The Daughter of de Gournay’s Founder Had an English Summer Wedding With Decor Inspired by the Iconic Wallpaper
Photo: Lucy Birkhead1/44I based much of the wedding ephemera on my favorite de Gournay Chinoiserie wallpaper—the same hand-painted design installed within my bedroom. “Temple Newsam” is filled with flowers and birds in soft greens, yellows, and whites, and a small section was painted by hand onto each and every invitation. This summery palette was the starting point for the rest of the wedding scheme.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead2/44We ate our wedding breakfast within the marquee erected for the day in my father’s garden. The view looked out over the rolling Kentish hills—bathed for the day in glorious sunshine.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead3/44My father’s house where the drinks reception took place, with his herbaceous borders in full bloom
Photo: Lucy Birkhead4/44My dress was designed by Mira Zwillinger, who I came across by chance at Browns Bridal in London. I loved the exquisite leaf appliqué embroidery on the gossamer tulle of my dress and veil.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead5/44My sister Hannah and my best friend Anna helping with the finishing touches—Hannah and I are both directors at de Gournay, the hand-panted wallpaper company founded by our father Claud. She was seven and a half months pregnant with twins on the day!
Photo: Lucy Birkhead6/44A moment of nervous anticipation just before the car arrived.... My hair took longer than I expected.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead7/44My wedding bouquet using English summer flowers, and I had fresh yellow roses from the garden in my hair.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead8/44My bridesmaids getting their little ones “flower girl” ready. The floral garlands were made by a local florist.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead9/44My nephew George and cousin Lara preparing to leave. They wore dresses and knickerbockers of ivory shot silk.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead10/44Flower girls and page boys caught unawares. I love this shot—it’s like a Singer Sargent painting!
Photo: Lucy Birkhead11/44English roses in full bloom in my father’s rose garden. He’s always been passionate about flowers and is a keen gardener.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead12/44One of our flower girls, Leonore, playing among the roses.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead13/44The final hurried moments outside the house. My groom’s cousin Will took me to the church in his car, which was driven down especially from Lincolnshire. My bridesmaids gave me a helping hand getting in.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead14/44Excited nerves! My bridesmaid Victoria is helping me gather the layers of tulle of my dress and veil so I can get up the steps to the church.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead15/44A flurry of excitement while we all assemble outside the church for the start of the ceremony. Running a little late as always!
Photo: Lucy Birkhead16/44A very special moment reading our vows to one another in St. Michael and All Angels, the small church in nearby Withyham steeped in history and charm. The church was my favorite part of the day.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead17/44Our first married moments
Photo: Lucy Birkhead18/44Kneeling at the altar for the Lord’s Prayer with the light streaming through the medieval stained glass windows
Photo: Lucy Birkhead19/44We have both always loved hymns. I think the priest was surprised that we both sang our hearts out!
Photo: Lucy Birkhead20/44We were both beaming with joy as we left the church through the flower arch to the bells pealing out.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead21/44Attempting to line all the little ones up for a photo. Not an easy task!
Photo: Lucy Birkhead22/44Jake giving me the seal of approval! My best friend Anna made excellent work of my veil all day.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead23/44I loved this moment, we were showered with confetti as we walked down to the car.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead24/44Worse-for-wear flower girls and page boys getting a helping hand down the church path
Photo: Lucy Birkhead25/44Jake’s niece in a contemplative mood with my sister’s horse in the background
Photo: Lucy Birkhead26/44Jake holding the bouquet for me: already performing husbandly duties with aplomb
Photo: Lucy Birkhead27/44The veil was so romantic and ethereal: I didn’t want to take it off. I kept it on right up until the first dance.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead28/44Even in the orchard!
Photo: Lucy Birkhead29/44Jake and I playfully posed in the nearby field. We were so lucky with the weather—the previous week had been cold and wet in London!
Photo: Lucy Birkhead30/44A quiet moment in the garden away from all the guests
Photo: Lucy Birkhead31/44We hung red Chinese lanterns in the summer house, a nod to de Gournay’s Chinese roots.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead32/44We had a traditional white canvas pole marquee erected next to the house, in which to host our wedding breakfast.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead33/44Hand-painted de Gournay organza was draped from the ceiling of the marquee, painted in an exquisite Chinoiserie motif. It created such a romantic feel with the light pouring in and the panels billowing in the breeze.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead34/44I’d gathered wild flowers from the surrounding countryside in my chosen color palette of yellows, whites, and greens for the tables.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead35/44Guests dined off de Gournay hand-carved porcelain, and the design on the menus again referenced the “Temple Newsam” chinoiserie: my favorite de Gournay wallpaper. Each antique linen napkin was hand-embroidered by de Gournay artists with a bumblebee motif in threaded gold.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead36/44The silver birch trees were cut down from the woods by Jake the day before the wedding and tied to the central poles of the tent. They looked like they were growing from the middle of the marquee and framed the organza beautifully.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead37/44Each place card was tied with yellow ribbon onto a pot of honey from my father’s bee hives, with a watercolor of the house on the label painted by a friend.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead38/44We sipped wild mint tea, gathered especially from the garden, from an assortment of de Gournay hand-painted tea cups.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead39/44The white chocolate and raspberry four-tiered cake was made by a friend, and the iced sugar flowers were a mixture of peonies and blossoms from my chosen de Gournay design. It was delicious.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead40/44I used a marble Art Deco table from the house for the cake rather than a white cloth.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead41/44The band kept calling us for the first dance, but we couldn’t work out how to bustle the dress. The loops were invisible! Luckily, I had a team at hand.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead42/44Our five-piece band played Fleetwood Mac’s “Say That You Love Me” for our first dance.
Photo: Lucy Birkhead43/44We hadn’t rehearsed at all, but Jake spun me around so much, I didn’t have to think of many moves!
Photo: Lucy Birkhead44/44A celebratory kiss to complete our first dance—and all we have ahead.
