We have been so busy at Paula Rooney Floral Design HQ that we haven’t been able to share the winter wonderland wedding of our very own Creative Director.
Paula’s wedding was full of seasonal enchantment and a true celebration of all that is magical. From Paula and Mike’s village church vows to their festive celebrations at The Four Seasons Hampshire it was a day filled with family, happiness, love and – of course – spectacular floral displays!
Paula immersed herself in full bridal prep at the spectacular Four Seasons Hampshire Bridal Suite the morning of her winter wonderland wedding. Makeup artist, Nikki Makeup, came to the hotel to pamper Paula for her big day where she and daughters, Gabriella and Francesca, spent mummy and daughter time before the celebrations commenced. Paula has a penchant for iconic shoes so Manolo Blahnik was the only shoe designer for the bride-to-be. In true girl style, Gabriella took the liberty to walk in her mum’s shoes ahead of being dressed in her charming Nicki Macfarlane flower girl dress.
Having made thousands of floral bouquets throughout her career, Paula naturally wished to make her own stand out! The extravagant trailing bouquet muff was one of the most sought after statements that Paula worked tirelessly with her team of florists to perfect. Created with succulent spray roses, Spanish moss and foliage her bouquet lent itself beautifully to her winter wonderland wedding. The final reveal was a surprise for Paula and delivered to the bridal suite by her team on the morning of her wedding.
Planned for Perfection
Ever the visionary, Paula knew exactly what she wanted her wedding to look like from the get go. Through Planned for Perfection’s Finishing Touches Service Paula was able to style and plan every element of her wedding day before handing over responsibility to the incomparable Jane Riddell of Planned for Perfection. Jane and her team seamlessly blended all of Paula’s ideas into the most stunning final result that created Paula and Mike’s wonderful winter day!
Going to The Chapel
Paula’s wedding gown was chosen from Miss Bush’s interactive studio, The Chapel, set in the Surrey countryside village of Ripley. Paula would recommend a visit to Miss Bush’s Victorian Chapel boutique to any fashion conscious brides! Emma Meek-Marshall is the amazing driving force behind Miss Bush’s Chapel; when Paula was selecting her bridal gown and sharing her design ideas, Emma magnificently created a bespoke sewn vail to match Paula’s corset. The range of gowns met with Miss Bush’s one-of-a-kind personality makes for a unique experience on the lead up to your most special day! British designer Sassi Holford created Paula’s corset to match her bespoke day skirt then for the evening Paula transformed her look with an off-the-shoulder silk top by Helen Pollington.
I wanted to create a journey of the senses throughout my wedding day. I designed a different vision for each part of the day according to location and timings. I also wished to create some touches that would make our family and friends surprised; instead of opting for a white palette for our Four Seasons Hampshire reception, I opted for black. As it was a winter wedding, I had space to play around with various colour schemes and leave lasting impressions with our guests.
Paula Rooney
The Four Seasons Hampshire
Paula and Mike said their vows in their local 900 year old Hampshire village church. The church was magnificently dressed with Four Seasons roses, hydrangea, lilac, delphiniums and orchids with an abundance of scented leafy winter style foliage.
Thereafter, the newlywed couple and guests took the short journey to The Four Seasons Hampshire where the celebrations continued. Paula selected The Four Seasons Hampshire as their wedding venue as she had recently worked with them on a stunning wedding and found the setting, surroundings and team marvellous. Four Seasons Hampshire represent many of Paula’s own business philosophies: attention to detail and going the extra mile are at the centre of both brands. The wonderful Emma Westacott and her team at Four Seasons Hampshire coordinated all of Paula’s wishes perfectly.
On arrival at the hotel guests were met by an aisle of flickering Jo Malone scented candles and a stunning dressed staircase with Meijer pink roses and a hydrangea garland. Guests were guided through a Meijer rose and Eucalyptus lined curtain arch with velvet drapes and floral tiebacks to the breathtaking floral wall backdrop. Paula especially wished for Meijer roses as they are one of her absolute favourites! Paula flawlessly created the “camera view” look which encouraged a statement entrance and was the most opportune setting for photographs. Before the magical ballroom reveal, guests mingled and enjoyed a flowing champagne reception before celebrating all night long.
Bloomin’ Marvellous
Paula wished to make her wedding full of surprises and statements; leaving her guests commenting “that’s so Paula” throughout the day. A total of 6,000 roses including 500 Four Seasons roses – shipped directly from Holland – and a floral wall of 3, 000 were some of the flower highlights to Paula’s astonishing day.
Paula was extremely excited to design her evening reception in The Four Seasons Hampshire ball room; her arrangements were displayed in tall gold stands so that the flowers appeared to be floating. At the base, David Austin roses and candles added scent and striking light. The tables were dressed with gold-rimmed glassware and charger plates, along with mother-of-pearl cutlery. Along with Paula’s pretty and delicate colour schemes, she risked some elements of design to bring black linen over white to change the mood. This also applied to the menu cards which were black and white stripes. A daring conflicting point of decor worked excellently for that time of year!
Snap
Carey Sheffield was Paula and Mike’s wedding photographer. Paula has a close working relationship with Carey and was the only photographer Paula wished to capture the candid and raw moments of their wedding day. Paula had worked on several weddings with Carey on the lead up and felt a strong connection with her. Carey first photographed Paula’s daughters when they were born so she has gone on a personal journey with the family. Carey delivered the most special array of photographs for Paula and Mike to treasure forever!
A Work of Art
Paula opted for the motto “bigger is better” when it came to her wedding cake. Couture baker Cakes by Krishanti designed an incredible seven-tier Victoria sponge and carrot cake that was a work of art in itself with golf sprayed palm leaves, iced flowers and dozens of roses at the base. Paula adores working with Krishanti as she listens attentively to all of her client’s desires and produces the most jaw dropping cakes.
