A winter's tale

Karen and Andrew tied the knot in seasonal style with an elegant celebration filled with festive touches, all photos by Timeless Images.

Click on any of the images below to view a larger version

Early days…

What started as a long distance romance, turned into lasting love for Karen and Andrew. "We met through friends and got on instantly," recalls Karen. "As our friendship grew we discovered that our parents were actually lifelong friends - and my parents had recently moved next door to his! However, soon after we met, Andrew was posted to Germany for four years with the army. We stayed in touch and visited one another as often as we could but usually had to spend months apart at a time. When he was posted back to the UK we decided to move in together."
"I felt an instant attraction between Karen and I and had never felt that close to anyone before," Andrew says. "Even though our relationship was long distance in the beginning, I still felt she was the one."
After 15 years together, the pair set a December date and organised a stylish day at Halswell House, filled with Christmas-inspired details.

The venues…

We decided to host our day at Halswell House as it's simply stunning - the ideal place for a winter wedding. We booked it 22 months in advance and had exclusive use of the property, and 12 of its suites, so our friends and family could stay with us, it was perfect!

The attendants…

I had two flowergirls and two bridesmaids, with our beautiful daughter Daisy being the youngest. She was joined by our nieces Holly, Zoe and Molly. The younger two wore dresses by Pearce Fionda and the bridesmaids wore blue silk floor-length gowns, which were handmade by my aunt. They also added crystal clips from Accessorize to their hair.

The dress…

As Andrew is in the Royal Engineers for the British army, he wore official regimental military dress, which is reserved for ceremonial duties and not something he would usually get to wear. My dress was a full-length satin gown by Maggie Sottero. It had a pretty lace overlay, hand-sewn with Swarovski crystals and pearls, giving it some winter sparkle.

The transport…

Andrew and his best man arrived in style in a white, vintage 1930s Cadillac which later provided a great backdrop for the newlywed photos.

The decorative touches…

We decided to decorate the whole house with white avalanche roses and tulips, mixed with seasonal foliage and home-grown white ornamental cabbages. As it was December, there was a lovely big Christmas tree at the venue too, which added a really festive feel.

Top tips…

Make sure you build good relationships with all the suppliers you use, and go by recommendations. Our team was fantastic and made sure our day was perfect.

The honeymoon…

As our big day was so near to Christmas, Andrew and I went to Edinburgh for a weekend afterwards, staying in a boutique hotel called the Glasshouse. It was the ideal way to relax after planning our wedding and pre-Christmas festivities!

Useful Contacts: