Wedding Party

Grace Stanwell-Smith

Bride

James Leach

Groom

Jonathan Leach

Best Man

James's older brother and best man. Easy going, caring and especially polite, he's the man to ask on the day if you're unsure about anything. James and Jonathan get on very well considering their 7 year age gap, as they bond over their love of takeaways and all inclusive holidays. They are also the same height, but Jonathan is an avid gym go-er so is a tiny bit more built than James. He is known to eat 10 eggs in one meal, so we have decided there will be none at our evening buffet. But he'll probably bring one in his pocket anyway.

Ella Hawker

Maid of Honor

Ella is one of the loveliest, bubbliest people you’ll ever meet. Grace met her when she was just two years old, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. She’s the voice of reason when Grace is about to make an impulsive decision (which happens more than she’d like to admit). Ella is a paramedic, so if anything were to happen on the day, we’re in very safe hands. She’ll also have only just returned from two months of working in Tanzania - she's a seriously cool woman!

Jonah Stanwell-Smith

Groomsman

Jonah is a man of real character, with an ability to create, fix, or build just about anything. His talent of fixing things started when he was gifted his first toolkit at just 4 years old. He’s quietly confident, kind, and great fun to be around... and now he’s old enough, he also appreciates a good beer. Jonah can cook up a seriously good lemon curd and some impressive desserts, and James is often amazed by what he manages to build on Minecraft (and the minecraft planning spreadsheets). If you need something fixed on the day, or want to discuss how something works... head towards the head of curly blonde hair.

Noah Stanwell-Smith

Groomsman

Noah is a character you cannot miss. He loves a glass of wine (or 3), and an evening spent with James watching a good film and sharing a few beers; their own little “sleepover date,” which is non-negotiable whenever James comes to see Grace. Noah has fixed James’s car more times than James is probably aware of, and if you ever need an easy conversation starter, ask him about his future car plans. If you can’t find him during the day, he’s most likely by the food, because that, truly, is his greatest love. Above all, Noah is a great man, with a huge amount of patience and love for the people around him.

Anja-Faith Stanwell-Smith

Bridesmaid

Anja-Faith is Grace’s sister and has been loved by everyone around her since she was a baby. Many will remember her as a charismatic and energetic three-year-old with unforgettable wild, blonde curly hair and a personality just as big. Growing up, she and Grace shared a bedroom for ten years, often staying up far too late chatting for hours about absolutely everything. Anja has incredible talent for creativity, and has been working with Grace to make 150 metres of bunting for the wedding! If you ever need curly hair advice, Anja can sort an entire routine for you... she knows her curly hair products.

Amy Loescher

Bridesmaid

Amy is James’s big sister, but also his second mum. She is a woman of great faith, and loves a cup of tea and a good chat. She is caring, thoughtful, and a brilliant listener, and a wonderful mum. She is kind-hearted and endlessly supportive and we’re so grateful to have her as part of the big day!

Ava Kennedy

Bridesmaid

Grace met at Ava at work 2 years ago, while doing a design degree together, and they have shared many hours laughing with the same peculiar humour together. Ava has heard almost every thought Grace has ever said out loud at work, and is often the one joining in when Grace breaks into song with the wrong lyrics at 3pm in the office, even when no one else does. Ava is a kind and gentle soul, and has a gorgeous little cat named Ernie, who everyone adores. She loves animals and plants, and is incredibly talented at drawing & painting.

Jake Boley

Groomsman

Jake ended up being James's flatmate in their first year of university purely by chance, and they quickly became close friends. By the third year they had rooms next to each other, worked the same job at Primark, collaborated on the same uni projects and basically had the same life. Jake has great energy and is very easy to talk to, and is one of those people who are annoyingly good at everything. We are privileged to have him with us on our big day.

Josh Hales

Groomsman

A close friend in faith to James, Josh has been a great influence and shared many a pint with him over the years. He is a man of many talents, whether thats teaching, golfing, running or drumming, there's never a dull moment with him around. He is also one of the most wise people James has met, always with great advice to offer in all aspects of life, and he is an impressively organised person. Saying that though, he's managed to book himself onto a 10k the morning after the wedding... oh dear...