These newlyweds had their hearts set on a wedding outdoor ceremony and, luckily, the UK weather played ball…

Abbie and Matthew met during freshers week at university eight years ago. “We’ve been together ever since,” says Abbie. “Matthew proposed in February 2022, with his late grandmother’s engagement ring. It was in Richmond Park, where we had one of our first dates.”

Shopping for the dress…

Abbie first discovered wed2b online. “I fell in love with all the dresses and the prices!” she says. “My experience at the central London store was great, everyone was kind and helpful but not pushy.”

Abbie chose Lennox by Viva Bride, a modern lace A-line with a statement train. "It wasn’t what I thought I’d get at all, but I definitely knew I’d get lace,” she says. "The train blew me away and I loved the detailing of the under layer of lace with the second layer on top.”

… and the maids too

“All of my bridesmaids’ dresses were from wed2b, too,” says Abbie. “I just loved the sage green. It was nice that they got to pick from the different styles, while still matching in colour. The quality was lovely.”

The perfect wedding outdoor ceremony 

For their August wedding, the couple chose Highley Manor, a beautiful 19th century manor house near Hayward’s Heath. “It was the wedding outdoor ceremony space and altar that really sold it to us,” says Abbie. “We knew we wanted to get married outside and the countryside views and big open hall were perfect.”

The big day

“I got ready with my mum, mother-in-law and bridesmaids.” says Abbie. “I decided to do my own wedding makeup and that made me feel more comfortable. However, hair is not my thing, so I hired an amazing hairstylist for myself and the bridal party. The day before it was pouring with rain but luckily on the day we had sun and cloud and a perfect temperature!"

"My dad has passed away, so I released a balloon at the top of the aisle in honour of him. Then I walked halfway down by myself before meeting my mum to walk the rest of the way to 'Turning Page’ by Sleeping at Last (I’m a big Twilight fan!).”

Drinks, dancing and doughnuts

“After the ceremony we snuck off for some pictures on the bridal suite balcony and then joined our guests for drinks and canapés.” says Abbie. “We also played bowls with our friends and family. After our beautiful sit-down meal we had our first dance to ‘Josephine’ by Chris Cornell. He’s one of our favourite artists and this is the song he wrote to propose to his wife.”

Stylish greens

“The colour scheme was sage green, as I just love the colour.” says Abbie. “We also had touches of white and gold. I did a lot of DIY and I made most of the decor myself, such as the welcome and name signs and our centrepieces. There were also lots of white flowers and greenery with lanterns and candles. Our wedding ‘cake’ was Krispy Kreme doughnuts!”

The best bits…

“My husband is Canadian, so we had some guests fly over.” says Abbie. “It was just so amazing to see our two worlds collide and see everybody happy together."

My top tips…

“Get organised and don’t leave things to the last minute," says Abbie. "You’ll be less stressed out, I promise!”

Abbie and Matthew’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Hannah Irwin Hannah@hannah-christine.com

Wedding outdoor ceremony venue: Highley Manor Wedding Venue 

Wedding dresses London: wed2b

Videographer: Fraser Hinch Wedding Videography 

Hair: SLG Hair 

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