An Intimate, Spring Vineyard Wedding in Essex with a Justin Alexander Dress

Kate and Scott made it a family affair as their little ones joined them for a sunny and romantic day among the vines at West Street Vineyard

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Helen Pye

26 February, 2020

There’s something incredibly romantic about a vineyard wedding, especially in the late spring and summer. Kate and Scott thought the same when they chose to tie the knot at West Street Vineyard in Coggeshall, Essex in May 2019.

Scott proposed seven years ago on a snowy trip to the Rialto Bridge in Venice, but it took six years and two beautiful children later for them to finally get round to getting hitched. With only 35 guests for their ceremony, it was an intimate and romantic day that featured a violinist, Pimm’s among the sunny vines, and a delicious afternoon tea-style reception.

You’ll find plenty of elegant décor inspiration here, from their peony-adorned semi-naked cake (hello, limoncello and white chocolate tier!) to their Sicilian-inspired favours and blush, gold and greenery colour scheme.

Photographer: Gemma Giorgio Photography

Kate and Scott - West Street Vineyard Real Wedding

The Wedding Dress

Kate looked radiant in her Justin Alexander dress from the Sweetheart collection, which featured a halterneck, low lace back and a sweeping train.

“I bought my dress from the Barn Bridal Boutique in Witham. It is the most magical place to choose your dress!

“I only tried on three dresses and chose quickly. I just knew my dress was ‘The One’ as soon as I put it on. It suited my figure perfectly and needed very few alterations. I loved the lace and crystal details.

“I wore it with a tiara with crystal vine detailing and a long lace veil, both from Barn Bridal. I also wore pearl and Swarovski earrings from Beaverbrooks, and a pearl and Swarovski bracelet from Ivory & Co. I wore Champagne shoes from Blue by Betsey Johnson, which I called my ‘Princess shoes’, and I chose a special Jo Malone perfume.

“A lovely moment while I was getting ready was giving our children thank you presents. It was also great having our neighbours come to wish me luck as I was leaving.”

The Wedding Party

Kate and Scott’s wedding party included both of their children. Their daughter matched her Mum in a cute, white dress, while the page boy looked as dapper as his Dad in a suit from Monsoon.

“Keely Griffin from KRG Hair and Makeup did my hair. I chose an updo with curls which is very different to my normal look but it suited the dress. Emma Salisbury did my makeup.

“My maid of honour was my closest friend. I also had two bridesmaids – my nieces – and one flower girl, my daughter, Ivy.

“Their dresses were ‘Waterlily’ from Little Mistress. My maid of honour had a different style in the same colour. My flower girl wore an ivory sparkle Estella dress from Monsoon. We chose them together.

“Scott wore a Beaumont wedding suit in navy with a silver tie and waistcoat and personalised cufflinks. Our page boy, Theo, wore a Monsoon shirt, shorts, braces and a hat. He also wore a bow tie from Etsy.”

The Ceremony

The couple hired the Volkswagen ‘Billy Lovebug’ from V-DUB Rides for Kate to get to the ceremony. Of course, when you’re hiring a fancy car, it’s important to take the scenic route! The couple’s civil ceremony and reception both took place at the beautiful West Street Vineyard near Colchester, Essex. They exchanged vows underneath the wedding gazebo with the vines as a backdrop.

“Our ceremony was glamorous, relaxed and heart-warming. We had the reading ‘If You Love Something’ by author R.Queen.

“One of the best men thought it would be hilarious to pretend to ‘lose’ the groom’s ring as we were exchanging them. I was less impressed.

“Our wedding rings were from Ernest Jones and Chapelle Jewellers. I walked down the aisle to ‘O Sole Mio played on violin with my Dad.”

The Venue

Kate and Scott chose their venue because it had a relaxed, Mediterranean feel, making it the perfect place to get married and then relax in the sun while sipping Pimm’s and looking out over the Blackwater Valley. Just an intimate 35 guests joined them during the day, and a total of 80 guests celebrated in the evening with them. Naturally, they enjoyed some of the vineyard’s award-winning wine too!

“We loved how organised and passionate the owner of West Street Vineyard, Jane, was. We didn’t have a wedding planner, just Jane, who was brilliant. The grounds were the best thing about the venue. We chose a complementary colour scheme of blush and greenery, with an olive branch theme and hints of gold.

“We had an afternoon tea with our guests, with West Street jelly and chocolate pots, which were delicious! In the evening, we chose a hog roast.

“There were so many memorable moments during the day, like the groomsmen not being able to do their buttonholes – there is photo evidence of this! – and the bride getting the giggles at the worst moment. Everyone commented on the delicious Pimm’s served as a reception drink amongst the vines, and the page boy (who’s two) loved running in and out of the vines all day – making everyone chase him and wearing the guests out!

“Having both fathers give a speech was really special, especially the bride’s dad who is 80 years old. He practised the speech so much beforehand and then forgot to put his glasses on for the actual speech – which didn’t make any difference because he knew it off by heart. It was just simply magical, celebrating with all the people we love and care about, especially our beautiful children.”

The Décor

The whole theme of the décor was “simple yet elegant; timeless and romantic.” Kate carried a bouquet of David Austin roses, blush peonies and greenery, which she chose for its “fresh and romantic” feel.

Little touches of Italy also influenced their décor. The couple’s stationery featured olive branches with gold and blush tones, as did their gold-framed table numbers, centrepieces, order of service board, and even the goody bags they made for little guests. We particularly love the giant gold frame photo booth out among the vines!

“Our cake was made by Lottie & Jake’s Cakes in Maldon and we served it on the night. It was a three-tier semi-naked cake with fresh peonies to decorate – simple but elegant. The flavours were bespoke and delicious: limoncello and white chocolate; cappuccino; and chocolate, amaretto and raspberry.

“We gave Limoncello bottles as favours for the adults and personalised goody bags for the children. Our tables were named after each important moment in our lives, like Venezia for where we got engaged. The table names and seating plan were all written in Italian and matched the theme of the invites and menus.

“In the centre of the tables we had floral arrangements done by the venue, and a photo frame of a favourite memory from our journey together as a couple.”

The Entertainment

Lots of family and friends joined Kate and Scott for the evening celebrations, where they moved inside to the restaurant that overlooks the vines.

“We had a violinist for the ceremony and a band for the evening. Caroline Pattrick was our violinist and she was absolutely fantastic and such a genuinely kind person. I’d always wanted a violinist for my ceremony since I was very young, and it was very romantic and emotional.

“We chose the Electric Ocean band and we decided to splash out on a really good band to make the party come alive in the evening. Our first dance was to You Send Me by Sam Cooke.”

The Couple’s Advice

Despite not sticking to their wedding budget, the happy couple wouldn’t change a thing. “We loved it all…every single minute!!” says Kate. “Seeing everyone happy was our favourite moment – it’s possibly one of the only times in life you get to see everybody you care about actually happy all at once.”

With two young children, they haven’t yet had time for a honeymoon, but were so glad they made their children a big part of the day. In fact, instead of a gift list, Kate and Scott asked for money which they have put towards their children.

With six years to plan, the couple had plenty of time to get to grips with throwing a wedding. Here’s what they learnt:

Have a ‘rough’ budget in mind
Shop around for vendors and do lots of cake tasting!
Make sure you spend the money on the photographer and videographer as these are your forever memories
Visit the Barn Bridal Boutique – it’s the most amazing place for dress shopping!
Be very clear about what you are wanting from your day; use Pinterest to tag ideas on a board
Be very clear about who you want to invite and don’t be too worried about upsetting people
Make sure you hire someone or leave children with someone you trust so you can enjoy your day, your way!