Chic White Elegant Country Barn Wedding - Whimsical Wonderland...

Chic White Elegant Country Barn Wedding - Whimsical Wonderland...

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Today's couple you may well recognise, as I featured their wonderful Cherry blossom engagement last year. Well today I have the total honour of sharing their super chic nuptials with you.

WWW readers Kimbillie and Lewis were married in July 2014. They hoped for a day which was pure country elegance. With a rustic striking barn they kept to a clean white colour palette. Gypsophila and Hydrangeas worked perfectly alongside the divine décor from Helene Millot Furnishings.

And how about that dress. Kimbillie looked so very stylish in her Alan Hannah gown.

Thanks today goes to SilverStar Photographic for sharing their lovely images.

THE PROPOSAL | Private, unexpected and intimate. I was sat on the floor sorting our paperwork, organising our finances ( which were about to take a big hit ) when Lewis asked me to come join him on the sofa. As I was unaware of his intentions, I told him I was clearly busy. I was then given the stern look, which I've learnt over time means 'its important', so I followed instruction and joined him. He then proceeded with words of which now are hard to recall although I'm sure were lovely and presented me with an engagement ring. In disbelief, shock and utter joy, I quickly said yes through my tears and forgot all about my actions prior. we made a few calls, many to those of my family overseas and then ordered our standard Thursday night kebab.

THE VISION | I always wanted glamorous but never liked Estate Homes having grown up in Australia. Lewis is very proud of his Welsh heritage and for him it was important to incorporate the easy-go-lucky nature of our origins. We wanted country chic, without the hay bales. I needed the weather to be warm so my Australian visitors didn't freeze and Lewis wanted views. An elegant barn seemed like the perfect fit, we just had to find one!

THE PLANNING PROCESS | We were lucky that our wedding, was the first on both sides so everyone wanted to be involved. My now father-in-law, momentarily changed his name to 'Antoine-the wedding planner' and assisted with using his developed resources in finding us everything from barn to the gentleman who hand crafted the direction signs. Our barn wasn't a venue... Put simply, it was a blank canvas ( a dirty canvas), ready for us to create our master piece. We live in London with our UK based family in the Midlands so weekend trips were made and meetings scheduled, along with many a Skype calls! The first couple of months were the hardest. Like the first chapter of a good book, we needed to start at the beginning and work from there. In order to get the summer months, we decided early on ( one week after our engagement ) that the wedding would be that year, in July. That gave us six months. But once the ball was rolling, we rolled with it and we learnt to go with it. Working 70 plus hours a week, trying to get wedding body ready whilst planning, wasn't easy but looking back, it brought us closer. It also taught me that I drive a hard bargain and at times, had to stop acting like a spoilt brat - that said, he still married me!

BUDGET | We wanted to have the best day of our lives but also wanted some of our house deposit to remain after, so we budgeted £15,000. We most probably went over this as we paid for some items here and there from our wages but by and large, we managed to keep to this. We used a spreadsheet right from the beginning and broke down what we thought would be reasonable for each different requirement. Then when it was secured, we entered the price which was achieved. The fact that we both work as negotiators in our day jobs, definitely helped. we saved on some aspects, whilst others came in slightly higher.

THE VENUE | This was one of the two hardest things to do ( seating plan being the other ). We had a vision. We knew exactly what we wanted but struggled to find it. That was until the grapevine of connections were used and we found a hidden gem. We had almost settled on a venue which was nice but not perfect when we got the call that a barn matching our description, had been found.

The view, took our breath away the second we arrived at the tree lined driveway. The property was privately owned however the barn was rarely used ( the majority was for storage ). We saw potential. It screamed, us! The owner who's son had attended the same school as my husband and his brothers was even in the process of restoring an old organ. It was rustic and yet modernly beautiful.

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | I chose a dress from Alan Hannah. I found them very reasonably priced. I also loved that the bridal shop, Quello in Kenilworth was next to the church that we were to be married. It was symbolic. I also purchased my veil from the same boutique which was made to measure as well as match my dress. My shoes were my guilty pleasure as well as my something blue, thank you Manolo Blahnik. I wore earrings which were given to me on the day of the wedding by my husband and a braclet that my mother had made for me in Australia.

FINDING THE DRESS | Personally I believe in less is more. My idea of class is 1950's elegance and Grace Kelly has always been my style icon. I wanted a dress which was modern yet timeless. I only went to two bridal shops and in the first shop, I had settled for a dress which I had thought was nice. Nice, I then learnt did not mean ' the one'. Every bride will say that when they find their dress, they just know. When in the second shop, I tried a dress designed by Alan Hannah. I felt as though the designer had been stood right next to me, assessing my figure and listening to my wish list because once that dress was on, the deposit was literally paid.

GROOM'S ATTIRE | Lewis loves his tweed and it seemed wrong to ignore this. That said, we were getting married in the summer and it could have proved to be the wrong decision. The suits were made to measure by a fantastic company called Victor Valentine. Lew picked the colours and differentiated himself from the bridal party by having a different tie pattern as well as pocket scarf. We ordered waistcoats for all to maintain the formality of the event but to also humour the weather. This was a smart move and they all looked incredibly hansom.

THE READINGS & MUSIC | I walked down the aisle to ' As long as I love you' by Ellie Goulding. When I first heard the song, I had an emotional connection to the words and the association it held towards Lewis. It still brings a tear to my eyes when I hear it now.

We were pronounced husband and wife and exited the church to begin our new life to ' Best day of my life' by the American Poets. a great upbeat, feel good song to send us on our way.

The highlight of the service would have to have been the a cappella rendition of 'make you feel my love' which was sung by my 13 year old sister in law. If Adele had been present at our wedding, she would have been worried. Lily raised the roof, brought tears to even the strongest Welsh mans eyes and made us so incredibly proud.

Readings were done by Hugh and Claire both members of our bridal parties. One reading focused on what the journey of love meant. The other was a poem about 'just loving'.

It was very important that my step father was included in the procedures of the day especially as my mother had walked me down the aisle and given me away. So we asked him to read a biblical passage. His emotions in his deliverance of the words were so heartfelt, that he translated the words of the bible into feelings felt by all in attendance.

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | When it came to who would be by my side on our wedding day, there was no question. My best friend Alison has stood by my side when things were good and when things were bad. Always my voice of reason, the 'hello' at the end of a phone and the mother of my beautiful god daughters. There is no one better to have been called my Matron of Honour. Ali and I have lived in different countries to each other for almost five years so I also got an extra visit by having her there on our big day.

My other gorgeous girls were my sister and my sister in law. Lewis and I never questioned having them included in the bridal party.

And finally, my friend Claire who is like my big sister. Having never had a big sister, Claire has always been there for both Lewis and I and is a great support to me in every day life. She also ran much of the day and was affectionately nick named Drill Sergeant by the wedding guest.

THE FLOWERS | I cannot justify spending thousands of pounds on flowers which will only last a day. I have friends who spent half our wedding budget on their wedding flowers and as lovely as they are, Lewis and I didn't think flowers would be the most significant part of the wedding day. We used family contacts to buy the majority of our flowers through wholesalers. We loved the wildness glamour of gypsophila and incorporated some other white flowers as well as the assistance of ivy to help decorate the venue. Our bouquets and the groomsmen button holes were ordered through a Kenilworth florist called The Orangery. They also decorated the Church. The ladies at the florist were quick to understand our vision and didn't impose the use of their services for the venue decorations. Total money spent on flowers was £520.

THE CAKE | Our cake was cut but due to the quantity of other desserts offered, not a piece was eaten on the day. We purchased individual tiers of cake from Marks & Spencer's and assembled them ourselves. We had intended to cater to all taste buds so each tier was a different flavour and we further decorated the cake with some left over flowers which helped incorporate the theme. Our cake cost £100.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | Best photographers in the Midlands and possibly the UK. We had actually booked another photographer but when we attended a local wedding fayre , our minds were quickly changed. Michelle and Richard offered two photographers for the price of one and because of this every angle is captured. Included in the photography package was also an engagement shoot which enabled us to became comfortable in front of the camera as well and familiarise ourselves with our two new wedding guests. Booking our photographers was such a satisfactory achievement.

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR | Because the Barn was simply a shell, we had to clean, arrange the seating, sort the lighting, book a caterer and even arrange the the knives and folks. Thankfully, I found a fantastic company which offered much of what we needed. Helene Millot Furnishings offered all cutlery, candelabras, ornamental jugs and bottles, antique suitcases and even a stages head! This company offered the lot. Katherine, was fast on quotations and responses to emails which every nervous bride wants and best of all, she was so reasonably priced! I'd recommend this company to anyone who loves a bit of old word charm but doesn't want to buy the pieces individually.

We also had a significant amount of help from a family friend who owns a staging company. Judy took the vision we had in our minds and put it into practice. She hung the drapes, arranged the flowers and even picked the Ivy from outside the barn because she saw the potential. We owe so much to Judy and her creative imagination for making our dream, a wedding day reality.

THE HONEYMOON | We had a fantastic, RELAXING, week off after the wedding which allowed us to spend quality time with our families who had travelled for our big day. This was especially nice for me as I got some time with my younger sister who I'm very close to. We also escaped from the chaos for two days to a nearby village. We knew this break would be minimal but that's because we had a trip to Australia booked for October.

The trip home was exciting and exhausting and a great chance for Lewis to meet my grandparents who were too old to make the trip for the wedding day. We visited the very hospitable Singapore for a couple of days as well as Dubai ( for some much need sun and R & R on the way home ).

MEMORABLE MOMENTS | The whole day. We couldn't fault a thing. The feeling of love was everywhere and felt by everyone. The day was a celebration of a partnership and two families becoming one. Although not everyone could make the long journey across the seas, their blessings were definitely felt.

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | When planning, I really struggled when I received peoples condolences for not being able to attend. I wont lie, there were tears. My best friend who also experienced what I was feeling gave me some advice. She told me that on the day, it will all be about Lewis and me. and that the people who couldn't make it will have us in their thoughts and prayers. And although it sounds harsh, on the day I wouldn't be looking at who wasn't there but who was. My best friend is one smart lady. As much as a disappointment it was that not everyone was there, the feeling of love on the day didn't once having me thinking of the people who couldn't be there in person.

And secondly, focus on you as a couple. Don't get wrapped up in the materialistic demands of the day. As ultimately, it's one day.

One great day, designed to celebrate the love of two people who in a world full of wrongs, found their right, in each other.

And thirdly, the seating plan is a nightmare. Get it out of the way as quickly as possible. Especially if there have been divorces in the families!

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |

Photography | SilverStar Photographic

Dress | Alan Hannah

Suit | Victor Valentine

Décor | Helene Millot Furnishings

Florist | The Orangery

How wonderful.

Thanks so much to Kimbillie and Lewis for sharing all about their wedding with us today xo

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