“Our lovely wedding day was a huge success. We and all our guests enjoyed every moment of it.
This is attributed to your quality hard work and the contributions from all your suppliers. You made our dream come true!”
Cecilia and Keo
Cecilia and Keo dreamed of a quintessentially British wedding. Inspired by scenes from the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan), the couple first reached out to me during the Summer of 2018.
They recognised the need for a professional wedding planner, primarily because they lived and worked in Hong Kong. Their busy work and social schedules left very little time for wedding planning. They found the thought of finding and appointing all of the suppliers required for their wedding overwhelming enough, even without the seven hour time difference!
When they contacted me, Cecilia and Keo had already set their hearts on hosting their wedding at Hedsor House, a stunning country house wedding venue on the Buckinghamshire/Berkshire border. Surrounded by over 100 acres of private parkland, this stunning Georgian mansion offers an unrivalled blank canvas that would become exclusively theirs for the day and night.
Above all, they wanted to share their wedding day with their closest family members and friends. The people who had played special parts in each of their lives. As such, this was to be a small and yet very meaningful wedding with fewer than twenty guests.
The approach towards planning a small, intimate wedding involves more consideration than an average sized wedding with say, 80 to 100 guests. There is a lot to be said for finding the right wedding venue and creating an atmosphere which is conducive to your guests enjoyment.
Irrespective of the size of their wedding, Cecilia and Keo wanted their guests to have an unforgettable experience and Hedsor House proved to be the perfect destination.
Cecilia and Keo’s wedding plans were underpinned by a mutual love of travel and shared sense of adventure. The preparations for their perfect day began long before their trip to the UK, with a pit stop in Paris for a pre-wedding photo-shoot with their wedding Photographer Alex Beckett and Parisian Bridal Make-up Artist Onorina Jomir. This resulted in them all to getting to know each other, removing any anxiety and enabling Cecilia to completely relax and enjoy the morning of her wedding day surrounded by a competent team in the peace and serenity of the Bridal Suite at Hedsor House.
The sumptuous Bridal Suite at Hedsor House is one the largest and most luxurious in Europe.
Excitement grew as Cecilia caught sight of guests beginning to arrive.
Almost all of the wedding guests traveled from overseas to share this special day.
By limiting the guest list to an elite group, Keo and Cecilia were able to invite everyone to stay on-site at Hedsor House. This resulted in a very exciting and extra special experience for their closest family members and friends.
Cecilia was assisted by two of her closest friends, who were both incredibly helpful throughout the entire day.
Since Cecilia and Keo wanted to keep their wedding day intimate, it meant they were able to opt out of unnecessary traditions, such as appointing Bridesmaids and a large group of groomsmen.
Having a smaller more intimate wedding means that you get to create your own rules and make the day your own.
Cecilia’s pretty hand tied Bridal bouquet, designed by Hot Flowers and Art included ivory, peach and blush pink roses, spray roses and fresia. Together, Cecilia and I selected the size and shape of her wedding bouquet to complement her petite frame and the delicate detailing on her wedding dress.
Cecilia and Keo chose to exchange life long promises to each other during a bespoke wedding ceremony written specifically for them by Independent Celebrant, Yvonne Beck.
Cecilia and Keo opted for live music during the ceremony and throughout the drinks reception. The entertainment was provided by The Covent Garden String Quartet whose repertoire includes classical pieces alongside popular tunes, adding an element of surprise and varying the tempo, to which the wedding guests responded very well.
During the drinks reception, guests helped themselves to delicious canapes supplied by Cavendish Events who are renowned for delivering fabulous food and exceptional events.
The guest experience is often richer with smaller parties, as the couple is able to spend quality time with everyone.
Hosting a small intimate wedding enabled Cecilia and Keo to invest in the most important aspects of the day – the venue, the entertainment and the food.
Cecilia and Keo made the most of every moment of their wedding day. With fewer guests they were able to relax and spend more time enjoying each others company and the delicious food and drink.
Despite the small number of guests involved in their wedding, Cecilia and Keo chose a five tier wedding cake designed by Cakes by Nina who accommodated their wishes by incorporating dummy tiers into the overall design to reduce wastage.
A fabulous fireworks display was the most fitting finale for such a special day.
This was a huge treat for Cecilia and Keo and their guests because Fireworks have been banned in Hong Kong since the 1970’s.
The next morning, in true GREAT British style, Cecilia and Keo and their guests boarded a vintage Routemaster bus for the first leg of their return journey.
It was an absolute pleasure to work for Cecila and Keo and I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the wonderful team at Hedsor House, whose thoughtfulness, care and consideration distinguishes them.
Hedsor House truly is a very special wedding venue.
I look forward to returning to oversee another beautiful wedding I am currently planning which is scheduled to take place there later this year.
At the end of the day, knowing that Cecilia and Keo and all of their wedding guests had the most incredible time is my reward! It makes all the hard work and obsessing over every detail worth the time and effort. I was proud to introduce them to an uncompromising team of suppliers, who excelled in the delivery of every single aspect of this wedding. Long may it serve as an example of what can be achieved when precisely the right hearts and minds pull together.
I would especially like to express my gratitude to Wedding Photographer, Alex Beckett for capturing so many beautiful moments and allowing me to share these treasured memories.
I would love to hear about your wedding plans. If you believe you may need assistance at any stage of the wedding planning process, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 01482 871053/07561 107888 or via e-mail : helen@withhelendavies.com. I am here to help.
