A very warm welcome to Emily and Harry who are gracing our real wedding pages with their winter wedding at The West Mill in Derbyshire.
Their celebrations were so effortlessly beautiful, with a monochrome colour scheme (hello white winter wedding flowers and black velvet tuxedo!). Emily’s fitted lace gown looked sensational, as did the romantic candlelight and in fact, all the outfits!
Don’t miss the epic sparkler exit either, it’s a cracker!
Big thanks to Matt Horan Photography for sending over these epic photos, they sure are swoon-worthy!
Winter Wedding at The West Mill
The Proposal
Harry proposed whilst we were on holiday in Cornwall in October 2019. Cornwall is a place which is so important to my whole family, and we have spent many a wonderful summer holiday down there.
On our second day we woke to the most beautiful sunshine. We decided to head over to my favourite beach, Polzeath, for a walk along the headland. It was here that Harry got down on one knee.
He even managed to hide a go pro in the undergrowth and capture the whole thing on film! It was just perfect!
The Vision
We wanted simple, elegant, classic and timeless. Monochrome with a pop of burnt orange and loads of candlelight. We always wanted a winter wedding and felt this would look perfect at The West Mill.
The Venue
We got married at a church near where we live then headed over to The West Mill in Darley Abbey for our reception. We had been to a wedding at West Mill the summer before we got engaged and loved it, so when we got engaged, we went back to have a look round and fell in love.
It is the most spectacular venue. It is absolutely beautiful, you could do nothing extra, and it would still look amazing on the day.
We also loved the idea of having different floors for the wedding breakfast and then evening reception. The staff were incredible throughout the whole process, including when we had to move from our original date in February 2021 due to Covid.
The Ceremony & Music
The ceremony was beautiful. I can’t describe how it felt seeing Harry at the top of the aisle. It was the most incredible feeling declaring our love to each other in front of everyone we love. My Grandad wrote a poem when we got engaged and unfortunately, he couldn’t be with us on our wedding day, but we were able to have it played out in the church. It’s safe to say there were a few tears shed.
Music was a really important part of our wedding and something we were happy to spend a good portion of our budget on. Our wonderful brother-in-law, Rob from The Burgundy’s sang ‘I get to love you’ by Ruelle as I walked down the aisle and even now I can’t listen to it without feeling emotional.
Roland from The Burgundy’s provided entertainment during our drink’s reception, playing a selection of chilled-out tunes.
Our band in the evening was Urban Intro and I cannot say enough amazing things about them. They absolutely smashed it and the dance floor was full, from the moment they started playing.
We then had a DJ who kept the party going until the very end. Being on the dancefloor surrounded by everyone we love was one of our favourite moments.
Your Photographer & Filmmaker
From the moment we got engaged we knew we wanted Matt Horan to photograph our wedding, in fact, he was the first thing we booked once we had secured our date. He photographed our friend’s wedding a few years before and they were some of the best photos we had ever seen.
We loved his style and knew he would do an amazing job – and he did. He captured our day so perfectly and we cannot thank him enough. We recommend him to everyone we speak to!
Having a videographer was really important to us. A few of our friends who were already married said it was one of their biggest regrets, not having one. Again, Matt had filmed one of our friends’ weddings and we loved his work.
Your Outfits
Harry always wanted a black tuxedo, and we found the perfect velvet one in Reiss, not long after we got engaged. It fit perfectly and the groomsmen complimented Harry’s suit in plain black tuxedos from Next, including a smaller version for our nephew.
My dress was from Lori G. The ladies were incredible and made me feel so comfortable the moment I walked through the door. I knew I wanted a long-sleeved lace dress and it was perfect. The long train made it feel so special and I added the most beautiful veil to compliment the dress. I kept it on for most of the day and evening!
Due to the lace and detail on my dress I wanted the bridesmaids in something fairly simple. Their dresses were from Reiss and they looked incredible on the day. Our flower girls wore dresses from Next, they were one of my favourite things with the big puffy sleeves and v detail at the back. They looked so gorgeous.
The Styling & Decor
We used the incredible Tara Knott for our styling. We wanted simple and understated and she delivered. The rooms looked amazing, and everyone commented on how great they looked.
The brief for our flowers was wild, white and green and Rebecca from Floral Deco created the most beautiful bouquets I have ever seen. They were everything I wanted and so much more.
Our cake was created by the super talented Emma at Hellocake. Again, the brief was simple, classic white with a single black silk. It looked incredible and tasted even better! We only wanted two-tier, but we had an extra one in the back which was cut up at the same time to make sure there was enough cake to go around!
Tanya at Daydreamer Creative Studio made us the most beautiful hanging for behind our top table and we now have it up in our home. The perfect reminder of the most incredible day.
We designed our stationery ourselves and had it printed by Harry’s Dad who owns a printing company.
The Honeymoon
We went to Grantley Hall for a couple of nights after the wedding. It was very chilled and absolutely beautiful, the perfect wind down after a busy couple of months.
We are going Greek Island hopping in summer and can’t wait. It has been lovely to have something else to look forward to, post-wedding.
Memorable Moments
It’s so hard to choose. It honestly was the best day of our lives. A few stand-out moments were:
- Getting ready with my girls in the morning. It was the most chilled few hours.
- Seeing Harry standing at the end of the aisle. I don’t think I will ever forget that moment.
- After our ceremony, we went to see my Grandparents who couldn’t make it. It was so wonderful to see them and I will cherish those photos forever.
- The speeches were amazing. Harry, my Dad and Harry’s best man and brother, George did the best three speeches I’ve ever heard.
- The evening was a huge highlight. The dance floor was full all night! It was amazing to be surrounded by all our favourite people, dancing, singing and sharing so many wonderful memories.
- The feeling of love in the room was overwhelming. It was the first time everyone had been together post-covid and I think everyone was ready for a party!
Advice For Other Couples
Try to enjoy it all.
Talk to friends who are already married and spend loads of time on the dancefloor with your loved ones.
Goodness me, how very gorgeous!
Emily and Harry, massive thanks to you both for sharing your gorgeously cosy winter wedding at The West Mill.
Further Reading
- How To Deal With The Post-Wedding Blues
- 65 Wedding Centrepiece Ideas
- Who Pays For Bridesmaid Dresses?
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