A Love Story in Full Colour

A decade-long romance, a joyful festival wedding in the South Downs and a Catherine Deane gown that changed everything Abbie thought she wanted from her bridal look.

Abbie and Sean’s story began at a Halloween party in 2014, brought together by mutual friends and officially becoming a couple a few months later in 2015.

Eight years into their relationship, life was already about to change in a very big way. Abbie was eight months pregnant and had assumed that marriage had firmly taken a back seat while they prepared to welcome their daughter. Sean, however, had other plans.

His proposal in 2023 came as a complete surprise.

Two years later, just a few months after celebrating a decade together, Abbie and Sean gathered their favourite people in the heart of the South Downs for a wedding that felt entirely their own - colourful, relaxed and filled with personality.

This time, their little girl Maeve was there to celebrate alongside them.

The Dress She Never Expected

Abbie arrived at the Catherine Deane London Boutique with a very different bridal look in mind.

“I came to Catherine Deane because I’d loved the separates and was really interested in something that wasn’t a traditional gown.”

She had, however, spotted the Kellyn Gown online. Despite not imagining herself in a traditional wedding dress, curiosity won.

The moment she tried it on, everything changed.

“I absolutely loved it. I knew that was the one.”

It was precisely that balance that had drawn Abbie to Catherine Deane in the first place - traditional bridal elements reimagined with something a little more unexpected.

The Kellyn’s delicate details also worked beautifully with the relaxed setting of the day. Rather than traditional fresh florals, Abbie carried dried flowers, their natural textures sitting effortlessly alongside the pearl detailing cascading down the back of her gown.

It was romantic without feeling overly traditional, and proof that sometimes the dress you never imagined yourself wearing is exactly the one you’re meant to find.

No Colour Scheme, Just Colour

There was no carefully restricted palette for Abbie and Sean’s wedding.

The brief was simply: lots of colour.

Set at The Party Field in Lewes, their outdoor celebration took inspiration from the freedom and energy of a summer festival. They wanted the day to feel bright, joyful and, above all, fun.

The South Downs provided the backdrop, while vivid pops of colour brought the celebration to life.

Abbie gave her sisters, who stood beside her as bridesmaids, an equally relaxed brief: choose a bright block colour in whatever silhouette made them feel their best.

The result was a hot pink jumpsuit alongside an orange dress from Phase Eight and Whistles - different, bold and somehow perfect together. Maeve and Abbie and Sean’s nieces and nephews continued the colourful theme throughout the bridal party.

Nothing needed to match perfectly. That was exactly the point.

A Festival in the South Downs

When it came to finding a venue, Abbie and Sean weren’t looking for somewhere that would dictate how their wedding should unfold. They wanted the freedom to create the celebration they had imagined.

The Party Field offered exactly that.

Surrounded by the rolling landscape of the South Downs, the outdoor venue gave them a beautiful blank canvas without losing any of its natural character.

Instead of formality, there was freedom. Instead of a rigid wedding-day formula, they created their own.

Food came from The Village Chippy, 39 Pizza on the Road and Crocus Paella, adding to the easy-going festival atmosphere. The setting, colour and people did the rest.

The Moment That Stole the Day

After ten years together, there were plenty of emotions attached to finally seeing one another at the aisle.

But someone else managed to steal the moment.

As their daughter Maeve made her way down the aisle and spotted Sean waiting at the altar, she called out:

“Daddy!”

For Abbie, it became the moment she’ll remember above all others - their daughter right there beside them as they celebrated a relationship that had already grown into a family.

And after finding herself walking down the aisle in the very kind of wedding dress she once thought she wouldn’t choose, Abbie has one piece of advice for future brides:

“Try the things you didn’t think you’d go for.”

She never expected to wear a traditional gown. Then she tried on the Kellyn.

Sometimes, it’s worth forgetting the picture you had in your head and seeing what happens when you choose purely by how something makes you feel.

Vendor Love

Photographer: While We Wander
Florist: Artisan Dried Flowers
Venue: The Party Field
Catering: The Village Chippy Sussex, 39 Pizza on the Road & Crocus Paella
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Phase Eight & Whistles
Groom’s Suit: Moss
Wedding Rings: F Hinds