Madi & Alex

Madi is proof that it's totally ok to wear BOTH a flower crown AND a sparkly hair piece - I mean how beautiful is her loose, twisted updo?! Major hair envy right there. And major flower envy too for that matter, the blooms in today's wedding are simply gorgeous. Bridwell Park, the couple's venue looks like a beautiful place to get married. A truly elegant English estate set in the heart of Devon.

The Venue

Madi The Bride: As we both grew up in Devon and love the countryside, a Devon wedding was an easy choice. Bridwell Park was the only venue that we saw - we loved the extensive grounds that it offered as well as the flexibility of the space.

Our Wedding

Throughout the wedding planning, we were keen to make the day personal and we avoided including extra formalities where possible. Most of all, we wanted a rural wedding where everyone had lots of fun! Entertainment was really important to us so we prioritised music (a string quartet, acoustic guitar, a band then a DJ) and we also provided outdoor games (Jenga etc), piñata, and a fire pit (with marshmallows for toasting).

The Bride

The dress was a Sharon Hoey number, accessorised with a vintage sash which I changed from a pearl to a sequinned style for the evening. My wonderful friend Kate kindly lent me a beautiful scallop edged Charlie Brear veil. My aunt Genevieve sourced a fabulous hair comb from Twigs & Honey and I kept jewellery simple but special with family heirlooms in the form of opal earrings and a pearl necklace. Shoes were gold sandals from Kurt Geiger with a second pair from Dune for later in the evening. I wanted to keep my hair very loose and natural but it needed to be up to suit my dress. Make up magic was performed by the wonderful Genevieve Sathavisam.

The Wedding Party

The groom wore a traditional morning suit with a floral printed tie from Liberty. Bridesmaids dresses were from Needle & Thread and Monsoon.

The Food

Dartmoor Kitchen provided all catering and we're absolutely great to work with. We wanted to serve seasonal food sourced locally so we went for roasted cod loin with salt cod brandade, wilted spinach and a tomato vinaigrette for the main course. We sourced beer from Otter Brewery and wine and champagne from Majestic.

The Flowers & Decor

Our florist, Kate Scholefield of Stems of Southwater provided the most incredible displays, I sliding urns of flowers at the entrance to the chapel. They featured garden o'hara roses which smelt divine and she made a gorgeous flower crown which I wore instead of the veil after the ceremony. Orla Murphy supplied a bespoke seating plan and my talented maid of honour and her partner hand painted the table numbers and place settings. Extra props and overall styling wisdom were provided by Casey Blackmore at Oyster & Pearl Design. The loose colour scheme was navy and blush pink with gold accents. Our naked wedding cake was conjured by my clever aunt Margaret and home dried rose petal confetti was provided by green fingered family saviours. Alex's family managed to create a beautiful atmospheric entrance to the chapel by adorning the arch with ivy and other green garden foliage.

The Photography

For the photos, we wanted predominantly reportage rather than posed photos and Lee Maxwell did an amazing job. He mingled with the guests brilliantly and managed to capture great moments. I would really recommend taking time to meet your photographer before the big day.

Advice

- Prioritise the main components - it's tempting to think about place settings and drinks menus but the venue and caterers should be booked first! - Condense the wedmin - set aside an afternoon or evening to blitz through tasks, don't let it take over every day. - Enjoy it! You will miss the planning afterwards!