Elisa & Rich's Quintessentially English Country House Wedding in Devon

THE LOVE STORY

How and where did you first meet?

We first met in May 2018 at a Saracens rugby match. My colleague and I were hosting a corporate event and Rich was one of the guests in attendance.

What were your first impressions of each other?

Rich saw me across the way and said to his friend ‘I’ll have that one’!! Not entirely sure he meant marriage but I’ve held him to it ever since! It took me a little while to warm to him (might have been something to do with him childishly throwing mini rugby balls at the pitch and giggling in delight if he made it) but I’m very happy I gave him a chance as he really is a wonderful man and incredible dad to our daughter.

“It’s a stunning country house and is believed to have been the inspiration for Barton Park in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.”

— Elisa

When did you know you were in love or that Rich was "the one"?

This was a slow burn for me. On one occassion we had gone to visit my closest friends in Birmingham. We had such a good weekend and I realised that he fit perfectly into my life - the people and the things that were important to me, were also prioritised by him.

Tell us about your first date.

I was living in St. Albans at the time and Rich was living in Beckenham, so we met in Covent Garden on a sunny Saturday afternoon. A ‘drink’ turned into a London bar crawl and the rest, as they say, is history!

How did the proposal happen? Who asked, and where?

The proposal was perfect! We climbed to the top of Box Hill in Surrey and had a picnic. Rich popped the question (easiest yes ever!) and then the Red Arrows flew overhead. He had booked a table at Sorrel, the Michelin star restaurant in Dorking, later that evening and the whole day will forever be the most precious memory.

THE BIG DAY

How did you choose your wedding venue and what made it the perfect fit?

We were visiting my mum in Devon shortly after our engagement. We found ourselves with a free day, so we decided to look at a couple of venues. We didn’t know exactly what we were looking for, so wanted to view a few different spaces to start to get a feel for what we might want. We absolutely fell in love with Pynes House! It’s a stunning country house and is believed to have been the inspiration for Barton Park in Jane Austen’s, ‘Sense and Sensibility’. It was the perfect fit for us! It is a mid-sized venue and has accommodation on site, which was ideal for our immediate family and closest friends. It is elegant and quintessentially English with stunning gardens as well as beautiful interiors. For this reason, I didn’t feel that our day was dependent on the weather being perfect! The staff at Pynes House are also completely flexible on the timings of the day, which was important to us. We wanted to feel in control of where and when things happened so the day felt bespoke to us, not like we were following a bridal blueprint.

What was the inspiration behind your wedding's theme, decor, and colours?

We really took inspiration from the venue by incorporating a pale dusky pink colour scheme to compliment the calm, English feel of the venue. We didn’t decorate beyond flowers as we really didn’t feel we needed to - the venue was just so stunning, so we let it speak for itself.

“I think I could easily have walked away from the same dress in a different boutique but I felt so looked after and listened to, that I just knew I could trust them to have the vision of what I wanted”

— Elisa

THE WEDDING DRESS

What were you looking for in a wedding dress?

I wasn’t really too sure! I picked BRIDE by Aster to visit, as I had found a dress with stunning lace by a designer that they stocked. I just really wanted something that I felt a million dollars in but I didn’t have any hard and fast rules about what that should look like. I knew that I would probably want something strapless and for it to be classic and ‘white’ but really, I was open to advice.

How did you choose the bridal boutiques you wanted to visit?

I picked initially based on proximity to home and how inviting I thought the websites were. Because I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted, I thought the best place to start was a couple of boutiques where I could try different styles and start to refine my understanding of what I wanted.

How many boutiques did you visit on your dress journey and how did you know you had found THE ONE?

I visited two bridal boutiques. BRIDE by Aster was the first one and then, I visited a second before going back to BRIDE by Aster to say ‘YES’ to my beautiful lace dress named ‘Ophelia’. I knew I had found the one because I felt stunning! I felt as though the dress was elegant, whilst being warm in its design and feel. Hannah and Tania listened to what I had liked in other dresses and told me how my dress could be customised for me. Originally, the dress had petal shaped cups and delicate beaded straps. but Hannah & Tania understood my vision and created my perfect dress! I think I could easily have walked away from the same dress in a different boutique but I felt so looked after and listened to, that I just knew I could trust them to have the vision of what I wanted and make it come true!

What accessories did you choose and where did you buy them?

My husband has two sisters who wore the same veil on their wedding days and they offered for me to wear it too as I officially joined the family which could not have been more special. It came with me to my dress appointments so we were confident it would compliment the dress beautifully. Hannah and Tania instantly understood its importance to me and helped me pick dresses that would match the veil I wore pearl and diamond earrings from Dinny Hall which were a gift from my husband. Shoes I picked a fair plain pair of satin white, block heels as I wanted to be comfortable and the dress was the star of the show, so I wasn’t looking for shoes that drew the eye.

Did you enjoy dress shopping? Any especially good or not so good experiences?

I was nervous about dress shopping as I’m not always the most confident person. I wasn’t entirely sure what it was I was looking for or what to expect. That said I, loved my experience at BRIDE by Aster. Hannah and Tania encouraged me to try dresses outside of my comfort zone and gave helpful guidance and feedback. I trusted their opinions when they said they thought something looked good! I visited one other shop and felt as though they were trying to sell me any dress - like I was being pressured into picking one just to make a ‘sale’. Obviously, I didn’t like that as it is such a big decision! I think it’s important to be 100% confident and certain in your decision and not only love the dress but feel valued at the boutique in which your shopping. What I loved about BRIDE by Aster is that there was no-pressure! I was also given far more options on customising a dress to make it perfect for me.

How did you feel walking down the aisle in your dress and what did your partner think?

I was so excited to marry Rich and I knew he would think that the dress suited me. I felt so pretty with my custom wedding dress, my hair and my make-up that I stopped being nervous and just wanted to get married!!

ADVICE AND REFLECTION

What was the most challenging part of the wedding planning process?

Rich says finding the bride! On a more serious note, it was finding the venue. It completely shapes the whole day and is one of the most expensive elements, so we found that the hardest to get right.

What advice would you give to other couples who are currently planning their wedding?

Do it together and take your time! We allocated a couple of hours every Sunday afternoon to work through all of the details together and to make sure that we were ahead of deadlines. This allowed us to remove the time pressures and added stress. Planning the wedding together with a couple of glasses of wine, can make finalising the details feel more like a date than a chore. It’s a lot of pressure for one person to do alone and we loved planning everything together!

Is there anything you would have done differently about your wedding?

Honestly, no. We had the best day of our lives and our friends and family had so much fun. We filled our cups with so much love we couldn’t imagine it any other way.

What was the best purchase you made for your wedding?

We added a cocktail hour after our dinner service which was a little extravagant but I’m so delighted we did! It perfectly filled the time after the meal before our evening entertainment. Our guests, naturally, absolutely loved it!