The Kew Wedding

The Kew Wedding turned out to be absolutely perfect...organised with military precision by the groom and the bride, who were backed up by a wonderfully supportive family, it was a truly splendid affair. The ceremony was truly beautiful, moving and emotional, the reception was small, sumptuous, personal, relaxed, there was plenty of laughter, and the air fairly hummed with love.

I felt like I'd been granted back-stage access, as Mr HH was Best Man. We had a brunch at the groom's flat with the Groom and his brother, helped with last minute prep, and arrived early at the church as the caterers were setting up in the stunning Cambridge Cottage in Kew Gardens, opposite the church. The Groom was very organised and everything went flawlessly. After the ceremony the couple were so happy and relaxed, and really enjoyed every moment of their wedding.

The Bride wore a beautiful lace dress with a gorgeous train, and a lace bolero, from a Bond Street boutique. She had her hair and makeup professionally done at her mother's house, and was accompanied by five bridesmaids in pale green dresses. The groom and groomsmen wore morning suits, with the last embroidered waistcoat button correctly left undone, silk handkerchiefs and cravats. White roses were worn in the bride's hair, and more were combined with lavender sprigs and ivy leaves for the buttonholes and corsages for the principle wedding party members.

(my Mr HH is immediately to the right of the bride)

After the group photos, the bridal couple were whisked away on a tour of Kew Gardens for further photos, and the guests were served delicious canapes such as mini victoria sponge cakes, shot glasses of strawberries and cream, and of course smoked salmon. We played some giant games thoughtfully provided by the groom's father...this is the groom's sister in a very pretty dress...

Cambridge Cottage was the perfect size for the eighty guests at the reception, with a private lawn, outdoor tables and chairs, and picnic rugs on the grass. The ivy-clad building was a beautiful backdrop, and the 3-course dinner was served in a light, airy room with french windows, which was later transformed for dancing. The meal was divine, and the couple were so sweet - they were so thrilled to be at the Top Table and to be served first! There were four speeches, all really moving, and very funny, and perfectly in tune with each other. Mr HH was immensely relieved once his was over, and he was amazed by the amount of people who congratulated him on it. He couldn't have been more nervous or terrified.




There was also a champagne reception in the Princess of Wales Conservatory for the additional evening guests, dancing, cake cutting, and of course throwing the bouquet. In the evening the lawn outside Cambridge Cottage was lit by tealights, and even more food was served. I thought the venue was gorgeous, and I would definitely recommend it if you are planning a wedding yourself. They did things beautifully, and the staff and waiters executed their jobs perfectly. The newlyweds left in a Rolls Royce for a boutique London hotel, and flew out to Italy the next day for their honeymoon.

As for me, I made a last-minute change of plan to my outfit, I found a pretty ruffled dress in Monsoon, in striped grey, and as you can see, I wore the white cardigan, having checked with bride beforehand that it was ok. Thanks for all your lovely comments about the pink dress, I'm sure I'll find an occasion to wear it, but I'm glad I wore the grey, it was very comfortable. It's next due for an outing to afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel for our fifth wedding anniversary in two weeks time.