An Elegant Touch

Helen and David were the winners of our Win Yourself A Wedding Planner competition in 2008. They celebrated by tying the knot with an elegant white wedding at Halswell House. Photos by Stewart Clarke Photography

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Early days…

David and Helen met through a mutual friend while studying for their GCSEs and A-levels and romance bloomed for the school sweethearts. "I soon fell in love with David because he makes me laugh, has a fantastic personality, and his good looks are an added bonus," says Helen. "I fell for Helen because she's loyal, funny, pretty and a mean cook! I've never met anyone who is so much fun to be with, so much of the time."

The proposal…

"We were on holiday in Egypt when David proposed to me," recalls Helen. "It was more of a surprise to him than it was to me! We were lying on the beach under the stars and he thought it was a perfect time to pop the question. He was clearly very nervous but I said yes immediately. We then watched a shooting star across the star - it was really perfect."

The venues…

Helen and David tied the knot at the stunning Halswell House in Somerset. "We saw about 15 different venues across the region which were nice but not quite right for us," says Helen. "We were after somewhere exclusive so we didn't have to share our day with another wedding party. We also didn't want anywhere too expensive and we needed overnight accomodation. On the day we saw Halswell we had three other viewings arranged and ended up cancelling the others as we knew it was the place for our big day."

The dress…

Helen wore a strapless, floor-length gown designed by Maggie Sottero. "I had had my heart set on a Sottero dress called Dallas Marie but a few weeks after trying it on I began to have second thoughts," recalls Helen. "I tried another of her designs, Alexandria which fitted perfectly. I felt like a princess in it." She accessorised
with an ivory veil which had a scalloped edge and was embellished with crystals.
David opted for a traditional grey morning suit with a cream waistcoat, to complement his bride's dress, as well as a deep red calla lily for his buttonhole.
Helen's bridesmaid, who is David's sister, wore a deep red dress by Raylia, which had a lace-up back and twisted detail around the waist to mirror Helen's gown.

The flowers…

"For all of our flower arrangements we chose calla lilies which looked very contemporary and I loved their sleek shape," says Helen. "I used white lilies for my bouquet, and my bridesmaid's was made-up of red lilies. Both bouquets were then wrapped in material that matched our dresses.
"There was little room for centrepieces once the serving plates were put on the tables so instead we had hurricane lamps with ivory candles inside. Then on the top table we had a floral arrangement in the middle and the bridesmaid's bouquet was split and placed into two silver vases at either end."

The decorative touches…

"The theme of our day was modern elegance and we picked a colour scheme of red and ivory," says Helen. "Originally I fancied a winter wedding whereas David wanted it to be in May. So we compromised by having a May date with a winter colour scheme.
"To reflect our theme we chose elements like a string quartet, who played during the ceremony, and a champagne drinks reception."

The honeymoon…

The newlyweds jetted off to the Maldives for two weeks, spending the first at Reethi Beach and the second at Kuredu island. "In Kuredu we stayed in a water villa which sat on stilts above the ocean. We had a sun deck with a ladder that led into the sea so we could see fish and reef sharks as we sunbathed. It's definitely the closest thing to paradise I've ever seen," says Helen.

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