Hailing from Switzerland, Valentina met Toby, who moved from the UK to the country for work, during a ski weekend in Davos. “Toby proposed during one of our walks that we like to do close to our home,” she reminisces.
The couple chose Kingston Estate as the setting for their celebrations. “The venue was great and, as there was enough accommodation on-site, we were able to save a lot of planning on where people would stay or how they would get to the venue,” says Toby of the appeal of the versatile and picture-perfect venue.
Choosing a palette of white, cream and green, bountiful arrangements of blooms and foliage complemented the garden setting perfectly, lining the aisle, adorning the ceremony arbor and decorating the trestle tables of the glass house where the wedding feast took place.
Flanked by her bridesmaids donning mismatched dresses in summery hues, Valentina teamed her elegant Jesus Peiro gown with relaxed waves at her shoulders and a stunning bouquet of creamy florals and foliage for the garden ceremony.
“My favourite moment was right before I walked down the aisle with my dad,” she reflects. “It was very emotional and I suddenly realised it was all happening.”
It was a personalised ceremony, with both Toby and Valentina’s siblings performing a reading and her maid of honour singing Hallelujah. The newlyweds then enjoyed mingling with their guests over drinks and canapés in the sun-drenched grounds of the venue’s Mansion House before their wedding breakfast including the sumptuous likes of tomato and burrata salad, rosemary and garlic chicken with a selection of sides, and chocolate brownies with vanilla crème fraiche
“For me, one of the biggest surprises was that my choir friends sang a song for us – I was very touched!” says Valentina, reminiscing on a memorable part of the day. The couple had a surprise in store themselves when they delighted their guests with a choreographed routine to Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud. “It was a very nice atmosphere and a lovely way to open the dance floor,” she says. Live band The Wild Sons ensured the dance floor was in full swing throughout the evening, with the partying continuing in the venue’s Undercroft nightclub until 1am.
“We had a lot of people saying: ‘This was the best wedding we have ever been to’,” reflects Toby. “Everyone really did seem to enjoy themselves and the weather was great.”
And it wasn’t just the wedding day itself that brought Valentina and Toby’s loved ones together. “We had a full weekend wedding, which I think was the best thing we could have done,” she says. “We also hired nannies so people who came from overseas could bring their little ones and would have some help.”
For those busily planning their own wedding, Valentina has some succinct advice. “Plan as much as you can ahead,” she says. “And then enjoy the day and take it as it comes.”
Photography Clare Kinchin Photography clarekinchinphotography.co.uk
Venue Kingston Estate kingston-estate.co.uk
Dress Jesus Peiro from Zoro zoro.ch
Suit Zoro zoro.ch
Hair Toni Gogola tonigogola.co.uk
Make-up Sophie May Fawkes instagram.com/sophiemayfmua
Celebrant David Linaker davidlinaker.com
Flowers Bearded Florista beardedflorista.co.uk
Transport Bob the Bus bobthebus.org.uk
Cake Queen Bee Cakes queenbeecakes.org.uk
Entertainment Cascada Strings cascadastrings.co.uk
The Wild Sons thewildsons.co.uk
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