Inspiration

Who's missing the weekend sun already? Well this summer wedding at Merriscourt in the gorgeous Cotswold countryside is sure to lift your spirits. Packed with gorgeous wild florals in jam jars, the sweetest watercolour stationery and absolutely bursting with SO much joy and love. I literally cannot stop looking at the amazing picture of bride Olga & her beau Ben in the corn field taken by the super talented McKinley Rodgers Photography, it's seriously HOT and shows off Olga's breathtaking Pronovias Irune gown to perfection. Then there's the film by Story Catchers which has just melted my heart. Husband & wife duo Pen & Cam really do know how to capture those special moments.

The Wedding

Olga the Bride: When we got engaged we deicded to find a place which would have a meaning for both of us, so Oxfordshire was a perfect solution as we have met at university there and both loved the beautiful relaxed feel of the surrounding countryside. We did a lot of research and finally found our charming country barn-style venue which we though would fit well with the relaxed atmosphere of the wedding we have imagined.

The Dress

Initially I didn’t have a set style of a dress in mind, but was looking for something beautifully simple and classic, which turned out more difficult than I thought. Having tried quite a few different styles I was thrilled to finally find an ivory Irune dress by Atelier Pronovias. I fell in love with its understated front with only a tiny bit of embellishment on the sleeves and then the dramatic V-shape back. The material simply floated down in a fishtail shape, making it also really comfortable to wear.

Bridal Accessories

My shoes were Stuart Weitzman and I wore my friend’s Jenny Packham veil. I wanted to keep the accessories to the minimum, so opted for a simple pearl hair vine by Gillian Million, diamond drop earrings and simple chain necklace. The look was completed by the amazing MUA Clare Read who has created a really natural make-up, exactly how I imagined it.

The Grooms Fashion

Ben chose a navy suit from Hugo Boss and classic shoes by Paul Smith. We also wore his dad’s 40 year old pocket watch to finish off the outfit.

Colour Scheme/Décor

We were very lucky that both our venue and the location were so picturesque we could just create some very minimal and natural decorations, simply to add our personal touch to it. We went for a natural mix of pale pinks, purples and plenty of greenery. Delicate combination reflected in the flower arrangements, colour of the bridesmaids dresses and wedding stationery linked everything together. Our wedding favours were miniature bottles of Bloody Mary’s to help with the next day recovery ☺

Florist

My bouqet and the the main table flowers were a creation of the lovely Kirsty from Flowers by Kirsty. I really wanted them to feel fresh and wild, like they have been picked on the morning of. I think Kirsty did an amazing job in achieving just that and spending time with me ahead of the wedding to understand exactly what I was after. We did the rest of the flowers arrangements ourselves, spending all winter collecting jam jars to use as vases. It was great fun to then decorate them together with lace and different string and see it all coming together together on the day.

The Wedding Party Fashion

The bridesmaids wore bespoke-made silk dresses by a polish designer (Basic Station) I found in my home town - Warsaw and who has also created my mums beautiful outfit.

The Venue

We have searched around Oxfordshire to find our perfect venue and we were so thrilled to come across the beautiful Merriscourt in Sarsden. What we have found really refreshing was their relaxed yet super professional approach to running a wedding venue. We also loved the understated and naturally picturesque feel of it. And the surroundings were just so gorgeous. They team at Merrsciourt were extremely helpful in organising the big day and we would 100% recommend them for this special occasion.

Entertainment

Our wonderful band Sasha & the Soulshine kept the dancefloor full all night and we had a great time with them ahead of the wedding choosing all our fabuorite songs! The band has also created a bespoke arrangement of two of our favourite songs for our first dance - it was just so special!

Food

The catering was done by Wesley House and for the cake we opted for a multiple-tier arrangement of cheese instead!

Photography & Videography

The photography was captured by the wonderful Pen & Cam from McKinley Rogers Photography. We’ve instantly fallen in love with their relaxed, real yet beautiful style and when the pictures came back we literally couldn’t be happier. The pair of them were also such a joy to be around on the day, making us feel really special and capturing all the amazing little looks & emotions between us and our guests. Even managed to make our line-up family snaps looking cool! Story Catchers have also been amazing at creating our video highlights. They have managed to capture the fun & the energy of the day perfectly and we love re-living the big day everytime we watch it!

Advice

Decide early on the 3 things we most care about and don’t stress about the rest. Don’t be afraid to experiment with DIY and adding your personal touch! It all honestly comes together on the day so just enjoy every second as it goes so fast!
Lorna Shaw

Written by Lorna Shaw

Videographer: Story Catchers | Dress Designer: Pronovias - Irune | Headpiece: Gillian Million | Bridal Shoes: Stuart Weitzman | Jewellery: Glydon and Guess | MUA: Clare Read | Grooms Suit: Hugo Boss | Grooms Shoes: Paul Smith | Venue: Merriscourt | Florist: Flowers by Kirsty | Entertainment: Soul Shine Band Uk

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