Inside: Honour Wainwright & Charlie Coleman’s Romantic Country House Wedding

From a chance meeting at Edinburgh University and a decade-long romance to a flower-filled marquee at her family home, step inside Honour Wainwright and Charlie Coleman’s romantic country house wedding.

Few settings feel more timeless than a family home brought to life with Chelsea Flower Show-worthy blooms, vintage Land Rovers and tambourine-led revelry. For Honour Wainwright and Charlie Coleman, it was the culmination of a ten-year love story that began at Edinburgh University and unfolded with charm, character and a joyful sense of fun. From a church lovingly scrubbed by friends to a marquee filled with Millie Richardson’s florals, every detail spoke of heritage, community and modern style.

The Story So Far

Charlie and I have been together for 10 years. We met when I visited my twin brother at Edinburgh uni (he works at Boodles too) and, typically, I ended up falling for one of his best mates! My brother wasn’t too thrilled at first, not least because his friends teased him endlessly, but fast forward and it’s turned out to be a dream situation. The only downside is that I’m now the perpetual third wheel to him and Charlie.

Venue

We got married at my family home where I’ve grown up, which made it incredibly special. The run up was one of the most fun parts – plants and flowers arriving left, right and centre (Chelsea Flower Show eat your heart out), and our local friends rallying together to help clean the church the week before. It felt like a real team effort.

The day before, Charlie’s family came over (all hands on deck), and my bridesmaids arrived later that afternoon in time for the wedding rehearsal. We had a lovely supper together before I enforced a strict 10:30pm lights out, though I’m not entirely convinced my now-husband held his ushers and family to the same rule!

Fashion

I always knew I wanted to wear something very me, laidback and nothing too fussy, while still being elegant and fun. A wedding dress designer called Ella May was recommended to me by a friend, and since then, I’ve seen her dresses everywhere. At first, I found dress shopping overwhelming because I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but Ella May was so calm and reassuring. She just looked at me and said, ‘I’ve got you’ at our first meeting.

My dress had two interchangeable looks, one for the church ceremony and another for the reception and dancing, which was perfect. Switching after the ceremony was such fun – it felt like stepping into a whole new look, ready for the party. One of Ella May’s specialities is designing dresses that transform into two or even three different looks in one.

My shoes were by Florrie London and I had the best time designing them with Florrie herself. We created bespoke slingbacks together, mixing her signature touches – the slightly flared stiletto heel and flattering V-shaped front – with delicate lace from Ella May’s library so they tied in perfectly with my dress. As a special detail, Charlie’s and my names and our wedding date were embroidered on the outside, which was super special. I also loved that both Florrie and Ella May are small, female founded businesses. In fact, most of the people involved in the wedding were independent female businesses, from my wonderful wedding planner, Katie Tottenham (@katietottenhamevents), who also happens to be my best friend’s mum, to our incredible photographers, Lara and Bizzy Arnott of Arnott & Arnott (@laraarnottphotography and @bizzyarnottphotography), our talented cake maker @hennys_hotbakes, and our brilliant florist, Millie Richardson (@mill.rich.flowers).

Charlie wore his trusty morning suit, his loyal party companion which he was given on his 21st birthday. After some convincing, he upgraded his waistcoat (which was about 8 years old) and houndstooth trousers from Sirplus, plus George Cleverley shoes. He, my dad, and the ushers all wore matching Percival ties.

Jewellery

Having grown up at Boodles and now working in the family business, I knew my wedding jewellery had to be deeply personal – pieces full of meaning and memories, yet completely true to my own style. I wanted pieces that made a statement without ever overwhelming my dress.

For the ceremony, I wore earrings from our ‘Peace of Mined’ collection, which felt especially meaningful because the stones came from the Cullinan Mine in South Africa – a place I had the privilege of visiting with my parents a few years ago. Seeing the mine firsthand and understanding how every stone is carefully traced from source to our Boodles shops made those earrings even more personal.

Later in the evening, I switched into an Ashoka line necklace, bracelet, and huggie earrings for the party. Ashoka diamonds were the natural choice, Boodles is the exclusive UK retailer, and I’ve always loved how rare and distinctive they are. Unlike a classic emerald cut with 58 facets, Ashoka cut diamonds have 62 facets, catching the light in a soft, magical way that feels extraordinary without ever shouting.

And of course, the most special pieces of all were my Ashoka engagement ring and wedding band, which carry a secret engraving that only Charlie and I know about.

Bridal Party

We had the sweetest little bridesmaids and pageboys, all of whom were my cousins’ children. Sailing was a theme woven throughout the weekend, a tribute to Charlie’s late father, who was a well known sailor, so the boys wore the most adorable little sailor outfits, while the girls looked beautiful in matching dresses made especially for us by a wonderfully talented seamstress. They all looked utterly adorable.

For the grown-up bridal party, I didn’t have official bridesmaids, but I had a group of my closest girlfriends stay with me the night before and get ready with me on the morning. Having them there made the whole experience so special, fun, and relaxed. As a thank you, I gave each of them a Be Boodles bracelet, a little something personal to tie us all together throughout the day and beyond, and of course, the uber tacky, slightly revealing matching stripy pyjamas I made them all wear for getting ready. Sorry, ladies!

Transportation

Charlie and I drove off in a vintage Land Rover, which my best boy friends had secretly decorated that morning. They went all out, attaching golf clubs and tennis rackets to the back, a lovely nod to Charlie’s obsession with golf and his mum’s tennis career, covering it in flowers, and even adding a personalised ‘The Colemans’ number plate. Seeing it waiting for us as we left the church was such an amazing surprise. So many guests commented that they spotted golf clubs and tennis rackets on the road, which had fallen off, on the way back to my house – it was like a ‘follow the breadcrumbs’ trail to the party.

For our guests, we arranged for a classic red London bus to take everyone from the church back to my family home.

Tablescape

Our tables were brought to life by the incredibly talented Millie Richardson, who created the most beautiful floral arrangements. They completely transformed the marquee and set the tone for the evening.

As a fun personal touch, instead of traditional place cards, we had personalised tambourines with each guest’s name on them. At one point in the night, everyone was up on their chairs, tambourines in hand, dancing away – it was one of my favourite memories of the whole weekend.

Food & Drinks

Quince and Clover, our caterers, were incredible. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and completely personal to us. They even incorporated vegetables from Dad’s veggie garden into the menu, which made it feel extra special. Guests are still raving about it.

Our cake was by @hennys_hotbakes. Henny created a bespoke cake combining my love of carrot and Charlie’s obsession with pistachio. We actually cut the wedding cake on Day 2, which made the day feel extra special – dragging out the celebrations as long as possible.

Entertainment

As we walked out of the church, we were greeted by The Roaming Brothers from the House of Lemon – a fun, unexpected treat for our guests that got the vibe going straight away. Bubbles and confetti added to the atmosphere (my guy friends were in charge of the bubble machines – they got so carried away that bubbles were everywhere all weekend, creating some epic photos).

For the evening party, LDN Showband had everyone on the dancefloor, and on Sunday we had Truly Medley Deeply – honestly the best band I’ve ever heard. They blend the greatest pop hits from every era into seamless medleys, and they were so amazing that we kept extending their set because no one wanted them to stop.

Beauty Regime & Wellness

The Strictly Come Dancing hair and makeup team did my makeup, which was such a treat. I’d never had my makeup professionally done before, aside from my sister-in-law Amber’s wedding the year before, also with the Strictly team thanks to Annabel, and they were absolutely brilliant. I can only imagine that doing bridal makeup was a bit of a change of pace from glitter, fake tans, and sequins – I suspect my brief was one of their more low-key days at the office.

Favourite Wedding Gifts

I worked with The Wedding Present Company to create our gift list. Their showroom is gorgeous, and seeing pieces in a home setting made all the difference. We chose a mix of practical items for the house, plus treats we’d never buy ourselves, like pieces from Amuse La Bouche and Anna + Nina.

Honeymoon

We flew to Sicily on the Tuesday after the bank holiday for a little mini moon. After such a full-on few weeks, not just the wedding itself but the months leading up to it, we were both exhausted and just wanted some time to properly switch off. It was bliss to do nothing but relax for a few days, and of course to relive and debrief everything together – our conversation was like a broken record, going over every moment again and again.

The bigger adventure is still to come. In the new year we’re heading off on safari in Kenya, followed by some time in Zanzibar.