Real Wedding

Brownyn and John’s Wedding at Notley Abbey

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A Stunning Floral Wedding at Notley Abbey

Bronwyn and John celebrated a florally decorated summer wedding at Notley Abbey in Buckinghamshire with 85 guests joining them from near and far.

 

The Proposal

Bronwyn and John met through work and after realising that he didn’t want to go live without Bronwyn by his side, John planned a secret proposal which was to take place in the most romantic city in the world. Bronwyn had just returned from a trip to Australia, visiting her family, when John announced a surprise weekend away. It was only when they arrived at the airport that Bronwyn knew they’d be visiting her favourite city, Paris. John had arranged a room at a beautiful hotel at Place Vendome and during a romantic walk along the River Seine, the groom-to-be got down on one knee at the Pont Neuf and popped the big question.
John didn’t propose with a ring, but instead thought that they could choose the perfect engagement ring together whilst in Paris. Unfortunately for John, but fortunately for Bronwyn, it transpired that the only jewellers open in Paris on a Sunday was Tiffany & Co. on the Champs Elysees! The couple went back to Paris on the anniversary of their engagement to buy matching wedding bands.

The Dress

Bronwyn hand-picked three bridalwear shops to visit on her hunt for the perfect wedding dress. However, after having tried on a lace gown by Pronovias, the bride-to-be was sold and nothing else compared to the stunning strapless a-line number which featured a detachable illusion, lace bolero. The bride completed her elegant look by wearing a pair of glittery Jimmy Choo wedding shoes. The team from Make-up by Elisa helped Bronwyn perfect her bridal style. Sherry creatively tied the bride’s hair up in a beautiful bun before adding her long lace veil, and Elisa herself did Bronwyn’s bridal make-up.

Choosing the Wedding Venue

Bronwyn and John looked at 7 wedding venues at the start of their wedding planning process. Once they’d visited all seven, they individually wrote each venue name down on a piece of paper, in order of their preference. They then swapped lists and were excited to realise that they both had Notley Abbey in pole position. They loved the drive way, the grounds, the buildings, the history and the staff. They also felt that everything was very personalised when it came to planning a wedding with Harper and they liked the fact that the venue was available on an exclusive hire basis. The couple also found Harper’s online planner incredibly useful.

The Big Day: 25th June, 2016

Bronwyn and John celebrated a civil wedding ceremony in the Abbot’s Hall at Notley Abbey. The bride walked down the aisle with her father to Le Onde by Einaudi and three friends read beautiful readings during the romantic ceremony. The Abbot’s Hall was decorated beautifully with white Yorkshire roses and eucalyptus to match Bronwyn’s sensational bridal bouquet. All of the floral décor, which followed a blush colour scheme, had been created by expert wedding florist, Joanna Carter.
After celebratory fizz on the lawn outside Notley Abbey and the traditional ‘confetti shot’, the newlywed couple and their 85 guests walked down The Cloisters Garden walk and in to The Monks’ Refectory where long rows of banqueting tables had been elegantly decorated with sensational floral accents. The bride and groom had previously chosen a menu of the Harper brie parcel as a starter, followed by pulled pork and crackling for the main course. For dessert, the berry crumble went down a treat, followed by a delicious slice of wedding cake.
Guests were excited to watch the newlyweds dance their first dance to ‘Your Song’ by Elton John, and everyone danced the night away to the sounds of the Harper DJ.

cutting white tiered wedding cake

The Bridal Party

Bronwyn chose her three sisters who had flown over from Australia, to be her bridesmaids. They went shopping for the perfect bridesmaids dress out in Australia by themselves, knowing the colour scheme, theme and style of wedding that Bronwyn had in mind. They fell in love with a versatile dress by Twobirds Bridesmaid that Bronwyn had actually seen here in the UK and already loved herself! The blush gown was a winner and all three bridesmaids looked wonderful in their own unique way, along side their sister on the big day!
John chose his twin brother Michael to be his best man and had three ushers to support him during the run up to the special occasion. Their stylish wedding attire was hired from Hugh Harris.

The Honeymoon

Bronwyn and John celebrated their marriage by going on a Honeymoon to the Far East. They visited Burma, Bali and Singapore before returning back to the UK to start their married life as husband and wife.

Bronwyn and John’s Wedding Suppliers

Wedding Venue: Notley Abbey
Wedding Photographer: Barker Evans Wedding Photography
Bridal Hair and Make-up: Make-up by Elisa
Wedding Flowers: Joanna Carter
Wedding Dress Designer: Pronovias
Bridesmaids Dresses: Twobirds Bridesmaid
Groomswear: Hugh Harris
Wedding DJ: Harper DJ

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