#13 Eco-Chic in Cheshire
Our Brides – Rowena
Rowena wanted a relaxed eco-friendly twist on the traditional village hall wedding for her big day at Marthall in Cheshire. When she’s not looking radiant in her two-look outfit by Charlie Brear (amped up with accessories by Jesus Peiro), Rowena volunteers at the wildlife sanctuary featured in some of her pics. And she even had two of the owls there for the ceremony!
I remember Rowena coming into the shop for one of her dress appointments and beaming with pride that her little sister was just about to get into veterinary college. So cute! She also takes the prize for best silly wedding day photo: check out the life-belt rescue below!
Congrats Rowena! Sign me up for Friends night… I have plenty more dresses to choose from.
Jess x
THE LOW-DOWN
How would you sum up the style of your wedding?
Traditional vs quirky – a relaxed village wedding with lots of family and friends!
Where and when did you tie the knot?
We got married on Saturday 27th April 2019. The ceremony was at All Saints Church in Marthall, Cheshire. The reception followed next door at The Hall at Marthall, which is a lovely, light and contemporary, eco-friendly village hall.
And what was your wedding dress?
Carenne by Charlie Brear.
THE LEAD-UP
How did you two first meet?
We met at work and after a long friendship became a couple in 2013.
What about the proposal? When, where, how?
August Bank Holiday 2017: We went on a weekend break to Oxford and went for a punt along the river on a lovely sunny day.
We pulled over to have a Mediterranean riverside picnic, and this is where my Granny’s engagement ring appeared! And the ducks and geese watched on!
It was a complete surprise, but I remember thinking seconds before he popped the question, that it would be a lovely place to get engaged (which had never entered my head before). So that was a bit spooky and a sign he did a good job! 😊
THE DRESS
Did you have an idea of what you wanted when you first started looking for your wedding dress? And did you stick to it?
I liked the bohemian look and had seen a few dresses online by Rembo Styling that were really beautiful!
The Charlie Brear Carenne dress was a game-changer though!
How did you find the whole experience of searching for the right dress?
Fun! I enjoyed trying on lots of beautiful (and not so beautiful) dresses and I went to several different shops. Very different experiences but hands down Alexandra Anne was the best by a country mile. Such a beautiful location and building. A lovely relaxed atmosphere. The lovely Jess, who is so warm, friendly and a pro at what she does! And so many beautiful dresses!
What was it about your dress that made it ‘the one’?
The incredible fabric and the way it moved. It felt amazing and is just such a beautiful, timeless dress!
How did you feel once you’d made the big decision?
Hurray! (Excited!).
Do you have any top tips for other brides out there shopping for their bridal gown?
Try on lots of different dresses and let others pick some out for you to try on too. I didn’t pick out my dress myself. You may be surprised!
THE BIG DAY
Tell us more about your outfit on the day. How did you complete your look?
During the day I wore a lace cropped Charlie Brear jacket called Augustine over my dress with a long single tiered veil by Joyce Jackson in my hair.
I wore sparkly flat sandals (so comfy!) and subtle diamond earrings and a necklace.
In the evening the Augustine jacket came off and was replaced by a lovely little belt by Jesus Peiro. When I came out of the bathroom some people thought I had put a different dress on. So it felt like I had two different looks for the day, which was fun!
I also wore a ‘Messy Eater’ apron during the meal, as we had tapas and I did not want any spillages!
I also had a Jesus Peiro cashmere shrug, which was needed because it was cold!
And your bridesmaids?
I had three bridesmaids. My sister, my oldest friend and my new sister-in-law. Two of them have recently had babies so I wanted them to be comfortable. I also wanted dresses that were maybe a little different and reflected my personality.
I love cats and found a lovely dress by Lady Vintage which was 1950s style, teal with black cats and white hearts on. They wore white court shoes and had a simple posy of white roses each. This brought out the hearts on the dress. They looked amazing!!!
I also had a beautiful flower girl who wore a white dress from Monsoon and stole the show!
What do you remember about the morning?
Tea, crumpets and feeling surprisingly very chilled out!
Who did your hair and makeup?
Bradie from Cuckoo Folk in Congleton did our hair in simple boho styles.
Our makeup artist was Emma Williams who did a very good natural look.
Who took your wedding photos?
Did you follow any traditions? Or was there anything unusual about the ceremony?
There were quirks here and there as we wanted a very relaxed, less formal feel.
I was dropped off at the church in my dad’s motorhome, which was funny and fun to travel in. The family dog was there wearing his bow tie! And we had Chocolate the eagle owl and Shimba the barn owl from Lower Moss Wood, which is the local wildlife hospital I volunteer at.
How did your dress feel when you were walking down the aisle?
It felt amazing and I just glided down the aisle (although my Dad had to tell me to slow down…). Haha! So it was very easy to walk in!
THE MEMORIES
What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?
Getting to the bottom of the aisle and just standing holding hands before we said our vows felt pretty special.
Having the owls there was amazing too!
What gave you the biggest laugh?
My dad getting up with the band and playing an inflatable guitar! He took over the stage!
What got the tears flowing?
There were no tears, only smiles! 😊
If there was one piece of advice you could give to a new bride-to-be, what would it be?
“It’ll be alright on the night!” So enjoy the build-up!
I spent so much time unnecessarily worrying about things and everything was great!
And last but not least, where is your wedding dress now?
Hanging outside my wardrobe. Maybe I’ll have the girls over for a Friends night and we can watch telly in our wedding dresses!
THE RECAP
Dress
Carenne by Charlie Brear
Accessories
Augustine Jacket by Charlie Brear
Charm Veil by Joyce Jackson
Belt by Jesus Peiro
Cashmere shrug by Jesus Peiro
Sandals from Dune
Venue
The Hall at Marthall (Cheshire)
We also had a tipi for extra chillout space from Timber and Canvas
Photography
Hair and makeup
Hair – Cuckoo Folk (Cheshire)
Makeup – Emma Williams (Cheshire)
Decor
Festoon lights and lanterns by Wedding Venue Lighting
Flowers
Sweet Pea Florists (Cheshire)
Stationery
We tried to be eco-friendly so we did our Save the Dates and invites by email.
Table plan theme
Our favourite movies
Caterers
Carlton Caterers – Day
The Wandering Pizza Company – Evening
Entertainment
The Trigger Hounds (band)
First dance song
Wouldn’t it be Nice – The Beach Boys
Inspired by Rowena’s classy but quirky style?