Just like the bride in this wonderful wedding I’m a huge fan of pretty pastel shades and bridesmaids wearing different coloured dresses. So as soon as I saw the sweet image of Sarah, flocked by her pretty maids I knew this wedding would have
style
.And that it does. From Sarah’s stunning Sharon Bowen gown, to the impressive Peak District venue and the incredibly beautiful blooms, this wedding oozes inspiration.
So sit back, relax and let’s all take a trip to the countryside to relive Sarah and David’s big day.
With images by Jess Petrie.
Sarah says:
David proposed over a beautiful breakfast at home on my 30th birthday – he knew I would hate a public proposal.We set the date for September 28th 2013. We wanted a Saturday wedding and September was the perfect month for us because my parents and best friend married in this month too.
We got married at Holy Trinity Church and Ashford in the Water. It’s such a beautiful church and I was a bridesmaid for my auntie and uncle there when I was very young. Church bells on a wedding day are a must too! Our reception was at Hassop Hall near Bakewell in Derbyshire. It was the only choice for us all along and it was perfect! It’s such a beautiful place and holds many family memories.
We wanted a relaxed, pretty, traditional, countryside wedding. We love living close to the countryside and spend a lot of time there so wanted to incorporate it into our day.
Pretty pastels was our colour theme. I always knew I wanted my bridesmaids in different colours and this went perfectly with the theme.
My dress was from Choola in Sheffield. I wanted something pretty and simple but that was still unusual. The dress I picked was by Sharon Bowen and had the most amazing polka dot effect on the silk organza overlay and gorgeous tiny flower appliqués.
Dave wore a pale grey suit, cream waistcoat and a lilac cravat, all from Debenhams. The groomsmen wore the same.
The bridesmaids wore beautiful floor-length chiffon dresses with iridescent sequin underlays on the bodice. We found them in Mirage Couture near Sheffield and they were absolutely perfect!
Our photographer was Jess Petrie. Jess was absolutely amazing, I knew as soon as I met her that she was the perfect choice. She’s so friendly and relaxed but still very professional.
We travelled in a vintage cream Rolls Royce Phantom III, from American Pie Limos in Sheffield.
I would most definitely recommend Hassop Hall to other wedding couples – it’s perfect in every way. Other suppliers I’ve not mentioned that I would recommend are Adela Rosa in Sheffield who did a fab job of our stationery and Classy Weddings from Mastin Moor, Chesterfield, who supplied our chair covers and post box. Matt and Kath from there were so lovely and really helpful – they also put us in touch with our fantastic pianist who played for most of the day.
Myself and the bridesmaids carried a mixture of roses and freesias in creams, pinks and soft lemons. They were provided by White Petals and Lace who were so fantastic with everything we asked of them. For our reception decorations we had roses, freesias and hydrangeas arranged in huge Martini glasses in the centre of the tables. They looked amazing! The arrangement on the top table looked great too.
We gave our guests favours of heart-shaped mints and pink chocolate hearts, hand-tied in pretty tulle.
Our cake was four-tiers with delicate pearlescent piping from I Love Candy Cakes in Chesterfield. We then had it dressed with fresh flowers. It looked spectacular and tasted so delicious.
For our wedding meal we had quite a traditional menu to follow the theme. We had a choice of peach Bellinis, Kir Royale, and elderflower presse with canapés in the garden on arrival at Hassop Hall. We had a pianist playing in the garden on request which added a lovely touch. We then sat down to smoked chicken and avocado salad followed by vegetable soup. For main we had roast beef and Yorkshire puddings with all the trimmings and dessert was crème brulee with summer berries. We finished with coffee and petit fours.
We had a local band called Junkyard Dog as our entertainment followed by a DJ. My best friend’s husband is the lead singer of the band and they never disappoint. They were great and even learnt one of our favourite songs to perform at the reception, The Walk of Life by Dire Straits.
I was a little sceptical when Dave hired a toast master (Michael Wall) but we were so grateful for him. He really put us at ease and made sure that everyone knew what was happening.
For our honeymoon we jetted off to the Sugar Beach resort in Mauritius for ten days. It was beautiful. We swam with wild dolphins and had candle-lit meals on the beach. We then spent four days in Dubai on the way back, which was also a fantastic experience.
Our top tip for other brides and grooms would be that when looking for people to help with, or provide different aspects of your day, go with your gut! We met so many lovely people through our wedding and have developed genuine friendships. If it feels right, it most probably is!
