An English Countryside Wedding… 01.08.24
- WHY DID YOU CHOOSE PYLEWELL?
Right away, we knew we wanted to choose a unique venue for our wedding. We began our search in New York City and New Jersey, where we and our families live, but all of the venues felt stuffy, too ordinary, or not special enough. Somewhere along the way, we thought to look into a destination wedding. I had studied abroad in England and always loved the countryside. We had also just spent some time in Ireland, so our search began in the UK. James, my now husband, did a ton of research and found about a dozen or so wedding venues that he liked. When I saw Pylewell, I just had a feeling. THE feeling. We booked it before we even saw it. We did eventually take a trip in October to see it in person and it exceeded all of our expectations. It was better than we could have ever imagined. Pylewell felt like a fairytale, a dream, a step into another time. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I know now that I would choose it 100 times over. It was truly the perfect spot to get married.
Felt like a fairytale
- TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE PART OF YOUR WEDDING DAY?
A few moments from the day stand out to me but one that I will always cherish was our ceremony. Walking down the aisle and standing under the sail was truly magic. It was meant to rain during the ceremony time specifically and I spent the days leading up to the wedding worried about it. The day of, not only was the sun shining, but there was a wonderful breeze coming off the water, blowing my dress slightly. We were framed by gorgeous flowers, hearing about our love story and our future together, standing hand in hand in front of all of our favorite people. It was such a beautiful location, such a beautiful feeling, and such a beautiful memory.
- TELL US YOUR VISION FOR THE MARQUEE AND STYLING? DID IT LIVE UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
My vision for the wedding revolved around gardens and the English countryside. I wanted the venue to feel overgrown with flowers and inspired by nature. I wanted the palette to feel fresh and clean, which is why I put all of my bridesmaids in white. I wanted it to feel soft and feminine. If I could bottle up the feeling of running in a field with a beautiful gown, that’d be it. Of course, I had to lean slightly into Bridgerton, adding in a hot air balloon and a string quartet. It definitely lived up to my expectations. So many people told me then, and since, that it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to. The entire wedding came together in such a dreamy, wonderful way. It truly did feel like a fairytale.
- HAVE YOU GOT ANY FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PYLEWELL TEAM? WE WOULD SO LOVE TO HEAR IT.
The team at Pylewell was a DREAM COME TRUE. So many people asked us if we had a wedding coordinator (we didn’t) and how we stayed so organized being so far away from the venue. The answer is Aby and the Pylewell Team. Between us, we had hours of emails, numerous video calls, questions and recommendations, and everything in between. I truly don’t think I can say enough positive things about the team here. Everyone could not have been kinder, more excited, or more helpful. The team took care of everything to the point where I truly don’t think we were stressed out at all on the wedding day, because we knew the team had it covered. I would put them all in charge of running the world if I could.
WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR ANY FUTURE PYLEWELL COUPLE?
Getting married, and at such a beautiful venue, is something you will never forget. But there is so much going on during your wedding day that it does go by quickly. So, take time to be in-the-moment often. Plan some time on your wedding day to just step away for a second. Those moments are rare and they’re a chance to look at your spouse and say “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it.” We took a few minutes after the ceremony and had a glass of champagne. We also left after dinner, during golden hour, for some photos, just the two of us. Those moments we snuck away were chances to reflect on the night and how we felt. Being mindful often and taking time to just soak in how everything feels will stay with you forever.
Photographer credits: Sam Davies Photography
