We just love a good English countryside wedding.
The idyllic village church, posies of sweet William and roses, bubbly in the garden, and in most cases, copious amounts of bunting adorning the marquee.
Rachael and Matthew's pretty Surrey wedding, did have three of the four above, but they gave their personal spin on their back garden bash, with lashings of style and lots of gorgeous touches.
A stunning Jenny Packham wedding dress, a fun vintage bus, cool geronimo balloons, an equine cameo, and a decidedly chocolatey wedding cake, were just some of the ways this loved-up pair created their own dream day.
All captured by the wonderful Juliet McKee Photography, their wedding was fun, pretty, personal and chic.
With a clear vision of her DIY decor, and her own Surrey garden as the backdrop, Rachael says she was hoping to channel Kate Moss' bridal party style.
We reckon Miss Moss hasn't a patch on this beautiful bride's party planning, just take a look…
The Dresses
I wore a simple, beaded Jenny Packham dress and my bridesmaids wore simple white tea dresses.
I was trying to channel a Kate Moss style wedding!
The Ceremony
My mother died a few years ago, so our special reading, Invisible Kisses by Lemn Sissay was about her.
(Editor's note: Be sure to read this poem, it's so beautiful, and would make a lovely tribute for remembering loved ones on your wedding day.)
The Music
Processional: Beethoven’s Five Secrets by The Piano Guys
Recessional: The Wedding March
First dance: Ho Hey, by The Lumineers
The Photography
Juliet was recommended to me by a very stylish friend (my sister-in-law) who I trust implicitly. She works for Peggy Porchen so knows a good photographer when she sees one.
Special Moments
For us, we wanted our wedding to be special and beautiful, but also a party for all of our guests, I think we delivered this.
Being at home made it so special.
The Theme
There was no set theme or colour palette, I just went with everything I liked and hoped it would fit together. I wanted to reflect the fact that it was summer and June, so used seasonal flowers and colours.
The Flowers
The flowers were by Divine at Number 12. We had sweet William, roses, sweet pea, I’m not sure of the rest, but they were all seasonal.
The Decor & Details
I decorated the wedding by myself, as I had such a clear idea of what I wanted. Not on the High Street was brilliant.
The Refreshments
We provided all types of drinks, especially the ones we like to enjoy on a night out!
We had a formal sit down meal of carpaccio and sea bass. As it was summer, I wanted something like and delicious.
We also had Peggy Porschen salted caramel cake and cupcakes.
Advice for Other Couples
Enjoy it! It is so much fun and I believe how you approach the planning is really reflected in the day.
Pinterest, Not On The Highstreet and Lights4Fun were all brilliant websites. Bridal magazines and fashion shows were a good source of inspiration.
As for the budget, write everything down! Draw up a spreadsheet, be specific and keep to it. Remember some things can be just as brilliant without spending a fortune, but do spend money on the things that matter to you.
Don’t be afraid to let your ideas and personality shine through. Ultimately you should be making most of the decisions as it is your special day. Do what you want and don’t be afraid to shun tradition.
Isn't it beautiful? The Jenny Packham gown is just exquisite. I love the marquee decor – and the fact that they could do it all at home, is so special. (If only I had a massive backyard on this London flat of mine!)
Thanks so much to the fabulous Juliet McKee Photography and of course the lovely Rachael and Matthew for sharing their pretty English countryside wedding with us.
For more inspiration from real life couples, check out Chic Weddings + DIY Weddings.
