It is such a joy to be sharing April and Alex’s wedding at the ever magical Dewsall Court in Herefordshire. This beautiful English country house is one of my personal favourites, and it provided the perfect setting for a spring celebration filled with love, colour and thoughtfulness.
The couple planned their day with a commitment to sustainability and a clear sense of style. From the second hand Pronovias dress, lovingly reimagined with bespoke alterations, to the seasonal florals by the hugely talented Dorothy Seed, every detail reflected both care for the planet and a desire for timeless elegance.
Their wedding is a wonderful reminder that classy and elegant can also be conscious, and that the most meaningful celebrations often come from blending beauty with sustainability.
The Dress
After trying on lots of dresses, I ended up buying my dress second hand Pronovias Antelope dress from Still White, then had it altered quite significantly, changing the length, skirt shape, sleeve shape, neck line and back.
I would recommend buying second hand and having alternations, as you get a unique dress for the same cost as a standard dress – but you do need to have a clear vision.
My dress was altered by Bride & Alter in London who were able to work with me on the changes I envisioned.
I initially wanted to wear a fuller A-line dress, but being 5ft nothing I just felt drowned and frumpy in them when I tried them on. So I ended up with quite a different style.
I really wanted to show that you can get an incredible dress second hand. l loved the shoulders and back of the dress.
My veil was single tier, double satin stripe end, chapel length veil by Sassi Holford, but the veil looked longer as I am petite. Once again it was a second hand item, this time from Vinted. I paired it with a bow. My shoes were from Lace & Favour and I wore Gucci Floral Gorgeous Gardinia as my scent.
The Ceremony
My dad accompanied me to the ceremony, to the sound of a sting quartet playing a version of Ellie Goulding’s ‘Love Me Like You Do’.
A registrar from Hereford council lead our ceremony.
our rings were made from recycled gold, removing environmental damage from mining. The supplier was a local jewellery maker in london, Marcia Vidal.
Photography
Lewis Fackrell came to the rescue after another photographer let us down and it was meant to be. He was great in the run up and on the day- I barely noticed he was there throughout the day.
For the couple shoot he was funny and relaxed. We are not natural posers. And quick turn around, would completely recommend.
The Reception
We had Cambria String Quartet play at the ceremony and drinks reception. They can play a range of classical and modern songs (think Bridgerton soundtrack) we have a range of modern songs played in the ceremony and drinks reception which provided a fun and refined atmosphere.
I shortlisted and spoke to three florists and it was Dorina of Dorothy Seed’s passion, enthusiasm and commitment to sustainability that made me choose her as my florist.
I gave visual mood board of the style of flowers I wanted – colourful, natural, seasonal, British first. And she took that and flew. I just didn’t have to worry. I didn’t want a big bouquet, as I am petite.
Dewsall Court does its own catering- all food was vegan by our request, and it was amazing. We attended one of their tasting evenings on site which was a lovely evening and got us so excited for our big day.
We had a vegan wedding cake.
We had several comments from guest how much they loved the flowers and how they were different.
We had lots of foliage and classic yet colourful table wear. We borrowed logs from my mum, along with white linen, to put on the side table to display the pictures of us, flowers and card boxes etc in a more appealing way
I designed all the stationery myself on Canva, then had them printed on recycled card.
Evening & Dancing
In the evening, we had DJ Max Galactic who was just brilliant. He was interested in us as a couple and what our guests music tastes were. Really great communication, a lovely guy and just amazing DJ. We even had comments from guests on his mixing skills! The dance floor was busy from first dance to final song as he knows how to read a room. I as the bride towards end of the night was sat on a chair on the dance floor when I could no longer stand in my heels because I didn’t want to miss a moment.
Instead of photo booth we borrowed polaroid cameras from friends and family and bough second hand on vinted inflatable musical instruments and heart sun glasses which were very popular with both adults and kids
We took a first dance to Engelbert Humperdink’s ‘Can’t take my eyes off of you’ – because I love the song from the film ‘Ten Things I Hate About You’, but also because it starts soft for a couple dance then gets more energetic so there was a natural time for guests to join us.
Words of Wedded Wisdom
The venue is key – everything works around the venue!
Do look at planning lists from wedding websites, but don’t feel you have to do everything. Do use Pinerest etc for inspiration but don’t get fooled into thinking everything you see is from real weddings on a reasonable budget.
Make it your day. You don’t have to do everything traditionally, for example, we had the grooms speech and our cake cutting at our drink reception after the ceremony.
Get speeches out the way before dinner – because doing speeches first can relax everyone.
Borrow and/or buy second hand as much as possible. It’s good for your budget and the planet.
Wear your wedding shoes around the house for at least two weeks before the big day to break them in and know if you will need you use any plasters to stop rubbing.
In the days following the wedding write down your and other’s memories of the day.
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