Today, we're bringing you a wedding that is stunning for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because of its collaboration of the hearts, souls, and tastes of the lovely Rachael and Phil. This wedding is proof that mixing your favourite things on the big day (even if they seem mismatched) is always a good idea! The couple chose a beautiful, old-world location with Hillmount House in Antrim, and included themes of '70s disco, art deco and vintage style to create a wedding that was in fact, timelessly beautiful. Captured by the oh-so-talented Lynn Stanfield, these gorgeous images from their Hillmount House wedding feature stunning florals, quirky vinyl records and vibrant vintage backdrops we think you'll just adore! See for yourself!
So, first thing's first, we love a good love story so we had to ask the couple how they met! Rachael tells us that the gorgeous duo have known each other since they were teens. "Phil first asked me out when we were 15 through a mutual friend, however, I had recently started seeing someone else so had to say no," she explains. "As Julia Roberts one said, 'Big mistake, HUGE!' Fast forward another 10 years and another mutual friend, Jade, who did a reading at our ceremony, knew we had a thing for each other in the past and sneakily set us up. She told Phil to meet her in town for a catch up and me the same thing so we ended up on a blind date that neither of us were prepared for! We had a fun night catching up and Phil asked me on another date, the rest is history and we now call Jade Cilla Black!"
The beautiful headpiece Rachael wore on the day was by Davina Lynch.
The wedding dress was an Art Deco style, Rachael's absolute favourite in the realms of fashion, and it's the Savannah Miller Zoe gown which Rachael sourced from from Petticoat Lane.
The bride's shoes came from Loeffler Randal and the jaw-droppingly gorgeous ring came from Gardiner Brothers, and was actually designed by Phil just for her! How amazing is that?! Rachael says that the proposal was a memorable occasion that involved a four-course meal! "He cooked the most amazing dinner with each course representing all the places we had visited so far, it was so delicious and thoughtful," she tells us. "He said he would tidy up and to go and relax in the living room, and, 30 minutes later, he called me back to the kitchen for cheese, so of course I ran. When I got to the kitchen, he had candles and roses everywhere with Elvis playing. I was so surprised! The ring was a stunning emerald and diamond and I later found out he had designed it himself. Thankfully there was also cheese and not just a plot to get me to the kitchen, so, all in all, my perfect proposal."
Now that's the reaction you want when your Dad sees you in your wedding dress for the first time!
When it came down to what's most important, Rachael says that having their day their way was huge for them. First and foremost, they wanted to "make sure everyone had fun, serve amazing food, have great music and to do things our way."
She added that the surprise element was important to them too, saying, "We didn’t want to give into pressure to have things a certain way because it was traditional, and deliberately didn’t tell anyone our plans. Everything was a surprise to everyone, even my mum didn’t know we were getting married in the meadow or the flowers we chose."
The epic floral creations were by Kim Davies and the talented team at Victoriana Floral. We love the mix of unique blooms, textures and tones.
z\
When it came to choosing the perfect venue, Rachael tells us that Hillmount house was a dream come true for the couple! "With Hillmount, you get one-to-one service for the entire weekend, and the guys couldn’t have done enough for us. The views were stunning and, because we got married in the meadow, we had our drinks on the lawn, pre-dinner drinks and music in the courtyard and meal in the barn. It felt like we were getting four venues in one."
Rachael gives a huge shout out to her talented brother, Matt, who is a graphic designer and created the couple's bespoke stationary. "Our invites were working vinyl records and the cover was us as Blondie’s Parallel Lines album artwork. We used vinyl’s with the menu on the front as place settings, I definitely made him work for his dinner that day!" she joked.
Rachael and Phil had originally wanted to have their wedding in Italy but, due to Covid restrictions at the time, they opted for a more intimate celebration at home in Antrim. However, there was a bit of an Italian surprise in store after Rachael's Dad's speech, when everyone took out Italian flags from under their chairs and began to sing 'That's Amore' by Dean Martin!
Rachael was surprised and delighted to have a little bit of Italy at her wedding - well done to Rachael's Dad, who had been planning his surprise for months!
The couple had originally planned to head to Japan for their honeymoon to "eat their weight in sushi" but, due to travel restrictions, will be heading instead to Croatia and then Barbados!
When it comes to advice for couples getting married, Rachael had a few things to say; "Don’t do it during a pandemic but if you do, go to Hillmount, Andrew and Simon will make everything much easier." She adds that its important to honour what you like as a couple. "Do things your own way and don’t worry about what other people will think. On a practical note, set up a joint email address and write everything down on big posters as this really helps to visualise, and is always fun to tick off."
We want to say a huge thank you to Lynn Stanfield for sharing these gorgeous images and, of course, to the lovely couple for letting us in on their Hillmount House wedding! There are more amazing pictures to pore over in our gallery below!