Inspiration

I really really do love a green and pink wedding colour theme; it's super pretty but fresh at the same time and has a timelessness that won't date as the years roll by. Combine this with an exquisite venue such as The Rectory Hotel and you've got a match made in heaven which is pretty much how I'd describe the nuptials of Fiona and Tom. Full of fun and whimsical details such as the beautiful floral inspired stationery by Berin Made and the supersized balloons that are dotted around the venue, there's just so much inspiration to take away from this 'I Do' - look out for the heart door wreath; it is particularly lovely!

The Bride's Fashion

Fiona The Bride: I had my lovely lace and silk dress designed and made especially for me by the brilliant Emma at Eldevere Bridal in Hong Kong, where we have been living for two years. Unfortunately Emma has stopped taking on commissions recently. I thoroughly enjoyed the "couture" process, from choosing the fabric, pinning inspiration and discussing sketches to the many fittings I had in a "mock dress" and discussing the final tweaks to the design as the real dress was fitted. I had no idea what the final result would be when I ordered the dress, but I was absolutely delighted and Emma translated my ideas perfectly. My jewelled belt and veil were custom-made by Emma and her team in Hong Kong and my satin and lace shoes were a real splurge. I spotted them at Charlotte Olympia during a lunchbreak and even took my husband back for a second opinion. Despite being on the high side for me, they were extremely comfortable on the day and I didn't take them off at all.

The Groom's Fashion

Tom bought his tie from Burberry at Mr Porter very soon after we got engaged and he chose the outfit around that. Tom's three-piece suit was from J. Crew. We originally saw the suit in Hong Kong but decided not to rush into a decision. A few months later at Christmas, we visited J. Crew on a ski holiday to Vancouver and saw the very same suit in the store. Needless to say we still loved it and bought it there and then! Tom's shoes were from Grenson at Mr Porter and the outfit was accessorized with oriental cufflinks from cult Hong Kong store Shanghai Tang and his IWC watch, which I bought him as a wedding present.

The Venue

I visited the stunning Rectory Hotel on a wedding venue roadtrip when I was back in the UK shortly after our engagement. I was looking for a country house-party feel where we could gather our nearest and dearest for a weekend of celebrations and I was sold as soon as we pulled in to the beautiful grounds. The hotel is charming and quirky with beautiful bedrooms and common areas including a wood-panelled dining room and a hidden heated swimming pool! We had 24 friends and family staying in the Rectory and hosted a pre-wedding dinner and a post-wedding day BBQ. Having the Potting Shed pub over the road was also great for seeing guests for a drink on the night before. Rhiannon, the wedding co-ordinator at the Rectory handled the organisation and logistics brilliantly and was always available for a panicked skype.

Colour Scheme

Inspired by the beautiful gardens at the Rectory and our desire to have a relaxed and outdoor wedding, we went for an English country-garden theme with plenty of pinks and greens. The fabulous interior at the Rectory requires very little decoration, however we decorated the marquee ceiling with assorted pom-poms from Pom Pom Studio and meters of lovely bunting which were lovingly sewn by my Mum. We decorated the gardens with large balloons floating above the pond and some statement tasselled balloons which stood at the end of the outdoor aisle (also from Pom Pom Studio). We wanted to incorporate a bit of Hong Kong, where we currently live, into the decor. Each table was named after a favourite neighborhood or beach and we placed collages of Polaroid shots which we had taken of the area on each table. Our table plan was also a map of Hong Kong. We also used the fabulous Berinmade for our wedding stationery and the menus and table names.

Flowers

We asked the incredibly creative team from Flowers by Passion to create our wedding flowers and decorations. They translated my romantic country-garden brief perfectly and were able to use their prior knowledge of the venue to suggest what looks and arrangements would work best. They also hire out vintage props (such as the table jug centerpieces and candleabras) which helped to pull the overall look together.The flowers were a significant part of our decoration budget and I was so happy with them - I could hardly put my bouquet down!

The Wedding Party Fashion

In keeping with the relaxed feel that we wanted our wedding to have, we had a relatively small wedding party with a best-man and two bridesmaids. My bridesmaids, who were old school friends, wore stunning blush pink wrap dresses from Twobirds which allowed them to create two different looks. My mum also made our vintage-style dressing gowns which we all wore whilst getting ready.

Ceremony

We had a fantastic humanist wedding service delivered by the lovely Hannah Hart. A humanist wedding really appealed to Tom and I as it would be personal to us and we would be able to have our ceremony outside in the gardens at the Rectory. Hannah wrote the script in consultation with us after having several getting to know you Skype sessions and it was very moving to be able to say the vows that we had written to each other. A particularly funny and light moment of the ceremony was when Tom's sister and her husband sang "The Owl and the Pussycat" with a live ukulele accompaniment instead of reading it as we had originally planned!

Entertainment

Tom took responsbility for organising all of our musical entertainment. We had a relaxed Spotify play-list during the day which was painstakingly put together by a DJ friend of ours from Hong Kong over several weeks! In the evening we had a great contemporary live band called Bounce who we hired through the Band Boutique. We also hired a photo booth for some late-night group photo fun, I would highly recommend getting one!

Food

The Rectory's own kitchen did all the catering for the wedding. We had a lovely Spring-inspired three course meal, followed by a beautiful four tier "naked cake" by local Cotswold cake-maker Vermontier. We also had a sweetie table (using my Grandmother's glassware) for late night sugar cravings.

Photographer

We choose Amy from Especially Amy after seeing the gorgeous work she had done at other weddings at the Rectory. Amy was great to have around on the day and blended in with all our guests, putting them at ease, something which is reflected in her lovely photos of all of our friends and family having fun.
Lauren Gautier-Ollerenshaw

Written by Lauren Gautier-Ollerenshaw

Shoes: Charlotte Olympia | Venue: The Rectory Hotel | Groom's Suit: J.Crew | Celebrant: Hannah Hart | Bridesmaid Dresses: Twobirds Bridesmaid | Florist: Flowers By Passion | Stationery: Berin Made | Pom Poms: Pom Pom Studio | Cake: Vermonter | Band: Bounce

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