Sofya & Alex

Don't the stables at Plas Dinam Country House in Wales look incredible? Sofya & Alex really have added a personal touch with all their gorgeous decor. I simply adore all the wild flowers, which seem to pop up everywhere. I have never seen any above a door frame before, but oh my doesn't it look effective? Plus how can I forget all the the baskets dotted about full of beautiful blooms. So pretty. I am also completely in love with Sofya's David's Bridal gown. The off the shoulder sweetheart neckline frames her hair beautiful and really makes her flower crown POP. Hats off to Cassandra Lane Photography for capturing all the love and fun of this rustic wedding so spectacularly, it is definitely the perfect wedding to get you in the mood for the weekend.

The Venue

Sofya the Bride: Ours early July wedding took place at the gorgeous Plas Dinam Country House in Mid-Wales, which we rented out for a weekend of fun and celebration. Although we only had around 60 guests, our family and friends were coming from all corners of the world, and we hadn’t seen many of them for several months or even years. We wanted to spend more than a fleeting, busy wedding day with them, and also to make our closest guests an important part of the celebration. These two considerations were key when it came to the choice of venue, and when we found Plas Dinam, we couldn’t have been happier. The venue offered the privacy of a family home for the weekend and saved us from an out-of-the-box hotel wedding, leaving room for creativity to flourish. It also gave us a blank canvas to work with in the form of the Old Stables, where we decided to hold the wedding breakfast and party after the ceremony that took place in one of the beautiful rooms in the house.

Colour Scheme & Decor

All the fine details and decorations for the wedding were DIY, from invitations and ribbons to the glass and mirror signs, wedding cupcakes and cake. One of the most important and treasured contributions were the flowers, which Alex’s Mum grew in her garden and put into arrangements with the help of a couple close friends and family members. MY flower crown, all the bouquets, buttonholes, and table arrangements – were made possible thanks to the hard work of our family and friends. The New York City canvas was another centrepiece of the décor. We met in New York in 2010, and the City had played a hugely important role in our relationship. The colour scheme – dusky blues, pinks and greys – was chosen for its classy yet natural and tender look. We wanted to channel the airy, fresh feeling of the surrounding Welsh countryside in the look of our day. The choice of outfits for the ourselves and for their bridesmaids and groomsmen was made with this in mind.

The Dress

I wore a simple ivory gown from David’s Bridal, a U.S. wedding retailer that recently opened its first UK store in London. The gown’s light chiffon skirt went perfectly with the airy and natural feel of the wedding, highlighting the beauty of my bouquet and flower crown. For jewellery I opted for raw rose quartz earrings from Ninaouity on Etsy, and a delicate silver feather necklace that my sister gave me as a gift a few years back. I also wore my mother’s old silver ring as a symbol of her love for her parents. Instead of uncomfortable heels, I opted for simple earthy-coloured sandals, making sure that I could dance all night. MY hair was done by one of close family friends, while Jess from PureBeauty took care of the make-up.

Groom suits

Alex wore a three-piece dusky navy suit from T.M. Lewin. He didn’t want for his look to be too formal, and the style he chose seemed to strike the perfect balance between a formal occasion and a summer wedding. Alex’s light blue tie from Charles Tyrwhitt was cross-matched with his groomsmen’s light blue suits from Next, while Alex’s best man – his nephew – also wore a navy suit.

Bridesmaid Dresses

One of the biggest attire challenges was selecting outfits for my bridesmaids, as they were based across three countries and going for a single look was too difficult. As a result, we decided to go for a more flexible mix-and-match style. Three of the bridesmaids wore BHLDN gowns shipped from the US, two wore handmade gowns, and my sister, who was also my maid of honour, wore an elegant cocktail dress from J. Crew. The mix-and-match style was tied together with similar bouquets. MY niece and nephew, in their important roles of flower girl and ring bearer, selected their own outfits.

Ceremony

In an effort to keep the celebration personal and original, We included a few quirks throughout the day. Giving the boot to traditional wedding ceremony tunes, I walked down the aisle to Yeah Yeah Yeah’s acoustic Wedding Song, while BORNS’ Electric Love played at the end of the ceremony to ring in the party. The music playlists for the sit-down meal and the evening dancing were also DIY and streamed via Spotify and a friend’s PA system. During the wedding breakfast the couple invited all guests to make a toast if they wanted to, which made the celebration even more special and personal. Each toast was finished with cheers of “Gor’ko”, an old Russian tradition that prompts a sweet kiss from the newlyweds to sweeten the bitter drinks.

Food & Drinks

In the evening, in addition to the buffet, we offered vodka with Borodinsky bread, girkins and cheese spread – another touch of Russia. The exceptionally professional and delicious catering service was provided by Dawn Cordingley of D&N Catering. Tables, chairs, and the dancefloor were supplied by Burgoynes Marquees. We also hired an excellent bar service from Matthew Rose Events that offered a bar that matched the style of the venue, a great selection of drinks, and highly competitive prices, not to mention a professional and friendly crew who went above and beyond to make all guests feel special.

Photographer

Although we did not think it was possible, not a single thing went wrong on our wedding day. Even the temperamental Welsh weather came through for us, offering some much-needed sunshine in the afternoon. We felt very lucky to have Cassandra Lane as our photographer, as she fit into the wedding crowd seamlessly and perfectly captured every moment of the day!