Jennifer and Andrew’s summer wedding turned in to a week-long house party overlooking Lake Windermere…
The proposal
Despite the couple sharing many romantic adventures together, Andrew had never found the perfect moment to pop the question. “After 10 years together, I’d just about given up hope of making it down the aisle,” Jennifer admits. “But he finally proposed while we were on holiday with my family in July 2012. We’d just been out for a run, so it wasn’t all that romantic, but I was so thrilled to be asked.”
The bride’s outfit
Fate led Jennifer to the ideal dress in the very first boutique she visited. “I’d planned a big day out dress shopping with my mum, so it was a surprise to find it so quickly,” Jennifer says. The Suzanne Neville gown featured elegant lace straps and a soft voile overlay on the skirt. “Luckily, there was a sample sale on and I fitted the sample dress perfectly, so I got a bargain,” Jennifer adds. The bride accessorised with lace ballet pumps, a homemade sash and fresh flowers in her hair.
The groom’s outfit
Andrew looked stylish in a pale grey three-piece suit from Reiss, worn with a crisp white shirt and brown shoes from Church’s.
The bridesmaids
Jennifer chose her two nieces as flowergirls, and her nephew as a pageboy. “My flowergirls were aged 2 and 10, and I found it quite difficult to find a style that suited them both,” Jennifer explains. She eventually settled on classic dresses from Monsoon, which the bridesmaids wore with homemade sashes, ballet pumps from Zara and shrugs from John Lewis.
The ceremony
The bride had an early start on her big day, going for a run with her father at 6am. “It was something I had always wanted to do, and felt very special,” Jennifer explains. The couple were married in a civil ceremony at Gossel Riding on Lake Windermere, which they booked out for the whole week so they could celebrate in style with their lucky loved ones. “I was really touched that our friends and family made such an effort to travel so far and spend our day with us,” Jennifer smiles.
The flowers
Jennifer chose simple arrangements of hydrangeas and ranunculus by The Floristry, arranged in oversized antique-style vases and jars from The White Company. “My flowergirls carried posies of hydrangea heads, while my pageboy had a miniature version of Andy’s buttonhole,” Jennifer says.
The reception
Jennifer and Andrew chose a delicious menu of locally-sourced produce for their reception, which included corn-fed chicken breast with Lyonnaise potatoes followed by local sticky toffee pudding. Acoustic duo Alex & Suzi provided background music while the guests mingled outdoors. “We had garden games, including corn toss and croquet, a Polaroid photo booth and a silent disco in the cinema room, complete with glow sticks,” says Jennifer.
The details
The couple opted for an elegant white and silver theme to complement the décor at their venue. “We decorated with giant pompoms in the trees outside, candles in oversized hurricane lamps, and gazebos for the garden, dressed with homemade signage and bunting,” Jennifer explains. “We displayed our signs on art easels and in silver picture frames, and bought cuddly white throws to keep our guests cosy and warm outside.”
The cake
The couple’s wedding cake was an understated three-tier creation from Imaginative Cakes, adorned with silver ribbon and diamonté.
The honeymoon
The newlyweds have put their honeymoon on hold, but are planning an action-packed LA adventure, taking in the Coachella Festival, trekking, kayaking and running – phew!
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