It may be the start of Winter but we are dreaming of warmer weather in the House of Elliot studio as we have the loveliest English Summer wedding to share with you today! Olivia & Will’s elegant wedding took place at the beautiful Church where Will’s father is the Vicar, with the reception following at Elm’s Barn, a quintessential English Barn from the 18th Century. Everything was all exquisitely decorated in white and ivory florals with green and blush accents, together with personal touches such as rustic pitchers with the newlyweds’ new name on each table (which is Pitcher!).
Olivia looked radiant in a stunning sweetheart neckline Pronovias lace dress which she paired with a pair of House of Elliot vintage ‘Evangeline Elliot‘ lace boots. We also love how Clare from Clare Butler Photography captured every little detail of their special day, from Olivia getting ready in a beautiful lace robe to the gorgeous hand-painted watercolour invitations and table illustrations.
We would like to thank Oliva and Will for sharing their special day with us and wish them all the very best in their new journey together as Husband & Wife!
Wedding Wishes and Love As Always,
Nicole xxx
So how did you meet your husband and how did he propose?
Will and I met in the seaside town of Southwold in Suffolk. My Dad is the doctor there, and Will and his family had moved to the area for his Dad’s new job as the vicar of the town. We were introduced to each other by our parents and it transpired that Will would soon be starting at my school. We became very good friends, and roll on 6 years later we got engaged. It was at Christmas time and we’d just been at an evening Christmas carol service at Southwold church. Will suggested we walk back to his house along the seafront which seemed like a lovely idea. Part of the way through our stroll along the beach he told me to shut my eyes and then led me into a beach hut filled with fairy lights. He’d made a beautiful video of quotes and pictures of our time together after which he got down on one knee, said some perfect words which he’s since written down for me to remember forever, and asked me to marry him. We then went back to his house where my parents and his were waiting for us, obviously in on the surprise, and we spent the rest of the evening celebrating together.
Where did you get married and who did you invite?
We got married in St Edmund’s church in Southwold – there was never any question given the special connection we have to it. Will’s Dad conducted the ceremony which was incredibly special, and we had a lot of local people who turned up to support us too which was lovely. It was a big wedding with around 130 guests invited to every part of the day. We both have large families, and friends from school, university, church and work who we were keen to invite.
What was the main inspiration for your wedding?
We had a few themes we included in the wedding, but our overarching desire is that we wanted it to feel very personal to us. Colours-wise we went for lots of ivory and whites, sage green and mauve, with gysophilia, amnesia roses and eucalyptus as our main floral choices. As our beautiful reception venue is called Elms Barn we named each of our tables after a different type of tree, with stunning watercolour illustrations as table numbers. We even had a huge log slice for people to sign as a guest book which we’ve since hung up in our house. We also had ‘Pitcher’ jugs on each table given our new shared surname, cd soundtrack wedding favours of all the music that had been included in the day, and famous Southwold Butterbuns for people to enjoy during the drinks reception.
Tell us about your wedding look
I’m a huge fan of lace, so was always confident I’d want a wedding dress that incorporated this in some way. In my head, I couldn’t decide whether I’d want a big princess style dress, or something a little bit more slim fitting, so when I found my dream dress from Pronovias I was delighted it incorporated both of these styles. It was covered top to toe in beautiful layered lace, had a lovely scalloped neckline with eyelash lace detail and an enormous statement cathedral length train.
What made you choose a pair of House of Elliot boots for your wedding day?
I actually saw House of Elliot boots in a wedding magazine shoot and was blown away by how different they were. They are a real statement shoe whilst still feeling feminine and beautiful. I got in touch with Nicole at House of Elliot who was so lovely and decided to take the plunge and get them – and I wasn’t disappointed! They made such a huge impact on the wedding day – everyone was in love with them and kept asking me to lift up the bottom of my dress so they could admire them in more detail. Part of our ceremony involved Will and I washing each others feet (a nod to our Christian faith and what Jesus did for his disciples) and so my boots were very much on show for this part of the wedding. They were the perfect accompaniment to my wedding day look – gorgeous, comfortable and I was absolutely thrilled to have them on.
What did you love the most about your wedding day?
It was so special having all the people we love in one place, there to celebrate our marriage and love for each other. When you’ve spent months/years planning the day you’ve always dreamed of it is so incredible seeing that vision and those hopes come to fruition. Our favourite part of the day was the ceremony and saying our vows to each other. Those moments are etched into my memory forever.
What pearls of wisdom would you share with future brides who are planning their wedding?
The main thing would be to really enjoy the season of being engaged and planning a wedding. It is such an amazing time so treasure the experience of being together and looking forward to the best day of your lives. Also, don’t underestimate how long you need to get things done. Do as much as you can a long time in advance, even if it feels over the top – you’ll be grateful not to have things pile up in those precious weeks and days before the wedding.
Olivia & Will would like to thank all the vendors who made their Wedding Day so special!
Photography: Clare Butler Photography https://clarebutlerphotography.com
Videographer: Rupert Ward-Lewis https://rupert-wardlewis-8whq.squarespace.com/films/
Ceremony Venue: St Edmund’s Church, Southwold https://www.solebayteamministry.co.uk/our-parish-churches/st-edmund-southwold
Reception Venue : Elms Barn https://elmsbarnweddings.co.uk
Dress (Designer, name of dress and shop): Pronovias, Druida, Lily Christina Bridal
https://www.lilychristinabridal.com
Accessories:
My Mum’s pearls from her wedding day
Veil: Britten Veils https://www.brittenweddings.com
Garter: The Wedding Garter Co https://www.weddinggarterco.com
Shoes: House of Elliot Collection https://www.houseofelliotcollection.com
Wedding rings: Two become One Jewellery – https://www.twobecomeonejewellery.com
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Etsy – Renz Bridal https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RenzRags
Hair: Gemma Holiday Hair Artistry https://www.gemmaholiday.com
Make-up: Eleanor Ainslie Make-Up Artist https://www.facebook.com/eleanorainsliemua/
Groom’s outfit: Whitfield and Ward https://whitfieldandward.co.uk
Stationery: Emma Louise Castle https://www.emmalouisecastle.co.uk
Flowers: In house Florist at Elms Barn
Cake: Kitty’s Cakes https://kittyscakes.co.uk
Entertainment:
Nick Raison Pianist – https://www.nickraison.co.uk
Down For The Count https://www.downforthecount.co.uk
