A Relaxed Country House Wedding at Narborough Hall Gardens, Norfolk

With the first peek featured on Love My Dress in the form of a beautiful wedding film by HD Moments, we’re lucky enough today to have the full access inside this pretty Narborough Hall Gardens summer wedding thanks to the hugely talented Anneli Marinovich and of course the beautiful Bride Nicole.

Monday has never looked so pretty!

Nicole:

Josh and I both wanted a relaxed but special wedding day. We envisaged a country house where our guests could play lawn games, relax in the afternoon sun and chatter amongst friends. When looking for venues I really wanted somewhere with great gardens, but knew that the English weather would be unpredictable so it was absolutely necessary that there was a Plan B!

Narborough has an amazing rustic barn that we would have used in the event of rain and the house is so beautiful, unpretentious and is very welcoming. It’s decorated beautifully by Joanne, owner and in-house florist, who has an amazing artistic eye and the attention to detail in every room is astounding. There were just so many useable spaces and options and we were also able to rent it for the weekend so that our families could stay (especially important when your family is coming from abroad!) There was also a pool and a treehouse! It really had it all.

As I’m American, I wanted an English almost Secret Garden feel. I mean what are the chances I’d find a venue like Narborough Hall in America..? I really wanted to maximize all the great things about English weddings and I wanted our colour scheme to match the vibe I was going for – soft, calm and relaxed. Pinterest was hugely influential!

I couldn’t pass up the chance to have a dress with a train. I figured it would be the only socially acceptable opportunity I would have. I wanted lace as it is so romantic, but also wanted something that would be form fitting.

My dress was by Justin Alexander. It was perfect as it had this really romantic bolero that covered my shoulders and had a beautiful lace back, but could be removed to create a strapless “party dress”. It was exactly what I wanted.

My bouquet was pink, cream, sage and soft peach and mostly made up of roses. Roses are my parents favourite flowers and my middle name is Rose because my Dad always gave my Mom roses when they were dating so it was essential! My now Mother-in-Law Liz sourced some of the most absolutely gorgeous roses herself from a local florist and worked with Joanna to design all the bouquets and centerpieces and then Joanna and the Narborough team did an amazing job making the vision become a reality!

We had a beautiful flower arch that we got married under and roses tied on the chairs lining the aisle. The setting was already gorgeous on a lovely lake looking out on fields and forests and I got to walk through a garden, so we just needed a few final touches to bring it together. Joanna uses flowers from Narborough’s own gardens in the arrangements and also does all the different arrangements which are scattered throughout the actual Hall which means you always get something bespoke and special. 

The Groom and the Groomsmen wore dove grey suits and soft peach ties. Their buttonholes were also made of roses. The Bridesmaids wore silk chiffon dresses from J.Crew who do a great bridal line that offers Bridesmaids dresses in the same material and colour, but in different styles. This worked perfectly as it allowed them to both be comfortable in what they were wearing, but everyone was still coordinating. My sister was my Maid of Honour and is probably more into sparkle than I am, so was very excited when I ok’d a glitter gold belt and shoes!

Our Wedding Breakfast was held outside the marquee on the lawn. We had set up festoon lights all around the area and had lanterns and candles on the tables so we were dining as the sun went down under the lights! It was really romantic and I love eating outside in the summer so it was perfect. We then had the dancing in the house where they have a room set aside for a band and another room with a bar/lounge feel. Guests also had the option to continue sitting and chatting outside under the lights and we had some sofa areas set up for this.

Marquees can always be tricky to decorate. Josh’s parents were unbelievable and spent all summer creating home made bunting from all sorts of fabric and ribbons! It turned out amazing and worked really well with a couple of huge hanging lanterns I purchased. The table centerpieces were again roses in different bowls and on each table we had pictures of Josh and I at the same age growing up. We also had a card suitcase on a table with photos of our parents, grandparents, even grandparents on their wedding day. We wanted to incorporate our families as much as possible as they really are the most important thing to both of us. I also wanted a number of different places where guests could sit in the afternoon, as standing for hours on end with no option to sit isn’t fun for girls in heels!

We had a cheese wheel cake! I am from America where the idea of having a fruit cake is shocking. I am from a state known for its cheese so a cheese course was a must! The cheese wheel cake was the perfect rustic solution and provided food for our guests throughout the evening and during the dancing. We also had a dessert table where we had a number of homemade treats that our family helped with including cupcakes, cookies, and fruit tarts.

There were so many small moments that made everything perfect! However, we had a horrible time the day before with my family going to the wrong venue and then a complete downpour so we weren’t able to set everything up until the morning of the wedding. It was more than enough to make any bride go crazy!

Josh and I were not intending on seeing each other the morning of, but still needed to do a rehearsal run through so walked down in our wellies and ran through the rehearsal with our family and bridal party and then skipped off. I knew everything was going to be fine from that moment and the rest of the day was an absolute blast!

Josh’s favourite moment was at dinner when we finally got to sit down and chat with each other and our parents and saw how all of our planning had paid off.

Luke, Josh’s younger brother performed a song during the speeches that Josh’s elder brother, Adam, had written years ago. It was a total surprise for Josh and meant a lot to him that they had organized it. My Grandmother also presented me with a drawing I had made her in primary school. It meant so much to us both that our families went to so much effort for us and that they could be involved in our big day.

Advice from the Bride:

Have a Plan B! It absolutely poured the day before and after our wedding so we really lucked out on the day. I would have been even more stressed if I hadn’t prepared for the worst!

Venue & Flowers Narborough Hall Gardens | Photographer Anneli Marinovich | Bride’s Dress Justin Alexander | Bridesmaids J.Crew | Groomswear Burton | Cake The Cheese Shed | Photo Booth Booth Revolution | Decoration & Prop Hire Vintage Style Hire and The Little Lending Company | Makeup & Hair Amanda Steed

Summer perfection right…? From the dreamy peachy colour scheme, through to the festooned al fresco dining! Oh and don’t get me started on Nicole’s lace dress, I’m totally and utterly smitten.

Thank you so much to Nicole & Joshua for sharing their wedding day in full glorious detail and of course, the rather lovely Anneli for capturing one of my favourite venues. You can see more of Narborough Hall Gardens over in our collection.

Lots of love…