Inside: A Black Tie Celebration at Pylewell Park

From a chance meeting in their local pub a decade ago to a personality-packed black-tie celebration on the Hampshire coast, step inside Honor and Matt’s detail-driven wedding at Pylewell Park – a day shaped by hand-embroidered touches, sunset-sparked romance and the unmistakable joy of two people crafting a celebration entirely their own.

The story so far

We met ten years ago in our local pub. Our friends were going for a drink and we were asked to join. I thought it was a mutual friend I already knew so I agreed to go with my friend Rachel. It turned out to be Matt, who I had never met, and the rest was history. We had actually grown up five minutes from each other with lots of mutual friends but had never crossed paths.

We got engaged in Hay on Wye at a little lodge retreat we had stayed at a few times. It was our nine year anniversary but I still did not expect it. We cooked dinner on the fire pit and ate in our pyjamas watching the sunset. Matt barely touched his dinner, which was very unlike him. Next thing I knew he was on one knee. I could not believe it. There were lots of tears and it was perfect. Matt had the ring made by a lady in Brighton. It has a vintage feel with a champagne oval diamond accompanied by two pear diamonds on either side set in gold. It is so special that he designed it without my input and it turned out to be my dream ring.

Venue

We married at Pylewell Park. We fell in love with it instantly and did not look at many other venues. It felt right and the space was perfect for what we wanted. We did not end up having our outdoor ceremony due to the British weather but the day was amazing all the same. We loved the freedom the venue gave us to create our own day and having the house for our closest family and friends made it feel even more special.

The evening before we had a dinner with bridesmaids, groomsmen and immediate family. The ladies at New Forest Trough created the most delicious spread. We had huge candelabras and drinks under the canopy outside which made it such a lovely evening to gather everyone.

The day after the wedding we had a pub day at the Royal Oak. More rain and more booze. It summed up our whole wedding motto perfectly.

Fashion

My dress was made by Hilary Wili, who I know through my work. She brought all of my ideas to life. I tried on so many dresses and never had the moment where you think this is the one. I loved different aspects of different dresses. I loved the shape of Vivienne Westwood bodices and the full skirts of Dior. We combined the different elements and Hilary made it work beautifully. I had a second skirt for the evening, a straight skirt with a small box pleat at the back to match the main skirt. My sleeves also came off to create a strapless bodice. Being able to dance with my hands in the air was essential. My something blue was a small bow stitched into the back of my dress. My shoes were Magda Butrym, a low heel ivory slingback with a big pearl at the toes.

We went for black tie as a very wise lady once told me that black tie is the only way to ensure all the men look smart.

Matt’s suits were from Charles Tyrwhitt. I was obsessed with cream dinner jackets and suggested it to him. He was unsure so we went to try different styles. He came out in the cream jacket and me and my mum cried. He tried a double breasted black tux next and looked amazing. He chose both. If the bride was having a change, so should the groom. He wore the cream in the day and the black in the evening. His shoes were double monk strap brogues by Loake.

Jewellery

I wore drop pearl earrings from Monica Vinader and had a pearl necklace which I forgot to put on when I changed. We were too desperate to get back to the brass band. I wanted to keep jewellery simple and let the dress do the talking.

Bridal party

The bridesmaids wore bespoke dresses by American designer Alfred Sung. I wanted them to wear something different to the usual styles so we chose sage green floral silk twill with full skirts. They stood out beautifully and the shape was so flattering.

The groomsmen wore tuxedos from Moss, a fail safe for weddings.

Tablescape

The tables were incredibly important to me. I love small details so the tables needed to feel perfect. We had napkins hand embroidered by my aunt with our MH logo and knotted for each place setting. We had tambourines stamped with an illustration Matt drew. We had lots of flowers with big arrangements spread along the tables and plain glass cylinder bud vases dotted in between. Silver candlesticks at different heights with cream candles ran the full length of the tables. I wanted the look to feel timeless so all florals were ivory and green.

Food and drinks

We served Aperol and Hugo spritz during the reception. Anyone who knows Matt knows he loves an Aperol so it had to feature. After dinner we had a cocktail hour with Espresso Martinis for a pick me up and Classic Margaritas for a tequila hit before the party. We had The Little Kitchen for canapés and the main meal which was all delicious. A standout highlight was the evening pizza truck, The Pizza Trio. It was exactly what everyone needed after lots of drinks and dancing.

Entertainment

We walked down the aisle to Nancy Wilson’s How Glad I Am. It is a song we have listened to for years and always knew it would be part of the day. Matt’s friend extended it for us so it would last long enough for the whole bridal party to walk.

For the reception we had a trio playing jazz and soul with double bass, bass and drums. They were incredible and set such a beautiful atmosphere.

Our first dance was to Light of My Life by The James Hunter Six. This song has been with us throughout our relationship and even played during our engagement so it was always going to be our first dance.

The evening music was the best decision we made. We had a brass band from South London called Brasstermind who we see play at our local pub. They brought all the energy and kept the dancefloor full. We always wanted a brass band and they were everything we hoped for. Everyone loved them.

Beauty regime and wellness

I have had facials with Ingrid Raphael for the past year. She is London’s skin wizard and completely transformed my skin ahead of the wedding. For make up and hair, me and the bridesmaids had Shannon Belle. She kept me looking like myself which was so important. Having someone else do your make up can feel nerve wracking but she got it perfect and my hair even survived the rain for photos.

Favourite wedding gifts

We were very kindly gifted money towards our honeymoon.

Honeymoon

We stayed in the New Forest for the week after the wedding. Some friends and family were also staying locally so it became an extended celebration which we loved. We are hoping to go on our full honeymoon soon and are looking at The Maldives.

Advice

Do whatever makes you happy. It is your day and everyone is simply happy to witness your love. Try to soak up every minute as it goes so fast.

Do all the little things. We made personalised matchboxes, hand embossed napkins and stamped tambourines. The small touches really do matter and make the day memorable.

The first question I asked Aby at Pylewell was whether you could have fireworks. They were the first thing I booked. If you can do it, I highly recommend it. It was the most incredible five minutes with everyone outside counting down and cheering throughout the display. It was so special.