Modern fairy tales rarely begin with glass slippers – they start in unexpected places: sat beside a stranger on an aeroplane, through serendipitous blind dates or in fleeting moments that feel like fate. For Alex Lay and Tommy Parish, it began with something simple yet cinematic – just a boy on a bicycle, pedalling towards a girl. The year was 2010, long before either imagined they would one day stand together as husband and wife, their hearts entwined and their lives blessed by two beautiful sons. Alex was shy, but something about that moment stayed with her. Romantics will say the stars aligned that day and that the universe tilted gently in their favour.
For the next five years, the pair remained friends, building the kind of foundation for everything that matters. Even as life took them in different directions, their friendship blossomed. Tommy was always there, a constant in the background, offering support without expectation. When Alex was eighteen and recovering from surgery, he appeared at her door just to check in.
A simple gesture, yet it spoke volumes. With every shared laugh and every cinema date, they drew closer, as if gravity had finally decided to pull them home.
Twelve years passed and their love grew stronger, weathering life’s changes and challenges. They had spoken about getting engaged, but when the moment finally arrived, it was nothing short of magical. Alex’s brother Ronnie had orchestrated a surprise 30th birthday celebration for her at his home, an act that left Alex overwhelmed with emotion. As the cake was brought out – beautifully crafted by Ronnie’s mother-in-law – everyone began to sing. “I turned around and saw Tommy on one knee,” Alex remembers. “At first, I assumed he was tying his shoelace. But as the singing continued and he remained there, I wondered what he was doing!” As the cake got closer, the truth unfolded. Tommy was proposing. In his hand was her grandmother Eileen’s ring, a piece Alex had always adored – its crown-like design regal and timeless, carrying generations of love in its delicate curves. Alex and Tommy had been together for more than a decade, and in that moment, every shared memory came rushing back. Alex was so speechless that a friend had to remind her to give Tommy an answer. “My answer, of course, was yes.” They hugged, and their family and friends erupted in celebration.
When the wedding day arrived, it unfolded in a setting that felt like a dream. Newland Hall in England was the venue Alex and Tommy had always said would be theirs if they ever married. For Tommy, it held memories of days spent fishing. For Alex, it offered something enchanted: a woodland sanctuary that spoke to her soul. “I always wanted to get married in the woods, like in the movie Twilight,” she says. “I love that vibe, so I was immediately excited.” The first time they walked the grounds, it felt perfect – quaint, intimate and deeply personal. The towering trees framed the day like nature’s cathedral, their leaves whispering blessings as Alex made her way down the aisle. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden threads, and for a moment, time seemed to hold its breath.
Radiant in an ivory ballgown adorned with intricate detailing, she walked beside her father, Pat; the man she calls her hero. “We walked down the aisle to the moonlight version of Myles Smith’s Stargazing, sung live by Joe Alexander,” she shares. “My dad is incredible. I wouldn’t have had anyone else by my side.”
Alex’s journey to her dream dress began and ended in the very first boutique she stepped into, as if fate had been waiting there all along. She arrived with her mother and sister, her mind painted with visions of something bohemian – soft, flowing and understated. But destiny had other plans. It was her sister, Abbi, who first noticed the gown that would change everything, a princess silhouette, nothing like what she had imagined for herself. Yet the moment she slipped into it, the world shifted. It was the one. Layers of ethereal fabric cascaded into a full skirt, its silhouette transforming her into the heroine of her own fairy tale.
The day itself was a whirlwind of joy and emotion. Alex and Tommy exchanged vows surrounded by family and friends who had travelled from near and far to witness their love. The speeches became a chorus of devotion. Tommy spoke with quiet grace, his gratitude shimmering in every syllable as he celebrated the woman he now called his wife. Alex’s father, alongside Tommy’s brother, the best man, shared words that felt carved from the heart – tributes to a love that had grown luminous over time. Then came Alex, her voice trembling with sincerity, offering a cascade of thanks in her own charming way – raw, unpolished and achingly real – each sentence a thread tying her to those who had shaped this day. Laughter mingled with tears, weaving a tapestry of intimacy no script could replicate. And then came a moment that will live forever in Alex’s heart: her grandmother arose, her voice steady and warm, welcoming Tommy’s family into her own. “Everyone cheered,” Alex recalls, the sound echoing like a blessing, sealing the union not just of two souls, but of two families.
And then there were the surprises that made the day magical. Alex’s sister Abbi delivered a toast that was as funny as it was heartfelt, catching the bride completely off guard and filling the room with joy. Her cousin James, who is more like a best friend, stepped into the role of master of ceremonies, bringing his comical creativity to the celebration with ideas and a speech that made the evening unforgettable. The highlight was the Mr & Mrs game they played after dinner – a hilarious interlude that had the entire room roaring with laughter. “It was such good fun,” Alex shares. “James dreamed up the best ideas for our day. He truly was such an important part of our wedding.”
From the start, Alex and Tommy wanted their wedding to feel like a reflection of their personalities and the love they share. And they succeeded in ways big and small. Foam glow sticks lit up the dance floor during the iconic Candy Dance, a family tradition everyone knew and loved, while the bridal party added their own magic, gifting Alex diamond earrings and a pendant featuring a photograph of her dearest late grandfather, Ron, to be tied into her bouquet.
After the whirlwind of planning and celebration, Alex and Tommy escaped to Crete for a honeymoon that was pure indulgence. Their adults-only retreat offered a tranquil haven, where sun-drenched afternoons melted into candlelit dinners – a flawless setting for the start of their new chapter. “It was amazing,” Alex recalls. “A perfect way to celebrate becoming husband and wife.”
When asked to describe her wedding in three words, Alex doesn’t hesitate: Perfect. Crazy. Chaos. And perhaps that’s the beauty of it – a celebration that embraced the unexpected, honoured the sentimental, and danced wildly into the night. In the end, Alex and Tommy’s wedding wasn’t just an event; it was an experience. A vivid tapestry of love, laughter and luminous moments, proving that the greatest romances begin with friends falling in love.
DRESS: Serenity Brides
SHOES: ASOS Design
MAKE-UP: Make-Up By Polly (daytime), Make-Up by Demi (evening)
GROOM’S SUIT & SHOES: Slater Menswear
VENUE & CATERER: Newland Hall
PHOTOGRAPHER: Sophie-Lou Photography
CONTENT CREATOR: The Best Day Edit
CAKE: Sweet Dreams
FLORIST: Faithful Flowers
ENTERTAINMENT: Joe Baxter, Barney Holmes
SIGNAGE: Dreamy Vinyls, Chelsea Event Hire
PROPS: Diamond Days
