From a playful poem and a proposal on Christmas morning with their dog by their side to a two-day celebration at Cowdray House in Sussex, step inside Frances Teehan and Sam Maxson’s elegant English country wedding.
The Story So Far
Although Sam and I both attended Durham University in the same year, same college and even shared modules together, we never met. Fast forward to 2016 and, both working in London, we matched on Tinder. But again, despite pleasant conversation, we never made it to a date.
What followed is an unusual tale involving a poem Sam had penned about me unmatching him (incorrect; I’d deleted Tinder) being shared by one of his friends with me as I embarked on a solo backpacking adventure. Seven months later, as this trip approached its end and with Sam’s friends each sharing their own poems about his quest to woo me, a slightly exasperated Sam expressed how he would be keen on going for dinner once I returned, ending his message with “Deal?”. I’d never accepted a date with “deal” before, but this single word sealed the long-awaited date, and the beginning of our life together.
Five years later, Sam proposed on Christmas Day in our favourite countryside spot, complete with our dog Rapha running happily around us. The ring was carefully designed with Josh from Royal Tunbridge Wells’ renowned family-run jewellery firm, G Collins & Sons. The bespoke piece captures my love for art deco, with a brilliant emerald as its centrepiece.
Venue
We had a small legal ceremony with family at Brighton Town Hall in February followed by the main event in May: a two-day celebration at Cowdray House, Sussex. We knew we wanted to get married close to home and have space for our family and wedding party to stay in the venue with us, so Cowdray ticked all the boxes.
As we entered Cowdray House for the first time, we felt immediately at ease. It somehow managed to strike the perfect balance between impressive English country estate and a welcoming home. From its stunning gardens, designed by Capability Brown, to the striking vaulted ceilings of Buck Hall, Cowdray had us glancing happily at each other throughout our first visit, knowing that we’d found the spot. One of Sam’s best friends from university (and author of one of the aforementioned poems) was our celebrant which made the ceremony unbelievably special – there were many (joyful) tears! We had “deal” engraved on the inside of our wedding bands in each other’s writing, and our vows sealed with the same word.
Fashion
Both my welcome party and main day dresses were from Ukrainian designer, Milla Nova. What ended up being my wedding dress was the very first dress I tried on from a touring trunk show collection at Mirror Mirror London. I was drawn to the unique pearl detailing of the top; it felt truly special. But it took visits to four more shops to realise that it really was the one. Once I’d tried it on again at Isabella Grace Bridal in Royal Tunbridge Wells (just around the corner from where my ring was made), I knew for sure.
Somewhat spontaneously, I tried on a sparkly number for fun, and that ended up being added to the order for the welcome party – not quite what I had in mind for our relaxed welcome event, but certainly a decision I didn’t regret. My final outfit of the weekend was a fun feathered number from Club L London – perfect for the dancefloor.
Sam wore tails from Neal & Palmer with Loake shoes for the ceremony, then changed into a gorgeous double breasted cream jacket from Oliver Brown with patent Loake shoes for the wedding breakfast onwards. He looked magnificent.
Tablescape
I loved bringing our tablescape together. Our incredibly talented floral designer, Claire (Bulb Floristry in Lewes) had delivered monthly bouquets to us for the last few years, so I was thrilled when she agreed to curate our wedding flowers. Her arrangements were works of art. We had a fantastic afternoon with our caterers, Jacaranda, selecting cloths, napkins, crockery and glassware. It all came together beautifully complete with stationery from Paige & Co. We knew we didn’t want wedding favours on the tables so instead worked with Cheryl Morrice Studio who painted guest portraits throughout the day that our friends and family could take home with them.
Food & Drinks
Jacaranda delivered an incredible feast of sharing plates: beef; lamb; salads; chocolate mousse; Eton mess – the works. As a Guernsey girl, I also ensured we had plenty of Guernsey butter for the breads. It is the very best.
We sourced the wine ourselves with sparkling from local vineyards we knew and loved: Ridgeview; Wiston; and Bolney. These were accompanied by some of our favourite varieties of red and white: Chablis; Chenin Blanc; Pinot Noir; Rioja; and naturally, some port to accompany the wheels of cheese that replaced a traditional cake. Everything was topped off with beer kindly supplied by our dear friends and an abundance of cocktails from the incredible team at Drunken Jockeys. A jolly night of cocktail tasting with them earlier in the year resulted in bespoke menus across the weekend filled with our go-to tipples. Safe to say, there were some sore heads the following morning.
Entertainment
My brother sang as I walked down the aisle (as he has done for each of my sisters) with Sam’s father (a cathedral organist) playing the piano. We hired a Makin Windermere organ for the day from Church Organ World so Sam’s dad had the opportunity to fill Buck Hall with incredible music including a Sussex Suite he composed especially for us and an organ rendition of “Puppy Love” for when our dog delivered our rings.
The hugely talented team at Hand Fulla Soul provided music throughout the reception – from a roaming acoustic three-piece, to a jazz trio post-wedding breakfast, and finally a seven-piece band for the dancefloor. We kicked off the night with a first dance to ABBA’s Waterloo under a sparkling mirror ball and didn’t stop.
Beauty Regime & Wellness
In the lead-up to the wedding, I was a regular at my local salon Urban Sanctuary, who sorted me out with facials and massages, and gave me the perfect French manicure for the weekend. Carla from CESCA did my hair and make-up – a bouncy blow-out with a big red lip for our welcome party followed by an elegant ballet bun with a natural glowy look for the wedding. She was an absolute star.
Honeymoon
The day after the wedding, we debriefed and relaxed at The Spa at South Lodge followed by a minimoon in Mallorca. Our honeymoon was a three-week tour through Provence, Tuscany, Sicily and Rome. It was a blissfully indulgent experience that we’ll treasure forever.
Advice
Your photography is likely the main thing you’ll look back on after your big day – so it’s worth the time and investment in finding the right person! I’d recommend doing a couple’s shoot with your chosen photographer in advance to ensure their approach and style is exactly what you’re after. We did this with Maja Tsolo, spending a sunny winter morning together in the place we got engaged. We had a brilliant time getting to know her and loved her photography so much that she ended up shooting both our legal and main wedding.
I’m a real planner so loved organising the wedding and sourcing suppliers myself, but on the day, I wanted to just enjoy it. Thankfully, I had the amazing Georgie Mitchell to coordinate everything alongside Cowdray’s fantastic Event Manager Katie. Together, they made the day run seamlessly. It relieves so much stress having that extra pair of hands.
Everyone will say “it’s your day” and “do what you want to do” but you will inevitably receive a host of unexpected, and sometimes unwelcome, opinions! At times, you’ll likely have to compromise, but remember, the important thing is that you’re marrying the love of your life with your chosen people around you. Try not to get too caught up in the minor dramas.
With thanks
Bride / Groom: Frances Teehan @francesteehan
Venue: Cowdray House @cowdrayhouse
Photographer: Maja Tsolo @majatsolophotography
Videographer: Visual Air @visualair
Caterer: Jacaranda @jacarandacatering led by Phern @phernrobinson
Dress: Milla Nova @millanova; Isabella Grace Bridal @isabellagracebridal; veil from Lucia Veil Bridal @luciaveilbridal
Matron, Maid & Man of Honour: My siblings Hannah, Constance & Pádraig
Groom outfit: Neal & Palmer @nealandpalmer; Oliver Brown @oliverbrownlondon; Loake Shoemakers @loakeshoemakers
Flower girls & page boys: NA – but our dog was our ring bearer! Kindly accompanied by Kathryn at @welovepets_UK
Florist: Bulb @bulbco
Tableware: Jacaranda @jacarandacatering
Stationery: Paige & Co @paigenco
Wedding rings: G Collins & Sons @gcollinsandsons
Hair & Makeup: CESCA @____cesca____
Gift list: The Wedding Shop @theweddingshopuk
Event Manager: Katie at Cowdray @allthingsswain
Wedding Coordinator: Georgie Mitchell @georgina.rose.events
Music: Hand Fulla Soul @handfullasoul
Bar: Drunken Jockeys @thedrunkenjockeys
Artist: Cheryl Morrice @cherylmorricestudio
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