I have such a dreamily romantic wedding to share with you today – think pretty pinks, trailing ferns, a frothy gown and rustic chic styling all against the beautiful, undulating countryside of West Sussex.
The bride and groom are Kelly and Dave, who have been together since their teenage years. Kelly is now a secondary school teacher and Dave a marine engineer, and Dave proposed after nine years together on Christmas Day 2015. They were captivated by the pretty rustic charm and family feel of Upwaltham Barns, Petworth in West Sussex, and held their marriage there on 19 August 2017.
Kelly’s choice of gown is the oh-so-pretty ivory Halo ballgown, from Blush by Hayley Paige which she chose at Hannah Elizabeth Bridal in Botley. I love the interest and movement of the tiered tulle skirt, and it looks so modern and fresh with its scalloped V-neck bodice and the unusual lacing detail at the back – just perfect for a warm summer’s day.
“I wanted a floaty, ballerina-type dress and loved the lace detail on the top. I also added a ribbon round the waist and some sparkles to the bodice so it had some glitz.”
Photography Sarah Williams Photography
Sarah Williams Photography was with the girls to record memories of them getting ready. Her work is really vibrant and fresh, and she comes so highly recommended by Kelly.
“A lovely personal touch throughout. The photos are amazing and Sarah knew exactly where the best places were for the best shots.”
The bridesmaids’ gowns really do compliment the modern vibe of this gown. They wore pale pink halterneck gowns from Occasions by Hayley Paige, with flirty tulle skirts to match Kelly’s and silver embroidery for a glamorous vibe. Their pretty, dainty hairpieces were from Belle Amour Tiaras, combining pretty beads, roses and sparkles to match the gowns.
Dave bought Kelly a matching Beaverbrooks necklace, earrings and bracelet set as a wedding gift and they are so timelessly elegant – pieces I’m sure that she’ll wear time after time.
For a gorgeously modern look, her hair was braided away from her face and adorned with a statement hair vine from White Designs Bridal.
On the day the girls were joined by make-up artist Frances Moore and hair stylist Jessica Short. I love how the pink theme has been kept from being too girly with the sophisticated up-dos and bold smoky eyes.
The finishing touch was a pair of Rachel Simpson T-bar heels with touches of gold.
The florist behind these summery florals was Spriggs Florist. She’s used such fresh, seasonal blooms in shades of pink and mauve, as well as trailing ivy down the aisle. Gorgeous!
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“We wanted a natural pinky theme for the flowers that suited the style of the barn. We had ivy down the pillars etc and pink roses with country flowers.”
Whilst the girls finished getting ready, Dave and his groomsmen were soaking up the sunshine outside Upwaltham Barns. Dave chose a dapper light blue suit which was a Herbie Frogg Menswear design from Astares and wore a sweet white buttonhole, as well as a tie and pocket square to match the bridesmaids’ gowns.
Kelly’s dad walked down the aisle with his daughter, as harpist Heather Wrighton played a variety of modern songs, including Ellie Goulding’s ‘Your Song’ and ‘Love Story’ by Taylor Swift.
Kelly and Dave selected three readings for the service, including ‘The Day’ read by the bride’s brother James, T.E. Blackstone’s ‘Love’ read by close friend Jo and ‘Chapter One of One Thousand’ read by Dave’s Uncle Rob.
“We asked the people that we wanted to read and then found a poem we thought reflected them.”
The wedding bands were from Beaverbrooks, and Kelly chose her dainty ring to complement her engagement ring.
The beautiful sunshine meant that after the ceremony, the guests could chat and enjoy drinks and canapés in the garden whilst the newly-weds escaped for some time together, and the beautiful countryside portraits. The delicious-looking food, as well as the wedding breakfast, was provided by Upwaltham Barns’ caterers Nibbles2Nosh. The barn looks really pretty adorned with yards of pretty bunting, light-up letters spelling ‘Love’ and the bright floral centrepieces.
How divine does this cake look? The pure white tiered wedding cake was decorated with icing ruffles and delicate pink sugar flowers, and the sweet table looks rather yummy, too!
“The cake was decorated with sugar flowers hand-made by Sue of Suephisticated Wedding Cakes. The three tiers were lemon, chocolate and fruit cake. Sue also made our wedding favours which were macaroons.”-
Evening music was played by The Dukes of Havoc, and what a party! It’s so lovely to see the newly-weds kick back and enjoy themselves, as well as having a romantic first dance to ‘Enchanted’ by Taylor Swift.
“This is the greatest song ever written – it is our favourite song!”
Before I hand over to Kelly for her words of wisdom, I have to say how much I adore these evening shots of the newly-weds, a moment which the bride lists amongst her favourites.
“The walk up the hill was a time to breathe and take the day in with just the two of us after such an overwhelming day.”
Words of Wedded Wisdom
Kelly has some lovely words to share about the importance of picking small, local suppliers, a philosophy that we heartily support on these pages.
“We picked suppliers based on initial impressions and people who we felt we got to know throughout the process – Ssppliers that were friendly, and focused on our wedding to the extent that they got to know us and have kept in touch even five months later. We picked smaller independent suppliers who seemed to add a personal touch rather than huge suppliers.”
“Do what you want to do. We were worried we weren’t doing enough to dress the venue but actually it was perfect as we had planned.”
“Upon reflection I would want to spend more time talking to each individual guest however this just didn’t seem do-able on the day. I would try to feel the way I did at the end of the day at the beginning of the day; it’s going to go fine and there is no need to be nervous.”
I do hope that this summery wedding has given you inspiration for your own celebrations, and please join me in sending Kelly and Dave, and Sarah Williams Photography, thanks for these beautiful photographs.
Have a lovely day
Ele xx
