Olivia and Andrew first met while working at the same company before she landed a new job and the pair lost contact. Fate intervened when she met up with a former colleague and friend for dinner – and Andrew came along. “The friend in question, Alice, was also one of my bridesmaids at the wedding!” smiles Olivia.
During one of their biannual trips to the Lake District, Andrew proposed overlooking Lake Windermere while the couple hiked the Old Man of Coniston. “We took a secluded route up so there were no other people around, which made it feel extra special. About five minutes after he proposed a band of low cloud came in and we got soaked – classic Lake District weather!” laughs Olivia.
Coombe Trenchard was the picturesque setting for their late summer black tie celebrations that saw a rich colour scheme inspired by their initial visit. “When we first went there, we were greeted by the resident peacocks – it was the gorgeous colours of the peacock’s plumage that inspired our final colour theme!” says Olivia. “Andy’s velvet dinner jacket was peacock blue and the bridesmaids’ dresses were a similar shade. We added some touches of antique gold with lots of candlesticks and dressed them with teal taper candles.”
A neutral floral scheme of white flowers with a variety of foliage added texture and allowed the teal tones to truly pop. “It was very much ‘undone’ style,” comments Olivia. “We kept the rustic wedding breakfast trestle tables ‘naked’ with vases of greenery and the table settings with a ‘less is more’ approach.”
Olivia pinpoints their musicians as another special feature of the day; they played an instrumental set during the drinks reception followed by an upbeat vocal set after the first dance. “We used to have date nights at the Bristol Fringe, which is renowned for its live music,” she explains. “Lee McCrory and PM LeGrand used to do regular sets and, before we even got engaged, I used to joke to Andy that I wanted them to play at our wedding one day. Fast-forward a couple of years and we made it happen!”
“Walking out of the ceremony after being pronounced husband and wife,” Olivia says, reflecting on her favourite memory. “The nerves of saying the ‘I dos’ were over and we were about to spend the rest of the day with all our friends and family. We
enjoyed a glass of bubbles alone and it was such a lovely ‘pinch me’ moment. We then walked out through the clocktower for the confetti throw and didn’t stop smiling from that moment on!”
Her top planning tip? “Spreadsheet!” she proclaims. “Also, prioritise the suppliers that are likely to get booked up in advance so you can get some big things ticked off early on.”
Photography Clare Kinchin clarekinchinphotography.co.uk
Venue Coombe Trenchard coombetrenchard.co.uk
Catering Oaktree Occasions oaktreeoccasions.co.uk
Dress Rosa Clara from The White Collection Bridal thewhitecollectionbridal.co.uk- Groom’s outfit Clifton Suits cliftonsuits.co.uk -Bridesmaids’ dresses Ghost ghost.co.uk
Hair The Wild Pins thewildpins.co.uk
Flowers From the Wild fromthewildflorist.com
Cake Boo To A Goose bootoagoose.net
Entertainment Lee McCrory myspace.com/leemccrory
PM LeGrand facebook.com/000.P.M.000
