Claire Pettibone Elegance for a Wildflower Wedding…

Good afternoon loves. Did you read the latest in our brand new series of posts this morning, written by disabled bride Nina? I'd so love you to join me in welcoming Nina to the Love My Dress fold today – thank you.

Now, this absolutely beautiful wedding was submitted by photographer  Eliza Claire and Wedding Planner Helen Carter from Carter Nendrick Weddings & Events. I just absolutely love this, the gorgeous wildflower florals, that beautiful Claire Pettibone wedding dress and the delightful little gowns from I Love Gorgeous worn by the girls.

After 17 years, Amanda and Richard finally tied the knot on 27th July 2011 at Barnsley Hall Hotel

""Richard and I met at university.  We lived together for 17 years, had two children and a dog and a house and finally felt it was time to make a commitment!!  We could never find the time before to get married but this seemed the right time.

 We chose our venue, Barnsley Hall Hotel,
because it was beautiful and had everything we wanted including a field
to put our marquee.  We wanted country fields mixed with comfort…"

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

"We moved out of London
three years previously and we both loved the countryside.  I had wanted
to get married in a field but Richard wanted some comfort so the venue
gave us both what we wanted, especially as the venue has stunning
english gardens. The gardens influenced the country garden theme but
most of all we wanted a relaxed informal atmosphere which would be
welcoming for adults and children."

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

The couple hired Euphoric Flowers and planner/stylist Helen Carter explains why… 

"Amanda’s
love of wildflowers and her wish to create an elegant English country
feel to the reception meant that the flowers were always going to be an
important part of the wedding decor.
Mismatched meadow
flowers in shades of soft blue, pink and purple were used in abundance
throughout the different aspects of the day to create a beautiful and
elegant vintage country look.

 Blooms included astilbe,
scabious, nigella, lisianthus, nigella, with Amanda’s favourite daisies
being interspersed throughout the arrangements. Amanda’s bouquet was a
beautiful loose arrangement that included all of the above, plus
camomile and clematis foliage – the bridesmaids (Amanda and Richard’s
two daughters) had similar bouquets that were each personalised with
poppy heads and jasmine to reflect their names (Jasmine Lily and Skye
Poppy)."
 

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

I just adore these I Love Gorgeous dresses that were worn by the couple's daughters…

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Amanda purchased ballet shoes from a ballet shop and attached flowers to them for her daughters to wear…

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

 

Amanda's beautiful and unusual floral embroidered wedding gown is a design by one of my favourite designers in the world, Claire Pettibone – a purchase that Amanda made from Morgan Davies in Hitchin.

"I
knew I did not want a ‘traditional’ wedding dress, but I wanted
something soft and floaty.  When I saw this dress covered in flowers it
fit straight into our country garden theme and I felt immediately
comfortable in it."

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

There's a story behind the cake! Helen Carter explained… 

 "Amanda
and Richard decided not to have a formal wedding cake, and instead
opted for a delicious afternoon tea picnic that was revealed as a total
surprise to the guests. Miniature classic English desserts of summer
berry pavlovas, chocolate brownies, lemon tarts and summer trifles (all
provided by in-house catering at Barnsley House) were interspersed with
delicately-decorated cupcakes, a Victoria Sponge and coffee cake
supplied by Cirencester Cupcakes.

Their
daughters, however, had other ideas! They secretly conspired to make
their own 3-tier creation, decorated with delicate pink flowers, which
was displayed as the afternoon tea centrepiece and was later moved
outside for the cake cutting against a beautiful herbaceous border
backdrop."

How delightful!

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

In terms of decor, the couple really went to town with some beautiful vintage props and china hire.  Vintage side plates were used for the wedding breakfast, with further vintage china used for afternoon tea.  Vintage
cameras and framed photographs of family members decorated tables at
the entrance to the house, whilst hand-written blackboards informed
guests of the order of the day.  Reams of bunting in
a kitsch floral print was used to decorate the marquee, whilst a
vintage suitcase and step ladder decorated the card and gift table.

 "There was a beautiful tree at the entrance to the field with the
marquee and we desperately wanted to find a way to use it for our table
plan.  Together with our wedding planner,
Helen, we collected numerous
old glass bottles and hung these on the branches of the tree with
flowers inside, and labels tied on showing names and table numbers.  It
was quite a fun sight as people walked up towards the marquee and hunted
through the bottle labels for their table numbers.

Helen also helped us with extras to decorate the marquee such as an old suitcase
to hold the presents and cards, old gardening books etc and we framed
old family wedding photos in decorative frames and placed them around
the venue. We used vintage style bunting in the marquee and each place
setting had vintage china and glasses."

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire
AmandaRichard-1126-1 copy

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

"We loved our photographer Eliza's retro style and she was great on the day. She did a pre wedding shoot too which helped us feel relaxed on the day."

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire


Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire 

"We all walked down the aisle together (Amanda, Richard and
children) to Van Morrison's 'Have I told you lately' – an instrumental
version played on guitars."

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire 

"Two of our favorite moments were walking together with the
children to the ceremony, and lighting the candles at the end of the
day.

One other special moment, was when Richard and I took some time
during lunch to walk back to the house, and when we looked back towards
the marquee, with the flowers and bunting, and everyone enjoying
themselves, and we both thought that we had achieved exactly what we
wanted from our day! We would not have done anything differently."

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Wedding Planner Helen Carter told me…

"Amanda and Richard
both had fixed ideas about their wedding venue. Richard wanted a
luxurious house or hotel where guests could stay the day before and
after the wedding, whilst Amanda wanted somewhere with a country/rustic
feel that reflected her love of the English countryside.

 Barnsley Hall Hotel
was the perfect fit for many reasons. The beautiful boutique
accommodation and exclusive use policy met with Richard’s wish for an
intimate wedding ‘staycation’ with friends and family, whilst the
award-winning gardens and picturesque Cotswolds setting perfectly
complemented Amanda’s idea for a beautiful English country wedding.

 The
flexibility of the space was also a key benefit of this venue. The
ceremony was held in the gardens in the licensed Gothic Summer House,
after which guests relaxed and enjoyed a canapé reception in the
beautiful formal gardens. An open-sided marquee was erected in the
neighbouring meadow, which met with Amanda and Richard’s deep wish for
an al fresco wedding breakfast. In place of a formal dessert course,
guests returned to the house for a picnic afternoon tea, during which
time children explored the nooks and crannies of the gardens with a
treasure hunt. In the evening the jazz band set up on the terrace, and
the evening was rounded off with guests floating candles and making
wedding wishes for the happy couple on a small pond tucked away in an
intimate corner of the garden." 

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Minimal decoration was needed with such beautiful grounds, so simple jars of meadow flowers hanging from shepherd crooks were used to create an ‘aisle’, whilst the summer house steps were decorated with pots of daisies and the windows were filled with cascading clematis to provide a pretty focal point.

"The entrance to the marquee was marked with stacked crates filled with clematis and daisies, whilst the tables were adorned with mismatched vases of flowers to create a delicate and pretty look. In place of a table plan, escort cards were tied to vintage bottles filled with stems of wild flowers and hung from a tree outside the marquee. A single flower stem was also tied to the napkin of each guest. The interior of the house was not forgotten, with mismatched flowers in teacups being used to decorate the decadent afternoon tea display, and the vases from the dining tables being re-used throughout the cosy lounge areas to decorate occasional tables and fireplaces."

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

Words of Wedded Wisdom… 

"Do what makes you comfortable, not what you think is required.  It is your special day, so make sure you enjoy it. 

Also,
if you invite children, make sure there are lots of activities for
them, that keeps the adults happy too!  (We had lots of toys & games
available and organised a treasure hunt for them in the afternoon).

 We
had a special ‘closing ceremony’ at the end of the day, where we asked
our guests to each light a candle and we floated them on a small pond in
the grounds.  The effect was stunning and a beautiful end to the day."

Claire Pettibone Wedding Dress, Barn Wedding, photos by Eliza Claire

So charming and delightful, don't you agree?

Amanda and Richard, big congratulations on your absolutely beautiful wedding day. Both Eliza Claire and Helen and indeed all the other talented suppliers (and cake making daughters!) have done you very proud indeed, these photographs are so lovely – thank you so much for sharing them.

Claire Pettibone lovers, you *need* to go here.

If you would like to chat to a wedding planner about how they could assist you with the planning, organising and on the day styling and co-ordiantion of your wedding (massive stress saving plan!), then drop Helen Carter a line and she will be happy to help.

Where to start about whats lovely about this wedding? Please show some love and appreciate via the coments box below – thank you so much,

Annabel

Heart

Photographer – Eliza Claire
Planner/Stylist – Helen Carter
Venue – Barnsley Hall Hotel
Brides dress – Claire Pettibone via Morgan Davies in Hitchin
Brides Shoes – Beretun Designs
Brides Hair Accessories – Hair slide made from excess flower taken off dress + Necklace made by Beretun Designs
Grooms Suit – Paul Smith
Bridesmaids Dresses – I Love Gorgeous  + Ballet shoes from a ballet shop to which I sewed flowers
Florist – Euphoric Flowers
Cake – Cirencester Cupcakes + wedding cake made by the couple's daughters
Hair and make-up Artist – Di Mcdonald
Rings – Alex Monroe
Entertainment – Music by Jazz Dynamos & Gadjo Guitares
Stationery – Marijke Janssens
Vintage china hire – Vintage Crockery
Bunting – Dilly Dally bunting
Vintage props – Vintage Style Hire

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.

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