Afternoon ladies!! I have the most gorgeous real wedding to share with you today. It’s vintage elegance at it’s spectacular best and I’m loving the art deco influence seen throughout the styling of their day! As some of you may know I’m also a huge Belle & Bunty fan and this brides 30s influenced wedding dress is one of their finest!!
Aimeè and Tim were brought together by their mutual interest in the First World War. This is their wedding story in the words of the very lovely Aimeè herself… enjoy!
‘Tim and I met through out mutual interest in the First World War. Of course, his rugged good looks played a massive part in winning me over too! We’re both military history enthusiasts and, as it turned out, enthusiasts of vintage clothing too. We had our first date at Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire followed by afternoon tea near the Senate House in Cambridge. It wasn’t a textbook date, but it set the tone for the rest of our relationship!’
‘We had a very traditional wedding ceremony, using the 1928 wedding service. However, our recessional march was ‘Rule! Britannia’! A slight break from traditional, but one that was very well received by the guests!’
‘We married in a beautiful country church situated on top of a slight hill amidst the rolling Norfolk fields’
‘I wouldn’t like to say that we had a particular theme for the wedding. It was really an amalgamation of different inspirations. Both Tim and I were very inspired by the 1930s – the fashion, the music and the ethos and spirit of the time. However, we didn’t want to be constrained by a specific theme as we felt that this would hinder our own creativity around the planning of the wedding. To be honest, I suppose it’s fair to say that we had ‘nods’ to various inspirations – Art Deco, vintage Hollywood glamour, the 1930s, minimalism etc. We wanted a wedding that was understated and uncomplicated’
‘Tim was very keen to create as authentic an interpretation of a 1930s groom as possible. He decided early on the best way was to locate as many original items as possible. With the help of some excellent friends who also collect and wear vintage this was made possible’
‘I wanted a dress that harked back to the clean lines of the 1930s, but one that still managed to embody the Hollywood glamour of that golden age. When I saw that Belle and Bunty had launched a bridal range, I was blown away by the fabulous designs and the luxury of the fabrics. I knew that the ‘Belle’ dress was exactly for me even though I’d only seen it on the website‘
‘My visit to the Belle and Bunty boutique in London was a wonderful experience. Alice (‘Belle’) and Hannah (‘Bunty’) were so friendly and so enthusiastic about the day. The moment I tried the ‘Belle’ dress on was the moment I knew that this was the dress I would get married in. Everything, from the handmade roses on the bodice, the fullness of the skirt and the low v-back, made this dress absolutely perfect’
‘St Giles House Hotel in Norwich was one of the first venues we came across when we carried out our initial search online. However, we discounted it at first as we thought it would be out of our budget. The months passed and we still hadn’t found anywhere we really ‘connected’ with (and, importantly, that came in budget), so we decided to visit St Giles House Hotel‘
‘The venue was captivating with its Georgian façade and Art Deco interior. It also turned out to be one of the best value venues we had considered! Jenna Richards, the manager and wedding coordinator, was absolutely fantastic at every stage of our planning. We couldn’t recommend her and her team highly enough. They made sure the day ran smoothly behind the scenes. We’re hoping to go back to St Giles House Hotel for our first wedding anniversary’
‘Tim and I are massive fans of Gordon’s work and we were thrilled when he agreed to shoot our wedding. His portrait work in particular is sublime. His attention to detail and meticulous nature allows him to capture the smallest details from a time past’
‘Gordon does not use digital photography, which means each shot has to count. By using a combination of sepia, black and white and colour photography, Gordon provided us with so many different perspectives on our wedding day. He really did imbue our day with the history and spirit of the time’
Aimeè’s wedding memories…
Walking down the aisle
Saying our vows to one another with the sunshine breaking through the grey clouds and pouring through the church windows
Having photographs taken by Gordon Ayres outside St Giles House Hotel whilst members of the public took photographs of us on their smart phones!
My dad’s speech – a very honest, heartfelt speech with not a dry eye in the room!
Tim regaling the guests with the story of how he proposed and how I laughed at him. Very embarrassing!
Opening the door to the bridal suite and exclaiming ‘Oh my goodness, it has its own hall way!’
What an amazing real wedding!! Thanks so much Aimeè and Tim for sharing your beautiful day. I’d love to hear your comments also lovely brides-to-be… please leave some love for this gorgeously decadent bride and groom.
Wedding suppliers
Wedding Photographer ~ Gordon Ayres
Venue ~ St Peter and St Paul (Honing)
Reception ~ St Giles House
Wedding Dress ~ Cream silk satin ‘Belle’ dress
Wedding Veil ~ Full length, silk georgette veil
Wedding Shoes ~ Début at Debenhams – Ivory sling back shoes
Vintage cream fur bolero
Hair Styled by Flamingo Amy
Wedding Stationery ~ Penny Choo
Wedding Flowers ~ New Beginnings Florist
Wedding Cake ~ Mellie Makes Cakes
Transport ~ Wedding car: David Wall (Wroxham, Norfolk), London bus: London Routemaster Bus Company Ltd (Rainham, Essex)
Our friend, Bryan Webb, provided the night’s entertainment with his DJ setup ‘Okay for sound’ complete with vintage BBC microphone!
Grooms details ~ Tim was very keen to create as authentic an interpretation of a 1930s groom as possible. He decided early on the best way was to locate as many original items as possible. With the help of some excellent friends who also collect and wear vintage this was made possible.
The tail coat was a 1926 morning coat, cut by the tailors Brass and Pike of Savile Row, London. The trousers and waistcoat were undated but the cut and cloth were distinctly early 20th Century. The shirt was collarless in white cotton by T.M. Lewin of Jermyn Street with a vintage spearpoint detachable collar from D’Arcy clothing to give it a real 1930s feel. Oxford wing tips by Loake of Northampton, tie by Gieves, pocket square by T.M. Lewin, gloves by Dents and top hat by Lock & Co. Much of the vintage clothing was purchased from Savvy Row or Ebay. There were a few elements that could be purchased in town or through other online purveyors.
Evening suit was a 1938 dated Austin Reed three piece complimented by a T.M. Lewin of Jermyn Street Marcello shirt, Gieves bow tie and Loake Oxford wing tips.
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I love everything about this! Especially the style of the dress and Aimees hair and makeup! And how lovely to have all ‘real’ pictures!
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