We can’t quite believe we’re over halfway through the year already. That means the festive season will be on us before we know it! If you’re planning a December 2021 wedding then you’re going to love looking through Sophie and Chris’ photos – we’re particularly enamoured with her black disco ball dress which came from Jenny Packham!
The day was held at Manor Estate, Wiltshire on 12th December, so the space was already decked out in festive finery. The couple continued the theme with greenery, gold accents and glitter reindeer down the middle of their single long table, more greenery and LED tealights hanging above them and plenty of fairy lights everywhere. The place names were little green crackers and their cake was a traditional Christmas fruit cake (made by the bride).
“We knew we wanted a winter wedding”, the couple told us, “so when the mother-of-the-bride (who is an incredible florist) suggested drying and then spray-painting alliums with gold and glitter as the basis for all the flowers, we loved the look and took it from there.”
“We did most of it ourselves. I made our wedding cake, my mother did all the flowers with the support of Pippa from the Manor Barn who was incredible throughout. I don’t see myself as a very crafty person, and I’m still not, be we were surrounded by people who have such a talent that between our two families and the event staff, we managed to pull it off.”
The bride’s dress, which she found in Harrods, was a real showstopper. Although she didn’t plan to get married in black, she’s so glad she did! “It happened by accident. I knew I wanted colour and was originally looking at fluorescent orange and coral gowns, but I saw this dress online on the Harrods website and decided to just take the plunge and go for it. I didn’t try on another dress, it was the perfect size and look and I knew instantly I’d feel great in it, which was all that mattered.”
Although Sophie struggles to choose just one favourite moment from the day, the evening celebrations kicking off with espresso martinis, singing and speeches was definitely a highlight. “Our groomsmen had us all singing the Twelve Days of Christmas whilst mainlining on espresso martinis. Chris, the Groom, did a 20-minute speech by heart. The groom’s sister sobbed throughout her reading from the final book of His Dark Materials Trilogy (we all laughed). Mainly, I remember feeling loved and cherished, and thinking to myself ‘My god! We’re married. We pulled it off!'”
Finally, Sophie has some great advice for anyone else planning to go ahead with a smaller wedding than they thought they would: “Just go for it. The day could not have been more incredible and special. You don’t worry about not having spoken to everyone, or where to seat 100 people that you might not see for another two years. We had the most wonderful, blissful and love-filled day with our closest friends and family. I mean that totally sincerely, I’d not change a thing.”
