As autumn edged toward winter, Pelham House felt a little quieter. The gardens had softened, the colours more muted, and the light shifted between grey skies and brief flashes of sun. It suited Lilly and John. Their day carried that same understated sophistication. Chic, composed, but never fussy.
Lilly began the morning in the Bridal Suite before moving through to the Pelham Suite to dress. That transition mattered. The Pelham Suite has beautiful height and light, and it gave space for the moment to settle. When her dress was fastened and her train arranged, she made her way down the grand staircase with her mum carefully holding the fabric behind her. It is one of those small advantages of a wedding at Pelham House in Lewes, everything contained within the house, allowing moments like that to unfold naturally. No theatrics, just quiet anticipation.
The ceremony took place indoors in the Goring Room. With the weather changeable outside, it felt right to be gathered together. Lilly and John were never interested in being the centre of attention for its own sake. What mattered to them was time with their families, space to talk, to notice people, to be present. The drinks reception flowed gently before everyone moved into the Blencowe Room for dinner and speeches, the house carrying that effortless elegance it does so well.
What stayed with me most was not a single grand gesture but the way Lilly’s bridesmaids watched her as she got ready. There was pride there. A sense of shared history. They stood back at times, just taking her in, as if marking the moment quietly for themselves. Lilly and John are both easy, generous people, openly affectionate with those around them. That openness shaped the entire day.
A sophisticated autumn wedding at Pelham House in Lewes, defined less by spectacle and more by the people who filled the rooms.
