OUR KENTISH CEREMONY
MARRIED AT PENSHURST PLACE
PENSHURST RHIAN JONES AND PETER BAULD TRAVELLED ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRALIA TO HOST THEIR PERFECT KENTISH WEDDING
Photography By : Parkershots
THE VENUE We met and live in Australia but Rhian grew up in Kent and her parents still live in Sevenoaks . We wanted to find a venue that showcased the best of British , in the vicinity of Sevenoaks . We made a list based on local knowledge and then visited as many as we could during a UK trip in 2019 .
The reason we chose Penshurst was because we wanted to tailor many elements of the ceremony and reception to introduce Australian touches – and the answer to every question we asked the team was yes ! The venue itself has that ‘ fairytale castle ’ feel , which reflects the nature of our love story . We knew it would wow our guests - especially the international ones !
THE DRESS I was browsing Instagram and realised what I was looking for was similar to Pippa Middleton ’ s dress so I started searching using a hashtag based on that . I stumbled upon a post from a shop in Dorking about a dress similar in style to Pippa ’ s so I knew I had to try it on during my upcoming UK trip . I messaged the shop owner and arranged an appointment for the day I landed ! I was very jet lagged so didn ’ t buy it on the spot but tried on more dresses in the subsequent days and kept coming back to that one . I committed to it a few days later .
THE DÉCOR Peter has been an event planner in the past and had a clear vision for the décor and colour scheme once he had visited the amazing Baron ’ s Hall at Penshurst . The original medieval ceiling of the hall is incredibly high so we wanted height on our tables , and the hall has a fire in the middle
– so our themes were ‘ tall forest ’ and ‘ fire ’. We had plenty of candles everywhere and mini ‘ trees ’ on the tables , with navy chair sashes and napkins and white flowers .
THE PERSONAL TOUCHES We wanted to have Australian touches throughout our day . Our ceremony was the first to ever happen in the gardens at Penshurst – and we wanted the Aussie style of a few rows of seats with the rest of the guests standing to create an intimate , relaxed atmosphere . After the ceremony we led our guests in a parade through the gardens up to the drinks reception . At dinner we had ‘ alternate drops ’ of two starters , two mains and two desserts – with guests to negotiate with others on their table if they wanted to swap ! Our MC and best man brought the Aussie humour and warmth . It was really special to have a blend of both countries on show .
THE HIGHLIGHT Our entrance into dinner was a special moment – seeing everyone gathered from around the world in one room after the separation of Covid , the fire blazing in the centre of the hall , a buzzing atmosphere – we danced our way to the top table and then led everyone in a short spontaneous sing-along to I Love You Baby .
Also at the end of the night , Peter had arranged a surprise exit for Rhian . All the guests were given sparklers and waved us out standing under the King ’ s Tower . It was an absolutely magical way to finish the night and a beautiful memory .
78 | AKENTISHCEREMONY . COM | SPRING 2023