A Pronovias Dress for a French Inspired Country House Summer Wedding

Today’s elegant and romantic country house wedding will have you dreaming of the warmth and light of summertime; it’s done exactly that for me!

Here we have a joyful, beaming couple having the very best time, filling their celebration with timeless beauty, inspired by French style and their spectacular historic venue, all accented with glorious flowers in fresh shades of lilac and lavender.

Let’s meet Olivia, a director, and Ben, a mortgage advisor, who were married on the 30 June 2018 at Sutton Bonington Hall, Loughborough, Leicestershire.

“Sutton Bonington Hall has stunning grounds; it’s Leicestershire’s best kept secret. We were engaged in my special place in the south of France on the 15 July 2017, eleven months prior to the wedding.”

Images by The Vedrines Photography

From Nottingham boutique, Beautiful Brides, Olivia chose a showstopper of a gown by Pronovias, and she looked incredible. The slinky silhouette, lace sleeves, and an exquisite, barely there tulle illusion neckline all combined to create a chic, romantic look.

“It fitted my style, hugged my figure and my curves. It made me feel special. I just knew it was the one.”

On her feet, Olivia wore ivory shoes with sparkly block heels encrusted with crystals by Dune London, and a pair of pretty pearl drop earrings, as well as a locket necklace (sadly, no details provided about Olivia’s jewellery).

“My perfume was Guerlain’s Insolence. It’s what I always wear, and everyone just says it’s me!”

I love that the dreamy colour theme carried through into the make-up for Olivia and her bridesmaids, with the most incredible frosted lilac eyeshadow, all courtesy of Abi Draycott of Beyond Basic.

Olivia’s hair was styled into a stylish bun twist by Lissa’s Brides, simply adorned with a fingertip length veil (sadly no details available about this).

The wonderful flowers, in soft shades of lilac and white, were by Daisy Works, and I love their ethos and approach – all their blooms are home grown and seasonal, and the garden provides a habitat for wildlife, too. Not only that, Daisy Works was established in loving memory of founder Fiona’s brother, Timothy, who sadly lost his life to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Olivia and her bridesmaid’s bouquets were filled with lisianthus, astilbe, spray carnations, frilly scabious flowers, alliums, clematis and scented stocks.

Ben wore a handsome, tailor made three-piece suit in blue, by Moss Bros., along with a pale lilac bow tie, and shoes from Kurt Geiger.

Olivia was accompanied down the aisle by her mum, to Christina Perri’s song, A Thousand Years, to begin their outdoor ceremony in the lovely gardens of Sutton Bonington Hall.

Olivia and Ben said their vows to one another beneath sunny skies, and exchanged rings, which they sourced from independent jewellers in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter (sadly no further details provided).

There were also readings, too. The first was Corinthians 12:31-13:8, along with Psalm 23, and this was particularly poignant and special, as it had been read at the funeral of Olivia’s dad. The second reading was John 15:9-12.

I’m delighted to share the work of husband and wife photography duo, The Vedrines here today. These images are completely enchanting, filled with beautiful, soft summer light, but also dramatic shadow, too.

“We always knew that we wanted Tina and Izzy to capture our wedding day. They’re so talented, creative and easy to be around, and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

The couple’s flowergirl looked lovely in a lace and tulle dress from Monsoon, whilst the bridesmaids stepped out in dove grey wrap maxi dresses from Pretty Little Thing.

Inside the beautiful, light orangery, tables were laid for dinner, with crisp white cloths, and dainty vases of faux flowers as centrepieces. Hanging from the ceiling, Olivia made geometric metal shapes adorned with flowers.

“Favours were macaroons from Marks & Spencer. They didn’t go to waste, and doubled up as name settings, held using pins. They looked so simple and elegant.”

Olivia, Ben and their loved ones sat down to a fantastic wedding breakfast designed and created by Portfolio Events Catering.

“They were the best – exactly what we wanted without compromise.”

After dinner, it was time for cake, and what a cake! It was an amazing three-tier semi-naked cake by Helen Alborn Cakes, with accents of gold leaf and ribbon, decorated with fresh flowers. The three delicious flavours were lemon and limoncello, cherry and amaretto, and lime and coconut.

Friend Chris also belongs to band, No Shenanigans, who were the evening’s entertainment, getting everyone dancing and having fun!

“The whole day was amazing, and it was just so nice to see everyone there and happy. It all went seamlessly, and although we didn’t have an events planner, our caterers and photographers made the whole day flow.”

When it came time to take to the dancefloor for their first dance together as a married couple, Olivia and Ben were serenaded by their friends – Georgia Taylor on vocals and Chris Hanbury on acoustic guitar, for a live version of Angels by The xx.

“We loved the song and wanted something different, and we love the words in it.”

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“First and foremost, remember it’s your day! You won’t be able to please everyone, and also don’t compromise unless you have to.”

“I also think having a budget is important, although we were lucky that it wasn’t strict, it also gave an idea of what we were really willing to spend on various elements, as there is so much we could have just said yes to because it sounded great.”

“This brings me onto my next point, which is to prioritise what’s important to you, and on all the extras such as photobooths, sweet carts, musicians, etc., think about if it will make your day, and you’ll remember it in years to come.”

“After the venue and catering, make the largest part of your budget your photographers. This is how you will remember your day going forward. These memories will last a lifetime, and therefore to have someone to be able to capture every element and emotion of the day will make them last forever, and will bring so much joy looking back over them.”

“We wouldn’t change anything. Just enjoy the day and remember it’s your day!”

Olivia and Ben, congratulations, and huge thanks for letting us see your absolutely beautiful day. I love the soft and romantic colour palette, and these evocative images from The Vedrines – many thanks to Izzy and Tina, too!

That’s all from me for today, but if you’re in search of more gorgeous Pronovias dresses to gaze at, do take a look here, and if you’re in search of country house wedding inspiration across the seasons, do also look here.

With love,

Laura