A little drizzle on a December day did little to dampen the spirits of Britten Bride Naomi as she prepared to walk down the aisle.
Naomi's winter wedding to Richard has been beautifully realised in the relaxed and artistic style of photographer Benjamin Wheeler, who caught the love and the energy of the day perfectly.
The pair were married at St Michael & All Angels Church, a striking medieval church in the Cotswold market town of Chipping Norton, in a traditional Church of England ceremony.
Naomi had a clear idea of the stunning bridal look she wanted to achieve on her wedding day, placing emphasis on simple and natural styling across each element from her hair and wedding dress to her accessories and bridal veil.
The day before the wedding, the bride-to-be visited Mimi et Mina, a luxury salon based in Notting Hill, for simple and loose waves and some extra added length with hair extensions. On the day, her hair was then freshened up and styled by the Senior Stylist at Farmhouse Parlour at Soho Farmhouse.
Naomi also worked with Bobbi Brown Pro Makeup Artist Aimee Morrison to help choose the perfect Bobbi Brown makeup look for her big day.
Modern and elegant, Naomi wore a bespoke wedding gown designed and made by Valli Colpani from Atelier Colpani located in Mayfair, London:
'I have always wanted to get my dress made so that I could have my input on the design and be involved in the process. Valli is a family friend and it was an easy decision to work with her company. Atelier Colpani solely specialises in bespoke tailoring and evening wear so it really was an honour that Valli agreed to make my wedding dress.'
Naomi accessorised with ivory-satin scalloped edge court shoe from LK Bennett, and understated but personal jewellery:
'I kept my jewellery classic and minimal with bespoke gold hoops and a necklace gifted from my Mother, and a beautiful gold bracelet, my “something new” from one of my bridesmaids Charlotte. In the evening I changed my necklace to a Bee necklace from Alex Monroe from my lovely colleagues at Bumble.'
Adding the perfect finishing touch, Naomi wanted to ensure the detail on the back of the gown was still visible. Not wanting to detract from her dress, she chose our church length silk style barely there wedding veil 'Ilona'.
Arriving at the church, wedding guests were surrounded by beautiful 13th and 14th century architecture decorated with lots of candles, foliage, and greenery from Farm Flower at Soho Farmhouse, including bunches of Gypsophila with string hanging from the pews, and eucalyptus and olive arrangements along the aisle and on windowsills. Because the wedding took place in December, the venue also featured a festive Christmas tree at the back.
Adding a floral hint to the ceremony, the bride carried a bouquet filled with white hypericum, hellebores, berried eucalyptus, olive, asparagus fern, Norma Jean roses, white ranunculus, and Rosegarden Keiras.
During the ceremony itself, the groom's Mum read The Art of Marriage, making the reading one of the most memorable and special moments of the day:
The Art of Marriage
The little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,
but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating
gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
by William A. Peterson
After saying 'I do', the newlyweds then left the church through a burst of sparklers, as a bright and fun alternative to the tradition of throwing confetti.
After the wedding ceremony, the wedding party moved to Soho Farmhouse just a short distance from the church.
Here guests greeted the newly married pair with a shower of confetti as they entered the reception, before sitting at tables decorated with rustic yet minimalist elements of neutral colours, foliage, and candles.
Soho House Farmhouse chefs provided the cake and catering, with the in-house Events Manager overseeing the coordination of the reception proceedings.
'For the reception, I always wanted to have a saxophonist and brilliant DJ and we had both.'
Saxophonist Matt Demetriou and DJ Chris Hawker not only kept the couple's family and friends dancing until the early hours, but they also played a key role in their first dance as man and wife:
'For our first dance, we wanted to do something different. We began with ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ by Alicia Keys which was played on the saxophone by Matt. After a minute of the traditional slow dance, it was then remixed into one of our favourite songs Jubel by Klingande to get people dancing. Throughout the evening we had hit after hit which made for such a fun evening! I don’t think all our guests have done that much dancing for years - at one point, Richard and I were lifted onto chairs with Pjanoo playing on the saxophone.'
Enjoying their first year of married life and stretching out the celebrations, the couple has planned to go on a late honeymoon to The Balkans, visiting Montenegro, Albania, and Slovenia in August.
Thank you so much for sharing the stunning images of your special day with us Naomi, and we wish you and Richard a lifetime of happiness together.