A Regally Elegant Hampton Court Palace wedding

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I do love history, and can often be found clambering up steep hills towards picturesque ruins, or spending a Sunday afternoon wandering in the grounds of a ruined abbey or historic house.  I was therefore very excited when this beautiful wedding at Hampton Court Palace (part of the Historic Royal Palaces portfolio and a very significant historical building) appeared in my inbox, and I’m delighted to be able to share it with you today.

Jo, an events manager, and Hugh, a consultant, married in a wonderfully elegant summer ceremony on the 14^th of July 2014, at Jo’s workplace; the stunning Hampton Court Palace; former home of King Henry VIII (and some of his six wives) and a venue absolutely steeped in history and tradition.

“I have worked at Hampton Court Palace for over six years and after helping to plan weddings for other couples at the venue I knew that our own wedding would someday be at Hampton Court Palace. It is the most beautiful venue, filled with centuries of history and surrounded by stunning gardens, but almost just as importantly it has the best collection of staff who go above and beyond to make the most perfect day. I knew I wouldn’t trust anywhere else to make my day as perfect as they would!”

Photography Copyright (c) 2015, Nick Rose Photography

The oh-so-elegant dresses sported by Jo’s four bridesmaids suit them down to the ground don’t you think?  Luckily, they came in the exact shade Jo required.

“These were what I fell in love with as soon as I started looking! Ghost do the most beautiful range of long satin dresses in a wide assortment of colours. Luckily they did my stunning cobalt blue that I wanted!”

Jo’s beautiful dress is another fabulous creation from the ever-popular Justin Alexander, and was purchased from Catherine Francis, in Arundel.

“I knew that I wanted lace, and thought that I would go for a slim design. However, once I visited Catherine Francis in Arundel I had very different ideas! I adored my dress once I put it on but was convinced that it was too ‘big’ a design as I had always envisioned being in a very slim dress. However, after a cup of tea in a local café and a big discussion with my mum I was right back to buy it! The key thing with dress shopping is to go in with no preconceived ideas. My dress was perfect for my venue, and now I can’t imagine having chosen anything else.”

As with many of their suppliers, Jo and Hugh chose one of the Hampton Court approved suppliers for their wedding photographer- Nick Rose Photography, who has featured on Love My Dress once before, also at Hampton Court.  Jo and Hugh were thrilled with his work.

“Nick was one of the best decisions we ever made. As an approved photographer for the palace I already knew Nick and his work well. He has always produced beautiful photography and my team and I at the palace love receiving his images after he has worked with us on an event. The process as a bride was seamless from start to finish. I never worried what the images would look like and just trusted Nick to do what he does best. He did not disappoint!

They are now our most treasured possessions and are such wonderful memories of our special day. Nick was a joy to work with – I have no idea how he captured so many images over an incredibly large venue – but he did. My entire family commented on what a true professional he was.”

Jo’s fabulous dress and beautiful smile really did all the talking for her, but she also accessorised with a pair of electric blue shoes from LK Bennett (chosen to match the chapel ceiling!), and carefully chosen pearl jewellery- earrings which were one of the first pieces of jewellery given to her by Hugh and a bracelet given to her several years previously by her eldest sister.  She also wore a lace edged veil and set off her titian-red hair with a delicate hairpiece by Alan Hannah.

Jo’s reasoning behind her perfume choice, See by Chloe, is lovely.

“I was wearing this perfume on our road trip down the west coast of America and when we returned this smell just kept reminding us of all the fun times we had. It seemed right to wear it on our wedding day so we could be reminded of all our past memories and look forward to all of our future ones.”

Working at Hampton Court Palace as she does, Jo was lucky to know her event manager very well indeed, and her event planner was her own Mum, making the whole process a really personal experience.

“My wonderful mother was my event planner! She has all the necessary skills required to plan the perfect day: patience, organisation and a sense of fun. She made the year of planning such a joy! My colleague Caroline was my event manager from the palace and really stepped up to the task. Having to manage your boss’s wedding is probably not everyone’s idea of fun – but she made the whole process seamless. Having someone to coordinate all of your suppliers and logistics is priceless, especially when your wedding is taking place in a huge palace that is 500 years old! I cannot thank her enough.”

Jo’s Mum wore a very chic blue dress with lace accents, and side-set hat, which perfectly matched the bridesmaids and Jo’s shoes, and suited her beautifully.  I adore the photo of her helping Jo with her shoes (and have a very similar photo of my own mum doing the same thing on my wedding day!) and just before they leave the room they have been getting ready in, taken from behind Jo, as she looks so incredibly proud and full of love.

Jo’s understated but utterly gorgeous bouquet in shades of whites, the bridesmaid’s flowers and all the blooms throughout the venue were the wonderful work of Lavender Green, who have been an approved florist for Hampton Court Palace for many years.

“The entire team are such a joy to work with – and this was no different for my wedding. The brainstorming session at their base in Windsor was so much fun and I left feeling incredibly excited about what they would produce on the day. Sue sketches out your dress so you can see what your bouquet will look like alongside it, which really is quite a talent! The flowers on the day were stunning and I will never forget the moment of being handed my bouquet when it was delivered – it was perfect. They also wrapped up the roots from the lily of the valley that were in the bouquet so that I could plant them and have a long-lasting memory of the day.”

I really love the special touches provided by the team here- the dress sketch and the roots they provided for Jo to grow her own lily of the valley as a memento of the day really show a supplier who goes the extra mile. I’m a big fan of keepsakes from special occasions so I especially like the idea of growing your own flowers from those used in your bouquet.

“Some of my bridesmaids do not wear heels that often and so I was tasked with finding shoes that looked good, had a low heel but also had ankle straps to keep everyone secure over the cobblestones at the venue. Surely an impossible task? However, BHS saved the day with a pair of not too unattractive low strappy shoes – and at a great price!”

One of my favourite parts of putting together a wedding feature is reading about the bride or groom’s favourite part of the day, as it’s such an insight into their day and sometimes a moment you don’t expect to stick with you as much as it does.  Jo’s is a lovely one.

“My favourite part of the day was waiting outside the chapel with my father and my bridesmaids. I could see Hugh waiting at the end of the aisle, and I knew all of our friends and family were all in there together to see us get married. It was a very special moment, and the combination of excitement and nerves is not a feeling I will ever forget.”

For her hair and makeup, Jo chose a long term colleague, Tiffany Cartwright.

“Tiffany has been working alongside Hampton Court Palace for several years now and has always helped us on our photo shoots and other activities.  I never looked anywhere else and knew she would be great to work with on my own wedding.   My mum and I loved our trial session, and felt confident on the day that Tiffany would do a fantastic job – which she did!”

 

Quite understandably, the venue provided the main stimulus for the feel of the day.

“Our main inspiration for the day was definitely the venue. We knew that we wanted ‘tradition with a twist’ so looked for classic and elegant options that we could add a touch of fun to. Lace and pearls were a guiding feature and were worn by the bride, mother of the bride and the bridesmaids. The chapel ceiling is a bright blue so that was the inspiration for our bridesmaid dresses and my shoes.”

 

 

Despite the venue being so very majestic, Jo and Hugh wanted to introduce an element of informality to the wedding breakfast;

“We didn’t want it to be too formal, so instead of a traditional three-course meal we had venison burgers with chunky chips and a cobb salad followed by a pudding stall that had a huge array of mini desserts on carousels.”

I love the idea of combining such a traditional and historic venue with a modern and relaxed dining experience!

The wedding ‘cake’ was provided by The Cheese Shed.

 “We opted for a cheesecake so people could help themselves alongside our pudding stall. Plus we are huge cheese lovers – it seemed appropriate! This supplier was highly recommended to us and we loved the end product. We have ordered again from them for all of our Christmas cheese to relive the memories!”

Catering was provided by Sarah Hammond and her team from Rhubarb in the Country.

“Sarah and her team are incredible! They are so personable and take such pride and care in everything that they do. As an approved supplier at Hampton Court Palace they know the logistics of the venue and understand the challenges. Working with them in the build-up to the wedding was really fun – and I never had any doubt that they would deliver the most perfect wedding for me. Everyone was blown away by the food and by the service and we really appreciate all they did to make the day so wonderful.”

“We used the entertainment agency Sternberg Clarke to book our band, ‘Flood the Floor’. Using an agency means you have all of their expertise at your fingertips and they can recommend the most appropriate entertainment for your wedding. I met up with them and they showed me a whole host of different options for musical entertainment. It enabled me to work through all the pros and cons of which band to choose with the experts!

We chose a band called Flood the Floor and they absolutely blew us away on the night. I think this was the best decision of the entire wedding and we still can’t believe how amazing they were! No-one left the dance floor all evening and our guests still talk about the band.”

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“I think that weddings can sometimes come with a lot of distractions. In the build up to the wedding it is crucial to always remember what is important – mainly you and your partner getting married! There will be highs and lows to any wedding planning so make sure you have a strong team around you to support you and keep you on track.

Looking back I wish I hadn’t let small issues worry me as much as they did. Did it really matter that a few menu cards were not folded 100% straight? However, this perhaps is part of the journey of planning a wedding. Maybe the end result is not quite so satisfying if a few tears haven’t been shed along the way…….?”

Thoughts definitely worth considering there I think.

A huge thank you to Jo and Hugh for filling us in on all the details of their wonderful day- congratulations to you both, and to Nick Rose Photography for providing these beautiful images.  Is anyone else marrying in a historical venue?  We’d love to hear from you!  I’m off to plan my next trip to London, to see if I can squeeze in a visit to this beautiful palace.

With love,

Shona x

 

Photographer – Nick Rose Photography
Venue – Hampton Court Palace, Surrey
Bride’s dress – Justin Alexander, purchased from Catherine Francis, Arundel
Hair Accessories – Alan Hannah
Shoes – LK Bennett
Jewellery – Earrings and bracelet, both gifts
Perfume – Chloe – See, by Chloe
Groom – Moss Bros
Bridesmaid dresses – Ghost
Bridesmaid shoes – BHS
Bridesmaid jewellery – Pia Jewellery
Florist – Lavender Green
Cake – The Cheese Shed
Entertainment – ‘Flood the Floor’, booked through Sternberg Clarke
Rings – Solitaire, Hatton Garden
Catering – Rhubarb
Hair and Makeup – Tiffany Cartwright