Sophie & Raph’s Franglais Wedding at Hidden Valley

How to describe Sophie & Raph’s Franglais wedding?… Colourful, boho, creative, flower-filled, bare-footed and fun, with just the right amount of rivalry!

They took on a lot, but with many months of planning (thanks to Covid) and help from a huge crew of family and friends from both England and France, they pulled it off to absolute perfection. An outdoor ceremony at Hidden Valley in Surrey, followed by an afternoon of picnicking, games, ceilidh, dancing and crowd surfing.

We hope you enjoy reading their story and browsing the gorgeous photographs. Extra special mention to Jamie Dunn Photograpahy, Gabriela Matei Photography and Harry’s Wedding Films, who were so kind, amazing, talented, and somehow invisible!

Sophie & Raph had already married in France a couple of months before, but held a ceremony on the hill at Hidden Valley to share the occasion with their friends and family.

“We got married facing the incredible view of the Surrey hills, and the sun came out just as we exchanged rings. It was truly magical!”

Seating from the marquee was set up, with plenty of colour from pot plants (from Sophie’s parents’ garden), and guests were welcomed to take a seat through the beautifully decorated doors. Sophie chose to be dropped at the far gate, with her dad, bridesmaids and flower girls, not forgetting the miniature pony, Red! The guests watched and waved as the little procession made its way across the field.

The ceremony itself was lovingly conducted by Sophie’s godfather. Friends and family members gave readings, including a Winnie The Pooh extract about adventuring together.

“We wanted to keep it as personal and friendly as possible. He talked about the two oak trees being a symbol of our wedding, and to always think of this moment when we see pairs of trees or birds.”

Hidden Valley is exactly ‘what it says on the tin’! As a beautiful Surrey valley that’s completely secluded and tucked away, when guests arrive for a ceremony on the hill they have no inkling of what is waiting in the field. Couples love the moment when guests walk down the hill and round the bend to see the wedding reception set up before them. We have large areas of mown grass, perfect for setting up marquees and holding receptions, but we also leave the grass longer in places to benefit the wildlife… and because it looks so pretty!

“Hidden Valley was the perfect place to reflect us as a couple. We love nature and the great outdoors. It was an amazing space for all the fun games we had planned.”

The large sailcloth tent was provided by Coastal Tents, while Beautiful Bells had set up a curve of 13 bell tents alongside. Rustic barrels and a mini tipi from Canvas & Light further dressed the space, with furniture provided by the Surrey Wedding Company.

Their sailcloth tent, flying French and British flags looked fabulous, with an abundance of foliage, flowers and colourful styling touches. One third was given over to a dance area and bar and two thirds were set up with five long rows of banquet style seating.

There were so many creative touches to this day, contributed by members of the family. Foliage from Sophie’s parents’ garden was attached to each king pole in the marquee, with two large ladders filled with foliage and flowers hoisted up between the poles. At the front of the marquee was a huge display of summer flowers, pot plants, crates, giant vases, a pallet order of the day, seating plans, and the France vs. England chalk scoreboard!

Sophie and Raph had opted for rustic wooden tables and cross back chairs. Table styling focused on a different colour of runner and napkins per table, made by Sophie. Herbs and vases of flowers were dotted along each run of tables and each place setting had an individual wildflower on the plate.

“We collected all the little bottles and vases from French charity shops. I bought the dry flower crown leaves/flowers from Covent Garden flower market and we made them ourselves during my hen do weekend.”

Flowers were a real feature of this wedding, and brought in every colour imaginable. They were sourced from Tracey at Hedgerow & Bloom, who grew them in Farnham, while Sophie’s mum and neighbour did all the arranging. The flower list to achieve the look included peonies as the big statement flowers, dahlias, giant daisies, ranunculus, amaranthus, corn flowers, corn cockles, pretty much any British flower and wild flower that blooms in June!

The ladder was arranged by a friend, Holly Rushby, who had recently opened a floristry business Rushby’s. Sophie’s Mum grew all of the pot plants in the garden.

Sophie’s bouquet was a loose tied gorgeous wild flower mix. Sophie’s seven bridesmaids and three flower girls wore flower crowns of eucalyptus and dry wild flowers and the two maids of honour carried scaled down bouquets. And each of the eight groomsmen wore a different colourful buttonhole.

As guests arrived into the field, they were greeted by the groomsmen with a glass of fizz. We had been busily preparing and arranging a delicious picnic lunch (all made by English friends & family to introduce the French to Great British picnics!).

There was a welcome toast by Sophie’s dad, with Raph giving a translation and welcome speech for the French guests. Sophie and Raph then cut their cake with bride and groom chicken toppers (because they have 3 little chickens), and then an afternoon of games got underway!

There were a few set games to get a bit of rivalry going between the French and English guests, with tug of war, horse racing and a good old classic game of bucket head golf! Sophie had come up with a unique invention to allow her to enjoy the tug of war in her dress. Genius. Luckily the score finished an uncontroversial 3 each!

Sophie wore a beautiful low backed gown from Vague Blanche Mariage with floral lace bodice and flowers continuing down onto a beautiful tulle skirt. Raph wore a three piece, blue textured suit from Serrada Couture with a white shirt and burnt ochre tie. The groomsmen wore matching two piece suits from Zara and ties from The Tie Garden Etsy.

The bridesmaids’ dresses were very boho with two fabric choices from Sophie, a pastel blue floral print and mixed oranges and reds from Primark and Nobody’s Child. The flower girls wore handmade peasant style embroidered dresses of blue, ochre, terracotta, and mustard from Tugu Titoune, Sophie’s very own brand!

We hope you enjoyed reading about Sophie & Raph’s Franglais wedding! Sophie & Raph were clearly delighted with Hidden Valley as a venue, the service they received, and the way everything all came together on the day. Here’s what they had to say:

“Hidden Valley was the perfect place to reflect us as a couple. We love nature and the great outdoors. It was an amazing space for all the fun games we had planned to bring our English and French family and friends together, without the awkward small talk!

Having 2 days to set up was great, as we had so much hands-on DIY to do, and we could spend the time enjoying it with our wedding party. And being able to spend the night around the campfire and glamping in the field after the wedding, meant that we could continue our celebrations for a whole weekend.

We couldn’t have done it without Nikki! With plenty of phone calls and meetings in the pub when we made it back to England. Her pre-wedding advice and ideas, her management of a crazy picnic food set up, and her presence on the day making sure everything ran smoothly. Nikki and Hidden Valley were a dream come true!”