A Day at St Paul's

Once in a while, 

Right in the middle of an ordinary life, 

Love gives us a fairy tale.

The above quote perfectly sums up my latest bride, her amazing her wedding and a wonderful marriage which has just begun.  

I met Karly at The Bride Magazine wedding show at Knebworth House back in January of 2015. The event was buzzing and full of couples in love and mothers and family eagerly looking for ideas to ensure their loved ones had the best day possible.

Karly was no exception, she filled my booth with laughter and joy as she told me about her dream wedding in August this year. My daughter and I were enthralled by the ideas and the amazing venue…St Paul’s Cathedral! What an honour to be married in such a patriotic, historic landmark. I always seem to know what brides you will work with and I knew that I just had to work with Karly, to ensure that her flowers lived up to the magnificent St Paul’s Cathedral and her bubbly, down to earth personality.

Karly and Sam met at school, when they were 15 and 16. Although they had been at the same school for many years, they hadn’t met until their GCSE's where they shared Drama and PE class together. Complete high school sweethearts.

Karly and Sam's engagement is one to remember forever and Sam really did do a spectacular job.

Sam’s parents renewed their wedding vows after 25 years of marriage, in the gorgeous Caribbean island Antigua. Karly and Sam were fortunate enough to share this special occasion with them, which created so many wonderful memories. They arrived in the Monday and on the Tuesday Sam told Karly they had won a photo shoot on the beach for that evening, after getting herself ready (not impressed with the minimal tanning time) they went down to the beach for the 'photoshoot'.

Sam made out the photographer was meeting them under this beautiful iron arch that was on the beach. It was completely covered in flowers and candles and rose petals leading up to it. Sam then proposed to his childhood sweetheart with the sand beneath their toes and the waves crashing on the shore.

St Paul’s cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights in London. Its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, dominated the skyline for 300 years.

Karly and Sam’s wedding ceremony was on the church floor at St Paul's Cathedral, London. The ceremony was amazing, the tall done ceiling and incredible architecture was breath-taking. The cathedral is extremely close to Sam and Karly and Sam’s family as Sam was christened there and also works at the cathedral. Sam’s dad also works there and so did his grandfather before them. The wedding reception was held in the beautiful Crypt of St Paul's.

Karly’s dress was absolutely stunning and looked at if it was made for the beautiful bride, it was an Alfred Sung wedding dress purchased from The White Wardrobe in Hitchin. Adding a personal touch to the dress the neck line was completely redesigned and reworked by the lovely seamstress Irene Isaacs based in Hitchin.

The stunning veil was a couture, two-tiered, double cathedral length veil that was designed by Karly and the seamstress. Her shoes were absolutely gorgeous ivory stain court shoes from Rainbow Couture, accompanied by a circular broach.

The Adult Bridesmaid dresses were elegant floor length dresses in blush and were purchased from Debenhams.

The adorable little bridesmaid dresses were Ivory, Rocha John Rocha by Debenhams.

The groomsmen wore a French blue, 3 pieced suit hired from Anthony Exclusive Formalwear based in Billericay. They sourced the navy blue, cable knit bow ties and braces from the internet.

Sam had a personalised pocket square that had a personal message embroidered on it from Karly, as well as a pocket watch with his initials and the wedding date engraved on. The groomsman had pocket watches and squares too.

The mother of the bride wore a waterfall shawl and bouquet Guipure dress in Almond by Gina Bacconi.

The mother of the groom wore a blush pink dress and jacket by John Charles and hat by Barcelona which she bought from a boutique in Bromley.

Karly accompanied her stunning dress with earrings and a necklace which were white gold with princess cut solitaire diamonds. These were also her something borrowed from her lovely mother in-law.

Sam's parents had the most stunning diamond bracelet made for Karly as a wedding gift, it consists of diamonds which separated white gold hearts and then two baguette sapphire stones were placed by the clasp. Sapphire is also her birthstone and represented her something blue.

Karly’s rings are platinum with princess cut diamonds from Fraser Hart and Sam's ring is palladium.

 The bridesmaids were given little gifts to wear on the day that consisted of earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Karly also made them personalised hangers that had their names, the wedding date and their role on them.

Wooden jewellery boxes were made for Karly’s mum and mother in-law with personalised messages on them. As well as handmade cards by Yummiest Envelope.

The flowers I knew had to be spectacular to complement the fantastic venue and gorgeous couple. Karly had a clear vision of what she wanted so it was amazing to work with her and I was able to create exactly what she wanted, with a few additional touches of my own.

The groomsmen, the parents and grandparents had gorgeous large blush and Ivory roses.

For Karly’s bouquet, she wanted peonies as they're her favourite flower, along with roses. Being August it's difficult to get peonies but I was sure to give the perfect bouquet and sourced the very best I could. The bouquet was soft and elegant, made up of whites, ivories, blush pinks and antiqued lilacs, exactly what Karly had hoped for. I was delighted she loved it.

The bridesmaids had gorgeous large ivory, blush and antiqued lilac roses which kept within the colour theme. I tied the bouquets with an ivory ribbon and placed Karly’s lovely Nanny Betty's broach in the middle of the bow.

Her sisters’ bouquet also had a small gold angel pin badge which was their Nan's, a gift her sister had bought for her when she was little. This was such a special touch and meant so much to Karly. After the wedding she placed bouquet at her Nan's grave, Karly said “I wanted to save it for the most beautiful lady”.

The venue flowers were simple candelabras which replicated the bouquet but with an additional pop of colour. I used pink gerberas and green foliage that spiralled the candelabras and trailed along the top table. It looked beautiful and the candelabras were a perfect addition to the regal room.

Karly’s hair was done by Tina who Karly met through an old school friend. She had a soft elegant up-do, with an additional pearl and diamond comb.

Her younger sisters had their hair done by Tina also. They had soft plaits and some had soft curls with ivory roses cascading down.

The younger bridesmaids had French plaits that gathered at the back similar to the bride. They also had little ivory flowers cascading around them.

Karly’s makeup was by Jazmin Commins an old school friend, who is a MAC makeup artist. She wanted her makeup to be soft and natural. Wanting to feel like herself but slightly more glamorous. With soft blush/nude bio sculpture gels for her nails done by my lovely friend Jessica Driver- Jessy Gels, this was a perfect addition to her bridal look.

Karly purchased the candelabras through a friend and hand sprayed 100 tea light holders with Sam’s Aunt one afternoon. They had an oak sweet cart, she sourced vintage glass dishes from vintage fayres, charity shops to sit inside filled with delicious goodies. They also had a cast iron, ivory post box that sat alongside the stunning bouquet of flowers and a hessian guest book purchased by Sam's aunties as a gift.

All wedding signs, invitations and stationary was created and done by Karly’s talented cousin, Lucy. These were all done on brown kraft card with the same font continuing throughout and then finished with lace.

The favours were British Heart Foundation & Cancer Research UK pin badges, to recognise their loved ones here and gone; two charities very close to our hearts. There were also made by Lucy.

The cake was made by Keeley Dixon from Keeley Cakes. She was recommended to the couple through a friend.

Pinterest is loved by brides and suppliers alike, it’s full of ideas for everyone’s tastes. Karly said it became her best friend when looking at cakes. Together, Karly and Keeley then came up with a simple but classy, elegant design that brought all of the colours and floristry in together.

Karly told me her and Sam love music and they spent a lot of time researching different bands and agencies for the perfect entertainment for the wedding.

At the wedding service they were privileged to have members of the St Paul's Cathedral Choir sing the hymns with their guests and the most stunning version of Ave Maria which was sung by a work friend of Sam's.

They fell in love with Amelia who is an acoustic artist. They sourced her from the agency: Alive Network, before Karly had even bought her dress. Amelia exceeded expectations and created the most idyllic, suave atmosphere for The Saint bar in Paternoster Square, where they held their drinks in between the ceremony and the reception. The band was also booked through Alive Network, they were called A Team and they were amazing. Karly and Sam said “The female lead vocalist held her own and we did not stop dancing from the second the last spoonful of dessert went in, until the music stopped. Even to the point where we actually forgot to cut the cake!”

The first dance was to Sam Smiths acoustic version of Latch.

In keeping with the London location the bridal party got two black taxis over to St Paul's from the Grange Hotel where they were staying. Karly wasn’t too fussed about having a traditional wedding car and thought black taxis would be quite cool and quirky to have, they worked so well!

Photography was by Spence Frederick Photography. Karly met Spencer at a wedding fair at Down Hall and fell in love with his work straight away. He shoots so naturally and captures moments that not everyone gets to see. Spence and Mark were excellent on the day. They worked continuously and we're not at all intrusive.

The gorgeous couple finished their celebrations with their honeymoon in the stunning National Park of Alghero, Sardinia.

Karly and Sam make the most gorgeous happy couple, who, with their families created the most spectacular day imaginable. I was truly honoured to be part of it and will love following their love story over the years to come. I am sure your life will be filled with many more beautiful memories together.

Anne x

Thank you to all the suppliers of the day:

Photography - Spence Frederick Photography - https://spencefrederick.squarespace.com/

Flowers - Betty & Bear Flowers – www.bettyandbearflowers.co.uk

Dress - Alfred Sung - The White Wardrobe

Venue – St Paul’s Cathedral

Shoes – Rainbow Couture
Bridesmaid dresses - Debenhams
Flower girl dresses - Rocha John Rocha by Debenhams
Grooms wear - Anthony Exclusive Formalwear
Mother of the Bride - Gina Bacconi

Mother of the Groom - John Charles

Rings - Fraser Hart
Jewellery – From family
Hair – Tina, family friend
Make up - Jazmin Commins
Cake - Keeley Dixon, Keeley Cakes
Entertainment - Alive Network
Transport – Black Cabs!
Wedding Stationary – Designed by Lucy

Seamstress - Irene Isaacs

Meadow Flowers & Bunting

I had the pleasure of meeting Caroline at the beautiful Hitchin Priory last year at a wedding fair. From the first time Caroline and Navin came to my workshop they had a clear idea of what they wanted for their wedding day.

Caroline and Navin met over 6 years ago when they both worked at Saracens Rugby Club. Navin proposed on a beautiful remote headland on the coast of Caswell Bay in Wales. Caroline said she didn't expect a thing, but thought it was weird that Navin wanted to carry his Wellington boots everywhere in the rare 30 degree heat! They have the exact co-ordinates of their engagement spot on the inside of their wedding bands, so they can forever remember that amazing moment.

Caroline and Navin got married on Friday 7^th August at the beautiful St Ippolyts Church in Hertfordshire. It is a beautiful church featuring a huge beautiful stain glass window and surrounded by stunning fields.

Both Caroline and Navin love the outdoors so wanted their wedding to reflect this but also add a touch of their laid-back personalities ensuring throughout the day their guests felt relaxed and enjoyed every element of the celebrations.

One key ingredient was the flowers. Caroline explained she wanted everything to be natural with a peaceful feel to the day. We set about creating flowers which could easily have been picked in the garden or on a country walk on a warm summers evening.

Caroline looked absolutely stunning in an elegant Karen Forte dress with a sweetheart neckline and a graceful fishtail falling into a long train - it looked perfect.

Navin and his grooms-men wore wonderful navy and grey tails from HRH Suits in Hitchin. Navin wore a dark navy stock which had him standing out as the groom which also matched the beautiful bridesmaids whereas the grooms-men wore smart white stocks.

Caroline had 4 gorgeous bridesmaids who wore elegant navy dresses from John Lewis. The bridesmaids also held a stunning bouquet of natural country flowers. In the bridesmaids bouquets I used a mixture of Hertfordshire grown flowers - it was important to Caroline and Navin that their day was filled with an array of colour and a dash simplistic elegance therefore I knew these flowers would be perfect.

With an array of greens, stylish purples and warm pinks these bouquets looked fab against the dark blue dresses. The flowers and greenery I have used here are Eucalyptus, Delphiniums and Larkspur.

Caroline’s bouquet was one of my favourites to date, it was full of natural sophistication and looked fantastic with her dress. I used a mixture of greens and whites to ensure she stood out but kept the country ‘just picked’ theme. Some of the flowers and greenery used were fresh Mint leaves, Roses, Peonies, Eucalyptus, AlChemilla Morris, Scabious, and Cow Parsley. I hope you will agree, it is stunning.

After the beautiful church service the wedding party were driven to the amazing Almshoebury Meadows supplied by White Doves, where a stunning marque had been set up to host the celebrations and party.

Inside the marque tables for guests were dressed with a huge terracotta flower pot filled with elegant country flowers, which fitted with the name of the venue ‘Meadow’ very well. I filled each pot with large and small Daisies, AlChemilla Morris and Scabious. Caroline wanted these to look as natural as possible and she also planned to put them in her garden after the big day was over.

   

To carry on their amazing theme Caroline and Navin ensured every element of their day had a personal touch. Each table had a handmade number and bunting hung from the ceiling which was superbly made by Caroline’s close friend Milly. Other crucial parts of the day were also lovingly handmade which included the; Confetti, name pucks, card box, order of service, picture line, guest book, jars, signs, and the table plan.

The cakes looked amazing - one was a delicious brownie tower made by Meadowsweet Cakes and if that wasn't enough there was also an incredible cheese cake made by The Cheese Plate in Buntingford. Both looked fantastic!

To finish the amazing day the wedding party made a toast to Caroline and Navin and danced into the night.

Caroline and Navin are an amazing couple who have the most amazing future ahead of them filled with love and laughter. Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your day. I wish you both all the happiness in the world.

Anne x

Thank you all the suppliers who are listed below:

Special thanks to the wonderful photographer Em J Photography for letting us use the photos.  

• Flowers – Betty & Bear Flowers - www.bettyandbearflowers.co.uk
• Photography – Em J Photography - www.em-j.co.uk
• Bridesmaid Dresses – John Lewis
• Groomswear – HRH Suits Hitchin
• Mother of the bride – CREAM (Royston)
• Hair – Kelly (Home hairdresser Hitchin)
• Brides Dress – Karen Forte
• Venue – St Ippolyts Church & Almshoebury Meadows
• Cake – Meadowsweet Cakes (Brownie Tower)
• Cheese Cake – The Cheese Plate (Buntingford)
• Bunting – Handmade by our close friend Milly
• Entertainment – The Big Beat
• Transport – White Doves
• Rings – Patrick Wyatt (London)
• Honeymoon – Santorini, Greece

Elegance in the Countryside

I met the Lisney-Smith family when Hannah and her sister Amy were little. Both girls, like my own were horsey mad and enjoyed even then being outside in the fresh country air.

Over the years I kept in close contact with Hannah and Amy's parents, Chris and Jan who are two of my most wonderful friends.

When Jan got in touch to tell me Hannah and her lovely boyfriend Steve had got engaged I was thrilled. I had met Steve many times before and he is a wonderful man and they were always so happy together and full of life. When Hannah then asked me to do their wedding flowers I was delighted - what an honour! 

Hannah and Steve met back in August 2008 at a family friends 21st Birthday party. Their love for each other grew over the years and in 2013 Steve decided it was time to 'pop the question'. Steve had it all planned...Boxing day morning was the perfect time! So before his parents big Boxing day party, Hannah and Steve took the dogs for a walk in crisp morning air out the countryside surrounded by fields, trees and a light dusting of frost.

To ensure the proposal was one to remember Steve had enlisted the help of his brother Greg. Greg had the task of hiding a bottle of Champagne next to a bench in the field...the spot Steve planned on using for his proposal. With all the excitement and nerves, Steve hadn't allowed Greg enough time to get to the bench and get back unnoticed. Upon placing the Champagne in the perfect spot poor Greg had to hide in a bush to avoid being spotted by Hannah! After the question was popped and Hannah said yes (& Greg now out of hiding) they all headed back to Steve's parents house to celebrate with family. 

Hannah and Steve got married on 26th June 2015. Their ceremony was at the stunning Knebworth Barns with Lawrence Hill playing on guitar as Hannah and her dad Chris walked down the aisle. The barns are set in the grounds of the magnificent Knebworth House and overlook the amazing parkland and gardens. The barns have recently been restored and created the most wonderful setting for this graceful wedding. 

In the week leading up to the wedding we all kept our eyes on the weather with our fingers crossed - to everyone's relief the sun shone throughout the day which turned the gardens of Knebworth house into a magical wonderland for Steve and Hannah's stunning wedding photos.

Hannah's beautiful dress was from the wonderful Heritage Brides based at Hatfield House. Designed by Maria Senvo and her shoes are by Merle & Morris, also from Heritage Brides. 

To add to Hannah's elegance she wore her grandmother's diamond watch and pearl earrings. Her hair was created by a hairdresser from Toni & Guy and her beautiful make up was by the talented Natalie Sharman. 

The mother of the bride Jan, wore a fabulous dress from Cream in Royston. 

Hannah had one of her friends and wonderful sister Amy as her bridesmaids. Their dresses were from Monsoon Limited Edition. They are simply stunning and such a fantastic colour with beautiful embroidery, beads and sequins. The four adorable flower girl dresses were from John Lewis. To complete their outfits each flower girl and bridesmaid wore beautiful fresh water pearl bracelets from Not On The High Street.

Following the country style theme of the wedding Steve the handsome groom, father of the bride and groom and his grooms men were dressed in beautiful tweed suits from HRH Holmes & Son. Don't they look handsome!! 

Hannah and the wedding party were driven to the wedding in true country style... a convoy of Land Rovers! The party then began at Tewin Hill Farm which is a family friends farm. The setting was perfect for the celebrations to start! With amazing views of the countryside, a huge marque, fantastic band, and a country theme throughout, using straw bales and elegant lighting the setting was beautiful.

When Hannah explained to me their vision for a personal, country style wedding with a festival theme we got to work on the flowers creating a wonderfully natural and elegant theme throughout. 

Along with their top table, centre pieces and bouquets, I also supplied vintage bunting and large standing hearts filled with Ivy. 

Hannah and Steve are 'foodies' and part of their check list for the perfect wedding was something a bit different. They didn't want a sit down 3-course meal as rightly that wouldn't have worked with their theme. Therefore they had hampers on each table with pies, salads, cold meats, and various other yummies. One person on each table had to open the hamper and pass the food round the table. Everyone absolutely loved it and it was a great conversation starter for people that didn't know each other. After the meal the hampers were taken away and lanterns with foliage and flowers were placed on each table which completely transformed the marquee, the candles in the lanterns were then lit ready for the evening. To keep hunger at bay they then had a delicious hog roast in the evening.

The party was taken into full swing with Soul Funk Secret a 7-piece band who played into the night and introduced Hannah and Steve's first dance.

When I asked Hannah about their day she said "Overall, it was even more perfect than we could have imagined, and everything went to plan. There isn't anything I would have changed."

I am so delighted to have been part of their day and to have been there to celebrate with Hannah, Steve and their wonderful families. I wish you both many years of happiness, filed with love, laughter and wonderful memories.  

Thank you to all the suppliers of the day:

All photo credits to - www.jacksonandcophotography.com

Flowers/ Venue Décor - www.bettyandbearflowers.co.uk

Venues - Knebworth Barns & Tewin Farm

Dress - Maria Senvo from Heritage Brides

Shoes - Merle & Morris from Heritage Brides
Bridesmaid dresses - Monsoon (Limited Edition.)
Flower girl dresses - John Lewis.
Grooms wear - HRH Holmes & Son. All the Groomsmen wore tweed.
Mother of the Bride - Cream in Royston.
Rings - Cool Rocks.
Jewellery - Not On The High Street (bridesmaids & flower girls)

Hair - Toni & Guy
Make up - Natalie Sharman.
Cake - Naked wedding cake made by family friend
Entertainment - Lawrence Hill & Soul Funk Secret
Transport – Family Land Drovers
Wedding Stationary - designed by Amy Lisney-Smith

Anne x

Bohemian-chic Wedding

A favourite wedding theme that was seen in 2014 is making a huge appearance in 2015. It has been said that bohemian-chic/country or rustic style will be this year’s number one wedding theme.

The aim behind these weddings is to create a warm, intimate atmosphere for the guests and the bride and groom. You may have long wooden tables instead of round ones and tea lights hanging delicately from trees or twigs.

Lots of brides come to me and say they would like a rustic/country style wedding, that is simple and elegant and with no fuss – therefore they will be doing their own flowers...

Although your wedding day is the most amazing day of your life you will be stressed and at times you will panic. It isn't uncommon for people to want save money and do their own flowers but I wouldn't always advise it.

However, I am all for money saving ideas so if you do want to create your own flowers for your rustic wedding here are a few simple tips for your day:

Jam jars may get you in a sticky mess

Although we all love a jam jar and they look fabulous with tea lights in them, they are not great for flowers.

To make a jam jar look good it will take nearly as many flowers as it does on a normal centre piece. Due to the jam jar being rather wide it takes a lot of filling to make them look pretty. If you don’t use enough flowers they can look sparse and scruffy.

If you want simple yet effective, buy a few milk bottles (these can be bought from IKEA), you then only need three or four per table and one flower in each - simple and elegant! You can also get different coloured bottles to add some more colours to your table.

Tea light elegance

The light from a tea light adds so much warmth to a room with its soft glow and flicker. Add two or three tea lights in glass holders to your tables for a cost effective natural elegance. 

Baby’s breath

...Also known as gipsofila is a small white flower where each stalk looks like its very own tree. This is a great low cost flower which adds sophistication to any wedding. This can be used in larger milk bottles or even as your bouquet.

Table numbers

Everyone loves to have unique table numbers. Some great ideas I have made for my brides include – painted pumpkins or gourds and numbers made of moss.

Mary had a little lamb

Shepherds hooks with hanging jars filled with colourful flowers set in large buckets and covered in moss are perfect for any reception venue.

Vintage is best

Vintage ribbon is a great way of adding colour and vibrancy to any party, especially your wedding. Try sourcing the ribbon from your local emporium, charity shop or on the internet. You can accessorise with different styles, widths and colours or follow a simple theme of colour. Add the ribbon to jam jars, chairs and milk bottles.