Lime Wood Wedding // Susy & Sarah
Lime Wood is a luxury hotel, spa and restaurant nestled in the New Forest, and can be hired exclusively for weddings. It was the venue of choice for Jamie Cullum when he married the lovely Sophie Dahl, and the rock and roll setting for Noel Gallagher’s marriage to Sara MacDonald. A former hunting lodge, it has recently had a revamp and the dining room has changed since I was last there (for Caroline and Troy’s summer Lime Wood wedding.) Angela Harnett, Gordon Ramsey’s former protege and a very successful chef in her own right, is now at the helm of the Harnett, Holder and Co restaurant, so it was fair to say that the wedding breakfast would be something of a delight. Susy and Sarah hired Lime Wood for their closest family and friends for their wedding celebrations late last year. The girls’ brief to their florist was to ‘bring the outdoors in’. There was a magical woodland feel to the venue, with piles of crisp orange leaves, twinkly candles, moss covered logs and delicate silk birds adorning twigs. To say it looked incredible is somewhat of an understatement.
Sarah and Susy got ready together, along with their mums. They eschewed traditional wedding dresses, and instead had gone to Harvey Nichols to buy themselves a wedding outfit, pairing them with vertiginous Charlotte Olympia velvet heels and jewellery which had been in the family for years. Both of them looked beautiful. By the time the ceremony came around, it was pitch black outside, so the girls were led through the courtyard by Holly, Lime Wood’s venue manager. Walked down the aisle by their fathers, the ceremony was conducted by candlelight and was intimate and special. After signing the register, the girls exited to rapturous applause and were quick to join their guests for champagne. Dinner was served (and yes, it was out of this world), and followed by speeches. Funny, sweet and tear inducing, both dads clearly adore their daughters and were welling up with pride and love whilst delivering their speeches. Onto the dancing, there was a DJ and a band to get the party going. A few Martini’s later and the dancefloor was full. Photographing Sarah and Susy’s same sex Lime Wood wedding was a delight from start to finish, and some favourites are below
More same sex weddings here
And a couple of Hampshire and stately home weddings here
Exellent reportage!