I can’t help but feel a connection with this morning’s couple – Sophie and David – since they held their wedding at Wethele Manor, a venue that I actually attended a wedding at only two weeks ago. I’ve experienced firsthand the rolling lawns, the sweet courtyard and the converted barns so I know just how wonderful it would have been to have been a guest at the wedding of this beautiful pair.
And it is beautiful.
From Sophie’s super chic Rosa Clara dress to her gorgeous auburn headed chignon and her bountiful bouquet to the sweetest maids and gambols on the lawn to the setting sun. I promise you’ll love it.
Let’s take a look.
Wethele Manor
Sophie The Bride:Our reception was at Wethele Manor, only a few miles from where we married. It’s a farmhouse with beautiful converted barns and a marquee. We chose it because you can tailor the day to how you want it and there is so much outdoor space. There are ten bedrooms in the main farmhouse so our close family and friends were able to stay the night and join us for breakfast the next morning.
Friends And Neighbours
My friend Angie from the Ginger Lily salon in Kenilworth has been mine and my mum’s hairdresser for several years so she was always going to do my hair. I knew I wanted an up-do which complemented the dress and veil. After showing her some photos she came up with the final creation and I loved it!
My parent’s neighbour, Hannah is a professional make-up artist. I have always been a bit scared of make-up and I am not particularly adventurous so when Hannah offered I quickly said yes. She used a great product, Miracle Mask by Nude which did an amazing job at making my skin look good. It’s something I have invested in since the wedding.
Rosa Clara
I have always loved Rosa Clara dresses and I was lucky enough to find mine at Miss Bush Bridal. I had joked that if I couldn’t find one in the UK I’d be off to Barcelona! I had seen the dress on the Miss Bush website before my appointment. I didn’t tell anyone about it. When we arrived for my appointment it was the first dress my mum spotted so I knew it was the one!
I wanted a dress which was different and this dress was. The fabric was so unusual – a thick, silk cream, dotted brocade. Janet at Miss Bush Bridal did an amazing job with altering the dress and making me my own tutu to hold the tulip shape of the skirt. I loved the big pockets which were great for storing wedding day essentials!
Something Borrowed
My veil was my something borrowed, from my sister-in-law. It was a Jenny Packham veil edged in a cream satin which worked perfectly with the cream fabric of my dress. My something old was my Grannie’s engagement ring. I wanted everything to be simple so I didn’t go overboard with the accessories. I wore a pearl bracelet my mum and dad had bought me a few years ago and some earrings bought from a small shop in Leamington Spa.
Think Pink
When we first got engaged I did what every bride does, I spent hours going through wedding magazines and searching the internet. I came across Artcadia, a husband and wife team who produce beautiful wedding stationary. I love the colour pink so when I saw their antique pink design I knew this would be the colour for the day. I wanted a simple, romantic feel and I think this colour captured it.
My bridesmaids wore pale pink dresses from Coast. I managed to find some shoes which matched the dresses perfectly from a shop in Leamington Spa called Revolve. To complement the pink wedding decor theme David and his men wore navy suits from Austin Reed hire.
Classic And Romantic
Ailsa who did my flowers works from her home, around the corner from my parents. She was amazing – she did our flowers four months after having her son! Her style is very classic and romantic. With her guidance we went for pale pink and ivory roses and hydrangeas. At the church a lot of eucalyptus was used which smelt gorgeous. We used big blooms of hydrangea heads as our pew ends too. We didn’t want the table arrangements to go to waste so we decided to give them to our relatives and friends as a thank you.
To save some money we also bought cream plant pots and Kalanchoes from Ikea for the windows in the barns. Outside the church we had two olive trees which my mum decorated with white hearts and ribbon. After the ceremony my uncle brought them over to the reception and we placed them at the entrance to the main barn.
Family History
We married at Cubbington Methodist Church on the 21st July. It was the minister’s first wedding. I am not sure who was more nervous – us or him! It was a very special ceremony – both my parents and grandparents had married at this church and my brother and I had been baptised here.
During the ceremony the minister gave me a bible which had been given to my Grannie and Mum on their wedding days. I was unaware that the bible existed so when he gave it to me I couldn’t stop the tears! Sadly my grandparents are no longer with us but we were lucky enough that two of my great aunts who had been bridesmaids at my grandparent’s wedding were able to share our day.
A Hat Parade
The sun shone after our ceremony so we were able to have the tops down on the Morris Minors we had hired on our way to the reception.
We wanted the reception to be relaxing, and light-hearted. My mum came up with the idea of having a hat competition. David was a bit sceptical but it really did work. The best man shortlisted the guests and then they had to ‘parade’ around their tables! The final decision was down to me and David – no pressure. Thankfully our mums were not included!
We wanted to try and involve everyone with our first dance so my husband mixed 30 seconds of Beyonce, Love on Top, followed by the Conga. The only people who knew we were doing this were my parents and my brother. It was great that everyone was able to join in.
My husband’s friend Moss kept us dancing into the night with his band. Unfortunately their lead vocalist was sick but Moss’s girlfriend, Lexi came to the rescue. To top it all off my husband surprised me later in the evening & took over the vocals for a couple of songs! It was so special. I think everyone else at the reception knew about it apart from me. They did a great job at keeping it a secret.
An Italian Feast
We both love Italian food so our caterers, Aubrey Allen came up with an Italian inspired menu with sharing platters of Italian deli items and a chicken main course with mozzarella and parma ham. We couldn’t decide on a dessert so went with a trio – crème brulee, chocolate brownie & lemon tart.
In the evening Wethele Manor organised a hog roast, and cheese boards. Our cake was from Marks & Spencer which Ailsa decorated with some pale pink hydrangeas.
Sweetie Tress And Goody Bags
We ordered our save the dates, invitations, table plan and table names from Artcadia. We found an old pigeon-hole shelf which my mum used to make the table plan. For the place names we used chalk hearts which a lot of people ended up wearing later in the day.
The children were kept entertained with goody bags made by my mum and also a sweetie tree. My mum spray painted a branch and placed it in a vintage white jug and suspended their sweetie bags from it.
Take It All In
If on the day you can, try and take 10 minutes when the two of you can get away from the buzz of the reception to take everything in. This advice came from a friend. She was so right. The day is amazing and goes so quickly and it’s nice just to have a few minutes together and look back at all the friends & relatives who are there to celebrate it with you.
We looked at ways of trying to save money, and we had thought about asking a friend to take photos and not have a professional photographer. We decided to go down the professional route i in the end and I am so glad we did. John from John Day Photography was amazing – he is really laid back and we loved his style. I still look back at the photos now and seem to see something new everytime I look at them.
Click here & view all images from this wedding
Venue – Wethele Manor
Boutique – Miss Bush Bridal
Dress – Rosa Clara
Maids Coast
Groom Austin Reed
Florist Ailsa Floral Design
Transport Mirabelle Classic Cars
Stationery – Artcadia
Photography – John Day Photography
Catering – Aubrey Allen Events
Sophie and David’s portrait session has produced perhaps some of my favourite couple shots in recent memory – you can practically feel the love oozing from them can’t you.
And it’s love that really sums up this pair’s big day for me – from the memory laden bible that Sophie laid her hands on in the church all the way through to the conga-ing first dance (by the way you need to check out the gallery for some excellent Conga shots!)
Congratulations you two.
All my love Lolly xxx