Think gold candlesticks, tall white tapered candles and blush floral arrangements with hints of champagne gold. It’s true to say that there’s plenty of real wedding inspiration in Abbie & Josh’s modern fairytale wedding. From jazz piano renditions on the rose terrace to a choreographed first dance and a surprise Whitney Houston from the Bride, their springtime celebration was packed with memorable moments. Read on for more.
Some Words From the Bride…
Abbie Says…
From the moment we saw Pynes House, we knew it was the perfect place for our dream wedding. We loved the timeless elegance and the English nuances, as well as the lightness and airiness of the walls and halls. It felt like we had stepped into a romantic fairytale book. I had actually seen it before my husband and I were even dating, and had thought “I would love to get married here one day” – I can’t believe it actually happened!
The Outfits…
The bridesmaids wore rose pink dresses from Ghost. They were all different styles to ensure they felt fabulous. The Groom and Groomsmen wore morning suits; black morning coats, light grey waistcoats, pin striped trousers and a rose pink tie and pocket square. We wanted to go for a classic, traditional look.
I wore an all silk Sassi Holford gown. It had spaghetti straps, a low back and a beautiful, elegant bow that fell lightly down the train of the dress. The front had a sweetheart neckline, and the skirt moved in such a stunning way.
The Day…
We had our family and a few friends staying at Pynes House with us. On the morning, all the boys were getting ready upstairs and the girls were in the bridal suite on the first floor.
The Ceremony was so special to us, as we got married in the church where we met. As practising Christians, getting married in the presence of God was so important to us. My Dad (as well as walking me down the aisle) married us and bought such a sense of fun and lightness to the ceremony. Our dear friends from the Church lead us in Worship. One of my bridesmaids also sang two of our favourite songs as we were signing the register; “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar, and “You and I Always” by Jake Isaac. This was simply stunning. I walked down the aisle to “Can’t help falling in love with you” – a beautiful version by Kina Grannis from Crazy Rich Asians (my fave film!). This was a surprise for everyone, including Josh.
After the service, we headed back to Pynes House for drinks and canapés. The fabulous Jo (our Pynes House wedding co-ordinator) was waiting for us with our drinks of choice. We also snuck in a quick photo session with our fabulous photographers (Tom and Lizzie Redman) and wonderful videographer (Tom Smith – Found Films).
Our speeches weren’t so conventional as we did them in the entrance hall post dinner. We wanted a more relaxed vibe, where the guests could sit on the steps/stand around the side, interact a bit and have some fun. The entrance hall is such a stunning place, we wanted to make full use of this. We LOVED having the speeches there, it was a such a highlight of the day.
We then headed through to the ballroom for our first dance. This was a very short choreographed number to “Skate” by Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak that was just so much fun. I also surprised Josh and sang a Whitney Houston song with the band during their set! The atmosphere was alive with joy. We ended the day by a rather traditional method – and I threw a bouquet as we made our exit up the grand staircase.
Shop second hand if your budget is stretched– it’s more work but definitely worth it. Both my dress and all the bridesmaid dresses were second hand!
The Look…
Our colour scheme was blush/rose pink with a hint of champagne gold.
We kept the ceremony fairly simple. The aisle had two olive trees at the entrance, and was lined with candles. At the front, the banister was dressed with greenery and pink blossom and we had flower arrangements on the front altar. We also had white paper lanterns strung above us throughout the church.
For the reception, we didn’t want to do too much to Pynes, as we thought the lightness and elegance of it was breath-taking enough. We had flower arrangements dotted around the place, along with gold photo frames, gold candlesticks, and tall white tapered candles. On the tables, we used table runners to match the bridesmaid dresses. We also had gold candlesticks and a mixture of off-white, deeper rose pink and blush pink candlesticks. Our table plan was written on a gold mirror and the tables were named after our favourite music artists.
The Entertainment…
We had our wonderful friend Gideon playing jazz piano at our canapes reception on the terrace. He had learnt a playlist of our favourite songs, and gave them all a jazzy feel. We also set out some games on the lawn, but I think most people were enjoying the food and chatting too much!
Our evening band was a function band called ABY, made up of some of our long-standing friends. They are totally known for throwing the BEST party, with such a range of songs – the dance floor was buzzing the whole evening. As dance floor people, this was so important for us.
We hope you enjoyed reading about Abbie & Josh’s modern fairytale wedding. Just got engaged? We’ve got you covered. Click here for one of our wedding planning guides, or have a look at some of our real wedding inspiration on Instagram. Or, get in contact with us to set up your own private viewing – we’d love to show you around.