Forde Abbey Whimsical Wedding with Bespoke Bride Dress & Wildflowers

Don't be fooled, these aren't photos from the latest Disney film release, it's just a magical wedding at Forde Abbey in Dorset. The whimsical wedding included velvet bridesmaid dresses and wildflower bouquets. The leading lady looked beautiful with her stunning red hair braided with an embellished hairpiece and a blush bride dress, designed and created just for her by Joanne Fleming. The embroidered burgundy flowers running up Loreen's tulle dress matched the groom's deep red wedding suit for the September wedding. Surrounded by their family and friends who had travelled from all over to celebrate the special day. The tones of blush, oranges, red and greens used throughout the day reflected the seasonal changes of the time of year and it couldn't have been prettier!

Large flowers at Forde Abbey with welcome sign

Autumnal wedding stationery and invitation designs

Bridesmaid presents at Forde Abbey wedding

Grooms accessories and brown shoes at Forde Abbey wedding

Groom in burgundy wedding suit with groomsmen

Bridal preparations with bridal party at Forde Abbey

Bride on her way to wedding ceremony at Forde Abbey

Bride in blush wedding dress with braided hair

Large flower wedding decor at Forde Abbey

Bride makes her way to the unplugged ceremony at Forde Abbey

Bride and groom kiss at ceremony at Forde Abbey

Bride and groom sign the wedding register at Forde Abbey

Beautiful wedding ceremony with large flower decor

Ribbon bucket for guests to use instead of confetti

WHAT MADE OUR DAY UNIQUE
Loreena’s maid of honour walked her down the aisle. I think she cried more than I did! Joe’s best man Reece announced during his speech that we are Godparents to his two daughters, which we didn’t know, so that was a lovely surprise! They came over from Sweden but we also had friends from London, Southampton, Manchester, Edinburgh, the Isle of Wight... we felt so honoured that they travelled to be with us on the day.
Loreena & Joe

Forde Abbey

The unplugged civil ceremony was held in the Great Hall at Forde Abbey, decorated in flowers and a grand chandelier, and was followed by afternoon tea in an equally gorgeous room with vaulted ceilings and arched windows. The couple fell in love with the venue as soon as they saw it, knowing it was the one where they wanted to tie the knot straight away! Using Autumnal colours and the beauty of the Dorset wedding venue itself, it made for a breathtaking day!

INSPIRATION & STYLING
We fell in love with the garden at Forde Abbey from the first time we saw it, so that and the beautiful colours of the season were our inspiration for styling. We wanted a romantic but fairly informal, whimsical feel to the day with lots of thoughtful details.
Loreen & Joe

Velvet bridesmaid dresses for Autumn wedding

Bride in blush wedding dress with groom in burgundy wedding suit

Bridal party throwing confetti over couple

Burgundy wedding suit for groom with bride in bespoke wedding dress

Bride and groom at September wedding at Forde Abbey

Wedding table decor for Autumnal wedding

Bespoke wedding cocktails at Forde Abbey

Wedding cake design for September wedding

Bride and groom in the grounds of Forde Abbey wedding venue in Dorset

Bride and groom walk through the grounds of Forde Abbey

Breathtaking Dorset wedding venue, Forde Abbey

Bride and groom take a moment amongst candles

WEDDING DRESS
I always knew I wanted something different, but after visiting several boutiques with no success (and a couple of horror stories!), I booked in to see Joanne at her gorgeous studio in Brighton. I’d followed her on Instagram for years and had my eye on a pale blue/grey design, but the sample wasn’t available by the time my consultation came around, so I ended up trying on a very similar dress in blush pink. I don’t wear much pink ordinarily but immediately fell in love, and Jo helped me perfect the design with trailing burgundy flowers and antique gold lace details. I cried every time I tried it on and felt incredible on the day.
Loreen & Joe

Loreen, our bride, looked truly stunning in a bespoke wedding dress from Joanne Flemming, if you need a little guidance or don't know where to start, then take a listen to our wedding dress podcast that will help you on your quest to find 'the one'!

Written by Imogen Read

Venue: Forde Abbey |

Bride Dress Designer: Joanne Flemming |

Grooms Suit: Moss Bros. |

Bridal Hairpiece: Melancholy Magpie |

Catering: Claire's Catering |

Cake: The Cake Architect |

Flowers: Tilda Rose Floristry |

Hair Stylist: Perfect Day Hair |

Makeup Artist: Karina Grace |

Stationery: Studio 6

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