Romy & Rob

Romy and Rob's beautiful wedding comes from the spectacular Pennard House, a venue we've been excited about for a long time. The beautiful English country manor has been restored magnificently, it's located in the heart of Somerset - just 10 minutes walk from Glastonbury, it can be hired exclusively and there are even tipis on site where guests can sleep. Pennard House is one of those venues that allows you to have whatever type of wedding your heart desires and we're really proud to have them on our recommended supplier directory, The List and also to be sharing this wedding, as it's the first time Pennard has graced our pages in a real wedding feature and I can guarantee it certainly won't be the last. As well as the gorgeous images from Dave Watts, we've also got the stunning film from Jon at Happy Wedding Films for you to enjoy. He really is one to watch - if you're a regular reader you'll have seen his work here and here - two weddings which are simply breathtaking and if you missed them first time around, you should definitely check them out. But first, we're off to Somerset, where a magical wedding awaits...

Romy x Rob | Teaser from Happy Wedding Films on Vimeo.

The Dress

Romy the Bride: Finding ‘The Dress’ for me was not an easy task. I was not one of those people who tried it on and instantly knew “this is THE ONE” (which I find rarely happens btw) I knew it wouldn’t be a quick one as anyone who knows me can testify - my inability to make a decision drives people up the wall, choosing what to eat for dinner on a daily basis can prove tricky, let alone the one outfit in your life you’ll probably remember and be photographed in the most. My best friend and Maid of Honour Hannah had the patience of a saint when it came to shopping for the dress. I must’ve tried around 25 + dresses of all shapes and sizes before settling (eventually) on my Charlie Brear gown. I always knew I wouldn’t have a big dress and I secretly wanted one that I could adapt for another look in the evening so it was perfect; it was simple (& quick!) to whip off the lace jacket and wear the sash slightly differently to give a day to night look.

The Groom

As he wears a suit every day for work, Rob really wanted to treat himself to something a bit special for our wedding day so went for something made to measure. One of my close friends, Jenny was manager at the time for the London tailors Cad and The Dandy, so naturally this was our first port of call. Luckily Jenny was on hand to offer Rob lots of advice (I left him to it!) and his suit was beautifully made with a rather jazzy lining and the date sewn into the jacket, a lovely touch. Rob wore his late Granddad’s wristwatch as a little way of having him there with us.

The Venue

Pennard House was one of the first venues we looked at, it ticked so many boxes for us: everything in one place, beautiful setting, tipis (!), a relaxed nature and its close proximity to the Glastonbury Festival site where we first got to know each other meant it was that little bit more special. We loved the fact it was still very much a family home and the team - Georgina, Harry and Julie were amazing, nothing was too big an ask and they were so accommodating to all our ideas and requests. As my sister Hannah is a fulltime wheelchair user it was so important she was able to get around easily - and thanks to the venue and help from family and friends they all made it possible.

The Décor

We never had a colour scheme set from the outset but I guess it evolved into a bluey / grey with the suits and bridesmaids dresses. As the venue was already so beautiful, we didn’t need to do much in terms of décor - we only added some green foliage around the beams, extra festoon lights and a couple of props. Rob’s mum made batches of elderflower which we used as favours for people to add to their fizz or water during the meal.

The Flowers

We wanted to use local suppliers and Common Farm Flowers provided Somerset grown eco cut flowers from their farm. Not knowing the first thing about flowers Georgie was fantastic at advising according to our preference of neutral colours and budget. To keep the costs down, nearly everything from the church came up to the venue - our pew end jars were table centres and pedestal jars decorated the bar and staircase. I personally loved the idea of a flower crown but was hesitant so Georgie suggested a fresh flower comb instead and little stems for the bridesmaids to fix into their hair.

The Wedding Party

As with a lot of the wedding decisions, the choice of bridesmaid outfits ended up being quite last minute. I preferred a shorter style and when I saw the Reiss ones in the sale I quickly snapped them up. Rob’s nieces were our flower girls and I’d seen the Monsoon dresses before and thought the style and colour worked really well. Our friend Charlotte made the beautiful flower crowns for them the day before and they looked gorgeous! We chose Marks and Spencer suits for the groomsmen and mismatched bowties from Cad and The Dandy.

The Ceremony

The church was quite small but that meant it felt a bit more intimate. Readings were tricky to find and after trawling around online we found one we both liked - weirdly it was just an extract from a blog, but it was something we both liked. Despite Jon the videographer being told off by the strict vicar mid-hymn it all went smoothly and felt like the ceremony was over in a flash!

The Entertainment

Our good friend Lucy’s Dad and his local jazz band, played during the reception cocktails outside. Bristol band The ZuZu Men filled the dance floor in the evening with their quirky take on classic hits. They also learnt our first dance (Bob Marley’s Is This Love) which was amazing. Everyone loved the music and the band went down a storm with both the oldest (93) and youngest (4) guests!

The Food

We both love our food and Caroline Gent Catering offered a delicious menu from which we picked our favourites: sharing plates of antipasti to start, pork belly in Somerset cider sauce and finished with an autumnal Eton mess (hazelnut meringue and topped with whipped cream, blackberries & caramelized apples) We chose a tower of cheese for our cake which we served as the evening snacks along with crackers and chutney. Instead of a sweets table we had some fresh bowls of popcorn for those sweet cravings.

The Photography

Dave Watts was one of the recommended suppliers from the venue (who also lives nearby) and when we saw his work online we really loved his style and quickly arranged a London meet. He is one of the most relaxed, easy-going guys and was an absolute pleasure to have him there to capture our day. We were quickly put at ease and I’ll never regret nipping outside mid dinner to get some beautiful shots in the gorgeous sunset. All our guests also enjoyed the photo booth set up by Dave, which had awesome props. Those snaps provided hilarious moments that we used for individual thank you cards.

The Videography

Having a film of our day was really important to us (mainly me!) - just as much as a photos, so I knew I had to find someone I loved. When I first found Jon’s videos my heart sank when I discovered he was based abroad, fearing it would be way beyond our budget, so continued my search. But it kept niggling in the back of my mind and after another videographer couldn’t do our date and suggested Jon I knew we had to get him involved! And boy am I glad we did. Jon’s style is stunning and watching it brings back all those emotions and makes my hair stand on end. Something I definitely don’t regret spending money on, especially when we can look back on it for years and years to come.

Advice

- Pinterest is great for inspiration and dreaming - but in reality it is rarely going to look that perfect! - I know many people enjoy the planning and organisation but for me I didn’t find it that fun and if I’m brutally honest, I was thankful once it came together and was over! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the day and had the best time, but you couldn’t pay me to do it as a full time job and I admire those who do! - I tried to buy things we could keep and use once the wedding was over; festoon lights in the garden, the letter board in our kitchen, and the label maker has certainly had its monies worth!