A Truly Whimsical Wedding With Genuine Vintage Touches & Quirky Expression In This Bristol England Wedding
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06.14.2013 8:30 am
This just might be one of the cooler weddings that I have seen in sometime, seriously! There is an essence to the entire affair that I am completely mad about, Be Who You Are. Laura Tarr & Andrew Brown of Bristol, UK have style in spades {as do their guests!} and made sure that their wedding day was a pure reflection of what they really loved. Having a deep admiration for all things truly vintage & 1940′s, Laura along with the help from family and friends, endlessly searched for genuine items from the 40′s be it the clothing {all dresses are real vintage finds!} to the flatware and table setup. Quirky touches such as crocheted cupcakes were presented to guests while more whimsical elements like knotted vintage scarves framed the ceremony space. All in all I love the pure express of this couple imprinted onto their wedding day all beautifully captured by Charlene Morton Photography! I totally am feeling the expression here, Brits do it better! I adore how amazingly the bridal party got into the spirit along with guests who also dressed the part! There is so very much to love but perhaps the most amazing part of all…… Llamas! Yes thats right, there are llamas!
What Storyboard Likes…gives way to an awesome word from Charlie of Charlene Morton Photography! {*Normally I would rant about why I love this wedding so much, but Charlie does such a beautiful job poetically stating her first hand account of the day, I’ll just shut it and let Charlie do the talking!}
The morning of the wedding began at Laura and Andrew’s Bristol home, where the bridal party preparations were well underway. Hair and make-up artists had set up camp in the kitchen with boxes of rollers, brushes pots and powders. As we arrived the bridesmaids had their hair set and were all in coloured hairnets which held their curled and pinned hair-dos in place. The bridesmaids dresses were all vintage, and had been painstakingly sourced by Laura. 4 long laced prom style dresses (some of which had been hand-dyed pastel tones) were all authentic vintage, absolutely beautiful and were as if they were made to suit each of the girls. The addition of handmade flower corsages tied the bridesmaids together seamlessly. Laura had also sourced matching colored vintage costume jewelry for each of her bridesmaids which were presented as gifts in dainty handbags she had hand sewn!
Laura’s 1940′s vintage dress had been sourced from America, and was found in a dusty trunk which had not been opened since the wartime, a really incredible find! The dress had been shipped to the UK and altered to reduce the skirt size to a more A-line shape to modernize slightly and fit Laura perfectly including the delicate long lace arms and high laced neck. The preparations were a wholly relaxed morning of fun, smiles and friends.
We headed off to Leigh Court ahead of the Bridal Party. Guests had arrived and convened on the entrance steps, framed against vast sandstone pillars, and soaked them selves in the sun awaiting the arrival of the bride. The groom’s party arrived, each with flashes of 1940′s inspiration, from the quaffed fringes, to contrast brogues and black braces. Even the guests had joined in on the fun, with 1950′s style prom dresses, red lipstick and feathered hats. This wedding really was vintage done well.
Vintage cars transported the bridal party to Leigh Court and they were whisked away to an upstairs room to prepare for the ceremony. (Elements of the day like this created a really traditional feel to the proceedings, and including a greeting line after the ceremony) The sun was well and truly shining and remained bright well into the evening, allowing guests the pleasure of sitting outside and enjoying their Pimms – probably for the first time this year!
The details were magnificent and the 1940′s inspired theme ran throughout the day, with vintage silk scarves adorning the sweeping staircase in the main hall. The long double staircase provided the perfect setting for the bridal entrance, with bridesmaids starting first, ascending the stairs gracefully in a staggered line, followed shortly after by Laura and her father, arm in arm.
After the ceremony we took the opportunity to line the guests up outside for the confetti throwing, the newlyweds walked through a long tunnel of their guests whilst being showered in pastel petals. Pimms was served on the back lawn, and we swept the bride groom and their nearest and dearest away for some group shots. The group shots soon turned into a pose off, with the ushers and groom attempting to out pose the modelesque bride and her bridesmaids. The boys flashed their brogues, and emulated the suave gentlemen of the 1940′s era, whilst the girls undertook a very editorial look and showed the boys how its done!
Thanks to the Vintage China Hire, the dining room had been transformed into a tea party fit for a queen (and her king!). Delicate vintage teacups, mismatched with ornate teapots, floral doilies and china cake stands provided the basis of the table set up. It was the intricate details and personal touches which really made the difference, female guests were gifted with hand knitted cupcakes, created by Laura’s mother, whilst the male guests were treated to personalized handkerchiefs. Miniature crackers provided an ingenious icebreaker around the tables, and wild pastel toned seasonal flowers were scattered in glass vases. High tea was served in a rush of tea leaves, miniature sandwiches and fresh cream cakes whilst a Rockabilly band set up in the adjoining room.
In order to dance the night away in style Laura slipped into something a little more comfortable, a shorter 1950′s vintage dress with sage green satin sash. With an abundance of petticoats and delicate lace sleeves she relaxed into her outfit change in order to enjoy the rest of her night. The sun shone for the entire evening allowing some beautiful shots with dreamlike sun-glare.
The entire day was a flawless blend of vintage and tradition, with family and close friends sharing the day together. The evening entertainment included a rockabilly band, and outside barbecue, a lovely relaxed evening to top off a perfect wedding day. Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Brown!
Novella of the Bride…
Myself and Andrew had been together for 9 years. Andrew is my best friend’s brother and I fell for him from the first time I saw him. He was the cool older brother and I was just his kid sister’s friend but I won him round eventually. We first really got together at a music festival as we both love music and the rest as they say is history.
We really wanted to go for a 1940′s theme, as I love all things vintage and the 40′s is my favourite decade. We found it very difficult to find clothing that was from the period so had to compromise a bit on that by buying items from the 1950′s and having them altered. I did manage to have my 1940′s champagne flutes for the toast though which I was super happy about.
Leigh court has the most amazing stair case. It was magical walking down it with my dad to the song that Andrew had picked for me to make my big entrance. Another great thing about Leigh court was that it had great outdoor and indoor space. If the weather hadn’t of been great we would have had just as good a time staying in doors. All the rooms flow really well in to each other. The band played in one room with a dance floor where people could have a bit of a bop around while in the connected room you could just sit and listen and take in the atmosphere.
My family have been really supportive. My mum made all the ladies table favours, they were the little crochet’d cupcakes that had scented disc’s popped in the bottom so they could be used as drawer scenters. One of my best friends, Siobhan, helped me make my save the date cards and came with me on numerous trips about the country in the search of the perfect wedding dress. My sister was a star of the day, making sure all the decorations were set up exactly how I had imagined and made sure I had the day to remember by taking over all the organisation to make sure everything went to plan. I’d just like to thank everyone I’ve listed above. Without them my day wouldn’t have been the day I’d dreamed of. Everyone made my wedding perfect and the day I will remember for the rest of my life.
Bride’s Favorite Moment: “Seeing the smile on Andrew’s face. He was the happiest I have ever seen him. He didn’t have a huge involvement in the planning and organizing so most things were a bit of a surprise to him but I could genuinely tell he loved every bit and was chuffed with every bit. Other than that I can’t really pick any one time. Everything was just lovely and perfect and everyone that came really had a really great day.”
Vendor Love
Venue: Leigh Court | Wedding Dress: Two 1950′s Vintage Dresses via Luxe Bridal & eBay | Bridesmaid Dresses: Vintage Dresses {1930′s, 1940′s & 1950′s} | Alterations: Susan Gilby | Hair & Makeup Stylist: Isabel While | Invitations: Hand made | Transportation: Kens Cars | Music: Pete Jackson and The Zodiacs | Rentals: Vintage Crockery via The Vintage Hire | Florist: Greenfields Florist | Caterer: Leigh Court | Photographer: Charlene Morton Photography
