The Long Sleeved Obelia Dress by Temperley for a Flower-Filled Festival Inspired Wedding

Well how is your January going so far? I’ve managed to keep up so far with my run every day challenge, and what makes it a lot easier is sharing my experiences with members of the A Life Loved Facebook group. Knowing that I’ve got a support group right there cheering me on is a great motivator, particularly when it’s cold and rainy outside.

If you’re newly engaged and looking for a venue in Somerset then you are in the perfect place. The venue is none other than Pennard House, a beautiful family-run country house venue that we are so proud to list on Little Book for Brides and which is shown off in its full glory on these pages today. Emily is every inch an English country rose in her elegant Temperley London ‘Obelia’ gown – a design she purchased from Carina Baverstock Couture, talking of which, did you see this incredible shoot this week? Utterley divine.

“I fell in love with my Temperley dress instantly. It’s so unique with gold and white embroidery and is bohemian but with a glamorous twist. A touch vintage with modern geometric patterns, it felt romantic, floaty and utterly unique! Alice Temperley is a local Somerset designer, so it felt like it was meant to be.”

Photography Dave Watts Photography

Having grown up in Somerset, Emily was keen to return to her roots for her marriage and Pennard House fitted the bill wonderfully.

“I wanted to get married close to my family home and use all local suppliers. It had exactly the right feeling we wanted. A pretty English country house with a festival boho vibe complete with tepees and Glastonbury connections.”Pennard House played host to the outdoor wedding of Emily, a creative art director and Kyle, a graphic designer, on 17 August 2017. A day filled with love and romance, the gardens at Pennard were an impeccable backdrop for their flower-inspired wedding and its festival, boho vibe. The couple’s favourite blooms influenced the delicious pastel colour scheme for the day, with a motif running through all of the stationery.

Both Emily’s dress and veil were found at Bath boutique Carina Baverstock Couture (be sure to visit their Little Book for Brides listing to see their other designers).

The simple cathedral-length veil in champagne flowed behind her so elegantly, and was attached to her hair with a posy of full-blown flowers – the perfect way to add a relaxed, boho touch to her glamorous look. A further touch of style came with her gold Christian Louboutin sandals and elegant drop earrings from Monica Vinader.

Created by Honeysuckle Flower Co. in Bath, another supplier who we are delighted to list as a member of Little Book for Brides, the opulent flowers set the scene for a romantic English country wedding.

“We wanted soft and romantic whites and pinks with lots of green wild foliage. Natural arrangements with big blowsy flowers for impact.”

The couple worked closely with Pennard’s Tess Hilliar to plan their day in just nine months.

“We met at university in 2007 in Cheltenham. We had been together for ten years before Kyle proposed on his 30th birthday in a remote location in the Scottish highlands surrounded by stunning snow capped mountains and frozen lakes.”

 

The gold tones of Emily’s gown are brought out so well by the bridesmaid’s sophisticated pale gold Ghost gown.

  

After the ceremony, it was party time! The teepees and lawns kept the children entertained whilst the guests enjoyed drinks on the terrace, and Emily and Kyle had some wonderful portrait shots taken in the rose gardens.

I’m absolutely in love with these intimate shots by Dave Watts Photography, especially those of the precious little flowergirl, Emily’s niece Jazmine. A local photographer, Dave has caught the beauty of the gardens at Pennard as well as the fun and love of the day.

I always think how exciting it must be to hear the guests arrive as the bride gets ready, one of the highlights of getting married and holding the reception at the same venue I imagine.

The outside of the venue was adorned by Emily’s brother James of Electrotec Lighting with fun Chinese lanterns and festoon lighting, which look utterly enchanting lit up in the evening. Emily and Kyle have clearly put so much thought in to their wedding signage too, a sure way to keep guests in the know about what’s going on.

Along with her father, bridesmaids and flowergirl, the bride made her way down the outdoor aisle as The Washboard Resonators, a creative duo who play guitar, banjo and washboard performed a version of Edith Piaf’s ‘La Vie En Rose’. Emily and Kyle married under a wooden pergola decorated with yet more romantic flowers. In his grey three-piece suit from Next, the groom looks cool and summery, especially with his oversized floral buttonhole.

Emily and Kyle used their artistic talents to create their own detailing. Their delicate, floral motif adorn the stationery and table plan made by Kyle, whilst Emily’s typography decorated the place cards and rustic wedding signage.

The wedding breakfast was served on long trestle tables in the eighteenth century coach house, which was adorned with hundreds of  beautiful cream and pastel flowers, along with candles, hanging foliage and swathes of roses.

I love the use of more flowers to decorate the chairs and the table decorations were simple and romantic – just candles and a table runner of natural leaves and flowers.

“We gave our guest a jar of bonbons complete with a hand stamped metal disc with our initials and wedding date on. We embossed the discs by hand ourselves.”

“We chose a simple rustic cake with three different layered tiers. Cakes by Samantha created a completely dairy-free cake for us due to milk allergies. She also made dairy-free macaroons. It was all really delicious considering no butter or cream was used!”

Heart-shaped pink marshmallows tempted the guests, along with a tiered semi-naked cake with its decoration of cream roses and green foliage.

   

The retro Airstream Trailer, complete with photobooth, was a hit with the guests – full of weird and wonderful props for some memorable photos.

“Our favourite part was probably the evening. This was a time when I felt like we could properly relax and let our hair down. Drum ‘n’ Brass were amazing – a six-piece brass band can get any party started! We also had an Airstream Trailer supplied by Belle Studio with a photo booth which was fantastic to keep everyone entertained between band sets. The whole venue really twinkled at night with all the Chinese lanterns and candles. It felt really magical.”

In the evening, Drum ‘n’ Brass provided live music, playing their first dance song ‘Consequence of Love’ by Gregory Porte.

“This is a favourite song of ours because we played it a lot on the way home from our Scottish Road trip when Kyle proposed to me.”

Words of Wedded Wisdom

Emily has some lovely advice for other brides.

“Don’t forget to spend a little more time with your parents. They have heard your plans over and over again for the last six months.”

“Then when it comes to the day you are so busy making sure everyone is happy that you forget to check-in with the ones that helped you the most. So take a little time during the night to say thank you!”

Sending many congratulations to the newly-weds, and thank you for sharing your day with us. If you’d like to find out more about Pennard House then I invite you to visit its Little Book for Brides listing here, and please take a look at other Love My Dress brides who married there.

Ele xx