Love and Lavender ~ A Handmade, DIY, Vintage Garden Party Inspired Wedding…

 

"We wanted a vintage garden party style wedding, with the colours and seasonal blooms coming from the beautiful walled garden setting, and as many personal elements being heirloom, handmade or homemade…"

Hello weekend people Neil & Victoria. I promised you some wedding goodness in my personal/business blog feature of this morning and I'm here now to serve it right on up to you.

This lovely wedding, captured so beautifully on camera by award winning photographer Lisa Devlin, portrays the wedding of Victoria and Neil,who tied the knot on 24th June last year with a ceremony at Midhurst Parish Church followed by a reception at The Walled Garden at Cowdray.

"My Dress was from New York Designer Amsale and is called 'Tyler' I wanted a dress that was simple, feminine, cut beautifully in stunning fabric – a true modern classic.

It is made out of ivory silk organza and has a sweetheart neckline, with a contrast sash that changes colour in different lights, self fabric flowers to the hip,(beige-grey), a-line skirt with a train.

Since buying my dress I have realised it is in two hollywood movies, The Hangover (with different colour sash) and When in Rome!"  

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Devlin Photos

2012-04-14_001.jpg 

"After much searching of both South Wales (where I was brought up and my parents still live) and the Sussex area, we had nearly given up finding that perfect venue for our wedding, but then one rainy Sunday afternoon while we were out exploring, we spotted a tumbled down castle. While exploring the castle we looked through a little old wooden door and could not believe our eyes, a beautiful walled garden it was like something out of a storybook.

We went inside and it reminded me of my grandads garden which I loved playing in when I was small. It was then that the owner appeared and asked if we were her 2 o'clock bride & groom? We both looked at each other in amazement and said "No we're not but we would like to be!" after a re-vist with my parents and a few tears of joy the 24th of June 2011 was booked and the 1 year and 4 month count down to our wedding at The Walled Garden at Cowdray began!"

2012-04-14_002.jpg

2012-04-14_003.jpg

"We provided homemade chutney made by my dad as favours.  It was supplied in jars designed I designed, with handmade lavender (from my dads garden) filled hearts. The fabric I used on the top of the jam jars was the same vintage fabric I used to create handkerchiefs for the Groom and his groomsmen…"

2012-04-14_005.jpg

2012-04-14_004.jpg

2012-04-14_036.jpg

"My Bridesmaids wore frocks from Monsoon {called 'Jacinta'}, which were boned bodice silk chiffon maxi dresses in mink with neutral colour embroidered flowers climbing up the dress from the hem.  Both my bridesmaids do not live in the UK. One lives in Italy and they other in New York City.

Luckily for me, they both had similar ideas on what they would like to wear for the day, which matched mine.  Thanks to my Mum, we found the perfect dresses…"

2012-04-14_026.jpg

"Susanna from Tiger Rose was our florist.  I connected with Susanna in the first meeting, she understood my vision and was a excited about creating the look as I was.

I wanted in season garden flowers and herbs – a mix of peonies, roses, lavender, rosemary to name a few all in soft colours. They were beautiful better than I could have imagined and smelt divine!

The floral displays for the reception and church were put in a mix of shape and size glass jars that Neil and I and my parents had collected over the last year, decorated with tied ribbons I had bought from a market on a recent trip to india. I wanted a eclectic look to the containers so that no table was exactly the same these were placed together on top of crochet doilies that belonged to my Nanna.

The best thing about my flowers was that at the end of the night everyone took a jam jar of flowers home and were able to enjoy the flowers for days after the wedding and now have the pretty jars to re-use themselves."

2012-04-14_008.jpg

"When I was first engaged I was still living in the states and as a designer the first thing I looked at was dresses. I thought that it would be a challenge as a designer I have strong opinions on what I like.

I went with my mum (who was visiting) and bridesmaid who also lived in the states with me to a local boutique that always had stunning dresses in their window displays to have a try on session. During the hour I tried on 4 dresses always liking one element but not another. My brilliantly attentive bridesmaid listened to all this and as a designer too said why don't you try this on as it has all the elements you like on the others.  As soon as it went on and I took my first steps the sound of the swish of the skirt got me.  I was in love!

I stepped out of the fitting room to which both my mum and bridesmaid burst into tears of joy.  It was the one.  This is not to say it was the end of my journey with my dress – as the designer was only sold in the states and not long after finding "the one" I relocated back to the UK.  Lets just say several trips back and fore to NYC including a "bachelorette" cosmo fuelled party later, I had my dream dress fitted and waiting for the big day.

I loved my dress and would not have changed a single detail – my Husband loved it too!"

2012-04-14_006.jpg

"My shoes were from Tesco.  Yes.  You read it right! When I spotted them 6 months before the big day on my weekly shop I could not believe my eyes they were the exact colour and vintage look I was going for.

Everyone who knows me would not be surprised by this fact as how I dress on a day to day basis was the same combo as my wedding day, a mix of designer, vintage and high-street/supermarket as long as it was the style I wanted then who cares where they were from… besides I blew my budget on my dress and no-one was going to see my feet so why not! (and they did not give me one blister all day and night!)"

2012-04-14_011.jpg

"I wore an elbow length veil with ribbon edge in cream from a bridal store in Cowbridge, South Wales called High Society…."

2012-04-14_018.jpg

2012-04-14_007.jpg

2012-04-14_010.jpg

"Made by my Mum and Dad out of our family recipe of Welsh Cakes – 300 in total in 3 different sizes in 3 tiers with smaller heart ones to decorate.

The Base for the cake was made from a slice of a very old tree cut from a tree that had fallen on the grounds of Swansea University where my father works. This he then sanded down for many hours then branded into our initials and wedding date. We now have this hanging in our home and will do for years to come. On top of the cake we stuck to the handmade wooden look of the base and had peg dolls (from Etsy) decorated by myself with handmade tie for the groom and crochet flower for the bride…"

2012-04-14_009.jpgtrans2

I used a cameo brooch attached to my bouquet from my late Nanna,  She had loaned this brooch for me to wear on my graduation day and also looked forward to seeing it again on my wedding day.Sadly, she passed away four months earlier…"

2012-04-14_012.jpg

"I found the choices in wedding boutiques all very expensive for what they were and a bit the same. I wanted some hair pins that were pretty and had a floral element but made out of mainly ivory pearls that were not too sparkly as so not to detract away from the simplicity of my dress and veil. I found just what I was looking for on designers heaven Etsy.

Both my necklace and hairpins came from the same seller, Jurgita on Etsy.  They were handmade and posted in no time and were presented beautifully in pretty bags inside brown paper boxes tied in ribbon…"

2012-04-14_013.jpg

2012-04-14_014.jpg

2012-04-14_015.jpg

"We met 5 years ago on at a beer festival in Leicester and then went on some amazing dates but our paths were not to cross until 2 years later when Neil was working in London and I in the States it was from that night onwards we spent our early days flying into any city we could meet… NYC, Chicago, London, Rome to name a few… it sounds romantic and it was but the long weeks in between were hard but I believe our relationship grew in such a strong way through the hours and hours spent chatting about anything and everything face to face via skype.

We were and are best friends and lovers everything a strong couple should be. It was on one of these trips back to the UK for my 29th birthday weekend when Neil proposed. He took me back to the first place he took me on our first date 5 years ago to Warwick Castle and proposed on the highest tower at the end of the day when the place was near enough empty it was very romantic and thoughtful with the engagement ring coming from a antique jewelers in warwick itself. The ring was dated back to 1892 and was perfect, antique, delicate and of course sparkly!"

2012-04-14_016.jpg

"Neil woare a sharp slim cut grey suit from Reiss, that he choose himself, with brown brougues and pink socks. He looked so handsome!"

2012-04-14_017.jpg

"We had the string Trio play in the church for my dad and I to walk into, for when we were signing the Registrar and for when we walked out.  I walked in to Cannon and out to Embrace, with tracks by Cold Play, Paul McCartney and Take That during signing of the registrar…."

2012-04-14_035.jpg

2012-04-14_019.jpg

2012-04-14_020.jpg

2012-04-14_021.jpg

2012-04-14_022.jpg

2012-04-14_023.jpg

2012-04-14_024.jpg

2012-04-14_025.jpg

2012-04-14_027.jpg

2012-04-14_028.jpg

2012-04-14_029.jpg

2012-04-14_030.jpg

2012-04-14_031.jpg

2012-04-14_032.jpg

2012-04-14_033.jpg

2012-04-14_034.jpg

2012-04-14_037.jpg

2012-04-14_038.jpg

2012-04-14_039.jpg

2012-04-14_040.jpg

2012-04-14_041.jpg

2012-04-14_042.jpg

"When it came to decor, we used tea cups, saucers with luggage tags with each guests name on was the place setting. These were collected by my Mum from countless charity shops in South Wales so much that the ladies that worked in these shops would call her when they had some more in.

The cardboard table numbers from hobby craft, vintage suit cases, vintage frame with finger print family tree (from Etsy)…."

2012-04-14_043.jpg

2012-04-14_044.jpg

2012-04-14_045.jpg

2012-04-14_046.jpg

2012-04-14_047.jpg

2012-04-14_048.jpg

Words of Wedded Wisdom…

"Don't feel that if something is more expensive it makes it better, spend what you want to spend.  As long as you think it has the look you want and is special to you it does not matter if it is from a designer in NYC, handmade or your local supermarket! 

Make your budget work for you as long as you are both happy and in love thats what shows on the day and what your guests will remember."

2012-04-14_049.jpg

Oh such a pretty wedding for a Saturday afternoon, what do you think folks? Has this inspired you somehow? Shoes on a budget from Tesco? Vintage fabric for handmade handkerchiefs and jam pot covers, a dress from New York and those gorgeous florals. What's not to love?

Huge thanks to the lovely Lisa Devlin for sharing these images…

"Photography is a hobby of mine so the photographer was one of the first things we researched and booked after the venue. We both loved the natural, soft, slight vintage look to Lisa's work that gave it such a timeless look we knew she was the one!"

Click on the linked categories just below the end of this feature to see more of the same, ie, real weddings, pink, and weddings photographed by Lisa Devlin.

Much love,

Annabel

Photographer – Devlin Photos
Venue – The Walled Garden at Cowdray
Brides dress – Amsale, New York based
Brides shoes – Tesco
Brides accessories -  Jurgita on Etsy + vintage clutch bag from a market in California
Brides veil – Halo & Co., via High Society
Groom – Reiss,
Bridesmaids – Monsoon
Flowers – Tiger Rose
Cake – Made by the Bride's Mum

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

Close
Top