A white wedding

Chris and Helen were blessed with the perfect winter's day for their December wedding. Images by Carruthers and Hobbs

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Early days…

"I knew from our first few dates that Helen was very special," says Chris, who met her through a mutual friend. "She's smart, independent, gorgeous and makes me laugh all the time." After two years together, Chris decided to make it official by proposing on the day they moved into their new home.

The venues…

The couple had planned to have a summer wedding in 2011, but while they were visiting venues last September, they fell for the cosy feel of The Fennes. "We went to the venue one rainy evening, and when we got inside it was so warm and the staff were lovely," says Helen. "We fell in love with the idea of a winter wedding, with log fires, Christmas trees in each room, mulled wine and mince pies. We even joked about getting snow on the day!"

The dress…

Helen wore a silk and chiffon gown, which she bought from The Wedding Shop in Colchester. "It was an Audrey Hepburn-style dress which was simple and stunning," she says. "Amazingly I found it in the first shop I went into. I did try a few other shops, but this style was always at the back of my mind and I knew I'd found 'the one'."
Helen's bridesmaids, both her sister and Chris' sister, wore teal-coloured silk dresses, which prompted a teal and silver colour scheme for the day.
Chris, his best man Mark and usher Stuart wore grey morning suits with pewter-coloured cravats. The two dads wore similar suits, but with teal cravats to set them apart.

The flowers…

Helen's bouquet featured classic ivory roses, silver beargrass, plenty of foliage and sparkling diamantés to finish it off. The centrepiece arrangements were vases with green glass beads at the bottom, floating candles and a rose submerged in the water. "We saw the florist at The Fennes' open day, and we were so impressed we booked the company straight away," says Helen.

The best bits…

Helen and Chris agree that the ceremony was the most special part of the day. "The exchanging of the rings and the signing was amazing; we had two lovely registrars and everything was set out in front of a huge window that overlooked the snowy grounds," says Helen. Chris adds: "Seeing Helen appear for the first time on the day was really special. She looked totally stunning with a fantastic smile on her face. One of the children called her a princess and that's how she looked. It really was the best feeling I've ever had."
The reception ran smoothly, and the couple enjoyed seeing all of the planning finally come together. "We had three months to do it all, which we both liked because it meant getting things done rather than spending time worrying about the details," says Helen. "It was no-nonsense planning!"

The honeymoon…

Because the wedding was over the Christmas period, Helen and Chris decided to spend the following weeks enjoying their first Christmas in their new pad. They have planned a summer honeymoon in Lake Garda, Italy.

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