Childhood sweethearts Milly and Edd met at school at the tender age of 13 before later becoming a couple at 17 – “and have been together ever since!” she exclaims. Edd planned the perfect proposel for Milly, who is a jeweller, at Old Harry's Rock in Dorset. “He asked me to marry him with three loose salt and pepper diamonds to create and design my own engagement ring,” she reveals of the sweetly romantic moment.
Choosing the church where Milly’s parents were married led to many poignant moments on the day. “I was really nervous for the church, walking in and saying our vows in front of so many people, but both Edd and I agreed it was one of our favourite parts of the day,” says Milly. “My grandfather did a reading that was very special, and Edd’s groomsmen formed a guard of honour for when we came out of the church, which was a lovely surprise.”
A marquee reception at Milly’s parents’ house followed. “We arrived five minutes before everyone else, which I would really recommend, as it gave us a chance to breathe and chat about the service,” she says. Rather than adopting a specific style, the couple selected a series of handmade elements for a personalised feel together with beautiful arrangements of crisp white florals and foliage.
“We wanted everything to look very natural and ‘us’,” explains Milly. “I made the bespoke jewellery, including our wedding bands that were made from an old bracelet of my mum’s that we melted down. My earrings were hoops with salt and pepper diamonds set in the pebbles.”
Her cousin created all the stationery, from the invitations to the table numbers, while Milly and Edd bought bay trees and herbs that they placed in terracotta pots and scattered throughout. “I liked the idea of the plants being used again after the day,” she says. “We have repotted a lot of them and given some to family and friends to remember the day.”
Guests gathered at Milly’s parents’ house for canapés and a live saxophonist, after which the speeches were delivered before the wedding breakfast “so the boys could all relax”. Spinach, goat’s cheese and red onion pithivier was followed by sirloin of beef served with herby new potatoes and green salad. A smorgasbord of sweets then rounded off the feast in the delectable form of dark chocolate and rum truffles, milk chocolate and salted caramel choux buns, and strawberries dipped in white chocolate.
“We wanted the rest of the evening to be really relaxed and informal,” says Milly. “We didn't have a first dance or any other staged events after the speeches. It really was a perfect day; I danced for the rest of the night,” she says of the evening’s laidback but fun shenanigans.
The following day continued the celebratory mood with a barbecue and drinks, “which was so fun! I would honestly relive the day in a heartbeat if I could!” reminisces Milly. -
“Choose what you want, and your own style, and enjoy everything,” she urges other couples. “We made a thing of all the planning so we celebrated throughout, not just on the day. Even when it came to choosing the candle colours, mum and I would have an evening together with a glass of wine! It made the whole year so special and spread out the fun.”
Photography Virginia Photography virginiaphotography.co.uk
Venue St Andrew’s Church, Halberton
Bridal skirt & top Halfpenny London halfpennylondon.com
Hair Hair By Jodie Mckie facebook.com/hairbyjodiemckie
Make-up Sadie Slade-Smith at Meraki Studio themakeupartiststudio.co.uk
Flowers Darling Buds darlingbudsofel.com
Stationery Sophie Mantell sophiemantell.com
Catering Pickle Shack pickleshack.co.uk
Cake Loo Loo’s Cakes instagram.com/loolooscakes
Entertainment The Dukes of Havoc thedukesofhavoc.co.uk
Videography Benjamin J Marshall benjaminjmarshall.com-
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