Rosie and James' wedding was a magical occasion in the heart of picturesque Cambridgeshire, amongst the charming village of Hemingford Abbots. The couple chose a romantic country garden style soiree drenched in colorful blooms, golden rays and lush greenery. The outdoor ceremony took place at the historic Manor House Gardens, where every corner, from the centuries-old building to the beautiful beds of irises, asters and roses, was a reminder of the simple beauty of nature's setting. The trendy, mismatched bridesmaids' outfits added a special touch of playfulness and casual elegance to the event, while Rosie's chic vintage-inspired basque waist wedding dress was a true embodiment of nostalgic yet on-trend style. This wedding was not just a celebration of love, but a true celebration of life filled with pure joy and adoration, captured beautifully on film and digital by our talented member Nina Gorshunova.
Our Love Story
The Day We Met
We met in Soho, London, in 2015. We were both working for an advertising agency on Beak Street; shooting ads and wrangling clients. Many a late night was shared, eating takeaways at our desks and drinking at The Sun and 13 Cantons over the road. Eventually, I made my move at the Christmas party. The rest is history.
The Proposal
We got engaged whilst living out in Australia, where James is from. We were staying in a charming little town called Daylesford for the weekend, in a rustic retreat in the middle of a forest. He knew I wouldn’t like a big song and dance, so he pulled the ring out from under his pillow when we were relaxing on the bed one morning. It was lovely.
The Engagement Ring
The ring was designed by an independent Kiwi jeweller called Katie Rose. We had already spoken about marriage and had agreed that we were both in, and James’ mum had given us a gorgeous diamond that was on an old ring of hers. We found Katie together, who was based in Melbourne, and worked with her on a design. She did an unbelievable job of re-setting it in a style that felt more contemporary (with a few more diamonds thrown in for good measure).
Our Wedding
The Vision
We got engaged a month before the pandemic hit, so it’s safe to say that we had various ‘visions’ over the course of 4 years. From elaborate barn dos, to small 20-person options, to eloping altogether – we contemplated them all. In the end, we were drawn to a wedding day that felt more like a romantic British garden party than anything too formal. It all started from a question – “why don’t we just have a massive summer barbeque?” – and it grew from there. Somehow, deciding to informalise the meal set the tone for the whole thing and everything felt natural after that point.
Our Team of Vendors
Our photographer was the immensely talented Nina Gorshunova, who was so collaborative to work with and made the day really enjoyable. Catering and on-the-day coordination was run by the amazing Hall & Co team from St Ives, and reception decoration was by Miss Carlysle and Co. We then turned to our very talented friends to help us deliver the rest. Our florist was our friend and bridesmaid Roz Smith, who is now starting her own floristry business Rosalind Blooms.
Our celebrant was our friend Jay Treloar, who trained as a celebrant during lockdown and created the perfect balance of humour and grace. Our DJ was our friend David March, also known as Hypnodiscs. Our beautiful boat was owned and driven by family friend Tim Keane. Our cakes were made by some legendary guests with incredible baking skills. My mum is a ceramicist and handmade 20 matching vases to dot around the day which we loved so much. As an artist, I took on the task of creating all the stationary, signage, and invites too.
The Location
The wedding took place in Hemingford Abbots, Cambridgeshire, where Rosie was raised and where her mum still lives. It’s a small village with the River Ouse running alongside it. We always thought we’d have to travel far to find the right venue, but we’re so glad we kept it local as it makes returning home even more special now.
The Ceremony
The ceremony took place at Manor House Gardens in Hemingford. It’s not a wedding venue traditionally, but the lovely owner Diana Boston generously agreed to let us rent the garden for the day. The Manor dates back to the 1100s, and is known as the home of Lucy Boston, author of children’s book series ‘The Children of Green Knowe’. The garden is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been, and upon arriving from the river path our guests were surrounded by immaculately kept beds of irises, astrantia, roses and epic topiary. The ceremony itself was held by our good friend Jay, who personalised it all to us and made the whole event feel relaxed and joyous. We hid the rings under a guests’ seat too, which made for a nice bit of fun mid-ceremony.
The Reception
We held our reception at the Hemingford Abbots Village Hall. Our guests walked down the riverbank from the ceremony and met us there for a spritz arrival. We filled the hall with long tables, adorned with the most incredible flowers by our friend Roz, and draped the walls. In the garden we held a barbeque and help yourself bar – fit with beers in wheelbarrows and copious amounts of gin. Beer pong also brought out the competitive side in some guests.
Our friend Rob was our MC and was hype-manning us all day. He introduced us to the Hall like wrestlers to the ring and had us in fits. The barbeque was delicious and plentiful, the speeches touching, and the dancefloor was fuelled by the perfect amount of 2000’s bangers that awakened a primal joy in us millennials.
The Special Touches
Given we had lots of Aussie’s in attendance, we wanted to show off the best of British traditions by hosting a Bake Off. Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood didn’t make it, but nine of our guests made different cakes from scratch, and we had an award ceremony to crown the winner before letting the guests tuck in. Everyone got very into it and the variety of flavours was amazing.
Our Favorite Moment
Whilst our guests were walking to the reception, we hopped in a beautiful boat and rode down the river past them all. Not only did we get to wave at our favourite people as we went past, which felt quite surreal, but all the other boats on the bank started honking us too. The sun was shining and we had a moment to ourselves to soak it all in. We also had some really special moments with our parents – my mum walking me down the aisle, and James’ dad joining him for a dance-off to Get Low by Lil John.
Our Style
The Bridal Looks
I found my Office Seven dress on Etsy on Christmas eve, by an amazing Ukrainian designer. The cost of the dress at the time was only a few hundred pounds, and was fully handmade to my measurements, so it felt a little too good to be true. What arrived in the post blew my mind - it was the most beautifully crafted and constructed dress, in a gorgeous ivory cotton. It was perfect, and really suited the vibe of the day.
I did my own hair and makeup, as I wanted to feel like myself and spend the morning getting ready with my girls. My earrings were from Maison Sabben and I had a very jazzy Shrimps bag – both were rented from ByRotation.
The Groom Looks
James had a forest green suit tailor made in Melbourne by the amazing Angela Nicolades. He definitely spent more time on his hair than I did.
The Bridemaid's Looks
I wanted my girlfriends to feel like themselves, in colours and shapes that suited them all personally, so they chose their own individual dresses. I didn’t give them much of a brief, which in hindsight I probably should have done – my Maid of Honour was still debating what to wear the day before! In the end they were a stunning group of pinks, oranges, blues and greens and looked as gorgeous as ever.
Our Advice
For The Planning Process
Our advice would probably be to care way less about the aesthetic choices you need to make. There’s a high chance you can’t remember what the table plan design looked like, or what type of chairs you sat on at other weddings you’ve been to – so don’t waste energy sweating stuff like that. It’s very easy to get caught up in the details that go unnoticed. Spend time ensuring the energy is right, and that you’re in the best position to enjoy yourselves.
For On The Day
Someone said to us beforehand that ‘the bride and groom set the tone’ and it’s so true. If you’re both happy, relaxed and loving every minute – your guests will too. If you’re the first on the dancefloor – your guests will be there with you. Also, screw tradition and stay together the night before. Waking up together on your wedding day and having a moment before it all kicks off was so grounding and massively reduced the nerves.
For Post-Wedding
There will be a bit of a comedown after all the planning, so be sure to schedule lots of fun stuff in the diary. Ideally a honeymoon, but failing that lunches with friends, seeing family, making things like card opening and photo viewing feel ceremonial with some bubbly etc.
Vendors
Photographer: Nina Gorshunova
Florist: Rosalind Smith
DJ: Hypnodiscs
Catering and Coordination: Hall & Co Event Design
Reception Dressing: Miss Carlysle and Co
Stationary and Signage: Rosie Gilligan
Style
Dress: Office Seven
Accessories: Byrotation
Engagement Ring: Katie Rose Jewellery
