Effortlessly beautiful in Heidi Hudson

Bohemian lace, olive green bridesmaid dresses and a relaxed farm setting were perfect for real bride Abbey

Heidi Hudson designs always take inspiration from nature, so our floral lace Bohdi dress was a wonderful choice for this informal wedding in the midst of picturesque farmland…

Abbey and Jake met five and a half years ago in their  local pub in Essex. "We now have a nine-month-old baby boy, Bobby, and our first date was in the city where Jake works,” says Abbey. “He tried showing me around but we ended up getting drunk!”

A lovely, low-key proposal

Jake proposed to Abbey in July 2022 and by November the same year they were married. He popped the question in the woods in Upminster, near where they live. “There wasn’t a soul around, so it felt so private and lovely. I went to take a picture and, when I turned around, Jake was on one knee. I felt overwhelmingly happy.”

Due to family illness the wedding needed to be planned quickly. “My mum is ill and I lost my dad last year,” says Abbey. “So, we decided to have the wedding this year, so my mum could be a part of it. This meant I needed a dress off-the-peg. A friend recommended wed2b and the girls at the Chelmsford branch were so friendly. We felt so comfortable and I bought the very first dress I tried on.”

Choosing Heidi Hudson

Our Bohdi design is an effortless sheath, with a contemporary keyhole back and entrancing embroidered lace. A dream choice for this relaxed bride! “The material was exactly what I wanted,” says Abbey. “We were going for a boho, laid-back wedding and I instantly felt really nice in it. I wore it with a low back Wunderskirt, too.”

If you’d love a similar carefree and easy-to-wear gown, then you'll love pretty Ffion with it’s understated slim straps, Amalie for a higher illusion neckline and lovely lace or Kalila for a floaty, Grecian-inspired split skirt.

The rustic venue was set on delightful farmland in Rochford, Essex and somewhere Abbey had liked for years. “I thought I'd give it a go and see if they had any weekends left this year,” she says. “Surprisingly there was one, so I knew it was meant to be. I fell in love as soon as we visited, it was completely and utterly my style. We got married on the 20th November 2022.”

The big day 

It had rained all week but, as Abbey was on her way to the venue, wonderful bright blue skies appeared and stayed for most of the day. “We were so lucky!” she says. “My dad’s wishes were for my uncle Steve to walk me down the aisle. He only has boys and I’m really close to him. He went into hysterics when he saw me, it was a lovely moment. We had a violinist play for the ceremony and for the drinks afterward. My special moment was seeing Jake at the aisle, I instantly waved at him and felt so happy.”

After the ceremony there were drinks and photographs in the courtyard. “Our couple photos were so much fun and the videographer was fun too, so we laughed the whole time. The first dance was sweet but awkward. Jake did not want to do it but I insisted! I wanted just a bit of tradition.”

Natural beauty

The theme was earth colours, and there was lots of gypsophila and simple greenery. There were also wooden chandeliers decorated with more greenery and the maids wore olive green bridesmaid dresses. “I wanted it very natural, simple and boho,” says Abbey. This carefree day had no traditional wedding cake (“One less thing to worry about!” says Abbey) and the couple served fun bbq food for the wedding breakfast and then pizza, chips and halloumi sliders in the evening.

“Later there was a DJ and we personalised all our music,” says Abbey. “We also had England songs, as it was the day the World Cup started. We didn’t have one awkward moment where it went quiet.”

“I loved looking around and realising that everyone was here for us,” says Abbey. “And just seeing everyone have so much fun, with families mixing. It was so lovely.”

And for other Heidi brides…

“Bury a sausage the night before your wedding!” laughs Abbey. “It’s an old wives tale for good weather, so I like to think it helped! Research your makeup girls too and be prepared that your dress will get dirty.”

If you’ve loved reading about Abbey’s gorgeous dress, decor or olive green bridesmaid dresses as much as us, then please share your big day pictures too. We just love finding out how you’ve worn and styled your Heidi design. Click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. You can see more free-spirited Heidi weddings here, too!

With love and laughter,

The Heidi Team

Abbey & Jake’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Shianne Mercer Photography

Venue: Apton Hall 

Videographer: Tony Davies Films 

Violinist: Music By Violin

Florist: Rosabelle Floral Design