A Romantic English September Wedding.
A CHARMING WEDDING SET IN THE STUNNING FRENCH CHATEAU STYLE PYNES HOUSE IN DEVON, ENGLAND.
About The Wedding.
This elegant and heartfelt wedding between Sophie and Christopher was a curation of everything they love as a couple. The romance and history of Pynes House captured by Andrew & Ada Photography, which is rumoured locally to be the Sense and Sensibility house stayed in by Jane Austen, drew them in and the moment they stepped inside they were sure that it was the perfect setting for their wedding.
A serene light from the house's beautiful large windows created an intimate romance which captured the feel of calmness that filled the house.
Opting for neutral flowers with a structured impactful focus emphasised the Georgian architecture of the house with an abundance of flowers filling every room.
The groomsmen’s buttonholes incorporated delicate white orchids, the national flower of Singapore where Sophie and Christopher met and live together.
Guests favours included feminine yet simple boxes enclosing unique stag head bottle stoppers reminiscent of entrance stags of Pynes House.
Our styling tied together that charming English feel with European aesthetics and details, which were captured beautifully by photographers Andrew & Ada.
Your Love Story: How did you meet/do you have a romantic proposal story?
I met Sophie in Singapore in 2014 after only 1 week of being in the country! We didn't get to know each other properly until 3 months later, and we haven't been apart since (it will be 5 years in May!). Our engagement happened during a weekend break in Langkawi, our favourite island in Malaysia. My plan was to propose in the morning so we had the whole day to celebrate, however I hadn't taken into account Sophie's love for a buffet breakfast, and as such it happened late morning, meaning I was feeling very nervous for a few more hours than I had initially intended! It all worked out in the end though, and it was an extremely happy day.
What 3 words best describe your wedding:
Loving. Magical. Perfect.
Tell us about your wedding…
We both always wanted a traditional English wedding, and that aesthetic was always at the front of our mind when we looked at venues and chose suppliers. We opted for a Queen Ann era country house, something that was not only exactly what we wanted for the reception, but also practical as close family members could stay and enjoy the house over the weekend as well. In terms of food and drink, we wanted to have enjoyment at the forefront of all our choices. We didn't want 'fine dining', more delicious, unpretentious food. The Pickle Shack, did a fantastic job of striking the perfect balance of food that was presently beautifully but tasted hearty and yummy as well. We decided to add some personality with the welcome cocktails, with each of our favourite choices served for the guests to enjoy (even down to the juniper berries in the G&T, thanks Katie & Nancy!).
Our colours for the wedding centered around white flowers and green foliage with a few dove grey accents. We loved the simplicity of this colour palette which also let the surroundings sing. The flowers were one of the largest parts of our investment, as we felt it would really contribute to the magic of the event. Our florist, The Rose Shed (based in Bristol) did a wonderful job of bringing our vision to life with beautifully decorated banisters in the house, bouquets for myself and the bridesmaids and a breathtaking archway at Killerton Chapel. One more personal element was the addition of white orchid's to Chris's and the groomsmen's buttonholes to represent my family history in Singapore.
For the reception dinner in the evening, on our tables we had candles in pretty candle stands, stone coloured napkins and lovely hand written place cards that struck the balance between traditional and contemporary.
Photography/Videography…
Why did you choose your photographer to capture your day?
We chose our wonderful photographers, Andrew and Ada, initially because we were really impressed with their portfolio. They seemed to have a lovely way of capturing moments and working with the light. However, throughout the process, they just went above and beyond. They made an effort to meet us in London shortly after we had selected them (even though they are based in the USA!) and on throughout the wedding weekend itself, they were both incredibly helpful beyond their role as the photographers. I spotted Andrew helping our guests with their bags as they arrived which was so kind, and Ada definitely saved me as upon entering the chapel, my veil got stuck on a nail and out of nowhere, Ada was there to save the day!
The photos we received from Andrew & Ada will be cherished forever.
Unique / Special Details or Favourite Moments…
Button hole detail, drinks as mentioned. Also, less a favourite moment but I think both of us found the setting truly dreamy and magical. From the Chapel to Pynes House to the gorgeous English countryside on a lovely day, it was all beautiful.
Tips and advice for other couples planning their big day…
If you can, we would highly recommend investing in a wedding planner. Katie and Nancy really took away a lot of the stress and we really able to lean on them and their experience in areas (most of which!) we really would not have known where to start. We live in Singapore so it was wonderful to have them on the ground in the UK to be our eyes and ears. Also, on the day itself, they were invaluable!
This one is a cliché but having gone through it myself, I would totally pass on the advice to enjoy every moment you can! Some parts of the day can be stressful, but it all goes by so quickly so just stop yourself every now and then and just take the joy of it all in.
Honeymoon…
After our wedding we went to Lake Como for a few days. We couldn't take too much time off so had to keep it short but really, Lake Como is one of the most beautiful place we have ever been. We sustained ourselves on pasta, pizza, Prosecco and Aperol, took a boat on the lake, cruised around in our Fiat 500, all the while enjoying the stunning scenery! We are hoping to go back to Italy this year for The Honeymoon 'Part 2’.
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