Elegant Cottage Garden Wedding | Helen & Ian
“Love, love, love, love, love!!!! Anne, we’ve just seen the preview and you’ve made us both cry, they are utterly beautiful images! We’re blown away by your exceptional talent at storytelling. Thank you so so much.”
This elegant cottage garden wedding took place on one of the hottest days of last year’s summer and while an outdoor ceremony is usually a bit of a risky proposition it really paid off for Helen and Ian, who said ‘I do’ under a magnificent floral arch in the garden of their friend’s Hampshire cottage. Helen walked down the wisteria-covered aisle in a stunning Hayley Paige dress (aptly named ‘blush’) and – in a first in my ten years of wedding photography – she was so excited to meet her man at the altar she totally forgot her bouquet! Never mind. At least she had both hands free to cuddle her little daughter!
After an emotional ceremony we all moved into the shade (it was seriously scorching that day!) for a very classy cocktail hour with macarons and champagne and just when we had all started to feel sufficiently posh and polished, it was time to head over to the front lawn for dinner in an exquisitely decorated pole tent filled with beautiful faux cherry trees supplied by Twilight Trees. Instead of covering it up with hessian carpet, Helen chose to leave the lawn exposed, which worked really well with the trees and also her colour scheme of blush with accents in gold and green.
For dinner we all had…pizza from a landrover pizza oven! Totally breaking with the tradition of the 3 course wedding breakfast, Helen and Ian chose to serve back garden party food and lawn games, followed by a good old boogie on the dancefloor. We all had such a blast! I really do like it, when couples take only the traditions they want and make a wedding day completely their own. There’s really nothing wrong in having a super elegant cottage garden wedding and then serving pizza, gin & tonics and beer in personalised cans.
Helen and Ian’s wedding was be featured on Rock My Wedding.
Helen’s dress (blush by Hayley Paige): Hannah Elizabeth Bridal
hair + make up: Phoebe Hayter
wedding day coordinator: Beth Allen
pole tent: Tents ‘n Events
crockery + furniture: Classic Crockery
faux cherry blossom trees: Twilight Trees
florist: Catherine Coombes Flowers
neon signs: To Have and To Hire
cake + sponge cakes: The Blushing Cook