Hollie and Matt went down to the woods for their absolutely stunning, and very British, country wedding complete with a floral crown for the bride and hay bale seating for the guests…
The proposal
Matt proposed to Hollie on a surprise holiday in Chamonix, France. “We both love being in the mountains, and on our fourth day, we hiked to a beautiful lake,” Hollie recalls. “After an intense and very hot walk, we sat down to admire the view. It was then that Matt pulled out a bottle of champagne from his bag and asked me to marry him. I was so surprised – I had no idea that he was thinking of proposing.”
The bride’s outfit
Hollie found the perfect gown for her English meadow wedding at Angelica Bridal in Angel, London. The floor-length dress by Rembo Styling featured a boat neckline, three-quarter length sleeves and a long train. “I knew instantly that it was the dress for me,” Hollie explains. “I didn’t want anything too structured, and love the boho look and feel.” The bride chose minimal jewellery to keep her look simple and relaxed, accessorising with a vintage gold charm bracelet, an understated heart pendant, and a flower crown in her hair.
The groom’s outfit
In keeping with the English theme, Matt decided to wear British brands, and chose an ash-coloured suit with skinny tie from Burberry Prorsum accessorised with a classic white shirt and black shoes from Church’s. “On the day, he looked handsome and very emotional,” Hollie recalls.
The bridesmaids
Hollie was attended by her cousin, Jennie, and her two best friends, Jemma and Katy. The three bridesmaids wore elegant champagne gold dresses from Coast, with two of the girls choosing classic full-length gowns and the third opting for a flattering knee-length version.
The ceremony
Following a low-key civil ceremony, Hollie and Matt celebrated their marriage beneath an oak tree in the grounds of their family home, conducted by local celebrant Zach Thraves. “It was amazing to see Matt with all our friends and family under the tree,” Hollie says. The ceremony featured an extract from The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway, and the quirky reading A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton.
The flowers
The beautiful rustic bouquets were created by Kerry at Highgate Florist. The aisle was lined with flower-filled jam jars, and the couple hung dried hydrangeas from the supporting beams in the reception tipis.
The reception
After the ceremony, the celebration continued in four tipis around the oak tree, where the guests were served canapés including mini Yorkshire puddings with roast beef and fish and chip cones. The menu included feather blade of prime Scottish beef in a shallot and red wine sauce, followed by strawberries and cream shortcake. A Dixie band played during the wedding reception drinks, while later on, the bride’s father’s ukulele band, El Banda Burros, entertained the guests late into the evening. “The speeches were a triumph,” smiles Hollie. “My dad managed to involve kazoos, and ended with the words, ‘every day is a Hollie-day’, which people say to me all the time now!”
The details
To make the most of the idyllic countryside setting, Hollie and Matt kept their décor subtle. “We bought handing lanterns for the oak tree, and decorated my dad’s vintage Ferguson tractor with ribbons,” Hollie explains. The finishing touches included hay bale seating, tiki torches, hand-cut wooden table numbers and vintage bottles dug up from the garden. “To keep the children entertained, we gave them party bags with disposable cameras and wedding I-spy games,” Hollie adds. The favours were miniature pots of honey made at home by Hollie’s mother.
The cake
The three-tier ginger and chocolate cake from Choccywoccydoodah was intricately decorated with woodland animals and bees to fit the countryside theme.
The honeymoon
The newlyweds spent their honeymoon in St Lucia, where they snorkelled, went wake-boarding, visited a volcano and enjoyed the local food.
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