A RUSTIC fairytale

Inspired by the idea of Sleeping Beauty in her tower, Rebecca and Julian used a palette of dark green and orange, paired with a sprinkling of Disney magic

Images courtesy of Edward Solly Photography

Rebecca and Julian met in London at a salsa class. Rebecca had only recently moved to London from Germany following her studies; while Julian had been studying in the Capital. “We got on very well during the class, and after a few days of texting Julian asked me on a date to a salsa club,” Rebecca remembers.

Needless to say the date went well, so we fast forward a few years to November 2021. Julian had organised a private guided tour of Hever Castle, one of Rebecca’s favourite places; it was the first day of the Christmas decorations being up so the place looked magical. Alone in the castle together, Julian got down on one knee with an engagement ring he’d designed himself. He’d even brought a bottle of champagne and flutes in with him.

Another Kentish castle picks up the story from here. “The moment we stepped through the gates of Lympne Castle visiting one of their wedding fairs, we knew this was our place,” Rebecca says. “I only considered castles for our venue as I really wanted to be a princess.” It greeted the couple with blue skies and a seemingly endless view across the sea, and they found themselves captured by its charm. Rebecca continues, “I wanted a venue that could host our morning preparations, ceremony and reception, and be a private place for us and our guests. Lympne Castle was all of this and so much more.”

Read on as the bride shares her memories of their very special day, 3rd April, 2023...

Setting The Scene

Rebecca and Julian wanted wedding favours that guests would appreciate rather than something that’d be left behind. So, they gifted each of their loved ones a little wooden box bearing the wedding’s logo and motto (meant to bee) on one side, with a drawing of Lympne Castle and their names on the other. These also acted as the place names. They filled each one with a packet of seeds and instructions on how to plant them. Julian learned how to use a laser cutter and made all of the boxes himself.

In addition, the couple set up a goodies table, which contained some little extras for guests to take such as delicious cakes and locally-produced jars of honey and jam. As a nod to their rustic theme, there were also bee’s wax candles and tulip bulbs, which guests could feel free to take. They were the same orange tulips that featured in the bride’s bouquet.

The couple put their skills into action again to create the table plan, and Rebecca learned how to vinyl cut. Each table was named after a Medieval or Tudor castle that the pair had visited and meant something to them. Julian found pencil drawings of each one and laser engraved them onto wood.

The centrepieces beautifully reflected the theme. Each one included a set of log slices, log candles, and floating candles in jars, which were decorated with burlap. The tonic bottle and tulip pew ends from the ceremony were also repurposed to sit on the reception tables.

Rebecca’s auntie is a wedding florist, so naturally she was enlisted to create the bridal bouquet, as well as the bridesmaids’ posies, and buttonholes. “My favourite flowers are tulips and everything tied in with our orange and green palette,” Rebecca says. “My bouquet was a little wild to complement my fairytale princess dress, and it contained English ivy to mirror the vegetation around the Castle.” The bride’s auntie also decorated the staircase she was due to descend on her way to the aisle as a surprise. “It was so beautiful, I felt like Sleeping Beauty walking from the forest into the castle,” Rebecca remembers. Their second florist decorated elements of the castle such as the welcome sign, signing table and various mantelpieces, again perfectly in keeping with the palette and theme, ivy and the orange tulip being the main feature throughout.

The three-tier big-day bake featured a bark effect and was decorated with orange fruits and flowers.

Other oh-so cute decorative features included a tree-stump post box carved by the groom and an order-of-the-day sign designed to look like the type you might find in the woods to direct you to the fairytale castle. It was decorated with ivy and fairylights, which were turned on for the evening.

Looking The Part

Rebecca wore an Allure Bridals gown from the 2022 Disney Fairy Tale Collection, Aurora. From the moment she found out that this line was sold in the UK, she knew she had to at least try one on. So, she wasted no time in making an appointment at Victoria Elaine Bridal in Maidstone, the only stockist in Kent and one of only a handful in the UK. “I tried on a few princesses but fell in love with Aurora from last year’s collection, as it was off-white and despite it having several layers of tulle, it was comfortable and not heavy at all,” Rebecca explains. Her veil, also from Victoria Elaine, was named Fantasia as it was adorned in little pearls placed to look like Mickey Mouse heads.

Julian and his groomsmen all went for the same suit: a brown check tweed with orange and wood detailing. They all accessorised with wooden cufflinks with the bee logo on them, along with orange ties.

The bridesmaids wore floor-length dresses in dark green. Rebecca was happy for them to choose whichever style they preferred as she wanted them to love their dresses and be comfortable all day. The bride also gifted each of the girls a piece of silver jewellery bearing the bee logo, as well as a silver hairpin, which they all wore in their half-up styles.

Time To Celebrate

Entertaining their guests was an important factor to Rebecca and Julian. A fabulous cello and violin duo performed before and during the ceremony. They continued to play following the “I dos,” as guests gathered on the Castle’s terrace for drinks and canapés. “I asked them to play movie soundtracks, and guests had a great time when they recognised a tune they knew,” Rebecca tells us.

Afterwards, the newlyweds officially opened the archery in the grounds and following the wedding breakfast, they welcomed evening guests with the cake cutting and toasts. Loved ones then met in the grounds once more for a bird of prey show featuring falcons, owls, flying demonstrations and meet-and-greets with the birds.

The evening entertainment kicked off with the couple’s first dance: a very apt waltz to the music from Cinderella. They’d been taking dance classes and choreographed a routine themselves to make it something truly special.

A 50s-style band played two sets later on into the evening and we’re told they rocked the house. “I was a bit concerned about how our guests would react, as 50s music is quite niche but the dancefloor was full the entire night,” Rebecca remembers.

As a special extra, the couple also hired a live painter. She started with a blank canvas in the morning, and painted one of their couple shots throughout the day as guests looked on. The finished article was then handed to the newlyweds following the wedding breakfast and it remained on display for the rest of the day.

Throughout the night, loved ones frequented the photo booth, capturing snaps for the couple’s guest book as well as for their own fridge doors when they got home.

With Thanks

“Our photographer, Edward, went above and beyond,” Rebecca tells us. “He was everywhere, and despite many guests not speaking too much English, he was funny, charming and kept us to our timeline without making us feel rushed. Our photos are absolutely stunning too!

“The Castle’s team were also incredible. We almost lost the venue as it was being sold, but the new owners honoured our booking and we were their very first wedding! The team went absolutely above and beyond ensuring Julian and I had plenty of food and drink, and a genuinely great time. The new owner came by specifically to congratulate us and left us a present, which was so much appreciated.”

Roll Credits

Venue and catering, Lympne Castle, https://lympnecastle.com | Photographer, Edward Solly Photography, https://edwardsollyphotography.co.uk | Brides’s dress and accessories, Victoria Elaine Bridal, www.victoriaelainebridal.co.uk | Bridesmaids’ dresses,Victoria’s Bridal Boutique, www.victoriasbridalboutique.co.uk | Jewellery and accessories, Hermione Harbutt, https:/hermioneharbutt.com

Hair and make-up artist, Chloe Campbell, www.chloecampbellmua.com | Suits, Marc Darcy | Cake, Whitstable Cake Company, www.whitstablecake.com | Flowers (bouquets & buttonholes), The Art of Blooming Weddings, www.instagram.com/artofbloomingdani Flowers (castle décor), Lilac and Lace Floral Design, www.lilac-and-lace.co.uk | Wedding rings, Harmony Jewels, www.instagram.com/harmonyjewelslondon | Videographer, May Media, www.maymedialtd.com | Live painter, Stephanie Paints Things, www.stephaniepaintsthings.com | Archery and falconry, Joe’s Bows, www.joesbows.co.uk | Cello and violinist, London Strings, https://londonstrings.co.uk | Band, The Boulevards, www.instagram.com/theboulevardsuk