A Bowen Dryden Gown for an African Savanna Inspired Back Garden Wedding

Hello lovelies! Today we’re off to the African savanna for a seriously gorgeous wedding that’s going to have you pinning like crazy.

It’s one of those weddings with a theme so personal to the couple that every touch represented their love for the country, and will bring a warm fuzzy feeling to your heart like it did me, I’m sure. So without further ado, let’s get started. Today’s bride Sarah is a Wedding Photographer and owner of Sarah Brookes Photography, and her husband Bert, an Account Manager for a solicitors firm based in London.

They were married on 23rd September 2017 in a local church followed by a reception held in their very own garden in the village of Leighton Bromsworld, with the help of wedding planner Cara from Hall and Co. The pair first met online on Facebook after Sarah took a look at Bert’s profile and rather liked the look of it. Feeling comfortable was top of Sarah’s priority list when it came to wedding dress shopping, and she eventually decided on a bespoke design made by Bowen Dryden via Woburn Bridal.

Images by Emily and Steve

“I tried on so many dresses and could not find anything that was right for my pear shape. Everything was quite fitted which I didn’t want and I didn’t feel like any represented my personality either. I didn’t want to look like a princess or even a bride as such, but I did want to look my best in something I felt comfortable in. Sitting down with designer Sharon Bowen Dryden and Jo of Woburn Bridal to design my own dress was such an amazing experience! The detailing on the top of the dress really conveys my love of nature and wildlife.”The stationery was a DIY affair with the table plans and menu’s designed by Sarah herself, using images by Sarah Brookes Photography, and printed by Dave at Print Box UK. The place cards were rocks collected by the couple from the fields surrounding their home, and they used Optimal Print to print their Order Of Service. The only help they did get when it came to the stationery was with the invites and save the dates, all made by Carla Corrado.

“Becky at Florae Foray was our florist and is an absolute visionary – she did such an incredible job! We went through her Savanna inspired Pinterest board for which she had researched into grasses, aloes and succulents, plants native to southern Africa. She made a real grassland walkway into the marquee which created a beautiful, homely and welcoming feeling.”

“The bridesmaids bouquets were all made of foliage with some succulents and I had foliage and the only flower of the day, Agapanthus africanus, in my bouquet, wrapped in ethically sourced recycled sari silk. Becky also created an array of table decorations which were made up of a mix of tall structures and collections of glass terrariums.”

“In the end it turned out we had worked with the same conservation organisation on the very same project, but six years apart! Thinking it was a scam that I was messaging him on Facebook, Bert sent me a cautious message asking if I was single.”

“We carried on messaging for a few weeks and then spoke on the phone. Bert was pretty taken aback by my strong northern accent! By now, I was collecting my dissertation data on Bass Rock off the coast of North Berwick, so when I got back we arranged a meeting and I went to visit Bert in Huntingdon on the train. For the third date we went to Turkey together and the rest as they say, is history!”

The ladies gorgeous vintage inspired hair do’s were created by hairdresser Becks Simpson and make up was perfected by make up artist Kate Fletcher.

 

Sarah also opted for a bespoke Cathedral length veil, again made by Sharon, along with a pair of block heels from New Look and a bespoke bridal headpiece by Tara Bridal Accessories. Wanting a breath of fresh air and nature as her scent on the day, she chose Cristalle by Coco Chanel and wore a pair of delicate drop earrings by Carol Clift Jewellery.

 

Sarah also discovered the Woburn Bridal Bridesmaids collection at the same store she found her dress designer and kitted her maids out in beautiful soft mint floaty dresses.

 

The bride and groom chose to be married in a local church and Sarah’s father, who shares the same love for nature as she does, walked her down the aisle to Balcony Scene by Craig Armstrong.

“We used the lovely Jon to officiate the wedding, who I met whilst photographing a wedding in Cambridge. He was kind enough to come to the house and get to know us both before the wedding, and referred to our proposal story during the service which was a super lovely touch.”

Bert met Sarah at the end of the aisle looking very dapper indeed in a grey 3-piece suit by Moss Bro’s.

They chose three readings for the service, the first being Psalm 8:2-9 read by Sarah’s cousins, the second an excerpt from one of Bert’s favourite books A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, and the third a quote by Albert Einstein.

“This was for the science geeks in us! Dave Wright who read the quote for us knew us both before we even knew each other. He was Bert’s tent mate in Botswana and then knew me from the year after. He was a big inspiration to me and we used to talk a lot about photography. Dave helped me with my dissertation and also illustrated the front cover of Bert’s first book: The Lion Corridor.”

They swapped rings from Carol Clift and following the ceremony took a white vintage car from Affordable Classics to their reception venue.

With the bride a wedding photographer herself, there was a lot to live up to when it came to hiring the photographer for the wedding , and photography duo Emily and Steve didn’t disappoint. With an almost old cinematic quality to the photography style, it complimented Sarah and Bert’s charming rustic wedding beautifully.

“Emily and Steve are the dream team! Our images really capture the soul of the day. There’s one image I think is just magical. It was during the best mans speech and the fire is roaring and the foliage canopy surrounds us. It really looks like a scene from Africa.”

“To say we love the images is a total understatement and every time we look at them, we feel as though we’re back in our marquee surrounded by our loved ones. We can hear the laughter and smell the gorgeous food. Incredible atmospheric images!”

“Walking down the aisle was also pretty epic but I think my favourite part of the day was the couples portraits with Bert, Emily and Steve. To have that time away before the group photo’s was amazing.”

“Another favourite was seeing Bert’s face when he spotted the surprise band once we got back from the church. He loves fishing in Guinea Bissau and Swagga Function Band invited their colleague from Senegal to play for us. He was quite emotional and it was great to bring that warm yet joyful feeling that we have felt so many times in Africa to our own wedding.”

As the couple are both lovers of Africa, after spending time in Botswana, South Africa and Guinea Bissau, the couple decided on a savanna theme for the day.

“Hayley from Dolly’s Vintage Tea Party used the film ‘Out of Africa’ as inspiration for our outdoor seating area. The area was under a canvas sheet and was so comfortable and homely. It also doubled up as a photo booth area but there was no pressure for the guests to perform for the camera! Hayley also brought her beautiful vintage car which we used for the reception drinks. Bert loved how much this reminded him of how the Voortrekkers travelled through Southern Africa to settle.”

The whole wedding then retreated to the stunning white marquee decked out with jaw-dropping centre pieces made up of foliage and greenery, as well as a wedding breakfast provided by Hall & Co Event Design.

“The top table featured a loaf tin with ‘Brookes’ on it which was over 100 years old! It was a relic from dads bakery. Bert and I sat beneath a hazel frame canopy adorned with soft ruskus, palms and grasses. Becky knew about out extensive travels around Africa and was conscious of the changing landscape.”

On arrival guests were greeted with the gorgeous boho seating area by Dolly’s Vintage Tea Party, whilst the couple and the wedding party had their photo’s taken by Emily and Steve. The whole wedding then retreated to the stunning white marquee decked out with jaw-dropping centre pieces made up of foliage and greenery, as well as a wedding breakfast provided by Hall & Co Event Design.

Once the wedding breakfast had been enjoyed and speeches delivered, Sarah and Bert performed their first dance to an acoustic version of Came Here For Love by Sigala and Ella Eyre. They then danced the night away to Jezo DJs before being waved off with a sparkler send off to end the day on a magical high.

“There are so many favourite parts of the day! The morning of the wedding with my girls was amazing! I would definitely recommend getting a nice clean and open space for the morning photo’s – I hired a barn from AirBnB.”

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“I would advise getting a wedding planner and an on-the-day coordinator! At one point our toilets stopped working and it was great to have someone there who could liaise with the guy whilst the guests sat down to eat. They also put together a post wedding brunch in the marquee the day after which was amazing, especially for our overseas guests.”

“Hall & Co and Hayley from Dolly’s Vintage Tea Party were there the day before the wedding, as well as on the morning of to make sure everything was okay. We simply didn’t have time to do this (or the knowledge) so it was great that we didn’t need to involve the bridal party in helping – we didn’t have to lift a finger.”

Wow! What a wedding – I think it’s gone straight to the top of my favourite ever weddings and I love how personal the savannah theme was to the couple, and how gorgeously it turned out. A big thank you to Emily and Steve for their fabulous photography work and to Sarah and Bert for letting us relive the day with you.

Until next time…

Much love,

Holly x