Festive Glamour Intimate Wedding Styled Shoot at Pelham House

We're delighted to share this gorgeous Christmas styled shoot at Pelham House in East Sussex. The theme was "festive glamour" which has been executed beautifully. The suppliers involved want to create a romantic and intimate feeling for smaller guests numbers. The photographer Imogen of Imogen Eve Photography tells us all about the inspiration and details of the shoot.

Inspiration

The inspiration for the day was "Festive Glamour". A mix of old-school Hollywood elegance and modern luxe glamour, mirroring the wedding venue, Pelham house perfectly. Located in Lewes, East Sussex the historic Georgian Manor House has undergone a full renovation, mixing modern luxe decor all whilst maintaining the buildings traditional features and history. 

We really wanted to show how special a wedding can be with a small group of people and focus on creating an atmospheric and intimate ceremony and reception. 

The Ceremony  

To keep with the Christmas theme, we incorporated a Wine Ceremony to our Celebrant-led wedding ceremony, but with a festive twist. 

The Wine Ceremony is also referred to as the 'Loving Cup' or 'The Cup of Life'. Starting with a large central wine glass and two carafes of wine either side; one white and one red, representing the different aspects of our couple’s lives going together to symbolise the sum of their two lives. 

To spice things up a bit, Ben added a cinnamon stick and some orange juice and segments for that extra zest. Kate then added some sugar syrup and some strawberries to symbolise the sweet side of their life together. 

Lastly to symbolise the energy and fun side of their relationship they added some champagne (remembering it’s never a good idea to stir a drink with fizz in it, so they shouldn’t do anything to stir things up in their marriage - to care for it and the bubbles and energy will remain). 

Kate and Ben then shared their Cup of Life to acknowledge that, as with the ingredients, they will never go back to the individuals they were before they pledged to join their lives together. They took it in turns to toast each other by drinking from the cup three times; to their past, their present and their future lives together. 

Wine Ceremonies can also be carried out on a larger scale, where the couple pour larger quantities of the ingredients into a jug and then pour into one central glass. The remaining cocktail can then be sampled by their guests after the ceremony. 

Bridal Beauty

The inspiration behind the styling was 1940s with a modern twist. Hairstylist, Megan Robertson, created gorgeous Hollywood waves styled with a handcrafted velvet hairband from Designer, Saint Beth Official and Makeup Artist, Belle Denbury, went for a subtle contour and a festive red lip. 

The Dress

The dress is the Maggie Sottero 'Aberdeen' crepe gown from Victoria’s Bridal Boutique. We adored the detailing on sleeves and the slits at either side. The amazing Harriet Wilde shoes completed the outfit, along with a faux marabou feather bolero to fight off the winter chill! To keep it classic, the groom wore a contemporary tux from local wedding hire specialist, The O Zone. 

Flowers

Florist, Stephanie Willoughby, created the floral arrangements including a gorgeous bouquet, fireplace & mantle arrangement with white Guernsey lilies, dahlias and roses with touches of white heather. Foliages included bleached ruscus and grevillea with lots of English ivy, birch stems and snowberry to tie in with the Christmas vibe. We even managed to arrange for some snow - courtesy of a snow machine from Showtec! 

Rings

The platinum and diamond engagement ring (featuring a 0.5 carat gem) and wedding bands were designed by Aurum Jewellers. 

Cake

Holly Fairall created a stunning 2 tier wedding cake with a lustre finish, hand painted brush leaf icing, handmade sugar roses, eucalyptus and leaves with edible gold leaf.  

Styling 

Kayleigh Bicknell, Wedding Planner and Stylist from KB Events, used white and green with touches of silver and gold, with lots of candles, hurricane vases, flowers and foliage to create focal points around the venue and delicate strung glass beading on the back of the ceremony chairs to capture the light and echo to twinkly candles of the simple, but elegant tablescape. 

Suppliers

Photography: Imogen Eve Photography

Make-up/Concept: Belle Denbury MUA 

Hair / Concept: Occasion Hair by Megan

Planner/Concept/Styling: KB Events  

Venue: Pelham House 

Florist: Chirpee  Flowers

Chair Dressing & Decor: Hire Your Day 

Linen & Tablewear: Co Hire

Celebrant: Perfect Word Ceremonies

Videography: Timeless Video by Tessa

Models: The Robinson Couple (Kate & Ben)

Rings: Aurum Jewellers 

Music (for video): South Down Strings 

Bridal Gown and Cape: Victorias Bridal Boutique

Bridal Shoes: Harriet Wilde

Grooms Suit: Ozone Weddings

Bridal Headdress: Saint Beth Official

Snow Machine: Showtec Shoreham

Stationery: White Orchid Print & Design 

Cake: Holly Ann Cake Design