EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSES

Everything’s coming up rosesSophie and Jimmy’s wedding styling was inspired by the roses that grow in their garden

Images courtesy of Nicky Hill Photography

Sophie and Jimmy met at university in Preston and started dating soon after. Sophie knew she was on to a winner, when Jimmy treated her to a home-cooked meal of Hunter’s Chicken on one of their first dates. “I could barely cook a meal and still can’t really!” she explains. The two soon became inseparable and after a year as a couple, they decided to move in together. “We found that our values aligned and it felt very natural to share our lives,” Sophie says.

Jimmy planned a heartfelt proposal at the National Trust gardens at Stourhead – a place they’d visited many times and adore. However, by her own admission, Sophie isn’t a lover of surprises and point-blank refused to go. “I’m a stubborn being and didn’t fancy a walk that day,” she remembers. So, thinking on his feet, Jimmy decided to propose in their back garden. Not quite Stourhead, but since Sophie couldn’t be persuaded to leave the house, their own version of it would have to do! Perseverance paid off for him though and he surprised Sophie by popping the question. This was back in 2017 and they opted for a long engagement to save for the wedding of their dreams.

The couple agreed on three essential criteria when looking for a venue: it needed to have accommodation, be dog friendly and have an outdoor ceremony licence. Having viewed a handful of venues, Holbrook Manor emerged as the perfect fit. “It has a relaxed atmosphere and we felt we could make ourselves at home there, but it was also grand enough to suit the occasion. The staff were very friendly, supportive and relaxed, letting us explore every nook and cranny each visit,” Sophie explains.

Read on as the bride tells us more about W-day – 31st July, 2021…

As a bride, walking down the aisle is more overwhelming than I anticipated. I’m not used to walking into a room and having every single pair of eyes on me!

We hired a violinist to play during the ceremony and drinks reception. I wore an Essence of Australia gown (D3066) in rum. I love the modern take on lace and with the contrasting colour layer beneath it really popped so you could see its intricacies. I love a fitted silhouette and the dramatic long, detailed train clinched it for me. I paired the dress with a cathedral-length veil and pearl crown.

My maid-of-honour wore a peach floor-length gown, while the flowergirls wore dresses representing each colour in the palette – pink, lemon, peach and ivory.

The groom wore the Marc Darcy Ted Tan Check tailored three-piece suit. His groomsmen wore the same jacket and waistcoat but with sand-coloured chinos, allowing Jimmy to stand out.

We opted for a blend of tall and short table decorations and hired charger plates, chair drapes, linens, candles and our table plan sign.

Our colour palette reflected the roses we grow in our garden – baby pink, peach and soft lemon. I asked our florist, Louise, to design our floral arrangements with an English county garden feel in mind. She achieved this with David Austin roses, scabious, and dahlias amongst other flowers and foliage.

Mum and I made scented candles as wedding favours and personalised them by adding the names of each guest, which meant they doubled as place names.

Our big-day bake was a four-tier sponge cake decorated with a beautifully subtle ombre buttercream, which tasted divine. Each layer was a different flavour. There’s no such thing as too early when REAL WEDDINGS it comes to securing your venue and suppliers as you may find some of your favourites are booked two years in advance. It’s also a lot less stressful to do a bit here and there, rather than doing the lot in one go.

We want to give a special shout out to our photography duo Nicky and Lorraine. We loved having them there that day, they blended in seamlessly and helped make our day run smoothly, all while making us laugh and making us feel at ease.

I really valued not having to do a single thing on my wedding day. It may cost more not to take the DIY route, but if you have the budget, having a calm, relaxed morning is worth every penny!

SOPHIE AND JIMMY’S SUPPLIERS Venue and catering, Holbrook Manor, www.holbrookmanor.com Photography, Nicky Hill Photography, www.nickyhillphotography.com Dress, Rookery Bridal, https://rookerybridal.co.uk Jewellery and accessories, Victoria Percival, https://victoriapercival.com Hair and make-up, Bombshell Makeup UK, www.bombshellmakeupuk.com Suits, Suave Owl, https://suaveowl.co.uk Cake, Joanna Pyda Cake Studio, www.joannapydacakestudio.co.uk Flowers, Caroline Clements Flowers, www.carolineclementsflowers.com Stationery, Papier, www.papier.com Venue styling and hire, Etiquette Events, www.etiquetteevents.co.uk Jimmy and I had learnt a first-dance routine to James Arthur’s Say You Won’t Let Go and even had a secret rehearsal in the bathroom of our room! We thought this would be the only surprise performance of the day, but this was followed by our guests performing a choreographed dance to Everybody Needs Somebody To Love from the Blues Brothers.