Holly & Richard
Be inspired by this sparkling, Christmas wedding in Hampshire
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Alisa Roberts Photography,
facebook.com/alisarobertsphotography
There weren’t only Champagne corks being popped on the 25th December for this couple, because Richard chose Christmas morning to ask Holly to be his wife. “It was just Richard, our daughter Ella-Rose and I in the room. It meant so much to me that he proposed with his grandmother’s Victorian, three-stone diamond ring.”
“Richard had always joked that we would get married in 2042… so I was very happy to get married a little bit sooner!”
Having originally planned to marry in 2014, Holly found her dream Maggie Sottero dress back in 2013. “I felt like a winter princess as soon as I stepped out in this dress at Proposals Bridal Boutique, Chichester. The detachable train looked stunning when I walked and I loved the high neck, sheer lace top and sweetheart bodice.”
“It meant so much to me to buy my wedding dress from the same shop my mother did, back in 1988!”
Accessorising with her grandmother’s diamond earrings for her something old and borrowed, Holly also opted for Rainbow Club shoes and a cosy fur shrug from Richard Designs to complete her big day bridal style.
“Richard wore a navy Next suit teamed with a tartan tie and Ted Baker brogues. “I was so emotional when I saw him. I felt overwhelmed by how handsome he looked and so proud to be walking down the aisle to meet him.”
Three bridesmaids attended Holly, wearing dresses first discovered on Pinterest. “I really struggled to find dresses I liked. I wanted a deep wine colour to match the berries that would feature in my bouquet – luckily I found a gown to suit eventually. We’re blessed to have our daughter and son, so we had a ready made flower girl and pageboy too,” Holly smiles.
An old friend, Charlotte Cheasley styled the bridal party’s hair, while Charlotte Harris took care of the makeup. “I wore NARS foundation with smoky dark eyes and ‘Velvet Teddy’ MAC lipstick.”
“My bridesmaids also had smoky eyes with a dash of gold glitter to enhance our sparkling Christmas wedding theme.”
The couple said “I do” at All Saints Church in Catherington. “I walked down the aisle to ‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse because I love the lyrics. Then, because of the season, we swapped hymns for carols, so everyone was brave enough to get involved and have fun singing!” Exiting the church, the newlyweds were showered in a flurry of snow confetti, supplied by Adam Apple.
Denny’s Catering cooked up canapés and a three-course feast, with The Crepe and Waffle Stop also on hand to provide sweet treats to guests with a wonderfully wintry feel.
“Our theme was sparkle, luxe and all things Christmas wedding style!”
Imagine Invites kicked things off with gold, glittery, snowflake embellished stationery. The bride hired crystal candelabra from Linen and Lace Hire and sourced Christmas trees from Keydell Nurseries. Behind the Scenes Events helped coordinate and style the venue and Strawberry Fizz styled the sequin tablecloths and balcony garlands.
“Our florist, Strawberry Fizz, created a shower bouquet for me from dusky pink and cream roses, spruce branches and burgundy hypericum berries. Our top table looked spectacular, with a solid floral runner created from spruce and roses, baubles, glittery stags and pillar candles. I found the inspiration for this in a feature in Wedding Ideas.
Our cake was also amazing. It was designed by Gemma Alexanian from Tartufi Cakes to look exactly like a stack of three personalised apple crates. The cake was decorated with fresh flowers, spruce and pinecones.”
In keeping with their Christmas wedding theme, the couple gifted their guests a golden stag head Christmas tree decoration for their favours, supplied by Strawberry Fizz.
“It’s lovely to know that our Christmas wedding day will always be with our family and friends at Christmas now!”
Throwing an exceptional party was high on Holly and Richard’s priority list. A pianist from Tailored Entertainment created an ambient atmosphere as guests arrived at the reception. George Barton sang during the meal and magician Darren Lang blew everyone away with magic tricks. “We also hired Steve from Cloud Nine Disco – he’s played for all of our family parties since I was little, and he did a great job!”
“Get wedding insurance before you book anything,” the couple recommend.
“We spread our wedding planning over two years, but booked our first venue very early on, before taking out insurance, and they ended up letting us down! The Tithe Barn really came to our rescue – they were beyond amazing and are the reason our wedding was so perfect.
Spreadsheets are also definitely the way to go if you want to manage your budget. We kept costs and payments on one sheet, so we didn’t overspend and could pay off the entire balance before the wedding, letting us relax and enjoy the day!”
SUPPLIERS
CEREMONY The All Saints Church, Catherington, Hampshire
RECEPTION VENUE The Tithe Barn, Ditcham, Petersfield
DRESS Maggie Sottero at Proposals Bridal Boutique, Chichester
GROOM Next, Ted Baker
ACCESSORIES Rainbow Club, Richard Designs
HAIR Charlotte Cheasley
MAKEUP Charlotte Harris MUA
CATERING Denny’s Catering
STATIONERY Imagine Invites
STYLING Behind the Scenes Events
FLOWERS Strawberry Fizz
CAKE Tartufi Cakes
ENTERTAINMENT Tailored Entertainment, George Barton, Darren Lang, Cloud Nine Disco
VIDEOGRAPHER Neil Bateman, A Day In The Life Videography
