October 18, 2023

Soft, Sunday wedding with pastel details

lauren knuckey photography

Jenny & Matthew tied the knot on a Spring Sunday in April and what a truly glorious day it was... full of wonderful friends and family, sweet flower girls and a stunning patterned gown.

Let's look back on this dreamy day and relive a fabulous celebration!

Tell us how you met!

We worked together, became best friends and fell in love without even realising it had happened. Matt used to tell people he had a dentist appointment just so no one else would join our lunch breaks together and he’d buy me a gingerbread man everyday! I loved being around him and it’s still my favourite place to be (with our babies in tow now of course)!

Tell us your proposal story

Apparently, Matt had always had grand plans to take me to Iceland and propose under the Northern Lights. However, when our eldest daughter Florence was born those plans had to change when he realised I would never go anywhere without her! He designed my dream ring (after years of very clear direction and hints!) and planned to propose at Christmas time during a champagne afternoon tea at a lovely old hotel - us two and Florence. Once again, his plans took a u-turn when just as he was about to pull out the ring, a man at the table next to us got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend! He spent the next week with the ring in his pocket at all times, waiting to stumble upon the perfect moment… but it never came! It got to New Year’s Eve and he couldn’t wait any longer so whilst I was putting our daughter down for her afternoon nap he ran around downstairs filling the house with candles and tealights, got a bottle of champagne out of the fridge and when I walked down the stairs he was already on one knee and a nervous wreck! It was the easiest and quickest yes ever! Little did we know our daughter Betsy was in my tummy at the time too. Magic.

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Why Elmore Court?

We parked the car, stepped into the grounds, I looked at Matt and we just knew. Our eldest daughter Florence did too and instantly begged, “Pleeeease can you get married here Mummy and Daddy?!” We adored the grounds and the main house. Everything was so beautiful, the colours, the wallpapers, the fireplaces, the textiles. The atmosphere was so chilled. And then we stepped into the warmth of the Gillyflower. Just so cool. Elmore had everything and it was ‘The One’ without doubt for us.

How did you find the planning of your wedding?

With 3 young children in tow it was a juggle! But it was all the stuff of dreams really. My problem was I loved too much! I could have planned 10 totally different weddings with all the different ideas I loved and palettes I adored! I was lucky to have a husband to be who trusted my judgement implicitly (most of the time… and after some gentle encouragement!) and 2 gorgeous big sisters (and Bridesmaids) -

Amy with all her wedding experience and expertise and Kate with her researching wizardry and endless common sense (as I have none!). Both girls kept me on-track, offered boundless support, reassurance and affirmations that my instincts were right. Along with our style Queen daughters offering their opinions and suggestions, of course. They were all invaluable, as they always are to me. Our dream team.

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Tell us about the ceremony?

My glorious Mum sadly passed away 12 years ago. She was and always will be my ultimate idol and so it was important for us to find ways to include her throughout the day. She was a woman of many talents and one of those was her beautiful singing voice. My Aunty sent me and my four siblings a gift one Mother’s Day of a recording she had uncovered that she and Mum made as teenagers (when mum had first started dating my Dad!). We all burst into tears immediately as her voice filled our homes once more. Matt suggested we play one of her songs as I walked down the aisle and it was perfect. I am indebted to my family for allowing me to do it as hearing her sing is so full of emotion for us all. No more so than for my poor, wonderful, heartbroken Dad. But it was my way of having her front and centre with me, just where she belonged. I felt her with me so strongly in that moment, her voice guiding me towards Matt whilst I held onto my father’s arm - my butterflies slipped away and I’ve never felt calmer or more ready for anything.

Talk us through the drinks reception?

I had a Pinterest-inspired vision for endless aperol spritz’s served on a double oak barrel bar and with a bit of hiring and Team E’s help it was so! Amazing music, non-stop drinks, delcious canapés - it was the best! What rain?!

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What was your food of choice?

We really wanted our guests to eat their favourite foods - all the foods you want to eat with a belly full of bubbles! So we opted for arancini to start, followed by steak and chips served with chimmichurri, bernaise and peppercorn sauce with Eton mess to finish. It was delicious. The evening food of dreams came later with the fantastic Izzy at Peckers serving THE BEST free range fried chicken served in brioche buns with sweet potato fries and basil aioli or Korean gochujang. Unbelievable. We also had the wonderful Lisa at Boho Cakes bake us the most delicious and beyond beautiful cake that has ever been. And I’m in no way exaggerating! Three tiers of Rhubarb and creme patisserie, white chocolate fudge with fresh raspberries, then strawberries and clotted cream adorned with the most beautiful spring flowers. It took my breath away and was a true work of art.

Basically - the food was a huge priority and out of this world!

What was your reaction to your reception at the Gillyflower?

Totally lost for words. We and our 3 babies were given a first look and it was beyond my wildest dreams. I had a vision of what I hoped to achieve and the Team at Elmore surpassed that and more. Filled with blossom branches, springtime blooms and the beautiful Ester + Erik candles in all our wedding palette shades twinkling amongst the warm, compacted earth walls and huge wooden-framed windows of the Gillyflower and the grassy meadows of Elmore in the distance. Spring had sprung in that room that day. It was totally enchanting in there.

First dance choice?

‘One Day Like This’ by Elbow joined by our 3 babies - a song that totally encapsulated that day for our little gang and a moment we will cherish forevermore. “Throw those curtains wide! One day like this a year would see me right. For life.”

What were your wedding highlights?

Dancing in the sunset (and on cloud 9) with Matt to Luther Vandross - Never Too Much - blasting from the Gillyflower - an absolute banger! Being surrounded by the best people in the world and sharing the day with the perfect little gang we made, feeling my Mum proudly watching on from above throughout. It was the best of days.

Also feeling in the safest possible hands with the best suppliers in the world and the incredible Team at Elmore. The fantastic Alex felt like the Uber-organised, unflappable mother hen moving us seemingly effortlessly along all day and the beautiful, beautiful Becca who looked after us like we were family throughout the day - she was unbelievably kind - we love her! All our suppliers felt like best friends and the most talented bunch imaginable. Our videographers James and Darcy at Posh Bear, our photographer Lauren Knuckey, Sasha Brown our MUA, Tabitha Maccurrach-Paine our hairstylist, Lisa at Boho Cakes, Kathy at Waxflower Bridal, Izzy at Peckers and JennyFleur Florist they all nailed the brief and they all felt like family. True professionals, unsurpassable talent but more than that - genuine, beautiful human beings and part of our own Team Evans forevermore.

lauren knuckey photography

Any tips for couples currently planning their wedding?

I spent hours and hours looking for the perfect everything. Perfect supplier for this or that or the other (I found them all by the way!). Perfect shades of taper candles. Perfect earrings for my sisters. I researched and researched and researched but in the end, I’ve come to realise that there are many forms of perfect. And whatever we chose would always be perfect for *us*, because it was ours. Our wedding. Our choices. Our way. So trust your instincts, pick your favourites, go for it and enjoy it! Can we do it all again please?!