I'm so excited to be sharing the wedding of Amal and John with you all this morning. Partly because it's just so, so, so pretty, partly because it's such a wonderful mix of cultures, but also because the write up comes from the lovely Groom, John. He has clearly been welcomed into Amal's family with open arms.

Amal looks breathtakingly beautiful in her Justin Alexander gown and veil. The lace detailing is exquisite and it's such a stunning colour. I'm also in love with her elegant up-do.

Ohhh just wait until you see the Bridesmaids too - they look amazing!! Gold and pink is the best combination and each girl looks fabulous.

Also, I'm afraid I can't promise that this wedding won't make you cry - we've got the wedding film from Andrew Marshall for you, as well the images from Angela. The bit where Amal's Dad hands her over to John set me off...and then I couldn't stop...

It's such a pretty one lovelies - enjoy!!

John The Groom:If anything, the wedding had a Georgian garden theme, in keeping with the gorgeous gardens at Houghton Lodge, but with an middle-eastern twist that encompassed Amal's family and Iraqi heritage.

We were married at Romsey town hall because it is near my family home and because we have a fair bit of family history with the town hall (a beautiful Georgian building in Romsey's Market Square). We chose Houghton Lodge as the reception venue because it is set in breathtaking grounds and encompasses the natural landscapes we love.

We used tipi's rather than a marquee because they are much nicer, and because it was a nod to a more Arabic culture, right down to the layout inside the tent (including a firepit-style area, and a pretty discreet approach to alcohol). Amal's uncle read a beautiful poem (Do Say I Love You by Nizar Qabanie) during the ceremony, in both English & Iraqi.

When we entered the tipi's Iraqi custom holds that the Bride & Groom are greeted by drums & music, so our Iraqi DJ played music that was at first danced to by our parents, before we came in and were greeted by our guests; this turned into an amazing twenty minute celebratory dance. During the speeches, my Dad made a lovely speech where he linked our families together, as it appears one of our ancestors is buried in Iraq.

Amal's bridesmaids wore dresses in the same colour, but which were adapted according to their culture and customs, and whom all looked impossibly glamourous.

The food was Lebanese, and delicious, and again echoed Amal's family as they used to holiday in Lebanon.

Amal's gown was from Leonie Claire in Brighton, and was an embellished lace gown with a lace-edged veil. She also had mendhi on her arms & hands.

Our beautiful floral arrangements were by the talented Blooming Workshop in Winchester, and they decorated the delicious cake baked by my Mum according to an old Tippet-Cooper recipe.

Our videographer was Andrew Marshall & he did an fantastic job - we edited the footage ourselves (my brother is a filmmaker), but Andrew also made a brilliant edit of the day here.

We chose Angela as our wedding photographer because we liked the softness she brought, and loved her use of available light to the advantage of her subjects. We thought she did an exceptional job. That shot of us under the tree with the sunlight filtering through it has become the photograph of our relationship.

Photography by Angela Ward-Brown
Videography Andrew Marshall | Florist The Blooming Workshop | Bride Justin Alexander | Boutique Leonie Claire | Groom Reiss | Ceremony Venue Romsey Town Hall | Reception Venue Houghton Lodge | Catering Samara Cuisine | Illustrations Livi Whitworth