Images by Dan Ward Photography.
A sunny outdoor ceremony, a beautiful lace dress with a train of dreams, the very best Devonshire suppliers and a chic marquee dripping in foliage… Ever After is once again the heart to a gorgeous celebration and Amy & Nick are sharing their story with us today.
Over to the bride…
Notes from the Bride
Amy says…
Having grown up on and around Dartmoor, we knew that we wanted to get married there as it has always been, and still is, very much part of our lives. For me, walking the dogs at Grenofen as a child were very special times. In recent years, I saw the most beautiful garden at Lower Grenofen transformed discreetly into the most incredible wedding venue. When we decided to get married, there was no-where else it could be.
We already adored the setting but on visiting the venue, we most loved the fact that the extended gardens are so incredibly beautiful, so natural, so verdant and ‘unmanicured’. The beautiful sound of the river when you step out of the car is mesmerising and calming. At Ever After, you are nestled into the bottom of the valley and on looking around; you can only see trees enveloping you in a magical glade. We felt like the only ones on earth. This natural setting is immaculately combined with an incredibly high-end service and provision.
I had no preconceptions when I started looking for my dress. I was open-minded and tried on every style imaginable but was so thrilled with the dress I finally chose: a Martina Liana dress made of the most beautiful lace that really reflected the Dartmoor hedgerow flora. It had a long cathedral train which I was completely in love with. It was backless and had incredible lace straps which delicately incorporated lace leaves and tendrils.
My shoes were the beautiful Orla design by Rachel Simpson, loaned to me by a dear friend. They gave a touch of vintage glamour.
The brief for my hairstylist was: ‘Dartmoor hedgerow-inspired, informal up-do’. Louisa realised my wishes perfectly and I was thrilled. Being a redhead, make-up colours can be tricky but Jess understood me perfectly when I said that I wanted to look like me, but the most special version of me. She combined taupe eye-shadow with a blush rose lip colour to create a natural but glamorous look.
The bridesmaids wore soft grey dresses with a floral lace bodice and skater skirt.
The groom wore a stunning light navy three-piece suit from Reiss, dark brown leather shoes from Dune and a navy polka dot tie.
We wanted the day to reflect Nick and I as much as possible; relaxed, fun and natural. We took our lead from the venue’s surroundings – Dartmoor hedgerow, riverbank, foliage and wildflowers. We also wanted all suppliers to be local.
Our beautiful wedding stationery set the styling of our wedding from the start. The floral design on the invitations ended up being the inspiration for the floral arch in the wedding barn. It was important to us that the styling and flowers should only enhance Ever After’s beautiful gardens of. We used slates as table names and a beautiful reclaimed door as the seating plan. We also wanted to bring the beautiful gardens into the marquee and used our flowers and foliage in hanging arrangements and organic edible flowers were incorporated into the Devon Pimms we served as arrival drinks, as well as, featuring in the dessert.
The arch for the wedding barn, the aisle flowers, the bouquets and buttonholes were created from a beautiful mixture of Clematis, Snowberry, Veronica, Scabious, Amaranthus, Eustoma and Hypericum Berry, as well as foliage in abundance. The arch in the wedding barn also consisted of carefully considered scents creating a natural aroma. The buttonholes even attracted bees and butterflies over the course of the afternoon. The foliage arrangements hanging from the marquee ceiling and lining the top table succeeded in bringing the essence of the beautiful gardens inside the marquee.
It really mattered to us that all food was locally sourced. Phillip’s team at Outside Inn Cuisine pride themselves on the local provenance of their produce. The quality and quantity of the food was outstanding; from the canapés to the wedding breakfast itself. We devoured whole scotch eggs as a starter, slow-cooked beef rib tip for main followed by chocolate truffle cake with organic edible flowers.
We had a wedding cheese cake which comprised Devon Blue and Cornish Yarg and our evening food was basket-loads of steaming Cornish Pasties- No cutlery required!
We chose Dan Ward as the photographer for our wedding based on his understated and natural style. His images embody impeccable quality. Dan is extremely personable and he put Nick and I at ease during every stage of the day. He was also discreet; really blending in as a guest. Dan told the story of our wedding day in beautiful style. He captured so much emotion and hidden moments.
Credits
Photography Dan Ward Photography
Florist The Flower Gallery
Hair Stylist Louisa, The Hair Lounge
Make-up Artist Jess, No 5
