Bright Wedding - Multicoloured Blooms & Fun Times with Cool Style

What a beautifully bright wedding I have in store to brighten your day! Imogen and Matt are with us to share their totally gorgeous nuptials held on the 4^th May 2019 at Ever After in Devon. Hooray!

So just what do I love about their day? The multicolour scheme is top of my list here, with blooms in an array of corals, pinks and oranges, they looked so striking! Then there were the fun cakes, a scone and macaron tower plus a cheese stack, oh yum. Not to mention the complete and utter stylish outfits all round. Imogen wore a sleek Suzanne Neville gown and veil, Matt wore a green suit and polka dot tie and the bridesmaids wore sequin tops and tulle skirts. They all looked sensational.

Do look out for sunglasses, cute signs and DIY décor galore! A massive thank you goes to Sally T Photography for sharing these fantastic images and film of a really vibrant day.

The Proposal

We got engaged in Italy, on the Amalfi Coast in July 2018. We were in Napoli that night in a really traditional restaurant. Matt was quite subtle about the whole thing and then I cried my eyes out so quite a few people noticed and I was so shocked that I forgot to actually answer his proposal! As we walked back to our hotel we came across lots of couples dancing on the street, so romantic and we will always remember that.

The Vision

We wanted our wedding to be laid back and most of all fun for everyone. I love colour so the flowers were always going to be bright! We wanted the decoration to reflect our love of travelling and exploring together. We went with the phrase “Indian elegance” to describe our theme to the florist.

The Planning Process

We started planning almost straight away after getting engaged (as I had been waiting quite a long time, I had a comprehensive Pinterest board!). Although we lived in London, we both knew we wanted to get married in the countryside as that is where we are both happiest. Initially we thought we wanted to get married on a beach and we planned a trip to Devon in August to see a few venues, mostly on beaches or with sea views. Ever After was a bit of a wild card as it is as far from the sea as you can get in Devon, but as soon as we arrived in the beautiful little valley on the edge of Dartmoor and met Nicola the owner, we both knew that was the perfect venue for us. There were 3 dates left for the following year I think, and we chose May bank holiday.

The Venue

Ever After in Grenofen, Tavistock, Devon.

We loved the fact that Ever After had the countryside feel, the outdoor ceremony (weather permitting) and marquee reception but instead of having to piece everything together yourselves (as you do usually with a marquee wedding), you get the ceremony and reception in one venue, Nicola the brilliant owner who is effectively your wedding planner for the day, lists of recommended suppliers and accommodation the night before and after to make everything much simpler. Not to mention, it is absolutely beautiful!

The Readings & Music

Before the ceremony we had classical music played by a string duo.

We walked down the aisle as Mr and Mrs to One Love by Bob Marley played by the piano and violin.   During the signing of the registers we had Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

The two readings we chose were the excerpt from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Love is A Temporary Madness and Happiness Is You by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

Your Outfits & Accessories

My dress and veil were by Suzanne Neville at Ellie Sanderson in Beconsfield. I went to about 6 shops and tried on what felt like 100 dresses but that was the first one I really felt I could imagine getting married in. I knew I wanted a veil, that was my favourite part. I also splashed out on Jimmy Choos – the most expensive shoes I’ll ever buy! And I loved wearing them!

Matt wore a lovely dark green Paul Smith Suit. As he wears a black or navy suit every day for work he wanted it to feel special. He wore a Paul Smith tie and pocket square and tan shoes by Loake.

The Cake

Being in Devon we wanted to include a cream tea in some way, so we had an amazing scone and macaron tower made by Harrie from Boo to a Goose. For the less sweet tooth we had a cheese cake tower from Country Cheeses in Tavistock.

The Flowers

The very talented Amanda Randell Cox was our florist. The flowers were really important to me and she brought all our ideas to reality with great enthusiasm and expertise.

We had a hazel arch flower curtain (which turned into a photo backdrop) made out of carnations for the ceremony, which I was able to cut and tie around people’s necks later on when the partying started! We had a chandelier of foliage and trails of carnations in the marquee and garlands on our seat backs all adding to that Indian Elegance feel.

The main bouquets and buttonholes were a mixture of roses, Coral Charm and Kansas peonies.

Bridesmaids

The girls wore Needle and Thread skirts and ASOS sequined tops in neutral greys with a lot of sparkle. The neutral colour made their flowers pop brilliantly. We gave them gorgeous moonstone earrings by Carrie Elizabeth to match the tops.

Payton, our gorgeous flower girl wore a dress from Monsoon.

Groomsmen

The guys wore their own Navy suits with Paul Smith polka dot ties and pocket squares.

Beauty

My make up was done by the very talented Lauren O’Donnell a Scottish, London based make-up artist. She is great to have around on the day.

My hair was done by Jodie at The Hair Lounge in Tavistock.

Your Photographer

The amazing Sally T Photography. We knew we wanted Sally after she photographed my sister’s wedding the year before and luckily she was free! She is so professional but fun and feels like one of your guests.

Your Filmmaker

Sally T made us one of her brilliant stop motion films. We were so glad we got that as it’s the perfect way to show people the whole day in a couple of minutes and we will probably watch it every anniversary!

The Details & Décor

I made lots of the decorations myself for several months before our big day. From the wooden painted “Welcome” sign to the handwritten place cards with dipped glitter feathers.

The menu was hand written on an a vintage picture frame and the table names were all places we have been painted on to gold picture frames with dried foliage between the glass. I loved spending the time making things for our wedding.

The Honeymoon

We went to Hawaii 3 days later. We were so glad we did it that way and didn’t have to pop our wedding bubble! We spent 3 weeks travelling round 4 different islands doing a mixture of beach days, hiking and a lot of eating! It really was a Honeymoon in paradise.

Memorable Moments

Toward the end of the night my brother in law put me on his shoulders and then someone picked Matt up (not sure how!) and we danced around with everyone. I think I was also playing the bands tambourine…Such a happy memory!

Advice For Other Couples

Try to enjoy all the planning as much as you can. The actual day is over so quickly but the special moments like visiting venues, the food and wine tasting are all part of it.

Also don’t be afraid to cut out certain traditions if you want to put the money elsewhere or if it’s just not you. We didn’t have any favours because we’ve been to so many wedding where they get left behind and we didn’t have a traditional cake because we thought cheese, scones and macarons would be more fun.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Oh WOW! Colour lovers, wasn’t that such a treat?!

Imogen and Matt thank you ever so much for sharing your bright wedding with us today xo Lou