Sophie & Andrew: Old-World Winter Romance at Pennard House

S&A recently celebrated their first anniversary (we hope in suitably seasonal style!), and we’re so delighted they’ve chosen to share their day with us – the perfect closing love story.⁠

We have just one more feature planned for everyone getting engaged over the holidays, so from all of us here at Team Coco, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! We’ll be back in the New Year with a fresh batch of dreamy venues, love stories, and inspiration. Until then, may your days be cosy, your glasses be full, and your venue research wonderfully fruitful.

Pennard House was the perfect mix of character, atmosphere and personal touch for our wedding day. The Coach House for the reception exuded charm while also allowing us to put our own stamp on it. We also loved that the beautiful All Saints Church was at the bottom of the garden, and we loved walking through the trees to the church on our wedding morning, which felt so atmospheric and nostalgic.

Having everything on-site made life much easier as well. We didn’t have to stress about our guests moving between locations, and they could simply enjoy every second of the day. The house itself has so much character and personality, and it was perfect for accommodating our immediate family, bridesmaids, and groomsmen, all in one place. We also loved that we were able to turn our wedding into a full weekend celebration, with dinner at the house on Friday night and a pizza party in the coach house on Sunday. The Pennard team were incredible to work with, warm from the start, and just as invested in our vision as we were.

My dress was the Amber gown by Sassi Holford. I tried it shortly after getting engaged, but wasn’t quite ready to commit. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and that’s when I knew it was the one! I loved the movement of the fabric and the elegant bishop sleeves. I styled it with a pearl headband from Dolecka and a cathedral-length pearl veil from Sassi Holford. I picked up my earrings at an antiques fair.

The bridesmaids wore champagne-coloured satin dresses from TH&TH, each choosing a style that suited them best. For my makeup, I wanted a natural, glowy look. I debated between a low bun and a half-up, half-down hairstyle, ultimately choosing the latter because it felt more me.

Andrew wore a deep burgundy velvet jacket from House of Cavani, while the groomsmen wore black velvet jackets from Next. Their dress trousers were from Brook Taverner and their dress shirts from Moss. The bow ties were from Hawes & Curtis, with Andrew in a black velvet bow tie and the groomsmen in a rich wine-coloured version to complement each other.

The theme was old-world winter romance with a touch of festive magic. We wanted to capture the season’s richness, so we used abundant greenery paired with winter’s jewel tones – rich, deep reds and purples softened by touches of pink. We embraced the shorter days with plenty of candles and sparklers.

For the ceremony, we had Christmas carols accompanied by a small but mighty choir, and a giant festive wreath greeted our guests as they arrived at the coach house. As well as various welcome drinks options, we added a champagne cocktail – a staple of Sophie’s family Christmases! Sophie’s Dad handmade all the place names, which doubled as Christmas tree decorations for guests to take home, and Pennard also decorated their Christmas trees, adding even more to the festive feel.

Our stationery was designed by our friend and brilliantly talented illustrator, April Illustrations, who created the most beautifully nostalgic, whimsical, festive designs with a playful edge.

The editorial style of both our photographer and videographer, along with the style of Sophie’s dress, the satin champagne bridesmaid gowns, and the groomsmen’s velvet suits, all contributed to the vintage, old-world atmosphere.

Our florist was Lauren of Snowdrops Studio. We wanted to embrace the colours of the season, so we opted for plenty of greenery paired with dark, rich jewel tones and soft hints of pink to create a warm, festive atmosphere. My bouquet featured roses, ranunculus, and hellebores, accented with wild seed heads and berries. Andrew and the groomsmen had sprigs of greenery and berries with a dusky pink flower.

In the church, we decorated the pew ends with greenery, including sprigs of mistletoe, which were later repurposed for the window sills at the Coach House. At the entrance, a large festive wreath filled with seasonal flowers, dried citrus and cinnamon sticks welcomed our guests. The staircase up to the wedding breakfast had a garland and base arrangement in the same style, complete with clusters of storm lantern candles. For the wedding breakfast, we had a canopy of greenery entwined around the beams and on the tables, with runners of foliage and citrus/cinnamon sticks, jewel-toned bud flowers, and taper candles.

We’re both big foodies, so getting the catering right was really important to us. Pennard House provided all the food throughout the weekend. Everything about it was on point, and we were spoilt for choice when it came to our menu. We ultimately chose wild boar tortelloni, harissa-lamb rump, and a lemon-and-basil posset. Our guests still rave about how good the food was!

Our cake was made by Hannah at The Gorge Bakehouse. We knew from the start we wanted a Lambeth-style cake because we love the sense of fun and character it brings. We kept it in line with our theme, featuring a deep green base, deep red and pink icing, gold pearl chains, and gold glacé cherries. We had three tiers: sticky toffee and ginger on top, coffee and walnut in the middle, and blackberry and pistachio as the base layer.

Lauren Juliette‘s style is timeless and elegant, which we loved. She was a joy to work with straight from the start, with plenty of advice. We wanted natural-style photos as well as more traditional shots, and she got the balance just right. We loved what she produced for us, and she captured our day beautifully. She was also amazing on the day, bringing fun energy and keeping us relaxed and calm.

So many to choose from! The ceremony itself was clearly a real standout. Another memory we’ll cherish is walking our guests back from the church through Pennard’s garden, revelling in the fact that we were now married. The music was also brilliant throughout the day – our dance floor was packed throughout the night, courtesy of Truly Medley Deeply!

Don’t stress about the weather! The night before our wedding, Storm Darragh hit, and we all received government alerts on our phones. By the ceremony, the storm had cleared, and we had the most amazing light for photos!

Also, try to carve out time just for the two of you at some point during the day, so you can try and soak it all up together.