Can wedding styled with disco balls be elegant, timeless and classy?
Erm, yes!
On the journal today we’re delving in to all the beautiful details from Holly and Stuart’s wedding at The Mansion at Coldeast.
I first met Holly at a wedding fair at the start of the year, she explained that her and Stu had booked an October wedding but were struggling with their vision, other than there were to be absolutely no pumpkins and nothing orange in sight.
The original brief put to me was; ‘Plain, but with disco balls’.
Challenge accepted!
Ceremonies at The Mansion can take place in the most beautiful orangery which is bathed in natural light and features a stunning mosaic floor. It’s wonderfully intimate and as Holly and Stu were planning a smaller family affair before having a big evening party with their friends it was the perfect backdrop for their ‘I do’s’.
We looked at numerous design options, all of which would’ve worked perfectly because of the blank canvas we were working with, but quickly decided that using lots of greenery and foliage wasn’t a look they were particularly drawn to. I’ll always encourage the couple’s I’m working with to be vocal about what they don’t like as well as what they do, as it’s often the dislikes that end up helping to unlock the right style!
Holly was really drawn to paired back floral arrangements, in particular gypsophila on its own and in abundance. We worked with the wonderful Kara from The Artisan Floral Studio to devise a plan, and quickly settled on a statement asymmetric arch as a ceremony backdrop, as well as the fluffiest meadow arrangements to line the aisle.
When designing a wedding I’m always cautious of anything becoming too ‘themed’, you want to love your wedding photos for years to come and if you’ve taken a particular theme and run with it you might find that your album quickly dates. As such, when incorporating the disco ball element into Holly and Stu’s day I was mindful that we didn’t just chuck disco balls everywhere…as tempting as that was! Instead, they were used minimally to make a statement whilst ensuring the overall wedding aesthetic remained elegant and timeless.
To keep to the modern, minimalist vibe we worked alongside the brilliant Rebecca from Reeba Rose for stationery and signage. Rebecca designed some stunning pieces using a mixture of hand drawn disco ball and gyp illustrations. Guests were welcomed to the wedding with a statement floor standing welcome sign, accessorised by disco balls and flower arrangements. It really set the scene for the overall styling of the day.
Holly and Stu opted to have a first look before their ceremony, to help calm those nerves and spend a few minutes together taking in the enormity of the occasion. I think we were all in tears when their beautiful puppy Romy made a surprise appearance for some pre-wedding photographs. And then it was time to become Mr and Mrs!
Whilst the ceremony was taking place myself and Kara put the finishing touches to the wedding breakfast space. The tablescape design was absolutely beautiful, featuring a pale grey, floor length tablecloth and silver tableware. We incorporated a pop of forest green with knotted napkins and each guest was welcomed to their seat with a personalised bar of chocolate. The styling complete by way of a mini disco ball and individual sprig of gypsophila.
Candlelight is so important to create a romantic atmosphere so tapered candles lined the tables; they were enclosed within tall glass candle sleeves – adding to the sophistication.
I’m always looking for ways we can make a statement with your flowers, it’s often more effective to do so than trying to spread your floral budget too thinly. We included two epic end piece installations, where gypsophila seemingly overflowed the end of each table. It created a real wow factor for guests entering the room. Another top tip when considering your florals is to repurpose as much as you can between ceremony and reception – we did exactly this by repositioning the stunning ceremony arch to frame Holly and Stu behind their top table.
Dining finished, it was time to kick off the party – evening guests were welcomed with a signature cocktail named ‘The Romy Wilson’. Instead of a cake cutting, Holly and Stu decided to do a champagne tower pour instead. Beautifully styled with a gyp ring at the base, Holly looked effortlessly cool wearing her wedding sunglasses – never feel you have to conform to wedding traditions if you’d rather do something more ‘you’. There are no rules!
Holly then slipped into a super sparkly jumpsuit complete with customised matching crutches ready to party the night away!
It was a pleasure to bring the day together for such a gorgeous couple, the photos (captured by the amazing Charlotte Florence Photography) speak for themselves, Holly and Stu had a wedding that was so unapologetically them and everyone who celebrated with them was in agreement, it was a beautiful day whilst also being full of fun and personality.
Huge congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Wilson, and of course, Romy.
With love,
Hannah x
The team:
Photographer http://www.charlotteflorencephotography.co.uk
Florist https://www.theartisanfloralstudio.com/
Stationery https://www.reebarose.com/