[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]
The wedding colors were white, navy, green and gold. The flowers were predominantly white with lots of green foliage; invitations and wedding breakfast were navy, white, and gold; bridesmaids’ dresses were emerald green, and groomsmen’s suits were midnight blue.
[/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]
We wanted to create a wedding that had all of the elegance and sophistication of black tie but combined with a party that our friends and family would remember for years. The grandeur of St Giles House provides the perfect setting to host this type of wedding. We worked with a team that was used to bringing such majestic venues to life on a wedding day. Having met at Glastonbury, music, dancing and having a party at the wedding was really important. We picked a band that far exceeded that brief from the cocktail hour to the early hours, and when combined with St Giles’ secret dance floor in the cellar, it created an incredible surprise to round off the perfect day.
[/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]We met at Glastonbury festival so I wanted to take Natasha back to our special place for the proposal on our two year anniversary. Preferring to propose without a crowd I asked Tash to climb Glastonbury Tor to find a quiet spot to ask the question and overlook the fields that we first met in. After a brief panic of seeing the crowds at the top we found a quiet spot on the side of the hill, and sitting side by side in the drizzly rain, I proposed. After a few brief tears, from the both of us, Tash said yes and we celebrated with two of her favourite things: champagne and prawn sandwiches (I even managed to keep two champagne flutes hidden). We rounded off the celebrations with one more surprise by staying at one of our favourite spots – The Pig Hotel near Bath. [/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]
[/board_carousel]
[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]
Natasha chose a design from the Fall 2022 Elie Saab collection – “A Portrait in Motion – Look 3” with a matching veil purchased directly from Elie Saab. From the bride: St Giles House is an elegant, majestic, and impressive venue, and I wanted a dress to match. I tried on countless dresses in many different styles, and when I finally tried on “the one” in the Elie Saab bridal suite in Mayfair, neither I nor my mum could stop smiling, and we both knew it was the right choice for me. The dress was intricate and delicate, with crystals and pearls individually sewn on that sparkled when they caught the amazing autumnal light on the day. I chose a cathedral veil, which was also Elie Saab, and to not distract from the dress itself, I kept the accessories simple, opting not to wear a headpiece but simple diamond earrings gifted by Ollie on the day. I did add extra sparkle by wearing the Sacora 100 crystal-embellished suede sandals by Jimmy Choo. However, they were not visible until the evening when I changed into a silk gown by Reformation and added a porcelain headpiece by taala to dance the night away.
[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]
Emerald green designs by Jenny Yoo were chosen in velvet, which both suited the season and matched the color palette.
[/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]
The groom’s suit was made by Tom Ford, and the groomsmen had matching midnight blue suits from Charles Tyrwhitt.
[/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]
[/board_carousel]
[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]
Bread and Flowers served three hearty courses in the library at St Giles House. Dining by candlelight, the feeling of the supper was cozy and elegant. From the bride: We wanted to add something a little different to our drinks reception, and as Ollie and I both love Oysters, we organized for the Oyster Meister to serve our guests alongside the canapes and champagne. It was a real highlight for our guests (so they say!) and us! We were recommended to work with Bread and Flowers for the wedding breakfast and couldn’t have been happier as they worked with us to create an incredible banquet to match the setting. A real highlight was the barbecued leg of lamb. It was truly delicious and impressive, given the volume of guests and quality that ensured. The wine was provided by Wanderlust Wine who specialize in organic and sustainable wines and were amazing to work with, providing the perfect wine and Champagne to accompany the menu, and we plan to keep stocking up for our own wine supply with the same bottles from the day. Starter: Caponata with burrata. Cured mackerel, cucumber jelly with baskets of sourdough crisps Main: Spanish marinated BBQ leg of lamb with & crispy onions, beetroot and potato dauphinoise, sauteed winter green veg, herb borani Leek & roasted chestnut risotto Baked hake, ginger, beetroot, orange, sesame, lemon rice & tender stem broccoli Pudding: Spicy apple & pear crumble with blackberry cream Treacle, thyme & orange tart, clotted cream
[/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]The flowers were predominantly white with lots of green foliage.[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]Ollie’s Mum created the cake – a special addition to the day.[/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]
Readings – We found this a really great way to involve more people in the wedding and were lucky enough to have one of our friends write her own poem that really captured us as individuals but also as a couple. It was incredibly special. Ollie’s Mum read the second reading, which was a more traditional church reading entitled “A Love Poem Between Two Lovers.” Ceremony music – Natasha entered the church to Canon in D by Pachelbel played by a String Quartet (Cascada Strings), and we chose a hymn each. Natasha has always loved Amazing Grace and Ollie, like most people who follow England Rugby, selected Jerusalem. The String Quartet then played Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles as we left the church, as it brings back happy memories from our early dating days. First dance – We didn’t have a stand-out song for the first dance but both loved the lyrics of Real Love Baby by Father John Misty. It continues to hold great meaning and at Natasha’s request, was playing in the background when she gave birth to our baby boy this year.
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]
We really wanted to drive off together as a married couple in a classic car and, when we saw the grounds of St Giles House, also wanted to get some shots of us driving the car through the grounds up to the house. Fortunately, we had access to the Jaguar E-type which we felt was the perfect match for the black tie theme. We were also offered the car for our mini-moon, but we neither trusted ourselves through the tight country roads of Devon nor thought we would fit everything in!
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]
Natasha had the pleasure of arriving at the church in a vintage Daimler – a car owned by St Giles House. The Daimler has been in the Shaftesbury family since 1955; it is one of only 205 examples that were ultimately built, making this one of the most unusual models of all Daimlers. Their Daimler has the Shaftesbury crest on the doors, and the radiator cap bears the family Bull mascot. This particular model of Daimler DE36 was a particular favorite of the British royal family and six other monarchs.
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″]The photographs were captured on a blend of film and digital. A Super 8mm video was also created for them using Kodak motion picture film.
From the couple: Photography – We immediately fell in love with the style of Louise’s photography. Louise creates striking, beautiful and candid images and we knew she would capture the feelings and emotions of the day perfectly. We didn’t want images that felt rigid and staged but instead a true reflection of the day. We also felt incredibly relaxed when speaking with Lousie and knew she had lots of experience in the industry but also St Giles itself, having photographed the venue and weddings previously. We are thrilled with the outcome and love to look back over the photographs, as well as the Super8 film, as they give us that “pinch yourself” feeling that we had the day we had. [/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
[/board_carousel]
[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
[/board_carousel]
Photography: Taylor and Porter | Floral Design: Willow & Wisps | Dress: Elie Saab | Invitations: Emma Bradstreet | Ceremony Venue: Parish Church Of Wimborne St. Giles | Reception Venue: St Giles House | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Catering: Bread and Flowers | Hair Stylist: Abigail Constanza | Band: The Vibrations | Groom's Attire: Tom Ford | Groomsmen's Attire: Charles Tyrwhitt | Accomodations: St Giles House | Bridal party dress: Reformation | Engagement Ring Designer: Purely Diamonds | Hair Stylist & Make Up for Bridesmaids: Bex Elizabeth | Make Up Artist: Annabelle | Oyster Bar: Oyster Meister | Super 8mm Video: Taylor and Porter | Video: The Wedding Video Guys | Weddings Rings: Purely Diamonds | Wine: Wanderlust Wine