A Romantic Garden Wedding in Hertfordshire

In an English garden setting at their idyllic private residence in England’s Hertfordshire countryside, Jane and Daniel held a romantically opulent wedding. The ceremony was enveloped in rich emerald green trees where classic English high tea-esque, white-washed timber chairs were placed amongst the rambling garden. Delicate flowers in a soft color palette of whites, light pinks and peaches lined the grassy aisle leading to an ethereal floral arch.

The bride wore an intricately textured yet playful gown adorned with painterly florals designed by Viktor & Rolf. The billowing dress was paired with a chic veil and pearl embellished Manolo Blahniks.

The poetic wedding was skilfully captured by photographer Alex Gray Weddings.

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Our Story

Names / Daniel Alexander Simons & Jane England-Simons

Location / Hertfordshire, England

Wedding Date / June 3rd, 2023

Guest Numbers / 110

How We Met

Daniel & I met at school, he was my first love and now my last! We went our separate ways but thankfully found each other again.

Our Engagement Story

Daniel booked a stunning suite at The Corinthia Hotel in London for my birthday, after a whole day of surprises he got down on one knee, it was very intimate, overwhelming and special!

What we love most about each other…

Because I have known Daniel since he was 17, I know that he is who he is. He has never changed, despite his successes, life’s ups and downs, he is always positive and wants everyone to be their happiest, he will go out of his way to make that happen. He is strong, kind, trustworthy and beautiful in so many ways. I am incredibly proud of the man he has become.

The Setting

Wedding Location

We were very lucky to be able to have our wedding in the grounds of our home. After moving in a year ago and undergoing a huge renovation, it seemed like the perfect venue for us.

Aesthetic

The overall aesthetic evoked a laid back yet glamorous atmosphere and experience, with a minimalist soft colour palette, elevated relaxed luxury touches to mirror the setting, and chic accessories paired with romantic florals, with all event design and styling by Studio Sorores.

The colour scheme and overall design was inspired by the couple’s personal style preferences and life story, blending perfectly with the decor and design of the event location itself – the use of subtle patterns, illustrations and texture were mirrored across all stationery and materials.

Wedding scent notes: rich scents of champagne, pink peppercorn, bergamot, lychee, cedarwood, and white musk for a velvety-sweet floral scent – transitioning with woodland, tobacco and spices for the afterparty. Melrose Place by OUAI, Baies by Diptyque, Tonka by Laboratory Perfumes, Peyote Poem by Byredo, Jasmine Sambac & Marigold by Jo Malone.

Preparation

We all got ready in the house, but I was upstairs and Daniel downstairs! It was very funny to hear the chaos going on with our three boys, the dog and Daniel trying to get them all ready! My maid of honour and sister were with me while I got ready, it was all pretty relaxed and calm (upstairs!).

wedding venues hertfordshire

Jane & Daniel Wedding

Photography

I had seen Alex’s photography in a magazine and hunted her down through social media! I knew as soon as I spoke to her that she was the one for us. I was very particular in not wanting any posed photographs and she was really on board with that. Some of the photographs honestly look like works of art. She has a very special talent.

Videography

When Jessie (our wedding planner) sent over links to videographers, Pascal was, for us, exquisite. Everything looks like a movie and his timing with music is so unique. Everyone comments that our short film is like an amazing music video and the drone footage is stunning!

Style Notes

Ceremony Décor

We created an intimate ceremony area in the gardens with a large floral arch and meadow like aisle that perfectly complemented the garden design. Guests moved to another area of the grounds for the drinks reception where we created beautifully decorated spaces with an abundance of magnificent florals framing lounge and bar areas.

Reception Décor

Guests were then welcomed to dinner in a modern glass marquee with giant chandeliers and a cascading floral installation on a high back wall, with a secret dance floor room hidden until after dinner. Tables were dressed in soft nudes and pale pinks, with an abundance of soft, pale and romantic floral arrangements using a wide variety of flowers bringing different textures and shapes in shades of beige, whites and pinks with minimal foliage. Linen focused on tonal colours with subtle pattern give a more minimalist look alongside the softness of the florals, bringing in more textures and layers through the bespoke menus, place names and tableware. We wanted to bring some femininity and intimacy to the space, with candles in white and smoked glass votives amongst the florals.

After dinner, guests were led through the marquee to a secret afterparty space for the first dance. The space flowed seamlessly from the dinner party with a muted colour scheme that’s developed from whites, nudes and the softest pinks and beige, through to subtle touches of charcoal, burnt terracotta, dusky pinks, moss green alongside neutrals – with a “monkey and the moon” theme subtly woven into the patterns and decor. A live band created a members club like feel with just enough intimacy and moodiness mirrored in the design. Lounge and bar areas will be created around a sunken mirrored dance floor and stage above to section the space with a bespoke patterned backdrop.

Jane & Daniel Wedding

Wedding Planner & Stylist

I actually found Jessie through Pinterest. Every single event she does is stunning and I truly felt like I could trust her with the most important day of our lives. Being pretty fussy, as I’m an interior designer, Jessie took on board all of my ideas and then turned them into the stunning wedding we had. She went above and beyond what I could ever have imagined, it was a dream. She got to know us & our story so well, all our little quirks and favourite things were incorporated into the day. Jessie truly is one in a million and our wedding would never have been the same if we hadn’t chosen her.

Flowers

Studio Sorores commissioned Paula Rooney to bring our designs to life, including a statement modern installation creating a waterfall like effect cascading down the wall of the marquee, in subtle tonal colours and textures so as not to detract from the beautiful tables capes below. We designed a natural garden ceremony space, and floral pieces and installations throughout the reception – from the fountain to the bar and lounge areas – as well as within the family home itself.

She sent over the most beautiful mood boards, incorporating the fact that we were having an english wedding in the countryside but still with a modern aesthetic. The flowers were the most stunning I’ve ever seen, traditional, angelic and soft. The show piece in the marquee was something else!

Stationery

We designed Daniel & Jane’s custom stationery in house, using beautiful bespoke prints and illustrations, subtle tonal colours and textures – from the main invitation, to a personalised ceremony script book, custom confetti packets, menus, place names, co-ordination table numbers, seating charts and bar menus.

Cake

Deluce Cakes designed a cake to mirror my dress and the flowers used for the wedding. It was a fluffy, floral extravaganza! We chose two different flavours for the cake, one was Sicilian Lemon and Elderflower, the other Almond and Morello Cherry, both were delicious!

Food & Beverages

We worked closely with our partners Social Pantry to deliver a high-end, luxury and personalised menu whilst being absolutely committed to zero waste and food sustainability. Full menu below:

CANAPES

Heritage Tomato, Sunblushed Tomato & Basil Taco (vg)
Compressed Watermelon, Elderflower, Lime & Basil Puree (vg)
Seared Tuna, Serrano Chilli, Daikon Salad
Mini Brioche Beef Burger, Melted Cheese, Homemade Relish & Baby Gem
Crispy Cotswold Chicken, Fermented Apricot, Yoghurt & Coriander
Seared Scallop with Bacon Butter

AMUSE BOUCHE

Homemade Focaccia with Zero Waste Herb Oil & Butter
House Olives, Radish & Chicory
Heritage Tomato Consommé, Basil Oil, Fresh Isle of Wight Tomato’s

STARTER

Torched Mackarel Ceaser, Red Gem, Parmesan Crisps, Nori, Sea Herbs & Croutons
Charred Asparagus, Wild Garlic & White Bean Hummus, Hazelnut ‘Pesto’ (v)

MAIN

Sirloin, Pressed Parmesan Potato, Grilled Spring Cabbage, Onion Squash Puree
Butternut Squash & Sage Ravioli (v)

DESSERT

Lemon Posset & Wild Strawberry, Pistachio Sponge Cake, Honeycomb Ice Cream
Fairtrade Filter Coffee | Fresh Mint Tea | Social Pantry Truffles

Fashion & Beauty Notes

Bride’s Dress & Shoes

I chose my dress at Brown’s Brides, it was the only one I tried on! The designer was Viktor & Rolf Mariage and my shoes were Pearl Embellished Manolo Blahnik.

Bridesmaid Dresses & Shoes

I had one bridesmaid, she wore a blush pink silk floor length dress and matching shoes, simple and elegant!

Flowergirl/Pageboy Outfits

We had the flower girl and pageboy outfits made by Sue Hill. They were very traditional and very cute!

Wedding Rings, Jewelry & Accessories

Our very close family friend owns a wonderful jewellery company called NTINGA. They source the most stunning stones and make them into your dream piece. I have an oval diamond set in yellow gold for my engagement ring and a diamond wedding band. Daniel opted for a very simple platinum band.

I had my earrings made to match the flowers on my dress by a very sweet lady in Ukraine who I found on Etsy!

Hair & Makeup

I wanted my hair to be really slicked back as my dress was so full on it needed to be simple. I did my own make up and my bridesmaids as wanted a really natural look which was hard to find when having trials!

Groom’s Attire

Daniel’s Black tie suit was from Tom Ford, he looked incredibly handsome!

The Details

Honeymoon

We stayed at Le Sirenuse in Positano, it was heavenly and even better, everything there has mermaids on!

Gift Registry

The Wedding Shop. They have a great range of gifts to suit all budgets and tastes.

Wedding Songs

My son Rory played I Giorni by Ludovico Einaudi as I walked down the aisle which was incredibly emotional. Our first dance was The Look of Love by Dusty Springfield and the last dance was The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing!

Entertainment

We had a band and DJ who played a complete mix of music but the dance floor was always full so they read the crowd perfectly! We also had a magician during dinner and fireworks which were spectacular!

Celebrant

Marcus Armstrong was our wonderful celebrant. He took such a huge amount of time getting to know us and our story which he wove into the most beautiful, personal ceremony for us. He has a very special way with words, it was more like a film script!

Readings

We included a poem in our ceremony, To Love is not to Possess by James Kavanagh. The words really resonated with us and how we love each other.

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Jane & Daniel Wedding

“Tables were dressed in soft nudes and pinks, with an abundance of pale floral arrangements that brought in textures and shape to give a modern twist to the mostly romantic ambiance.”

Our Advice

A memorable moment…

Our boys stood up and did the most fantastic speech, they had the whole room in stitches and in tears, we were so proud! In all honesty, the whole day was one big memorable moment!

One thing I wish I knew before I started my wedding plans…

That it is all going to be perfect and not to worry. I suffered from terrible anxiety leading up to the wedding for no reason at all! It was totally unnecessary!

If I could give other couples one piece of advice…

Remember, everyone at your wedding is there because they love you and are incredibly happy for you so enjoy every second! And get a wedding planner!

Sources of inspiration…

The interiors of our house inspired the decor/colours etc. and Daniel’s love of monkeys and mine of the moon were hinted at throughout the day and particularly in our secret after party room.