A Pretty-as-a-Picture, Pastel-Themed, Vintage Wedding

On a cold grey evening like this, when all you want to do is snuggle up in cashmere jumpers, it's hard to remember the halcyon days of summer, when we drank Pimm's on countryside lawns. But Kelly and Ren's big day will take you right back there, and you'll love all of Kelly's creative wedding ideas. As a stylist, she was always going to come up with something pretty special, but I've fallen for her unique wedding style. Stealworthy ideas include the gorgeous photo-prop bicycle {more pics in the second feature}, Kelly's sparkly brooch bouquet {DIY'd!!!} and stunning Maggie Sottero wedding gown, complete with Gone-with-the-Wind-style train. Other handmade details include all their wedding flowers, the butterfly and burlap decorations, and elegant wedding stationery. Huge thanks to The Cole Portfolio for their stunning photographs of the day - more to come in Part 2, and the reception details!

We got married at the beautiful Hill Place in Swanmore, Hampshire. I helped style a photo shoot at Hill Place in 2010, and fell in love with the homeliness and character of the elegant Georgian house, as well as the beautiful grounds. 

My wedding dress is by Maggie Sottero {my favourite designer} and I bought it from The Ivory Boutique in Winchester. I felt that finding my dress was a bit of a 'mission', but as soon as I tried it on, I knew this was the one.

I always wanted a brooch bouquet as it was something I hadn’t seen before so I designed and made my own with antique brooches and jewellery from Swarovski.

My birdcage veil and jewelled hair piece were custom-made by the incredibly talented Tracy at Once Upon A Time Tiaras. 

I wanted something that was unique to me, and that balanced and complimented my dress. Tracy also made a beautiful pearl tiara for my daughter, who was my bridesmaid.



Hill Place has its own unique style, and we knew that it would fit perfectly with our vision of our day. To compliment the property, we opted for pastel tones and vintage props.

We decided to rip up tradition, by opting out of having bridesmaids and ushers, speeches and cake, and instead chose to have a drinks and canapé reception before the ceremony, lawn games afterwards and a cheese board selection in the evening. 

One of the most magical and memorable moments for me was walking down the sweeping staircase to meet Ren where he was waiting at the bottom. Together, with our children, we walked down the aisle and became a family.

Ren chose a tailored three piece suit by Ted Baker. He teamed this with a grey tie, and a freesia button hole {made by Kelly}, in memory of his mother.

We designed and created all our own wedding stationery. It was important to us that it was simple and elegant, and personalised with our own words.

Ren and I created all of our floral decorations. We bought the flowers from Dutch Masters who are a wholesale florist in Twyford. We wanted a romantic, vintage garden look, so we opted for cream and pink roses, lilac freesias, lavender, and plenty of foliage. 

We chose the freesias as not only are they beautifully scented but they were also Ren's mother's favourite flower and we wanted to be reminded of her in some way.

When it came to my wedding photographer, how could I not choose The Cole Portfolio! They are not only two of my favourite people but are also very talented photographers.  Having worked with them over several years, I trusted them to capture my memories and I love Abi’s natural style of photography and how they both make you feel so comfortable.

{Wedding Vendors}
Venue - Hill Place in Hampshire
On the day coordination - Marie of Isabella Weddings
Catering - Vanilla Catering
Bride's Make-up - Sarah Keenan
Wedding Pianist - Gary Preston
DJ - Chris Noon Entertainments
Marquee - Quality Marquee Hire
Prop Hire - Debbie Blight

Love Before the Big Day? Why not sign up to our free newsletter, for exclusive content and special offers! Before the Big Day - The Best UK Wedding Blog.

Related Posts: