My secret dreams were realized when this English wedding came across my desk. Pretty pastels and beautiful bridesmaids, a stunning custom gown by Lusan Mandongus and plenty of cheeky British charm make this summer celebration one I won’t soon forget. Katie Julia and Velvet Street Studios captured it all, from sun up to last kiss, all packed into this gorgeous gallery for us to love on.
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From The Bride… Thinking back our wedding day feels like a dream; I’ve looked at the photos and watched our wedding video a dozen times and I still beam with a smile remembering how beautiful, romantic and truly special the day was.
I was so happy to have a summer wedding so that I could use a pastel palette and peonies, which are my favourite. I wanted the day to be elegant, timeless and romantic, and we both agreed on a small intimate affair, with only people that had shared in our happy memories as a couple.
Neither of us had any idea of the sort of venue we wanted, but from the moment we walked into Thyme Barn we fell in love. It’s set in the most idyllic little village called Southrop in the Cotswolds. The venue is mainly used as a cookery school, and both Guy and I love our food so this was a big selling point for us. Some of the venues we saw felt like there was a wedding revolving door, but at Thyme Barn they paid amazing attention to detail, and you may also recognise the location as it was where Kate Moss got married!
We hired five of the cottages that surrounded the barn, and it felt like we’d hired our own little private village for the weekend. The night before the wedding Guy had dinner with all the groomsmen down at the village pub, and I had dinner with all of my girls at the main house. On Sunday, our guests travelled home and the family members stayed for a Sunday roast. We wanted the wedding weekend to last as long as it could.
I have to say my dress was the only part of the wedding process I didn’t enjoy – I tried on about 60 dresses and none of them felt right. In the end, I found two Lusan Mandongus dresses that I liked – on one I adored the dip of the back and the other the wow factor of the four-foot trail – and the moment the assistant said we can merge the two I was sold!
For the bridesmaids’ dresses I couldn’t find the colour I wanted in the UK, so ended up buying the dresses from a US brand call Donna Morgan. It was a bit of a pain, as they don’t ship to the UK. Luckily my maid of honor’s sister lives in the States so we had them delivered there and she posted them to each of the bridesmaids. My bridesmaids I have known since school and they are like sisters to me. I feel so privileged to have their friendship, love and support. It meant the world to me that they were by my side on my wedding day.
My flower girl Lara is one of my old charges from when I was a nanny, we still share a very special bond, and she looked simply beautiful on the day. My pageboy Sam is another of my charges, he helped warm up the crowed by walking down the aisle with a last chance to run sign. His cheeky smile lit up the room. And last but not least my adorable pug cross, Miss Beasley Pickles, totally stole the show!
My most memorable moment was this: as I set off with my bridesmaids on the short walk to the ceremony a huge black cloud appeared and the heavens opened. I looked up at the sky and asked my granddad, who had recently passed away, to bring out the sun. Throughout the ceremony you could hear the thunderstorm outside, and it made it feel very dramatic. After the “ I do’s,” Guy squeezed my hand and whispered, “Look outside.” No joke, the clouds parted as a beautiful ray of sunshine shone through the window above the registrar and the sun stayed out all day.
Photography: Katie Julia | Videography: Velvet Tree Studios | Wedding Dress: Lusan Mandongus | Cake: The Pretty Cake Company | Ceremony Venue: Thyme Barn | Reception Venue: Thyme Barn | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Donna Morgan | Hair And Makeup: Samantha Davis Make Up | Grooms Attire: Adam Waite | Assistant Photography: Mirella Baio Photography