An Effortlessly Cool Black-Tie Wedding: Charlotte & Patrick

We had always dreamt of having a destination wedding in the French or Italian countryside; a classic, romantic setting, effortlessly chic, stylish and somewhere which would give us more of a guarantee of warmer weather.

Having started the search in Tuscany, it became increasingly difficult, not only to find a venue that felt right but to also establish a connection with one of the many planners we had spoken to.

Overall we had considered Southern France, Barcelona and even as far as The Philippines (where Patrick’s family are from), but no luck! It was starting to dawn on us also, that for the number of people we wanted at our wedding, particularly older members of the family – the logistics were going to be a nightmare for a wedding abroad!

Words by Charlotte. Images by The Curries.

Exhausted from the search so far, one day we received an email from a venue promoting their wedding showcase that weekend. A quick check on Google maps revealed the location was 45 mins away, just outside London, so we decided to take a chance and thank goodness we did! From the beautiful country lanes leading up to the gated entrance and then a further drive through the breath-taking grounds, we were already filled with excitement.

It was everything we wanted from a venue; almost like your own home for the day, where every room would be accessible to all your guests. The absolute winner for me was the dining room; with the beautiful floor to ceiling windows, which overlooked the countryside and the magnificent chandeliers.

It was the exact aesthetics I was after – having spent all my time researching venues with orangeries and glasshouses up until then, to achieve that indoor/outdoor feeling. Hedsor House was the one!

I found the initial dress search quite stressful- working full-time I often had to pay for weekend appointments for many boutiques in London and was restricted to a short time window to try on a few dresses. Each experience felt a little impersonal and rushed for me, which was deflating. So on the recommendation from both a friend and my planner, I turned to Emma Beaumont.

The initial consultation with Emma immediately put me at ease and I knew I wanted her to design and make my dress. I love everything about my dress; from the fine chantilly lace, the intricate lace panelling edged with pearls, the V-shape back and front to the long, open-end sleeves. I’m really so grateful for the experience and the fact I had an incredible dress bespoke made for me by such a talent.

Both of us recall the amazing feeling once we were married and also our first dance.

However, there was also one moment during dinner, when the evening sun was casting a beautiful, warm glow upon on the room; with the candles flickering and everyone laughing and enjoying themselves- I turned to Patrick and told him to take it in, as this is exactly what we wanted from our day- all of our family and friends coming together and having an amazing time.

Patrick would say that the most memorable moment for him was me walking down the aisle :)

We knew we wanted more of a documentary, candid approach to our wedding photography and thankfully our planner recommended The Curries, as we immediately loved their work!

On the day, it didn’t feel like a chore to pose and take pictures- it all felt so natural and free-flowing. Such professionals, but so easy-going and friendly, we just felt so comfortable.

Chris & Gill captured our day so perfectly- it’s like reliving it all over again when looking through all our beautiful pictures.

What an incredible wedding – I’m loving the effortlessly cool black-tie vibe! How about you?

Planner + Stylist: One Stylish Day / Florist: Liberty Lane Flowers / Cake: Dotty Rose Cakes / Catering: Caper & Berry / Venue: Hedsor / Church: St. Edward’s RC Church, Windsor / Sound & Lighting: Glo Productions / Photographers: The Curries / Videographer: Grace & Mitch / Stationery: Emily & Jo / Entertainment: Gospel Choir – DJ – Saxophonist – / Photo booth: Fotonoir / Bridal Car: Kudos Cars / Guest Transport: Apple Travel / Engagement & Wedding Rings: Burt & Gurt / Wedding Dress: Emma Beaumont / Groom’s Suit: Zebel / Bridesmaid Dresses – Flower Girls’ Dresses: Oui Babe / Hair: Michael Gray Hair (Bride & Flower Girls) / Brooke Painter (Bridesmaids) / Rabia Jawaheer (MoB, MoG & GoB) / Make-Up: Ruth Lily Reynolds