Good afternoon everyone. How are you today? I’m super-happy to be with you this Spring morning, for two reasons really. Firstly, I have a wedding photographed by Claudia Rose Carter to share with you, and it’s an absolute riot of joyful colour, contemporary vibes and personal detail. Secondly, I went down to London yesterday for my final Pilates exam after an intense year of training, practice and exams, and am over the moon to have passed.
So, on to the wedding. The bride and groom are Rosa and Jonny, a charity fundraiser and a wedding photographer, who married in September 2016 in leafy Gloucestershire. They chose Claudia Rose Carter to record their day, and we are so proud to tell you that Claudia is a member of Little Book for Brides. I’ve admired her work on Love My Dress for a long while now and love her natural, reportage style, and the sense of fun which shines through her photos. She was the perfect choice for this brightly-coloured, quirky, countryside wedding.
The couple met through mutual friends in 2010 and got engaged on New Year’s Eve 2015. They chose to marry the following year in the garden of Rosa’s parents’ house in Chalford, near Stroud in Gloucestershire.
“I grew up in the village and always wanted to get married there. It’s a really pretty location and lends itself perfectly to a marquee wedding.”
Photography by Claudia Rose Carter
Rosa visited The Mews Bridal in Clifton to choose her Rime Arodaky bridal top and skirt. Its simple t-shirt style crop top trimmed with lace (just take a look at that beautiful lace and buttons down the back), and the fitted, fish-tail skirt with its lacy train suit Rosa to a tee.
“I had been struggling to find a dress to fit with my budget. After ordering a few online and bidding on eBay, I took a friend’s advice and went to The Mews. The moment I saw this one, I knew I had to have it.”Rosa’s look was given a bright pop of modern colour with these flats from Zara.
Her hair and make-up was kept simple, with soft curls, smoky eyes and nude lips by Hannah Gatley of C2 Hair Design and Caley Soul.
A personal touch was the addition of a simple pair of stud earrings, created from Rosa’s Granny’s ring.
“The most important thing for us was that the day was relaxed and didn’t follow the ‘normal’ wedding day format.”
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“Having officially got married in a Registry Office the day before, we were able to have a humanist ceremony on our wedding day.”
“We wrote our own vows and had friends playing music and doing readings – we even had a surprise act halfway through the ceremony! The theme for decoration was colour with splashes of gold with lots of weird and wonderful things spray painted and dotted around the marquee.”
Jonny chose a blue racing jacket and mustard yellow trousers, whilst the groomsmen wore a variety of different coloured trousers, bowties and braces.
This choice, along with the jewel-toned flowers, inject so much vibrancy into the images.
The grown-up bridesmaids wore dark blue ASOS maxi-dresses, a really clever choice as their lace complemented Rosa’s gown. Their bouquets look beautiful against the simple gowns, and the flowers were all home-grown by Rosa’s mum; just wow.
These jewel-like tones are woven through the entire day, from the flowers, streamers and shoes, to the stationery, groomsmen’s suits and incredible macaron tower.
The humanist ceremony was held in the same marquee as the wedding, and Rosa walked down the aisle on her dad’s arm to ‘The Rose of My Heart’ by Jonny Cash. Their ceremony included three readings; ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’, ‘We Go Together’, and ‘Love Me When I Am Old’, and the couple exchanged bespoke rings from local Cirencester jeweller John Titcombe, and Justin Duance in Cornwall.
After the ceremony, the party began with a Bellini and Beer (sourced from the local Stroud Brewery reception, and a feast served up by local street food caterer Bison Kitchen, served at long trestle tables. This must have created such a fun, sharing atmosphere. Now, if you like macarons you’ll love this cake by Nom Nom, a tower of dainty macarons decorated with fresh flowers. Entertainment was folk-pop music provided by The Newfangled Jesters. Later in the night, the guests gathered around fire-pits outside, and enjoyed Mac ‘n’ Cheese, nightcaps and cigars. Now how laid-back, fun and relaxed does that sound?
I am in awe of the thought and design that have gone into styling this blank canvas and creating an absolute wonderland; the guests must have had so much fun exploring its quirky features. I particularly love the clusters of vivid vases, each holding stems of sunflower, dahlia and other seasonal flowers. Don’t miss the green man sitting in the bathtub of beer, too. Oh, and the painted tin lanterns hanging from the surrounding trees look so fun and bright. More colour was added with paper bunting and streamers, and what do you think of the vintage Morris Minor with its ribbon trimmings?
Rosa and Jonny’s favourite part of the day?
“Saying our vows in front of all our family and friends.”
I really hope that your day has been brightened up by this wedding. Wishing you all a lovely week ahead.
Ele xx
