A Pretty, Sage Green & Dusky Pink, Shabby Chic, DIY Church Wedding

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, there's nothing I like more than a Before the Big Day bride who gets in touch after her big day to submit her wedding. Daniella read BBD, and I'm thrilled to say she's a girl after my own heart - a DIY bride with an eye for wedding details, and a love for a sage green and pink colour palette. You'll find stacks of inspiration in her pretty designs - this is a bride who created everything from the bunting, the table plan, place name holders, hessian cone pew-ends, happy-tear tissue pouches, Orders of Service, hundreds of jam jar candles and even 100 tea-light candles! You'll love her advice and her enthusiasm for her wedding vendors - enjoy these beautiful photographs by Dean Govier...with much more from the wedding reception later today.

Paul and I got married on 1st June 2013. We had our ceremony at St. George's Church in Crowhurst. It's our local church and it means a lot to me, as I was christened there, and attended family services there all my life. The Vicar has known me since I was three years old, so it felt like the right place to get married.

I picked pale green and dusky pink as our wedding colours, and we incorporated birds and roses as our main theme, plus a monogram of our initials on our wedding stationery. I worked with my florist to get the colours just right, and her inspiration was invaluable. I recommend her 100% - she was more than just a florist.

My wedding dress was by Paloma Blanca, and I bought it from the amazing Isabella Grace Bridal Boutique in Tunbridge Wells. I knew {or was told by my mother, who was buying me my dress}, that I wasn't having strapless, and I knew I wanted to have an element of lace. 

I saw the dress online and hunted down a local supplier, which was luckily Isabella Grace, as I can safely say is the definition of a bridal shop. Shopping there was just like in the films, and I loved every visit. Every bride should go to see the girls there. As my dress had a keyhole back I decided against a veil, and instead wore an ivory and pearl flower in my hair that I sourced from eBay. 

For my bridesmaids, I chose my close friend Gemma {Paul's sister}, and my sister. Shopping for my bridesmaids' dresses was my one bridezilla moment, I knew the exact colour I wanted which I couldn’t find on the high street so I ordered them from Girls of Elegance without even showing the girls what they looked like.

I knew the bridesmaids' dresses might not fit, but booked a seamstress who altered them perfectly. Luckily the girls were happy with them, and I think the both looked stunning. I bought them ivory shoes from Rainbow Club and attached pink rose clips to the front of them to liven them up. They looked great with the dresses. We also gave them both pearl jewellery, as a gift on the day.

Our wedding florist was AMAZING! I met a few florists and Liz of Flowers By Liz was the one who got my vision and enhanced it. Her enthusiasm was infectious and every time I met her I came away excited, so I knew she would do a great job, and she did. 

Liz helped me choose my flowers. I wanted a simple bouquet - not loads different types of flowers - so I opted for Old Dutch roses, which have a lovely vintage feel, and added eucalyptus leaves and pearls. My bridesmaids had smaller versions. My Mum and I did the flowers for the church on the morning of the wedding, which was a really fun. We had jugs of gyp, eucalyptus and pink roses. Our pew ends were handmade hessian cones with peonies in and white wicker hearts.

We had tonnes of DIY projects - I made everything! I became obsessed with wedding blogs {like Before the Big Day} and Pinterest, and every idea I saw, I knew I could make as oppose to buy. I made the hessian cone pew ends, tissues in pouches for happy tears, all the on-the-day stationery, and much more! I loved every minute of my crafting and would have not done it another way. But at times covered in glue, pink mulberry roses and pearls I might have said differently! 

I needed low shoes as I am useless with heels, so my wedding shoes were Tanya by Rainbow Club. They were comfy, and I managed to keep them on all day and night – even with my broken toe that was a hen-do injury ☺

My wedding jewellery was a lovely story. My grandmother left me her trilogy diamond engagement ring, in the hope my future husband would give it to me as an engagement ring. Sadly Paul didn't know the ring existed, so proposed with his own ring.



So instead we took the diamonds and used one in a pendant and the others as diamond stud earrings. The jeweller also made detachable pearl droplets to add to the earrings for the day. My parents paid for the alterations as a wedding gift, and wearing jewellery with such sentimental value meant so much to me. I haven't taken them off since.

Paul looked extremely dashing in a hired suit from Moss Bros. He wore a traditional morning suit with dark grey tails, striped trousers, and a pale green cravat. His waistcoat was ivory and the ushers had a hint of green in their waistcoats. Seeing Paul at the end of the aisle looking so smart and good looking, really took my breath away.

Our wedding photographer was Dean Govier. Originally we had someone else booked, but as time went on I felt I wasn't connecting with him, and had my doubts. Luckily we met Dean at our marriage prep classes {he got married 3 weeks before us} and we instantly felt drawn to his style and personality. We knew he would be a fab photographer, and someone we wanted there on our day, so we lost the deposit on our original booking and booked Dean.

We were so pleased with our decision. I'm camera shy, so wedding photography wasn't a priority for me - I just wanted the photos as memories. But Dean made us feel at ease, and took the right amount of pictures for us to be able to enjoy our day, without hours of posing. 

Dean captured expressions and moments we would have missed, such as my Dad and sister's reaction to first seeing me in my dress, and my cheeky sideways glances at Paul in the church. I recommend Dean 100% - see a full slideshow of our wedding.

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