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Bryony & Christopher
Dreamy wildflowers and woodland details make this whimsical wedding stunning!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jessica Reeve Photography, jessicareeve-photography.com
There aren’t many brides who are proposed to within the Artic Circle, but Bryony counts herself as one of them.
“Chris surprised me with a trip to Finnish Lapland. After flying north and a two-hour drive through the mountains, we arrived at our glass-roofed suite, built around an old tree, ready to watch the Northern Lights above us. I was snuggled up when ‘our’ song started to play and Chris asked me to be his wife. He’d designed the diamond and emerald gold ring himself and had the mountain’s coordinates inscribed inside. The next day we went husky sledding in the snowy wilderness – it was the most unforgettable experience!”
Bryony discovered her dream Kitty Chen dress in Azure Bridal, Kingston. A champagne and ivory strapless A-line gown with a train, four layers of tulle completed the skirt with lace appliqué on the bodice.
“I loved how Kitty Chen managed to make the dress so light and summery while still having an impact. I felt happy, special and excited as soon as I tried it on.”
Continuing his streak for excellent surprises, Chris gifted the bride a tsavorite and diamond pendant on a gold necklace chain on their wedding morning, designed with their friend who is a jeweller. “My earrings were tsavorite too, so it matched perfectly.” Bryony added a bespoke handmade veil by Tatiana Porembova and sparkly champagne Kurt Geiger shoes.
“Chris wore the most beautiful Canali suit in a blue Prince of Wales check. They tailored it beautifully for him. We had waistcoats custom made by A Suit That Fits to complement the bridesmaid dresses, and his shoes were Burberry.” Not a stranger to surprises herself, Bryony gifted her groom a Vacheron Constantin Patrimony watch in rose gold, to match his wedding band.
Bryony’s sister and good friend joined her as bridesmaids along with two flower girls. The bride’s dog, Fallow, even became a four-legged bridesmaid too!
“The bridesmaid dresses were made for us. We chose full-length multiway dresses in dusky pink so the girls could choose how best to wear them. I used the same fabric to make a matching collar for Fallow, with little roses braided into it.”
The couple tied the knot in a traditional church close to the bride’s family home. “As we walked to the church the villagers came out to wish me luck. It was a lovely ceremony, seeing the emotion in Chris’s face as I walked towards him and feeling the absolute joy as we were declared husband and wife.”
Readings came from Dr Seuss, ‘A History of Love’ by Nicole Krauss, ‘The Invitation’ by Oriah and ‘Les Miserables’, as well as verses from the Song of Solomon. A local singer sang in Welsh, in a nod to the bride’s family roots.
Guests were greeted at the reception by Champagne, signature cocktails, local ales and canapés, before sitting down to three courses. After cutting the cake, the couple also served an indulgent cheese course, formed by their cheese tower from The Fine Cheese Co.
While the couple didn’t plan a specific theme, their whimsical wedding took on an ethereal, woodland style.
“We added lots of rustic logs, terrariums with moss and woodland flowers, gin bottles filled with wildflowers, reindeer hides and even a fire pit! I was set on having homemade and eclectic décor, so with the help of family and friends we collected bottles and picked flowers while walking Fallow the day before. My dad and the local villagers grew sweet peas that we dotted around in buckets and strung up from the rafters in jam jars.
The flowers were one of my favourite parts of the wedding,” Bryony gushes. A brilliant neighbour created the church blooms with a natural, country garden aesthetic. “I was adamant that all I wanted were my father’s sweet peas for my bouquet having loved them since childhood.”
“We picked the sweet peas together, adding gypsophila and tying the sprigs with dusky silk ribbon and twine an hour before the wedding!”
In the evening, the band Get Carter gave an amazing performance, even introducing maracas and washboards to get guests involved. “Even people who’d usually be too shy to dance had something to do, it was great!”
“We chose ‘Forever Young’ by Youth Group for our first dance. On our second date I’d told Chris I was too shy to slow dance at school. He put the song on to play and said he’d be my first – it’s such a special memory to us and the perfect song to enjoy our first slow dance of married life to.”
Booking the adventure entirely themselves, Bryony and Chris spent 14 days exploring Japan for their honeymoon. “We travelled by bullet train, climbed volcanoes, found hidden shrines in forests, swam in waterfalls, walked with sacred deer and relaxed in the steamy onsens. The trip was one huge adventure!”
SUPPLIERS
CEREMONY St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Newnham
RECEPTION VENUE Field owned by Newnham Cricket Club
DRESS Kitty Chen Couture at Azure Bridal, Kingston
BRIDESMAID DRESSES For similar, try In One Clothing
GROOM Canali, Burberry
ACCESSORIES Colesams Jewellery, Tatiana Porembova, Kurt Geiger
HAIR Julie at Beyond the Fringe, Kent
MAKEUP Bobbi Brown
CHEESE TOWER The Fine Cheese Co
ENTERTAINMENT Get Carter
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