Today I want to share with you the wedding of Gabi and Pete whose wedding we styled last summer. The backdrop to the day was Micklefield Hall, an 18th Century country house still privately owned and surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Gabi came to us in January last year, she had a number of different ideas about how they wanted their wedding to look but were struggling to decide what to choose, understand what would work together and had no idea how to make it a reality. As luxury Wedding Planners in London we offer a standalone Styling service to our clients – we started by teasing out of Gabi and Pete what their likes and dislikes were and then created detailed inspiration boards as a starting point, in addition to putting together the colour palette to work from. From here we began developing the look, incorporating all areas of the wedding including table settings (florals, linen glassware, cutlery & crockery), lighting, furniture, a funky bar set up, relaxing lounge area and romantic ceremony. Once every visual element of the design concept was confirmed, we then brought it to life by recommending the perfect suppliers and managing the negotiating and confirmation process. Lastly, we were there on the day itself to assist in the setting up and to ensure every looked perfect. Below is one of the many pages of the inspiration boards…
Gabi’s dress was a divine Suzanne Neville creation and Gabi’s sister who was the only bridesmaid wore an equally gorgeous Alice Temperley gown. The boys looked sharp in their dark suits and pale pink ties but I loved their morning ‘relaxing’ outfits…
(All below images are courtesy of Pearl Pictures apart from where indicated)
The ceremony took place in the Grotto on-site, set around a large pond in the gardens of Micklefield Hall. Everyone was armed with umbrellas as the weather looked decidedly iffy, but Gabi was set on having the ceremony outside so with staff posed to madly usher everyone inside we held firm and the rain held off long enough for Gabi to make her entrance to a round of applause and cheers!
Following the drinks reception on the lawn, guests were invited to the marquee for the wedding breakfast and evening celebrations. At Cranberry Blue we always like to reveal the main room to the Bride and Groom before any other guests enter so they get to see everything set up in its full glory. This is always one of my favourites moments of the day but Gabi certainly had the one of best reactions we’ve had so far!
The main colour palette was different shades of pink mixed back to Champagne and touches of gold. The abundant floral arrangements were created by the wonderful Philippa Craddock and were a mix of roses, specifically Sweet Avalanche, All Four Love and David Austen Keira roses alongside hydrangeas. Some tables had tall and domed centrepieces, whereas others had low arrangements with lots of candles and tealights. Special touches such as pink water glasses, the gorgeously lux Champagne linen and pearl handled cutlery all helped to bring the look together. In terms of layout of the room, we were clever with the space and utilised a combination of long and round tables to help create interest and maximum impact.
Image by Anthony Craddock
For the evening we set up two different bars – ‘Gabi’s bar’ serving signature cocktails, and ‘Pete’s bar’ serving brandy and whiskey. As the sun went down, the lighting in the marquee changed from soft and subtle to warm, cosy and more dramatic. Guests were able to help themselves to some delicious sweet treats from the dessert table and once the party was in full swing, they could choose to take a breather by having a quick sit down in the dedicated lounge area.
A few words from Gabi herself – “I was utterly blown away with how stunning the marquee looked – Melanie had created my fantasy wedding! It was absolutely perfect, from the smallest detail to the sweeping view of the room – just breath-taking”. To see more images and to read more about what Gabi thought about working with us have a look at our portfolio page.
A big thank-you the super talented Jemma of Pearl Pictures for capturing the day so beautifully.
If you’d like assistance in creating your design concept and bringing it to life then drop us a line at enquiries@cranberryblueweddings.co.uk or call us on 01732 463 633.
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