Good Morning lovely readers, this week we have shared an array of inspirational weddings with plenty of pin-worthy images and this one is no different. Anna tied the knot with her beau Thom on the 5th of July 2014 at St Margaret’s Church in the village where she grew up. After the formalities, a party ensued at the stunning grade II listed Hill Place in Swanmore, Hampshire which had been hired for the whole weekend. With a relaxed vibe, the striking images by Marshal Gray Photography draw on the joy of the day. I absolutely love how everyone really looks like they’re having the best time.
“The best piece of advice we got was to treat it as the best party we’d ever throw. Pinterest was a constant source of inspiration but we didn’t want to just copy the things we saw. To put our own twist on things we used the images as a starting point to mould into our own style – laid-back, romantic and a smidge of bohemian, it’s the sort of day we’d spend every day like, if only the cash flowed forever!”
Photography Copyright (c) 2015, Marshal Gray Photography
“Three years after meeting in a pretty notorious London nightclub, Thom popped the question on a trip across the South Indian state of Kerala. The particular moment came just after a six-hour taxi ride to the middle of nowhere in the tea-growing region of Munnar.
The scenery was completely overwhelming and easily the most beautiful place we’d ever seen – my mind was totally blown. The fact that we hadn’t seen civilisation for a good few hours was also pretty magical in such a populous country. After the sun had been replaced with a ceiling of stars, he asked me to be his wife.”
Anna’s dreamy Tatyana Merenyuk (a New York based designer) gown looks amazing on her and a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos are just visible underneath. Jo Malone’s English Pear & Freesia and Silk Blossom worked together in harmony for Anna’s unique wedding day scent.
The beautiful flower crown was made by Anna herself on the morning of the wedding with help from her talented friend Amy. Jean Hassett teased Anna’s hair into relaxed, loose curls and the flawless natural look was courtesy of Venetia Hiscock.
“I fell in love with its simple yet beautiful shape, flowy texture and general boho vibe. It was exactly what I imagined I’d wear!”
I love the nude colour palette for the girls. The different age groups wore similar dresses all with white flower crowns and co-ordinating beautifully with Anna’s look. The dresses were sourced from Jarlo (the grown-ups), Ginger Fizz (for the teens) and the flowergirls wore Monsoon.
“Gary of Marshal Gray Photography and his assistant Colin weren’t just our photographers on the day. They fitted in with such ease that by the end of the weekend, they’d become our friends too. We were absolutely blown away by the images – such a unique, offbeat style that we’ll love ‘till death do us part.”
“We fell in love with Hill Place – and loved that we could have the whole house, exclusively for the entire weekend. We hired tipis and lined the inside with fairy lights, flowers and paper lanterns and used them as a base for the wedding breakfast, evening entertainment and an impromptu jamming session on Sunday afternoon, just as the hair of the dog kicked in!”
Anna travelled to the church with her dad in a gorgeous Morris Minor Convertible. He then walked her down the aisle to an acoustic version of ‘Here Comes the Sun’, performed by three of the groomsmen.
“We were conscious of having readings that we hadn’t heard before or came up as soon as we searched for wedding readings. We chose ‘He’s not perfect’ by Bob Marley and ‘The Promise’ by Eileen Rafter. Both were short and snappy, which we liked and the readers (Anna’s brother and Thom’s mum) read them perfectly.”
The Promise by Eileen Rafter
The sun danced on the snow with a sparkling smile;
As two lovers sat quietly, alone for a while.
Then he turned and said, with a casual air
(though he blushed from his chin to the tips of his hair),
“I think I might like to get married to you.”
“Well then,” she said, “there’s a thought.
But what if we can’t promise to be all that we ought?
Can you promise me, say, that you won’t rage and shout,
If I’m late yet again, when we plan to go out,
For I know I can’t promise I’ll learn to ignore
Dirty socks or damp towels strewn all over the floor.
So if we can’t vow to be all that we should
I’m not sure what to do though the idea’s quite good.”
But he gently smiled and tilted his head
Till his lips met her ear and softly he said
“I promise to weave my dreams into your own,
that wherever you breathe will be my heart’s home.
I promise that, whether with rags or with gold I am blessed,
Your smile is the jewel I will treasure the best.
Do you think then, my love, we should marry – do you?”
“Yes, she said smiling, ‘I do.’
“I think walking into the church and seeing Thom standing there, surrounded by our friends and family was probably the most magical part but the band were absolutely outstanding too and it was great to finally let my hair down after all that planning!”
“Little Strode Flower Farm in Dorset grew all the flowers for our wedding, which we then arranged in casual, meadow-like styles.”
Thom got his tailored shirt and blue suit from Reiss Personal Tailoring. His groomsmen wore their own suits with a turquoise American Apparel bow tie. All of the guys wore large colourful buttonholes of loose flowers to match the unstructured bouquets.
Not content with making flower crowns and collaborating on the stationery with Thom, Anna also baked the wedding cake which their friend Stu then built on the morning on the wedding.
Words of Wedded Wisdom
“In hindsight I wouldn’t have worried so much about everything being perfect. We maybe could have hired some extra sets of hands on the day too but as long as you’re married at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. So don’t worry if it doesn’t go to plan. Where’s the charm in perfection?”
I have loved putting this wedding together, the venue is truly amazing and works perfectly as the setting for a chilled 3 day party. Thank you so much Anna and Thom for sharing your wonderful images with us. More of Marshal Gray Photography can be seen here.
Love Caoimhe xx
Photographer – Marshal Gray Photography
Venue – St Margaret’s Church, Wellow + Hill Place, Swanmore, Hampshire + Utopian Tent tipis
Wedding Dress – Annie by Tatyana Merenyuk
Headpiece – Anna the bride
Shoes – Jimmy Choo
Bride’s Scent/perfume – Jo Malone
Groom – Reiss Personal Tailoring + Paul Smith Shoes
Groomsmen – American Apparel Bow Ties
Bridesmaids – Jarlo (grown-ups) + Ginger Fizz (teens) + bangles
Flowergirls – Monsoon
Florist – Little Strode Flower Farm
Cake – Anna the Bride
Transport – Premier Carriages
Entertainment – Freddie and the Freeloaders
Rings – OddPower
Catering – The Little Kitchen Company + Dorset Hog Roast
Stationery – Bride & Groom
Hair Stylist – Jean Hassett
Make-up Artist – Venetia Hiscock
This is one of the most stunning weddings I have seen! So relaxed but so beautiful at the same time! Just wow!
Thank you for leaving a wonderfully kind comment Abirose x x x
The black and white photos are stunning x