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lISA ferneyhough

For Abu Dhabi-based graphic designer Lisa it was always going to be about the creative touches for

her three-day English countryside weddingPhotography by ChLoé BrownE

Rory Breen and Lisa Ferneyhough’s wedding

colour scheme extended to the goomsmen’s attire and

represented English countryside summer shades of yellow sunshine,

blue skies and green grass

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uch like her fiancé Rory’s proposal on a remote and idyllic island off the coast of the Philippines in May 2010, Lisa

Ferneyhough’s wedding last August was picture perfect. Having grown up in the arid climes of the UAE, the British couple fostered an even greater appreciation for the green pastures of the UK countryside that ultimately set a luscious backdrop for their summer nuptials.

As a design director, 30-year-old Lisa was always going to be a stickler for details, so the, “healthy 15 months that we gave ourselves to plan,” she says, was much needed in order to execute her dream, weekend-long affair.

After months of searching online from her design desk in Abu Dhabi, Lisa accidently stumbled upon the website of The Olde Bell, one of England’s oldest coaching inns. “I fell in love for the second time,” she recalls, “it’s a gorgeous yet quaint picturesque country setting with the River Thames a stone’s throw away.”

With 140 guests flying in from around the world, Lisa and Rory were determined to make the weekend fun and relaxing for everyone. “The Olde Bell was close enough to the conveniences of London but far enough into the country to allow people a quintessential English wedding feel,” says the bride, who selected a Town and Country theme for the three-day bash. “We chose it mostly because of the style of the venue but we also wanted

to give guests a fun and flexible theme to play with,” she explains. “Luckily everyone embraced it and we had such a variety of looks, from summer frocks teamed with Wellington boots to tailored suits with hats.”

The most important dress of the day, Lisa’s gown, was also in keeping with the theme. Danish designer Britta Kjerkegaard conjured up a whimsical creation that was, says Lisa, “the perfect combination of vintage meets contemporary, ballerina meets princess and town meets country.”

Listening to Lisa relate the story of her and Rory’s wedding, what’s clear is that it was very much about their guests. “In order to give people an opportunity to mingle, catch up and get to know each other,” says Lisa, festivities kicked off on the Friday with a riverside picnic followed by friendly games of croquet and boules. That evening there was a BBQ supper and then the lavish reception on Saturday. The send-off brunch on Sunday was to “allow people to exchange stories from the day before and say their goodbyes”.

Aside from standing as husband and wife in the middle of a huge human circle of their guests singing and dancing to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Lisa says listening to her best friend and maid of honour, Emirati opera singer Sara Al-Qaiwani, perform for her and Rory was one of the most unforgettable moments of the weekend – “the perfect, touching and romantic end to the ceremony.”

A photobooth by Say Fromage allowed friends

to create a pictorial guestbook for the couple

TOWN & COUNTRY The groomsmen represented the rural

element of the theme, while the bride’s contingent were the urban half

The bride’s dress was by Britta Kjerkegaard from her Kensington

boutique, The Couture Gallery. The groom, Rory, wore a three-piece suit

made in Dubai using tweed by the UK’s Huddersfield Fine Worsteds

The bride’s Margi Diam shoes by Christian Louboutin came from Net-a-Porter

White table cloths were sourced from a hotel supplier in Al Quoz in Dubai and custom dyed in a warehouse in Ras Al Khaimah

The bridesmaids’ dresses were made

in Dubai using bright saffron yellow silk sourced in Satwa

The drinks table was decorated with romantic novels and books on Italy,

the couple’s honeymoon destination

The table plan was designed like a country

fête banner and printed on

a ship’s sail

The bride carried a yellow bouquet of vendella roses, lemon roses, craspedia and lemon alstroemeria

Wedding invitations by Hello!Lucky were printed on vintage handkerchiefs

The couple created a signature drink for the reception

The cake was made of tiers of four different wheels of cheese, created by an organic deli in the neighbouring village of Eton

Tables were given humorous traditional British pub names

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BRIDE’S BLACK BOOK

WEDDING PLANNER: “Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events,

www.foreverandeverevents.com, was my Christmas present from Rory. She was utterly

amazing and an unforgettable force throughout the whole process.”

PHOTOGRAPHER: Chloé Browne of Caught the Light Photography,

www.caughtthelight.comINVITATIONS & MEMORABILIA: Hello!Lucky,

www.hellolucky.comVENUE: The Olde Bell, Berkshire, UK,

www.theoldebell.co.ukFLORIST: “The flowers by Chantal Flores

Design, www.chantalfloresdesign.co.uk, were mainly green and white with a hint of yellow;

romantic, simple and country-garden inspired”WEDDING DRESS: Britta Kjerkegaard of The Couture Gallery, www.thecouturegallery.com

CAKE: “We aren’t cake fans but we love cheese so our ‘cake’ by Tastes Delicatessen, www.tastesdeli.co.uk, was made of tiers of four different wheels of cheese – Dorstone,

Cornish Yarn, Stilton and Cheddar.”PROP HIRE: Theme Traders,

www.themetraders.comMAKE-UP & HAIR: Kaz Fernando, www.kazfernandomakeup.co.uk

The groom’s shoes were by Barker with socks from Uniqlo

Hankies were available to teary wedding guests

The mother-of-the-bride’s

Chanel-inspired outfit was made by a

tailor in Dubai, from fabric

bought in London. Her

hat was by Philip Treacy

Lisa wore Paul & Joe for the send-

off brunch the following day

The picturesque village of Hurley in Berkshire provided the perfect

rural backdrop

The order of service was in the style of cattle auction paddles, coupling as fans and keepsake favours

Zahra Hewson-Ventura (pictured) of Dubai’s Harvest Home and Emirati opera singer Sara Al-Qaiwani were bridesmaids

The three-day event was concluded with

a send-off brunch in the grounds of

The Olde Bell

Arrangements of yellow and white columbia hydrangea,

bloom chrysanthemum, alchemilla alstroemeria and

craspedia decorated the tables

Traditional striped straws added to the

country fête feel

Typography was overseen by the bride,

a graphic designer

Lisa had an emergency pair of back-up white Repetto ballet slippers on the big day

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