the theme for the wedding was wine, in honour of how Becci and Ben met each other! All the tables were romantically named after the wineries the couple were going to visit on their honeymoon to California’s famous wine region…bliss! All the table names, table name holders, place settings, blessing cards and order of the day leaflets were painstakingly designed, made and brought over in hand luggage by Becci. Becci explains how she made them: “The table name holders were wine bottles spray painted in my parent’s garden then we glued on the wine labels I’d made here in Dubai onto the bottle with the quote ‘In wine, one beholds the heart of another’. We filled them with water and used the corks cut with a slit to hold the actual table names.” Ivy on the tables and table plan were reminiscent of vines from grapes and worked well with the white orchids to have impact and contrast against the grandeur of the venue’s decor. Black beaded heart shaped coasters were decorated with sprigs of white flowers and crystals by Becci’s mum and beautifully tied to the backs of chairs using black and gold ribbon. The tables were also decorated with gold and black fans and scattered with gold love heart confetti and clear crystals. The look was ultra glamorous!
Becci also paid homage to her Scottish heritage by including a traditional Scottish poem in the place settings and having Pipe Major Steven Duffy, who also played at her brother’s wedding, play the bagpipes and lead the couple into the wedding breakfast.
As individual, personal and meaningful as every detail of their wedding was, so was Becci and Ben’s song choice for their first dance, Guns n Roses’ “So Fine”. Becci mentioned that her and Ben had really bonded when they first met over their mutual adoration for this band, so how perfect that it should be their song for the first dance! They looked so in love and completely happy as they rocked their first dance, which was brilliantly rendered by their wedding band The Venue. The perfect and epic ending to a magnificent day, thank you again Becci and Ben for letting us capture it for you!
