With only one month to go before Christmas day I thought I’d share this gorgeous mulberry and gold Christmas wedding with you all.
With an elegantly fun, vibrant and festive colour palette, this real wedding might even inspire you to have your very own Christmas inspired wedding day.
Congratulations to Emma and Tom our super sweet couple – we love your winter wedding!!
A Gorgeous Mulberry & Gold Christmas Winter Wedding: Tom & Emma
Words by Emma. Images by Divine Day Photography.
We visited Bradbourne House in the Summer of 2013, and Emma’s mind was made up as soon as we drove slowly down the winding drive.
We wanted that wedding venue! In fact, we didn’t bother looking at any other venues as our mind was made up. It’s rich history, gorgeous orchard gardens and Tiffany-blue coloured Great Hall had us sold.
We married 5 days before Christmas, so I decided on a colour scheme of mulberry and brassy gold.
Tom’s suit was an electric-blue slim fit suit from Moss Bros. The shop assistant’s face was a picture as we said it was for our wedding – he’d tried to guide us to the more traditional morning suits… but they’re just not our style! We loved the British quirkyness of the blue suit and didn’t regret buying it.
The groomsmen all wore black suits of their own, as we didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable wearing something they didn’t like (we’ve all been there!). All the boys wore the same Ted Baker waistcoat as Tom’s, a black and mulberry houndstooth tie from ASOS and simple white pocket square
My Dad walked me down the aisle to “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles – and we both walked up the aisle to “Wouldn’t it be Nice” by The Beach Boys as Tom is a huge fan and it’s his favourite song.
For the wedding flowers we chose Bow Bellas because I wanted quite an unusual mix of flowers, inspired by a beautiful Wintry bunch I’d seen in Marks & Spencers.
Together, we comprised a bouquet of king proteas, silver sprayed thistles, pink roses, and mixed tropical foliage (slangbos, phyllica, staavia, and kol kol)… no easy feat in the depths of Winter!.
Nothing was too much hassle, and Kay went to the trouble of making up a sample bouquet for me to see before the big day – lots of other florists I’d spoken to weren’t willing to do that. We had so many comments on the day about the unusual bouquets.
My bridesmaids were asked to choose their own dresses for the day, as I wanted each of them to feel both beautiful and comfortable in something that was flattering for their body shape. The only criteria was that the dresses were mulberry in colour and floor length!
I let the bridesmaids choose their own shoes for a mismatched look, which I paid for, provided the shoes were nude. Most of the girls chose Kurt Geiger
I hired a vintage Fiat 500 to drive me, my maid of honour and my Dad to the wedding venue, as a bit of a nod to my Italian heritage – it was also my Dad’s first car when he lived in Italy.
With its tiny 0.5 litre engine we chugged along to the venue, the 4 of us crammed into this tiny car… it was funny seeing everyone stuck in traffic pointing and smiling as we breezed past!
Sandra at Divine Day Photography was our photographer for the day and we totally put our trust in her – she did not disappoint.
She captured some truly beautiful shots on the day – from candid imagery of us and our guests to the smaller details spotted around the venue, which could so easily have slipped our memories over time.
Luckily we have beautiful photographs to look back on and reminisce. Her style and finish is both classy and high quality.
My wedding dress was by LaceMarry. I had seen her designs on Etsy and loved the lace – I opted for a deep V cut back and a sweetheart high neckline for a classic look that wouldn’t date in photos. I teamed the dress with a black sash for a more contemporary feel
I did splash out a bit on wedding favours as I had some bespoke mini wedding cake tiers made out of shortbread for each guest, with mulberry coloured name tags tied to each box – these were also supplied by my wedding cake maker.
I didn’t go crazy on DIY projects but did want to add my own creative touches on the day – like buying red and white striped paper straws for the Winter Pimms that were served to guests on the steps after the ceremony.
The apple crate flip-flop box left in the ladies’ bathroom and the cigars we bought and left out for guests to help themselves to in the evening (we’d saved some fat Cubans from our 2013 trip to Cuba, where Tom popped the question).
For the wedding tables, we featured a white wishing tree entwined with fairy lights on each table and asked the venue to turn the lighting down, as we dined as the sun went down on one of the shortest days of the year.
All that lit the room were the wishing trees, the table tealights, some subtle pink uplighting and the twinkling fir Christmas tree in the corner of the room. It was magical!
We knew it could get a bit tedious for guests after the ceremony as we had photos done, so we hired a magician who milled around each group performing tricks. That was really popular.
In the evening, we hired a photobooth which came with props – that was great fun – and the DJ played all night long!
Lighting was key for me, and I hired some giant lettering which spelt out LOVE at the end of the aisle, as well as a smaller Mr & Mrs sign which sat on top of the grand piano.
I had seen a beautiful nude wedding cake on Pinterest which was dripping with seasonal Winter fruits, huge, blooming white roses and a light dusting of icing sugar… and I knew very early on that I wanted something similar.
Terrie at the Little Cupcake Kitchen is the partner of a friend, and like Kay at Bow Bellas, was only more than happy to listen to what I was after and delivered us a huge, dream cake. She came up with designs for us to see before going ahead with the cake build… and the day before our big day, she worked through the night to make the cake for us!
At the crack of dawn on our wedding day she was at the venue, assembling the cake. It was a real talking point amongst evening guests! I think it is really important that we support local businesses.
We danced our first dance to “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole – we didn’t want anything slow or cheesy – and asked our guests to join in when the song picks up with the trumpets.
What was your most memorable moment of the day?
The ceremony and the magical atmosphere during the Wedding Breakfast will always remain etched in my mind, although the whole day was memorable and so relaxed.
If you could impart any words of wisdom to a future brides planning her wedding day, what would they be?
Don’t get stressed out on the day, and just go with the flow – our guests complimented us on how fuss-free the day went, and I think this made the event more enjoyable for them too as they felt they could relax.
Also, some things don’t go to plan on the day which you can’t control; but don’t let it ruin the day, and remember the reason why you’re getting married!
What an awesome Christmas wedding!! I’m loving the contrast between those gorgeous mulberry hues, flashes of gold and bright raspberry pinks.
Planning a Christmas wedding, browse our Christmas wedding ideas or Christmas weddings! Or just take a look at this awesome Christmas wedding favour – it’s one of my all time faves.
wedding credits / photographer: divine day photography / wedding venue: bradbourne house / brides dress: lacemarry via etsy / brides veil: ebay / grooms suit: asos / brides shoes: vivienne westwood / bridesmaid dresses: their own / bridesmaid shoes: kurt geiger / hair: not just a pretty face / makeup: wedding makeup by nicola / florist: bow bellas / wedding cake: little cupcake kitchen
View the Gallery 
