Monica & Andrew’s English countryside wedding is what daydreams are made of. With the truly talented Faye Cornhill behind the lens snapping up every second of beauty, we’ve got every bit of their celebration waiting for your to fall head over heels in love with via The Vault!
From Faye Cornhill… I’m so happy to share this beautiful wedding with you, it really will go down as one of my all time favourites. It was at the wonderful Notley Abbey in Buckinghamshire. Notley Abbey weddings are always sublime. I love the seclusion, the space and the opulence of this beautiful venue.
Monica and Andrew are genuinely two of the loveliest people you could ever wish to meet. Breaking with tradition they arrived on the morning of the wedding together. Hand in hand they walked up the cobbled stones to the huge Notley Abbey oak door, exchanged a simple kiss and agreed to meet at the alter. Super cute.
Monica and Andrew are genuinely two of the loveliest people you could ever wish to meet. Breaking with tradition they arrived on the morning of the wedding together. Hand in hand they walked up the cobbled stones to the huge Notley Abbey oak door, exchanged a simple kiss and agreed to meet at the alter. Super cute.
Monica was the picture of calm throughout her preparation. She effortlessly styled her own hair and make up, smiling the whole way. As she unpacked her lace Monsoon dress and her stunning pink sari (bought by her father in India) I knew I was going to be in for a visual feast.
Monica’s huge smile lit up the room as she walked to meet Andrew. Together they stood, clinging on to each other, as they exchanged their vows. There was such an overwhelming sense of happiness as the registrar announced them as husband and wife. Andrew wasted no time in kissing his beautiful bride.
After the ceremony, Monica and Andrew were greeted by guests with a shower of confetti. We then moved to the lawn for a champagne reception. The three of us managed to grab some time away to take some portraits on the amazing driveway at Notley. I can’t tell you how much I loved this part – working with such lovely people makes me so happy.
After this, Monica was changed into her stunning pink sari by her Mother and Auntie and we moved straight into the speeches. After a delicious banquet I managed to grab some more time for photos of Monica and Andrew. The light at Notley was just perfect for the sparkle of her sari.
From the Bride… Andy and I got engaged in September 2015 and we knew pretty much straight away that we wanted a summer wedding the following year. Come January 2016, we hadn’t made even made a start!
I had always envisaged a country chic sort of wedding, but Andy preferred the more formal surroundings of central London, so when it came to choosing a venue, we were at opposite ends of the spectrum. Then, a couple of weeks into the search, Andy stumbled across Notley Abbey, a beautiful country house set in idyllic grounds and full of history. We both looked at each other and thought ‘wow’, but knew there was next to no chance of securing a date this year, let alone in the summer. Needless to say, we were astounded to hear that there was a solitary Saturday available for July this year, and we jumped at the chance to view the venue the following day.
We drove up the beautiful tree lined drive; everything was covered in snow and looked so picturesque. We knew there and then that we wanted this to be our venue, even though it was the first (and only) venue we had visited. We deliberated for all of sixty seconds, and proceeded to hand over a deposit immediately.
From that point onwards, the planning went relatively smoothly. I knew I wanted some personal touches that reflected us as a couple, so (with the help of my mum and sister) handmade all of the invitations, place cards and wedding favours. I even did my own hair and makeup on the day. The day itself couldn’t have gone smoother; the weather was exceptionally beautiful throughout the day (particularly given the temperamental summers we have in England), the ceremony was emotional, and even the fact that our little flower girl ran off down the aisle only added to a glorious day. And, best of all, Faye (our brilliant photographer) was there to capture all of those wonderful memories, which we will treasure forever.
Both Andy and I had said from the start that we wanted our wedding day to be fun and relaxed, with everyone we know and love with us to share our special day. It is a cliche, but that’s exactly how it was. We will forever look back on this day as the happiest of our lives.
Photography: Faye Cornhill | Floral Design: Mandy At Sonning Flowers | Groom's Suit: John Lewis | Wedding Venue: Bespoke By Bijou | Brides Gown: Monsoon | Film Lab: Carmencita Film Lab