After our American wedding yesterday, today we’re sharing a quintessentially English countryside wedding, set in the heart of the beautiful South Downs. Zoe and Gareth were married last September at Grittenham Barn, a traditional stone Sussex barn with breathtaking views; the perfect setting for their stunning rustic wedding.
The Dress
Zoe wore Sassi Holford Chantelle for her big day, which was the very first dress she tried on when visiting Miss Bush after trying 6 other shops without success.
Zoe tells us about her dress shopping experience;
“I felt a little panicked when I knew the wedding was in 12 weeks and I had to get a dress! I think I visited about 6 shops in total in the space of a week – either my Mum or my Best Friend came with me and helped looked after my 18 month old, Zac. I couldn’t have done it without them!”
“Miss Bush was the last shop I visited. When I walked in the shop I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was, it was the perfect setting. Emma was very welcoming and pointed me in the right direction of some suitable dresses. The first dress I tried on was Sassi Holford Chantelle dress, I knew before I even walked out of the changing room that it was right – it fitted me perfectly and made me feel beautiful, I hadn’t felt like this in any of the other dresses I had tried on before.”
“Both my Mum and my best friend Charlotte were waiting outside the changing room. As I walked out, I saw both their faces, my mum gasped and Charlotte had tears in her eyes. I said ‘This is it, isn’t it?’. They both agreed it was just stunning. It had everything that I had been looking for in a dress. The lace on it was beautiful and the material on the skirt swished which was what I wanted. Emma did my hair and gave me a veil to try, I felt a million dollars.”
“I think the best part of the shopping experience was the environment/shop itself, you can really imagine yourself on your wedding day, it’s almost a wedding venue itself! Emma was great too, I was the only person in there and she made me feel very special but also relaxed and comfortable.”
As the Sassi Holford Chantelle dress is so beautiful and features such intricate, pretty detailing, Zoe decided to show this off and chose not to add any accessories, simply opting for a veil for the ceremony with some small floral accents in her hair.
About the Day
With their heart set on Grittenham Barn and their band only available on one day in September, Zoe and Gareth planned their beautiful day in only 12 weeks!
Here’s what Zoe had to say;
“I always knew I wanted to get married in a barn – I like the idea of it being intimate, romantic, yet not too formal. When we visited Grittenham Barn, it was the first venue we had seen and we both fell in love with it. We have a son, Zac, who was just 18 months at the time and we knew it would be great for him too – he immediately took to the pig and donkey! It was just perfect for all of us. They had one day left available in September of the same year, which happened to be the only day the band were free for the next year so we thought, ‘this is meant to be’ and went for it! That meant organising a wedding in just 12 weeks!!”
“The ceremony was the best part of the day for me. It just felt magical. It was such an amazing feeling seeing everyone there when I walked down the aisle, knowing that they had all come to see Gareth and I get married. The barn looked so romantic, we had ribbon and hydrangeas hanging from the chandelier, drapes from the ceiling and fairy lights coming down the back wall. When we were announced as ‘husband and wife’ and I walked back down the aisle, I couldn’t have been happier. I will never forget that feeling.”
Final Words
Some final words of wedding planning wisdom from our bride, Zoe;
“Don’t panic – I managed to organise our whole wedding in 12 weeks with an 18 month old! I can’t say it wasn’t stressful at times but I don’t think that would have changed if I’d had more time. In a way it made me make decisions quicker!
Deep down, you know when you’ve found ‘the dress’!”
Suppliers
Photographer: Paul Fletcher
Venue: Grittenham Barn
The Dress: Sassi Holford Chantelle at Miss Bush
Florist: Jane at Graham Greener
Catering: Monster Foods
Thank you so much to Zoe and Gareth for sharing their beautiful day with us!
Leah x
Digital Media Manager at Miss Bush
Miss Bush is Surrey’s leading designer bridal shop
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