Victoria and Richard’s classy, spring, black-tie wedding was simple, stylish and full of warmth. They chose The Old Vicarage in Nottingham, an intimate country house that set a relaxed, elegant tone for the day.
Victoria wore a made-to-measure Suzanne Neville gown from the Ivory Tower Bridal boutique in Solihull. She loved the soft organza detailing on the corset and the off-the-shoulder sleeves, a design that felt structured, but easy to wear.
The styling was pared back with white flowers, soft greenery and subtle black details. Floral designer The Bell Jar created loose, seasonal arrangements with peonies and wildflowers, adding mint to Victoria’s bouquet for a fresh scent. A close friend designed the stationery, adding a thoughtful and personal touch
Anna from Anna Dunleavy Photo documented the day in her beautiful, natural and unposed style. We’re delighted to recommend Anna to you all. Enjoy!
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Venue/Inspiration
We fell in love with our venue as soon as we walked through the door, it was exactly what we wanted. The Old Vicarage is a small intimate beautiful venue in Southwell Nottingham and was perfect for us.
However we are based in Solihull with most of our family in the Worcestershire area it was quite a journey for most of our guests, if we had a pound for how many times people asked us ‘why Nottingham?’ the wedding would of paid for itself. But I am pleased to say all of our guests understood why we chose The Old Vicarage the second they arrived.
The Old Vicarage is the most beautiful intimate venue and it really was our perfect venue.
The Dress
Suzanne Neville
I got my Suzanne Neville wedding dress from Ivory Tower Bridal in Knowle, Solihull. This was actually the 4th Dress shop I tried, and the minute I walked in and tried on this dress I knew it was the one for me.
The dress was made to measure so from the measurements to the fitting everything was so easy.
I always thought I’d end up wearing something simple and plain, but the minute I tried on this Suzanne Neville dress, I fell in love with the organza detailing on the corset. Since I kept everything else about my wedding quite simple and minimal, I adored the intricate details on the corset and the off-the-shoulder sleeves.
The fact that it was made to measure meant it fit me like a glove, and the internal corset made me feel so secure. The skirt was beautiful and flowy—just perfect! It felt like it was made for me.
My veil was also from Ivory Tower Bridal and I chose a pair of simple, delicate pearl hoops from Lily & Roo.
I knew I wanted a long veil to complement the train on my dress, and I got this one from Ivory Tower as it just complemented the shape of my dress.
I wore Charlotte Mills shoes, and they were absolutely perfect! As much as I’d love to be a stiletto girl, I’m just not, so I knew I wanted something beautiful yet comfortable. The block heels from Charlotte Mills were exactly what I had in mind – stylish, comfortable, and perfect for dancing the night away.
I wore Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel, and Richard wore Bleu de Chanel. We made a lovely day out of it before the wedding, going shopping together to pick out our wedding perfumes. It was such a special moment, choosing scents that felt perfect for us.
All of my bridesmaids wore dresses from Six Stories. I absolutely loved the satin fabric, and it was so important to me that each of them could choose a style they felt comfortable and confident in. I had one pregnant bridesmaid, so making sure she had a dress she loved and felt comfortable in was especially important to me. They all looked stunning, and I’m so happy with how everything turned out!
I actually changed the bridesmaid dresses quite last minute! Originally, I had bought champagne satin midi dresses, but about six months before the wedding, I just felt that black was more me. I would say, trust your gut—it’s your wedding, and you don’t want to have any regrets! My bridesmaids were so supportive and helped me find the perfect dresses, and I’m so glad I went with what felt right!
My bridesmaids wore their own shoes I wasn’t too fussy about them as long as they felt comfortable in them. I bought them all a pair of huggie hoops and a bracelet from Etsy to wear on the day.
The Ceremony
My dad walked me down the aisle, to the sound of ‘Annies Song’, by John Denver.
We had “Wedding Poem” by Whitney Hanson Poetry, read by my bridesmaid during the ceremony. After being together for so many years, this reading really touched our hearts and felt like it perfectly captured our journey. It was such a special and meaningful moment for us.
Photography
Our photographer, Anna Dunleavy, was absolutely incredible! She’s so lovely and instantly made us feel at ease. We’re not the most comfortable in front of the camera, but Anna’s warm, relaxed approach helped us feel completely relaxed.
We were drawn to Anna’s style because we loved how effortless and genuine it felt, and she has an amazing ability to capture those spontaneous, heartfelt moments. We can’t speak highly enough of her and the beautiful photos she captured of our day!
We really debated whether to hire a videographer, but honestly, it ended up being one of the best decisions we made. We chose Ross Kerr Films, and we absolutely loved his unposed, genuine style. We wanted to capture those small, emotional moments that can sometimes be missed in photos.
Ross and Anna worked so seamlessly together, and at no point did it feel like they were in our faces trying to get shots. There were moments when we even forgot they were there, which made everything feel so relaxed and authentic.
How They Met
We have been together almost 12 years, and actually got set up by one of Richards friends who was at the wedding and got a special shout out in the speech!
We’ve been through so much together, from me going away to University to moving to a different city for work after graduation. Through it all, Richard was always there to support me, even driving hours on end to visit me for just a couple of hours before heading back home! Now, we’re settled in our home together with our adorable Cavapoo, Max.
We got engaged in July 2021 on a beach in Cornwall and 3 years later we finally got married!
The Reception
The venue was so stunning on its own that we didn’t feel like we needed much extra decoration. We kept it simple and elegant with lots of candles and delicate bell jars for the flowers.
We were so fortunate that my incredibly talented friend, aka, The Paper Garden, was able to create all our stationery. She’s super creative and knows me so well, so I gave her the freedom to design whatever she felt inspired by. The end result was absolutely perfect, and I loved it so much!
Our florists were The Bell Jar. I knew I wanted peonies, which was actually one of the main reasons we chose to get married in May—it’s the perfect season for them!
I created a Pinterest board with images of white peonies and wildflower-like white flowers, and Nikki truly worked her magic to bring my vision to life. My absolute favorite part was when she added mint to my bouquet—it was not only gorgeous to look at but smelled absolutely amazing too!
Our cake was from Jakes Cakes & Bakes, in Solihull. I am gluten free so it was important to us to have a cake which I could actually eat.
Evening & Dancing
We chose “Eight Days a Week” by The Beatles for our first dance, purely because it’s such a fun song to dance to! We shared a quick dance together and had the best time laughing together before inviting everyone onto the dance floor to join us.
I honestly can’t pick just one favourite part of the day – it was all better than I could have ever imagined!
From getting ready with my girls in the morning to dancing the night away with my husband, every single moment was just beyond perfect.
One moment which was a highlight was our dog joining us for the drinks reception after the ceremony, our dog walker drove him up for him to spend a couple of hours with us to get some photos, in the rush of the morning we both completely forgot about it and seeing him there at the end of the confetti throw was amazing.
We had the amazing Mark Elliot for our day, and he truly made it special. He played acoustic guitar throughout the day and then did a live set in the evening before setting up as the DJ. He was incredible—so many of our guests have mentioned how great he was! He brought so much fun and energy, getting everyone up on the dance floor for an unforgettable evening!
Words of Wedded Wisdom
I know it may sound a little cliché, but truly, enjoy every moment! So much time and effort goes into planning this one special day, so try to carve out a few moments to just be with your new husband or wife and soak it all in!
Our venue was amazing and even saved us some canapés to enjoy just the two of us. When everyone was being seated for the speeches, we took 10 minutes to relax, snack, and have a little catch-up. It might sound silly, but after the ceremony, you’re so busy with photos and greeting guests that the day flies by. It was so nice to pause and just be together for a moment. If the timing works out, I highly recommend this sweet little touch!
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