I’m head over heels for the beautiful, rich colour palette of today’s autumn wedding. As well as being a celebration of the season, the lovely details also reflect the Persian heritage of our groom to wonderful effect.
Project manager Louise, and her love Arsan, who is a commercial director, were married on the 12 October 2019 at Chaucer Barn in Norfolk. They made their vows in the venue’s gardens, overlooking a magnificent and completely magical topiary forest. This was followed by an elegant marquee wedding breakfast, and an evening reception inside the converted barn itself.
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“We wanted to have a mix of British and Persian cultures throughout the day, which in itself naturally created a really nice style. There’s a richness that comes from Persian rugs, which we then incorporated into the colour of the bridesmaids’ dresses, flowers, buttonholes, etc.”
“Being October, the warmth of the colours we chose tied in nicely with the autumnal setting of Chaucer Barn, so we really didn’t have to do too much styling.”
I’m delighted to write that Louise’s graceful veil, made from the softest tulle, was crafted by our Little Book member Sian of Blossom & Bluebird. I’m always especially happy to share Sian’s exquisite work, because she made my wedding veil, too!
“I did my own hair, but I’m fortunate that one of my bridesmaids is an incredible MUA – Cara Jones. We’ve been friends since school, so Cara knows my style down to a T. It was so lovely to have that moment in the morning with one of my best friends.”
Louise’s dress, from the Atelier Collection by Pronovias, was stylish, minimalist perfection, and she had a truly wonderful experience at their flagship Bond Street boutique in London.
“I loved the service at Pronovias. The team were welcoming, and did everything they could to make sure my dress was perfect for me. A special thank you to Theresa and Alex, who made the journey so easy and enjoyable. I would highly recommend them.”
“I wanted something relatively minimalist, and loved the open back and t-shirt style sleeves. It felt both classic and modern at the same time. As soon as I tried the dress on, I felt comfortable, which was really important to me.”
“The bridesmaids’ flowers were very simple as their dresses were vibrant. Anna from Fox & Fern did an amazing job, we couldn’t have been happier.”
On her feet, Louise wore white sandals by Kurt Geiger, and accessorised with a pair of baroque pearl earrings from Edge of Ember, as well as two bracelets – one from her mum, and one gifted by Arsan’s mum, which she picked up on her last trip to Iran. Wedding day perfume was Byredo’s Bal d’Afrique, which Louise chose because it felt romantic.
“Arsan had two Best Men – his brother Arash, and best friend Adem. We also had seven groomsmen, all of whom Arsan has grown up with. They did an incredible job, especially Steve our MC, who learnt Farsi to introduce the speeches. It was amazing!”
The gents all looked wonderful in tweed suits from Moss Bros. Arsan wore a three-piece with a burgundy tie from Hugo Boss, Tricker’s shoes, and a Tudor watch (a wedding gift) and his groomsmen wore two piece suits with orange ties.
The groommens’ ties, and the bridesmaids’ gorgeous orange slip dresses from Lulus and Kley (via Debenhams) provided the floral colour palette inspiration. Florist Anna from Fox & Fern did a spectacular job with an autumnal hued, multi-textured bouquet for Louise, and green and white posies for the bridesmaids. They were also gifted earrings from Louise by Lou.Yetu to wear on the day.
Loved ones assembled in the gardens overlooking Chaucer Barn’s wonderful, whimsical topiary forest, and on the ground, there were antique Persian rugs hired from Anthology Vintage Hire.
Louise was accompanied down the aisle by her father Roy, choosing Higher Love by James Vincent McMorrow as her entrance music.
“We met at university when we were 18, but romance didn’t blossom until a few years later. After leaving university we lost touch, until one night, when some friends of mine decided to reach out to Arsan, suggesting that we should catch up.”
“That was five years ago! Arsan proposed in a log cabin in Iceland, in November 2018. We were married 11 months later.”
During the ceremony, Arsan’s sister Arty read words by Ranata Suzuki, and the couple exchanged rings alongside their vows.
“We had our wedding bands made by G. M Johnson Ltd, a third generation jewellers in Hatton Garden. Arsan had met Greg and his son when they made my engagement ring. They did such a great job, so it was an easy decision to go back to them for our wedding bands.”
Louise and Arsan signed the register inside Chaucer Barn before heading back outside for a confetti throw, and time spent with their wedding party, and one another. These sweet moments and more were elegantly captured by talented photographer, Aurora Grey.
“If there is one person we can’t recommend enough, it’s our photographer! Not only does she take the most incredible pictures, she’s an absolute pleasure to be around. Her professionalism, communication and enthusiasm are everything you look for when planning a wedding. I loved having her as part of our day.”
“Our videographer was Joe Jenson, who is actually a video producer for Net-A-Porter. Joe is friend of one of our groomsmen, Ben, and was kind enough to capture our big day for us.”
Louise and Arsan held their wedding meal inside a light and bright marquee, and guests were helped to their seats with a table plan designed by friend and bridesmaid Lauren, who also made the menus and place cards, too.
“Living in London, we wanted a venue in the countryside that we could utilise for the whole weekend. Chaucer Barn had so much flexibility. We were able to style the venue exactly as we wanted, have whichever food and drink we wished, and most importantly, bring our dog!”
Long wooden dining tables were decorated with garlands of greenery by Fox & Fern, and antique gold candelabra from Anthology Vintage Hire.
“Our favours were decorative tea glasses, accompanied by ‘saffron nabat’ (rock sugar) from Iran. We served Iranian tea with our dessert, which Arsan’s mum prepared for us.”
“We didn’t require any transportation on the day, however my uncle, who is a mechanic, surprised us with a 1972 MG MGB he had restored as a gift. We couldn’t believe it! It’s such an incredible gift that we will cherish forever.”
“The grounds were beautiful, and the venue felt really intimate, which we loved. Jenna and Emily from Chaucer Barn were also amazing, and made the whole process really easy and enjoyable.”
Dinner was enjoyed by candlelight, courtesy of caterers Purple Plum, who cooked and served a delicious Middle Eastern inspired menu, starting with hummus, aubergine dip, yoghurt with cucumber and mint, and olives with pomegranate seeds, served with bread.
Starters were followed by spiced lamb, saffron and lemon chicken, rice, aubergine wedges and roast vegetables, and salad. Desserts were a British affair – chocolate brownies, lemon tart and lavender biscuits, served with Iranian tea.
“We didn’t have a cake as neither of us have much of a sweet tooth. Instead we did an exchange of honey, which is a Persian wedding tradition. It symbolises the sweetness of life.”
After dark, the party moved inside the barn, where Louise and Arsan exchanged honey, and took to the dancefloor for their first dance, to Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding.
“It’s difficult to pick a favourite part of the day, but I feel like a great moment is your first dance. It’s feels like a really personal moment that you get to share with all of your favourite people.”
“It’s also at a great point in the day. You’ve had the highlights of your ceremony, wedding breakfast, and all the incredible speeches, but you know you still have a great night of partying ahead of you.”
“Our DJ was the incredible CJ Beatz. CJ is a producer and DJs at some of the best nights in London (and around the world) so we were so happy that he was able to squeeze our wedding in!”
“The evening was one of the most important parts for us, so we wanted to throw a great party, and that’s exactly what CJ did!”
Words of Wedded Wisdom
“Firstly, do what makes you happy! Everyone’s weddings are different and personal to each couple, and that’s what makes them so great. There’s no right or wrong, just create the perfect day for you.”
“We opted for a ‘do it yourself’ venue, which meant that we organised and hired absolutely everything. This is not for the faint-hearted! Doing a wedding this way means that you really get to style the day the way you want to, but it comes with a lot of additional prep, which I definitely underestimated.”
“Finally, it’s not traditional, but if you are a bride contemplating doing a speech, you should! I absolutely loved writing mine, and was so pleased I got to say some beautiful words about my friends and family. It went down a storm too.”
Thank you Louise and Arsan, and many congratulations. What a wonderful day – all of those gorgeous and personal details, not to mention the beautiful autumnal colour palette. Many thanks to photographer Aurora Grey for her amazing work, too.
Until next time.
With love,
Laura
Laura Callan
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Laura is a freelance writer and content creator who loves telling stories. She has keen eye for photography and art, and lives with her husband, cats, and huge amounts of books.