Rebecca & Matthew
Dreamy decorations and a copper wedding palette complement this couple’s period venue
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Lisa and Fred Dams, Blue Fox Photo,
bluefoxphoto.co.uk
The treasure hunt proposal received a personal and fun makeover for Rebecca and Matthew.
“Matt had programmed a remote control car to find me in the living room. It was bearing a sign that read, ‘Follow Me’. At the front door, I found a note that led me to a balloon at the end of the driveway, which was whizzing around tied to another remote control car. I popped the balloon and found a message that took me back inside and then out to the garden, where Matt was waiting on one knee. It was hilarious and romantic in a way only Matt could manage!”
“After getting engaged, I spent several months looking in Wedding Ideas at different styles of dresses. I kept one advert in particular that featured a dress I loved.”
“On a visit to Knutsford Wedding Gallery, I was drawn to this very same dress!”
The bride’s Ronald Joyce ballgown was made from tulle and lace in warm ivory and antique gold shades. The illusion neckline, diamante belt and bow detail added pretty touches. “I loved the way the dress accentuated my waist. It made me feel elegant, with a timeless quality.”
Accessorising her gown, Rebecca added an Amanda Wyatt floor-length veil, trimmed with diamante, and a pearl hair slide from Tory Burch.
“I couldn’t resist a nude pair of Jimmy Choos either!”
“They had ankle straps so I felt secure in them and they were comfortable to wear. My mum had a blue charm stitched into my dress for my ‘something blue’ and my yellow gold wedding band once belonged to my grandmother.”
Matthew opted for a marine velvet dinner jacket with grosgrain lapels from Favourbrook. Jeff Banks trousers, a Gieves & Hawkes bowtie and Ted Baker patent shoes completed his look. “We commissioned a copper brooch for my bouquet. The men had copper lapel pins, too.”
Three bridesmaids attended Rebecca, wearing chiffon dresses from the Kaliko bridesmaid range. “I bought them feather headbands and faux fur stoles, as well as gifting them each a copper brooch to go on their posies.
“Think about the weather conditions and time of year when choosing your makeup look.”
“We married in November, so I knew that natural light would be limited. A lighter, English Rose style would disappear in the dark, so I opted for stronger colours to avoid needing to change my makeup for the evening.”
Rebecca and Matthew tied the knot in a civil ceremony, featuring ‘To My Dear And Loving Husband’ by Ann Bradstreet and ‘A Lovely Love Story’ by Edward Monkton as readings. “Looking into my husband’s eyes and feeling that he really knew I meant every word of our vows was really special.”
The newlyweds and their guests then sat down to a decadent wedding breakfast, beginning with fennel-crusted monkfish tail on a pillow of pineapple and chilli salsa. Pork loin wrapped in Serrano ham with sweet potato dauphinoise and cider cream sauce offered a delicious main.
“We served different desserts for our male and female guests. Men enjoyed salted caramel and chocolate tart and ladies savoured blueberry and lemon brioche pudding.”
Despite the groom being very nervous about giving a speech, he pulled it out of the bag on the big day. “Matt had everyone laughing and crying in equal measure, it was amazing and I was so proud of him.
Our venue, Pendrell Hall in Staffordshire, was built during the Arts and Crafts movement, so it had a strong style of its own and featured many copper fittings. This inspired our own verdigris and copper colour scheme, which complemented our surroundings.”
The couple embraced their crafty side, painting wooden letters, cake stands and even leaf decorations copper. “We suspended the copper leaves with fairy lights from the white Manzanita trees that topped each table, standing in moss-filled baskets.” The collection created a stylish, sophisticated copper wedding reception. The Flower Divas, based in Cheshire, created all the floral arrangements, even finding peonies, despite them being out of season.
“I sourced sandalwood candles for the reception to fill the venue with our signature scent for the day.”
“The Couture Cake Company worked with us for months before we settled on our final design. Featuring four tiers of lemon, chocolate, ginger and cinnamon and carrot cake, the exterior was decorated in copper sequins, verdigris details and copper coloured piping, as well as intricate sugar roses and peonies.”
A four-piece jazz band created an ambient atmosphere during the drinks reception, before acoustic guitarist and singer, Rick Whitehead, played after dinner. “In the evening we hired Nick’s Disco Roadshow – our guests seemed to love the ’90s dance section the best!
After the wedding, we indulged with a foodie minimoon at The Crazy Bear in Beaconsfield. We fell in love with the opulent interiors and copper baths! We plan to have an extended honeymoon once our little boy is older.”
SUPPLIERS
DRESS Ronald Joyce at Knutsford Wedding Gallery
BRIDESMAID DRESSES Kaliko
GROOM Favourbrook
ACCESSORIES Amanda Wyatt, Jimmy Choo
HAIR AND MAKEUP Caro Millington
FLOWERS The Flower Divas, Cheshire
CAKE The Couture Cake Company
ENTERTAINMENT Rick Whitehead, Nick’s Disco Roadshow
MINIMOON The Crazy Bear, Beaconsfield
