An Italian Hilltop Villa for a Flower Filled Family Focused Wedding

An Italian Hilltop Villa for a Flower Filled Family Focused Wedding

An Italian Hilltop Villa for a Flower Filled Family Focused Wedding

Holly and Richard had a gorgeous wedding in the Italian hills in late summer, captured by the talented and very lovely Claire Penn Photography.  Holly wore a stunning backless Pronovias dress and pretty floral crown with her bridesmaids in a beautiful silvery hued dress, the colours of which seemed to match the changing light of the landscape perfectly. The setting is absolutely incredible, but the reason I love this wedding so much is because at the heart of it is family and friends.  Holly and Richard have the most adorable daughter together and they wanted a wedding where they could make the place home for three days, so that everyone could relax and enjoy with their own kids too. Where they could party, swim, chill out and not be rushed or stand on ceremony. It feels so very authentic and natural to me and because of it pretty perfect.

Let me hand you over to Holly to tell you more;

The italian villa
The italian villa
mummy and daddy's wedding
The italian villa

We knew of each other as far back as primary school. Richard was in my older sister’s year and our mothers were friends via the local village flower club. I must admit I didn’t really think about Richard much at school as he was older but he alleges to have had a crush on me throughout primary and secondary school.

We met again years later randomly online but I didn’t know it was him, he has amazing recognition for faces so knew me instantly and from our first date we were inseparable moving in together just a month later and our daughter arrived nearly a year after we first met! Richard decided to propose after a family week away nearing the end of my maternity leave. We had planned a last night out at the Ham Yard Hotel before the chaos of work took over and he took that opportunity to surprise me.

The italian villa
The italian villa
The italian villa

We are quite low key and the idea of a big flashy wedding filled us both with dread. I’d always dreamt of a relaxed day and getting married outdoors and we tried to combine that with our love of good food and drink. Italy seemed a no brainer in terms of location.

View from window out to Umbrian Hills
Beautiful Pronovias dress hanging in window frame
Beautiful wedding bouquet
Bride getting ready

Holly and Richard were married at the stunning Casa Bruciata in Umbria, just over the Tuscan border.

We took a massive gamble on the venue, booking it before we had even viewed it! Most locations we saw in Italy were stunning and extremely grand/formal which didn’t give us the vibe we wanted for the day. Apart from the ability to have the place to ourselves and the beautiful view it was the villas relaxed hosts that really made the decision for us. They loved good food and good wine which really resonated with us. We felt we could make this place ours and our families would love it.

We wanted a wedding weekend rather than a rushed day and the venue help us bring this to life with a 3 day event with parties, children’s entertainment and pool competitions to keep everyone happy.

Bride applying makeup
bouquet with picture of nanna
Bride's sat laughing on bed
Bride's mum laughing

I looked everywhere for a dress and every one I tried just made me feel like I was in a kind of fancy dress! I finally looked in Pronovias at the very last minute and found a dress which suited the venue and didn’t make me feel uncomfortable! Being a mum my shape had changed and I’ve got scars on my back from historic operations I was keen to hide. The lovely ladies in Pronovias really listened and helped guide me towards a dress which fitted all criteria. On the day in my hair I just had a plain veil I’d sourced from a facebook shop and fresh flowers.

I also wore some earrings I found in a small jewelers in Covent Garden, an antique ring my mum gave to me before my wedding and a thin silver bangle Richard gifted to me for the day inscribed ‘it was always you’

Bride's shoes
bridesmaids getting ready
Bride's shoes

Holly and Richard chose the lovely and talented Claire Penn as their photographer;

Having a relaxed wedding which reflected our personalities and didn’t feel like ‘just’ a wedding was something we were extremely passionate about. The choice of photographer to me was key in achieving this. I’d been to many weddings when post ceremony you’re dragged off for staged pictures which doesn’t show any atmosphere or capture any joy at all. Looking at Claire’s work I fell in love with it straight away and knew she would fit right in. It took some convincing of my hubby to be to fly someone over for the wedding but looking back it was the best decision we made. She made the day feel easy, just slotted into the party atmosphere accommodating my teething 1yr old and really bringing out the atmosphere we had on the day. Everything I wanted and more!

Bride's shoes
Bride's shoes
Bride's shoes

We did our make up ourselves based on a trial I’d had at MAC. Myself and my bridesmaids were following our written instructions to the word!

The bridesmaids all wore multi-way dresses from Debenhams with shoes from Asos and wore a bracelet we gave to them with the initials of their children. The pretty flower girl dresses were from a collection at Monsoon and the flower crowns for the flower girls were made by my mother to withstand being pulled about!

Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl

Richard’s favourite moment of the day was when our daughter who was with him ran over to me when I was walking down the aisle yelling ‘mummy’

Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl

Holly walked down the aisle with her dad who ‘gave her away’;

Richard introduced me to classical music and we played relaxing music when our daughter was a newborn. One of our favourites was The Balcony Scene from Romeo and Juliet which we played as I walked down the aisle.

Our rings were from a local independent jeweler Lance James. Richard wasn’t 100% convinced on a ring but they had a great range of alternative designs which he loved.

Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl

Richard’s suit was from Cad and the Dandy which had their wedding date embroidered inside. His tie and shirt from TM Lewin with shoes from John Lewis. The groomsmen wore suits from Next.

Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Everyone mingling after the wedding
Groom waiting for bride with littel girl
Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Barm decorated with bunting for the meal
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
Place settings with little wooden heart favours

We did this all the planning and styling ourselves with lots of great help and ideas from the guys at the venue. We used a local florist who was absolutely amazing, Roberta Turco. For us, decoration was all about flowers to really bring the place to life. Organizing the wedding from the UK and not speaking any Italian wasn’t any barrier at all. Roberta visited the venue a few times, came up with ideas, sent many sketches and we used pinterest to help set a colour scheme and vibe we wanted with the flowers.

Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours

We had in the ceremony area: a flower arch, pots of flowers at the end of each hay bale aisle, larger flowers at the end as well as rose petal confetti.

We re-used the flower pots and larger flowers around the chill out and dinner areas and in addition in the chill out area we had a extra-large heart made from flowers hung from the balcony, tea cups with flowers and candles in hanging from trees and balls of flowers hanging from lights

My favourite from the day was my bouquet with a picture of my Grandma who passed away the year before hanging from it. It was just so stunning.

Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours

The venue sourced the caterers and I must admit its was one of the best meals we’d ever eaten! We weren’t that fussed about a formal cake so had a traditional Italian cake. The design was a total surprise!

For favours we gave olive oil made in the venue grounds in a bottle designed with the venue’s picture. They are a small farm so only produce a small amount every year.

We also had welcome packs in every room with pool toys for the kids, food, sweets, personalized children’s entertainment packs and day plans so everyone knew what would be happening throughout the three days.

Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Beautiful urn filled with flowers
Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
teacups with flowers hanging from trees
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Beautiful urn filled with flowers
teacups with flowers hanging from trees
Place settings with little wooden heart favours

Entertainment was managed by us and my brother. We had an instagram wall projected onto the side of the house and a playlist that all our friends and family added to before the wedding. Also we had a great childrens entertainer for the brunch the day after the wedding, so all the parents could relax and the children weren’t bored throughout.

Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Place settings with little wooden heart favours

For our stationery we used a lovely designer, Aniet Illustration on Etsy to bring a country chalkboard theme to our posters, table plans, menus etc. We were also most impressed with the inexpensive ebay fans and pompoms which we hung throughout the gazebo. For such a small cost they made it feel so romantic!

Beautiful urn filled with flowers
Beautiful urn filled with flowers
Beautiful urn filled with flowers
teacups with flowers hanging from trees
teacups with flowers hanging from trees
teacups with flowers hanging from trees

We had two mini-moons instead of a longer honeymoon. Post the wedding we stayed at the epitome of romance and relaxation and saying this place is stunning does it no justice at all. They were so good with us and our toddler and couldn’t do more to ensure we had all we needed during our stay.

We also decided a few baby free days were needed so later in the year we went to New York for a weekend of adult activities and sleep!

Richard’s favourite moment of the day was when our daughter who was with him ran over to me when I was walking down the aisle yelling ‘mummy’

My best moment was when the dinner started, it was the first time I sat back, relaxed and realised how amazing the day was going, how we had all our friends and family who we loved around us enjoying themselves. I’d been so concerned about the logistics I hadn’t sat back and just enjoyed it. From that point on I just had so much fun!

If I could do anything differently, on reflection I probably would have organized baby sitting for whilst I was getting ready! I loved having my daughter there but juggling getting ready into a white dress and a very active toddler was demanding on us all!  

My advice to others planning their day would be spreadsheets are your friend! Ours helped us understand where we were overspending and helped us keep a degree of control.

Also remember at all times what you want your wedding to feel and be like. You can get caught up obsessing in small elements which no one including yourself will really remember. What is most important? Write that down and try to focus on that when everyone inputs into your day. At the end of the day the wedding should reflect what you both love and not be about favours and pom poms.

Place settings with little wooden heart favours

Such a beautiful day and in such a stunning Italian setting. Congratulations to Holly and Richard and huge thanks to Claire Penn Photography for sharing the images with us.

Here’s to warmer summer days,

Photography – Claire Penn |  Venue – Casa Brusciata, Umbria | Brides Dress – Pronovias | Brides Shoes – ASOS | Bridesmaids Dresses – Debenhams | Bridesmaids Shoes – ASOS | Grooms Suit – Cad and the Dandy | Shirt and Tie – TM Lewin | Grooms Shoes – John Lewis | Groomsmen Suits – Next | Stationery- Aniet Illustration on Etsy – | Wedding Rings – Lance James | Flowers – Roberta Turco (no website) | Honeymoon – Borgo Santo Pietro, Tuscany and New York |

Adored Bride – A Round Up of Our First Month!

Adored Bride – A Round Up of Our First Month!

Adored Bride – A Round Up of Our First Month!

Adored Bride is a month old! I’ve been so overwhelmed with the lovely support and kind words about the blog.  So I thought I’d do a round up of all the ruddy amazing weddings, inspiration and engagements shoots we’ve brought you already….just in case you’ve missed anything. There’s been rooftop weddings, sunny October Devonshire weddings, a Parisian Elopement, a super cool Ibiza celebration, bookshop and misty moorland engagement shoots, a lavender field fine art style shoot and some gorgeous and touching stories.

A big thanks to Lucy (who you will find over on our Instagram) and Cat (my tech guru) for all their support and help with the launch and to all the wonderful and talented photographers, suppliers and the couples featured on these pages. I hope you enjoy this catch up of Adored Bride’s first four weeks….here’s a little (well biggish actually) round up. Featured suppliers – don’t forget to grab your Adored Bride badge for your websites….so excited for February!

Skylines and Sky Blue Shoes for a Beautiful Oh Me Oh My Wedding

Lucy and Mike were married August and wanted a wedding that celebrated everything about the things they love, in particular music and the city in which they grew up, fell in love and call home. The wedding was captured by the equally brilliant Lucy G Photography…..

“As ‘One Day Like This’ by Elbow started to play… I said “Dad, I’m filling up, oh no, my make up!” and he chattered jibberish and sang silly songs to me as we walked down the aisle to stop me from crying.”

A Beautiful Homespun Rustic Yorkshire Barn Wedding

Apart from this being a beautiful rustic inspirational wedding with lovingly hand made touches in a stunning location to inspire you, this wedding is just an amazing testament to the pure love of two people. Captured by Let Love Flourish photography;

 “I find it really hard to say what my favourite part of the day was, Patrick said his was when I walked down the aisle to him. He was really emotional on the day and so it must have been a relief to see me finally arrive!”

Anna Campbell Elegance for Effortlessly Cool and Colourful Ibiza Wedding

If you love the type of sun that just soaks everything in a beautiful glorious haze of light, you are going to really enjoy everything about Ellie and Dom’s amazing colourful and relaxed Ibiza wedding. Gorgeous imagery by Inspire Images;

 

“If I was to offer any advice to other couples, it would be remember the day is only for the two of you nobody else, and its your day to share! Its normal to have differences so compromise and  just remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing, and enjoy it!”

Real Wedding – Country Garden Inspired Wedding in Oxford’s Dreaming Spires

Liz and Then were married on August 6th, a sun soaked day in the beautiful city of Oxford. An amazing backdrop for a wedding and the scene of their love story, having met at University in the city. These images are courtesy of lovely Kelly at Kelly Clarke Photography

“We met at University, New College, Oxford ten years ago and after three years of knowing each other we started going out. Three years later I asked Liz to marry me by spelling out “Marry Me” during a game of scrabble.”

A Romantic Elopement on the Streets of Paris

Have you ever dreamed of an elopement in Paris? Such an incredibly romantic thing to do. Hannah and Mitch decided to do just that and I’m so happy to share these breathtaking images of their elopement that were captured by the ridiculously talented Craig George.

“Magic happens in those little Parisian cafes, love stories told and made.”

A Banksy, Bubble Confetti and a Little Polish Coin for Heartfelt City Wedding

When photographer Rachel Ryan sent me over Olivia and James wedding day, the first thing that struck me was that Olivia is most possibly the smiliest bride I have ever seen!

“Now the three of them really had no business being on that fire escape that day, nor did that little Polish coin, yet there they were. A beautiful little sign from the universe.”

Real Wedding – Sparklers and Sophia Tolli Tulle for Travel Inspired Tunnels Beach Wedding

This breathtaking beach wedding in Devon just adds even more fuel to my firm belief that October is just a fantastic month to get married. It’s hard to believe that the gorgeous Samantha and Richard tied the knot on October 2nd in the most glorious sunshine, in the UK and outside on the coast! The day was captured to perfection by Albert Palmer Photography;

“My advice to other couples would be to be as present in each moment as you can on the day. Everyone says it goes by fast and it really, truly does. Relax and enjoy your day!”

This softly edgy shoot at Victoria Baths in Manchester is by the talents that are Jenn Brookes Photographer and Leah Henson Weddings, it’s a gorgeously lit and atmospheric bridal shoot;

A Midsummer’s Day Lavender Luxe Wedding Inspiration

A pretty and inspiration fine art style lavender field shoot styled by Rebecca from Adored Bride and captured by Lucy G Photography,

I love Bethan and Ross and their misty moorland e-shoot by the fantastic Let Love Flourish photography as it’s so natural. No fuss, no staged poses, no pretense just the couple being themselves with the backdrop of the dramatic but understated moorlands.

“He gave me a huge bunch of flowers and whilst I was distracted arranging them he presented me with the most beautiful ring and nervously asked “will you marry me?” We spent the evening drinking Prosecco and telling all our favourite people the news.”

Sarabeth and Mark – Sunlit Hay on Wye Bookshop Shoot

I love this shoot because the light is amazing, Sarabeth and Mark are really relaxed and the town provides such a cool backdrop. The early start for the shoot on New Years Eve meant that they have the place pretty much to themselves too! Their photographer is Lucy G Photography.

“They arranged to meet on the morning of New Year’s Eve with Lucy having selected some fantastic locations around Hay on Wye for the shoot. They were really lucky as they even had a rainbow, you can’t plan that stuff!”

I hope you enjoyed a look back at the first month of Adored Bride, I’d love you to take a moment to tell me your favourite bits and also give us a follow on facebook and instagram.

With love

Sparklers and Sophia Tolli Tulle for Travel Inspired Tunnels Beach Wedding

Sparklers and Sophia Tolli Tulle for Travel Inspired Tunnels Beach Wedding

Sparklers and Sophia Tolli Tulle for Travel Inspired Tunnels Beach Wedding

Today’s breathtaking Tunnels Beach wedding in Devon just adds even more fuel to my firm belief that October is just a fantastic month to get married. It’s hard to believe that the gorgeous Samantha and Richard tied the knot on October 2nd in the most glorious sunshine, in the UK and outside on the coast! What ever the weather had been though, Tunnels Beaches was always going to be the location for this globetrotting couple as it has a special connection for them. Their love of travel has been weaved throughout the day with gorgeous details and thought. The globe guest book is genius and the dessert table by Kate Burt Cakes is something else!  I just know you are going to love reading about it and looking at these stunning images.

Before I hand over to lovely Samantha to tell us more about the wedding and wedding planning, I just want to take a moment to gush about their photographer Albert Palmer. Albert Palmer Photography is based in the southwest and his photography is basically awesome. The way he captures light (the golden hour shots on the beach are incredible), the way in which he captures moments and frames the shots with beautiful composition, the images are just a bit epic. So enjoy and I’d really love to read your comments at the end of the post;

The Bath House at The Tunnels
Bride getting ready with make up being applied
beautiful view of the sunny beach at the venue the tunnels
Bride in dressing gown getting ready with Tiffany engagement ring in view
Bride in dressing gown getting ready with Tiffany engagement ring in view

Richard and I met while working at the same summer camp (Camp Lindenmere in Pennsylvania) in 2012. We got engaged at the beach next to our wedding venue. When I came to England for the first time in 2012 (I am American and Richard is from England) I was searching online for things to do in South West England and came across Tunnels Beaches – I was in awe of the venue and jokingly said if we ever get married we are getting married here (and four years later, we actually did.)! Richard remembered this and arranged his proposal so that our engagement would start and end in the same place.

Bridesmaids getting ready
Bride's toms shoes sat on striped deck chair
Bridesmaid in matching dressing gowns with champagne for breakfast
Stationery of the day
bridesmaid laughing in kitchen getting champagne

We both love to travel (we’ve been to 20 countries and 12 states together) and as we’re from different countries, a travel theme was almost inevitable. Other than that, I wanted everything to compliment the natural beauty of the venue – so we went with a blush/nudes palette with gray and navy suits for the men.

We love our venue Tunnels Beaches, its not far from Bristol where we live and is incredibly beautiful. It also promotes a relaxed, fun wedding – exactly the type of day we knew we wanted!

Bride getting into her dress
Bride and mother share a moment in the doorway
The bride is ready and the bridesmaids and her dad gather around her

Sam found her perfect dress by designer Sophia Tolli in So Gorgeous Bridal Boutique, along with a flowing Mon Cheri Veil from Mia Grace (USA). She completed the look with pretty shoes from Toms;

With the venue came the idea for my dress. As we were by the sea, I wanted something that moved and flowed. I surprised myself by liking a ball gown style (I mean when else can you wear a giant dress?!) but still did not want something too princess-y. The dress I chose had layers of organza tiers that almost looked like waves themselves and while it was certainly a big dress, it still felt understated and beach appropriate.

My reception dress was from Needle & Thread. (I also wore this to the second reception we had in St. Louis, where I am from).

Samantha chose Louise Alway to style her hair and make up artist Eve Ashby to complete her natural but elegantly glamourous look.

Bridesmaids leaving the bath house to walk to her wedding
Sign hung on tap on cliff that says 'this was to the I dos"
Groom stood at beach side alter waiting for his bride
View of the Tunnels beach venue from the shoreline
The Tunnels beach venue, ailse set up with pretty white chairs and floral details

Samantha walked down the aisle at the beach side ceremony with her dad to ‘Home’ by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros which is a String Quartet version of the track. For their first dance the couple chose ‘Cant Take My Eyes Off You’ by Frankie Valli and The 4 Seasons;

We loved that this song picked up about a minute in – all of our friends and family joined us on the dance floor and it set up the rest of the night perfectly.

The Tunnels beach venue, bride and her father walking out into the light to the wedding
The Tunnels beach wedding day
Groom beaming as his bride walks towards him
Bride and father walk down the aisle
view towards the ceremony and guests

Samantha and Richard chose the talent that is Albert Palmer as their photographer for the day;

The venue and Albert were the first two things we booked. I had come across Albert’s website while looking online and immediately knew he was the right photographer for our wedding day. His photos truly tell the story of a wedding day and are the perfect combination of natural/”in the moment” and beautiful.

Bride and groom smile at each other during the ceremony
Bridesmaids smile and look on at the ceremony
a humourous moment during the wedding as bride laughs at groom
The couple kiss
The confetto throw

We hired Gemma Davies of Sincerely Yours as our on the day coordinator. So while we did all the planning ourselves, she was there on the day to make sure things ran smoothly. (I have no website for her as I believe ours was the last wedding Gemma did as she decided on a different career path.)

All three rings are from Tiffany & Co. When we started discussing getting engaged, we went there to try on rings for fun. I fell in love with the very first ring I ever tried on, and that is the ring Richard went back to buy. My wedding ring narrows in the middle to fit next to the engagement ring and Richard’s is a flat, platinum band.

Bride heading to the beach for photos
heading down to the beach
Bridemaids tip toeing over the beach pebbles

The bridesmaids each chose their own dress add shoes with beautiful peach pastel shades. The flower girls dresses were from Brides by Victoria in Salisbury and the page boys wore adorable 3 piece linen blend waistcoat outfits from Marks and Spencer.
Richard wore a smart suit by Hugo Boss with a Tag Heuer watch, Clarks shoes, and superhero cufflinks. The best man and groomsmen, each chose their own grey suit and the couple gave them each a set of superhero cufflinks.

The brideand her maids on tunnels beached in the sunlight
Bridemaids wit bride on the beach in the sunlight and their lovely pink bouquets
Bridemaids with the groom and bride on the beach in the sunlight
The bridal party laughing on the beach
The lads leave the girls on the beach, waving and laughing as they go

The couple chose florist Pumpkin and Pye;

As the bridesmaids and groomsmen had different colored dresses/suits, we used all gypsophilia for their boutonnieres and bouquets to tie everything together. My bouquet was made using shades from the bridesmaids dresses, and the flower girl bouquet, centerpieces, and grooms and best mans boutonnieres were made using flowers from my bouquet. Natasha also provided a box of mixed flower heads for Kate to use to decorate the cake.

the girls throwing their bouquets in the air
bridesmaids heel discarded on beach for the girls to climb over the rocks
the girls all laughing
the couple walk back long the beach
the party stood posing on rocks on beach

I totally adore the cakes! The dessert table looks amazing and is the creation of the talented Kate Burt Cakes;

Sitting down with Kate was an incredible experience. As we spoke about our ideas, she drew out a plan for an incredible dessert table. We had three main cakes, a handful of smaller cakes, and meringues that all fit in with the blush/nudes palette and our travel theme – she actually water colored a world map on one of the tiers and included a line connecting the US and UK.

The cakes also tasted incredible! We had an orange blossom cake with elderflower buttercream and a carrot cake with lemon buttercream.

the reception set up overlooking the sea
flowers at the reception
Stunning cake by Kate Burt Cakes
Amazing Cakes by Kate Burt with a travel inspired theme
Beautiful guest globe to sign
Travel map table plan
Desert table by Kate Burt Cakes
the girls all laughing

I loved the idea of a new scent for the day so I layered Jo Malone body cream in Orange Blossom with their Peony and Blush Suede Cologne. The combination was fruity, floral, and feminine, perfect for a wedding on the coast! 

the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography
the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography
the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography
the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography
the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography

All of the couples beautiful invitations were from the Wedding Paper Divas, with a complimentary World Map Table Plan from The Wedding of My Dreams on Not On The High Street.  Each table was labeled as a country and marked by a Polaroid style photos which they printed fromPhotobox. The programmes were from Simple and Stunning that the couple sourced on Etsy. For their guest Sam and Rich created an absolutely epic wedding website using Square Space.

the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography
the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography
the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography
the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography
the couple on the beach in the sunshine albert palmer photography

All the catering is provided in house at the Tunnels, the BBQ was incredible! They also provided all the lighting and sound in house. We used spotify for our ceremony music, with a family friend providing music for the afternoon. In the evening we booked The Zoots for the entertainment.

We didn’t need wedding transport on the day as we stayed in the Bath House, which you can rent through Tunnels Beaches and is just outside of the venue.  

We went to Athens and Santorini, Greece for our honeymoon. We only had a week available for a honeymoon so we knew we wanted to go somewhere fairly close.

the couple in the tunnels beaches albert palmer photography
the couple in the tunnels beaches albert palmer photography
the couple in the tunnels beaches albert palmer photography
the couple in the tunnels beaches albert palmer photography
the couple in the tunnels beaches albert palmer photography

My advice to other couples would be to be as present in each moment as you can on the day. Everyone says it goes by fast and it really, truly does. Relax and enjoy your day!

It is hard to pick only one favourite moment. Getting ready with everyone made the morning really special for both of us, getting out onto the beach in the sunshine and taking photos, how much everyone got into dancing all night, and running through the tunnel with sparklers.

the couple's first dance
the couple's first dance
the couple's first dance

We are both so happy with how it went, we wouldn’t change anything. My advice to other couples would be to be as present in each moment as you can on the day. Everyone says it goes by fast and it really, truly does. Relax and enjoy your day!

couple kiss in The Tunnels at end of wedding

I cannot say how much I absolutely love Samantha and Richard’s wedding day, thank you so much to the happy couple for sharing it with us today. A really big thank you to Albert Palmer Photography too for these utterly amazing photographs, such an incredible talent.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about their day as I much as I have and please do leave a comment below. Are any of you October wedding day couples or maybe getting married by the sea?

Venue – Tunnel Beaches | Photography – Albert Palmer Photography | Bridal Designer – Sophia Tolli | Bridal Boutique – So Gorgeous Bridal | Bride’s Reception Dress – Needle & Thread | Brides Shoes – Toms | Veil – Mon Cherie from Mia Grace (USA) | Grooms Suit – Hugo Boss | Grooms Shoes – Clarks | Flower Girls – Brides by Victoria | Page Boys – Marks and Spencer | Hair – Louise Alway | Make-Up – Eve Ashby | Florist – Pumpkin and Pye | Cakes – Kate Burt Cakes | Wedding Bands – Tiffany | Entertainment – The Zoots | Invitations – Wedding Paper Divas | Table Plan – Not On The High Street | Polaroid Style Table Names – Photobox | Programmes – Etsy | Wedding Website – Squarespace | Favours – The Original Wedding Tea Towel | Honeymoon – Coco Mat Athens & Onar Villas Santorini | Wedding Film – Andrew McCabe Films |

Anna Campbell Elegance for Effortlessly Cool and Colourful Ibiza Wedding

Anna Campbell Elegance for Effortlessly Cool and Colourful Ibiza Wedding

Anna Campbell Elegance for Effortlessly Cool and Colourful Ibiza Wedding

If you love the type of sun that just soaks everything in a beautiful glorious haze of light, you are going to really enjoy everything about Ellie and Dom’s amazing colourful and relaxed Ibiza wedding. I was so excited when Ellie got in touch to submit her wedding to Adored Bride, not just because both her and Dom are pretty damn cool, but as it’s also our first destination wedding. She answered my call out for real wedding submission that was passed on to her by the lovely ladies at Jean Jackson Couture.

Ellie and Dom met on a night out and fast forward seven years, decided they both wanted to get married and that they really wanted to get hitched abroad. So in July they jetted out to beautiful Ibiza with their friends and family to celebrate the day with them. They were married on the 19th, which also happened to be Ellie’s Birthday!

More and more couples are getting married overseas each year, with one in four now choosing a destination celebration. It’s an increase, that is hardly a surprise to me really when such beautiful places exist in the world!

These gorgeous images capturing Ellie and Dom’s wedding are thanks to Katherine at Inspire Images. Ellie tells us a bit more about the day;

Bride's beautiful Anna Campbell dress hung up with the sea in the background.
Bride's sister applying her makeup
Bride with make up bag on her lap.
Bride kissing page boy on cheek during preperations for the wedding

Me and Dom are not the slushy type so we don’t have a really amazing story on how he proposed as he didn’t haha! We both decided one day that we wanted to get married and so we did! We always knew we wanted to do it abroad as we aren’t the types that like loads of fuss or to get stressed. But choosing Ibiza and our venue, was so much more amazing than any wedding we could have imagined.

Back details of bride dress as she does up her necklace.
Wedding rings sat on newspaper with the wedding date.
bride getting dresses in her Anna Campbell gown.

Ibiza is a really vibrant and colourful place and so I just wanted to go as bright as possible with the details. We chose our venue Elixir, as it’s in a gorgeous position on the west coast, overlooking the sea and sunsets over the smaller island of Es Vedra.

Detail of brides floral sandals from asos
bouquet with ring.
Ellie the bride arriving at the venue for the ibiza wedding

I wasn’t even aware until our registrar mentioned it in the ceremony itself, that in the background to us was Es Vedre. It is a famous landmark and a mysterious rock near Ibiza, which has its own mystical stories going back 1000’s of years, with tales of mermaids and sea Nyphms calling it home.

Bride with father outside ceremony.
bridesmaid putting garter in bride
detail of brides floral headpiece
Brides sandal

Dom and Ellie Chose Katherine from Inspire Images who flew out to photograph their Ibiza Wedding;

Katherine is absolutely amazing we didn’t have to give her any instructions, she just knew exactly what would make a good picture. And there isn’t one bad picture! My whole house is full of them because I there was no way I could just pick one! We’d totally recommend her.

Bridesmaid smiling
Bride and dad and little boy walking down the aisle
Brides walking towards groom at their outdoor ceremony
Bride and groom smile at each other at the alter

For the day of the wedding Ellie wanted a really special dress and knew just what she was in search of;

When I was looking for my dress, I found Jean Jackson Couture on facebook and all their dresses seemed perfect for me especially the Anna Campbell dresses. I knew I needed a light dress but I wanted to sparkle in the sun and be something very wow!

Anna Campbell dresses are exactly that, I tried on 8 dresses and the last 4 I literally couldn’t decide on as they were all beautiful, so my mum and two sisters chose “the one”. The experience and service I received from the girls at Jean Jackson was truly amazing.

Bride and groom taking their vows with a bright floral arch behind them
Groom getting ready doing up his shirt
Grooms reflection

My sister Amy and I have our own hair and beauty salon, Bows Hair and specialise in wedding hair and makeup. So I was lucky enough to have my sister to make me up on the day! 

Grooms reflection
Bride reads vows to groom
Grooms reflection

My inspiration for my hair came from the beautiful images on Anna Campbell’s instagram and Eva Longoria’s wedding hair. The flowers in my hair were made by Sarah at Floral Lounge and my hair slides were made by Amore Headwear. I wore some pretty floral flat flip flops from Asos.

The confetti throw!
Confetti and the happy couple
Image of brides bouquet
Rustic barn setting, guests outside the venue with bunting hung.
Children under parasols

I borrowed all my jewellery that I wore on the day from my mum and chose to wear the peonie and blush suede perfume by Jo Malone.

bride and groom heading to beach.
Detail of bride and grooms wedding dress and suit
Groom Patrick welling up with tears as he see's Laura for the first time.
Bride Laura walks down the aisle with her dad.
Image of couple at the beach

I don’t have one favourite moment from the day, just every single second of it from start to finish and there is not one thing I would have done any differently!

Mum and bridesmaid looking on, not a dry eye in the place!
The couple on the beach
Detail of brides shoes a she walks over the rocks
Dom carries Ellie to the sea - laughing

My engagement ring was made from my mum’s citrine stone ring which she passed on to me as I have always loved it. She then gave me her engagement ring from my dad and Dom’s mum gave me a diamond from a ring from his dad. I took then to Hugh Rice in Hull and he made me my ring from all 3 stones so I have something that is from both sides of the family.

Couple paddle in the sea
Groom kisses bride on the head as she laughs and they hug.
Beautiful shot in the garden with the couple embracing

Groom Dom, went for a very cool look too, with shorts and blazer from Reiss, a Ralph Lauren shirt and shoes from Gucci. The page boy outfits came from Next.

 

Bride laughing in the gardens
couple laughing
Ellie turing to smile over her shoulder
heading back up the steps to the wedding reception

Ellies brief to her florist was ‘bright’ and her bouquet and all the beautiful vibrant floral details were created by Floral Dreams Ibiza . The couple entrusted all the styling and decor for the day to Vickki from the venue who they organised everything with over emails before the day.

Elixer ibiza wedding venue
mojitos!

My father walked down the aisle with me, while Porcelain by Moby played. We didn’t have a first dance, just danced all night to the sax player!

The speeches - bride smiling.
Bride lookingat her dad during speeches
Bride cuddles little boy

If I was to offer any advice to other couples, it would be remember the day is only for the two of you nobody else, and its your day to share! Its normal to have differences so compromise and  just remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing, and enjoy it!

Lovely image of the couple dancing together
Ellie and her girls spelling out LOVE
bride dancing
Ellie and Dom under the light up LOVE sign
Couple laughing on the steps

Thanks so, so much to Ellie and Dom for sharing your amazing Ibiza wedding day with us and thanks too go to Katherine from Inspire Images for the stunning photography.

Are you planning on jetting off to the sun yourself to get married? I’d love to hear about your plans, leave a comment below.

Photographer – Inspire Images | Venue – Elixir | Dress – Anna Campbell at Jean Jackson Couture | Brides Shoes – Asos | Hair and Make Up – Bows Hair | Hair Flowers – Floral Lounge | Hair Accessories – Amore Headwear | Grooms Attire – Reiss and Ralph Lauren | Grooms Shoes – Gucci | Page Boys Outfits – Next | Flowers – Floral Dreams Ibiza | Rings – Hugh Rice | Perfume – Peonie and Blush Suede by Jo Malone.|

A Banksy, Bubble Confetti and a Little Polish Coin for Heartfelt City Wedding

A Banksy, Bubble Confetti and a Little Polish Coin for Heartfelt City Wedding

A Banksy, Bubble Confetti and a Little Polish Coin for Heartfelt City Wedding

When photographer Rachel Ryan sent me over Olivia and James wedding day, the first thing that struck me was that Olivia is most possibly the smiliest bride I have ever seen! She is beaming and laughing in every image, her total love and joy to be marrying her man, with those she cares about most around her, is just apparent in every image.

I was really sad to learn then that Olivia had lost her mum just eleven months before the wedding. Olivia’s mum helped her choose her wedding dress and also to choose Rachel as their photographer. On the wedding day, Rachel took Olivia and James, in her words ‘to the grubbiest of fire exits’ a slightly random unplanned location for some shots. There on the ground Olivia found a little Polish coin. Her mum was an avid collector of foreign coins and ever since loosing her mum, Olivia has been finding them. Now the three of them really had no business being on that fire escape that day, nor did that little Polish coin, yet there they were. A beautiful little sign from the universe.

So I am so, so delighted to present to you the newly weds, Olivia and James and their love story, as I hand you over to the bride;

Bride having makeup applied
Picture fram of bride as little girl with her mum next to her bouquet
Bride's converse trainers

We got engaged in April 2013, back in Leeds which is where we met. James took me on a tour of all the places we used to hang out as students, then stopped outside the house where he’d lived and told me that was where he was when he knew he loved me! Then he got down on one knee. It was very romantic, despite being next to a wheelie bin! Then we had the most fun day ring shopping!

Bride laughing having blusher applied
Bouquet on garden bench.
Bride fussing over dad's tie in their garden while getting ready.
Bride hugging dad

We were married on the 8th August and wanted to go on honeymoon straight afterwards (We went on an amazing three week adventure around Japan arranged by the fabulous Inside Japan Tours). As I’m a teacher, it had to be early August! Plus my birthday is 8th March so I wanted the 8th really!

We got married at Bishop Eton, my childhood parish church, in Liverpool. We loved our church ceremony because we were lucky enough to know our priests really well and we felt the service was very personal to us. I had chosen my favourite hymns which I enjoyed belting out! It was a wonderful feeling to say our vows in a beautiful setting, which was important to us, in front of all our favourite people.

Bride stepping into dress.
Bridesmaid doing up back of brides dress
Bridesmaid gasps as Bride comes down the stairs in her dress.

We were lucky enough to have the brilliantly talented and incredibly lovely Rachel Ryan as our photographer. We couldn’t have wished for anything more from our photographer. She was perfect. Neither of us particularly like having our photo taken so finding someone who put us at ease, and was so incredible at their job, was fantastic. We are delighted with our photos and would recommend Rachel to everyone. In fact one of my best friends has just booked her for her wedding! We are so excited we get to see her again!

Bridesmaids sat on sofa opening gift.
Bridesmaid reacts with a gasp at lovely gift....a bracelet.
Close up of bridesmaids wrist with pretty heart bracelet.

Style wise, I wasn’t a ‘theme’ sort of girl. Whenever anyone asked I’d just say the theme was a wedding! Just a traditional wedding. Then at a wedding fair my bridesmaids and I saw gorgeous navy blue dresses from Coast on the catwalk show and knew we wanted them! So the colour scheme was decided there and then! The dresses were the first thing we got and I could picture the whole day from then.

Dad see bride for first time in her dress.
Dad and bride embrace
Dad lifts daughter chin with this hand as they share an emotional moment.

I got my dress from Brides of Chester while I was having a girly day out with my mum and bridesmaids. I asked everyone to choose one each for me to try on. Of course, mum picked the winner as mums know best! I hadn’t liked it on the hanger but knew it was for me when I tried it on. My sister cried so I knew it must’ve been ok!

Bride and her dad arrive at the church.
Their beautiful vintage transport, a navy and cream car.
The bridesmaids waiting outside the church, laughing and cheering the brides arrival.

We hired suits from Moss as James wears a suit for work so wanted tails in order to feel more special. We chose the UnexpecTed Ted Baker at Moss Bros suit in grey as it was so classically smart and James looked super handsome in it! We got a dark navy blue tie and grey and dark navy handkerchiefs which matched the bridesmaids dresses perfectly.

The groomsmen wore the same as James and the bridesmaids were in the stunning Lily Anna dress from Coast. It was tea length which suited my gorgeously tall bridesmaid Jo and my gorgeously petite maid of honour Alex! I was thrilled to find a dress that suited all four of the girls.

bride enters church
View of Bride and Groom from the back stood at the alter with church pews either side.

We hired navy and cream classic cars from Heritage Motors. We had to hire the one which had a roof that came down as James banged his head on the ceiling of the other one! It worked out brilliantly though as it was such a sunny day we could have some photos with the top down. I wasn’t brave enough to travel with it down though in case I ruined my hair or lost my veil!

Married! The couple smile as they walk back down the aisle.
The happy couple after the wedding at the entrance to the church with sunlight and bubble confetti

We had bubbles instead of confetti outside church, I absolutely loved them! It was so fun coming outside into a sea of them, I think the guests had fun blowing them too! The photos look brilliant as it was such a sunny day.

Wedding guests blowing bubbles.
Bubbles and the bride and groom.
couple kiss outside the church.

We booked coaches for our guests through Napier Point and they were lovely, even letting us choose our favourite route into the city centre so we could show off our city’s gorgeous docks to our guests!

Couple laughing out loud in the wedding car on way to reception.
Bride and groom walk through liverpool street in the sunlight.
Bride and groom walk along street towards the docks.
The couple kiss with Banksy heart graffitti in the background.

We had our reception at The Raquet Club. We wanted a city centre venue and as soon as we met Sue we knew we wanted her and her amazing team to look after us. The building itself was gorgeous and we’d heard great things about the food…which was very important to us!

Close up image of couple next to the Banksy.
Couple in the arch doorway of a building that no longer exists.
Love graffitti...next to the couples feet.
Couple and city reflect in glass of parked car.

I was so thrilled with my flowers, which were white roses and freesias. Karen McGrath Flowers, another wonderfully talented woman, was our florist who came recommended from a friend. The bridesmaids had small bouquets of white roses and the groom, dads and ushers had gorgeous buttonholes of a white rose. Karen added a small white freesia to James’s to make his more special. Karen is so creative and such a good listener, she knew exactly what would work and made even more beautiful arrangements than I could have imagined.

Bride posing and holding on to her veil as she walks through the street.
Close up of bride in her converse trainers on fire escape.
Bride and groom laughing and running down fire escape.
Bride really trying to catch her breath from laughing

We got our cake from Marks and Spencer and loved the fact it was a square shape and had a different flavour cake in each tier. We also had a cheese cake from the Liverpool Cheese Company which was a stunning creation and provided a delicious evening snack for our guests!

Couple in sunlight against cool building backdrop.
The couple outside the venue
couple laughing
The venue sign, the racquet club.

We booked a band who we had danced to at our friends’ wedding the previous year called Harlequin. We had loved them so much we booked them before they left the venue! We loved their mix of music and they are such a talented group.

The speeches! Bride and her dad laughing at best mans speech.
Speeches - bride and her dad share a moment.
Speeches - bride and her dad really laughing!
Speeches - guests look on smiling.
Speeches - bride holds head laughing.
Speeches - Father of groom looks on smiling.
Guests smiling and laughing.

We had a photo booth for our guests in the evening which has provided us with a hilarious guest book! Our favours were photo keyrings for our guests to use in the photo booth.

Outside the venue - bride and her 4 bridesmaids.
Bride and her maids twirling in their dresses on the street outside the venue.
The bride, groom and their bridemaids and groomsmen group shot, jumping.
Bride and bridesmaids

My advice to other brides is, wear converse trainers. It was the best decision I made. My dress was long so you couldn’t see my shoes anyway, and I had comfortable feet all day and all night. To couples, the both of you, enjoy yourselves! Don’t get stressed out planning it all, it’s not worth missing out on all the fun! Keep it easy and do it your way. We loved every minute!

Bride and the party laughing at selfies
bridemaid and bride larking about and outside the venue.
Bride roaring with laughter.
The couple's first dance

Thank you so much Olivia and James for sharing your wonderful day with us, wishing you both the happiest of futures together. Thanks too go to Rachel Ryan for these brilliant images.

To end, I wanted to mention something else that Rachel told me, Olivia’s lovely daddy (an incredibly talented artist, former photography teacher and one half of some seriously tear jerking photographs) said to Rachel on the wedding morning and it really is a wonderful piece of advice;

“The more you allow your photographer in the better photographs you get.”

This couldn’t be more true.

Venue – The Raquet Club | Photography – Rachel Ryan | Brides Dress – Brides of Chester | Bridesmaids Dresses – Coast | Make up – Louise Bradney | Hair – Becky Throw | Groom and Grooms men’s Attire – UnexpecTed Ted Baker at Moss Bros | Floristry – Karen McGrath Flowers | Vintage Cars- Heritage Motors | Transport – Napier Point | Entertainment – Harlequin | Wedding Cake – Marks and Spencer | Cheese Cake – Liverpool Cheese Company | Honeymoon – Japan |

A Beautiful Homespun Rustic Yorkshire Barn Wedding

A Beautiful Homespun Rustic Yorkshire Barn Wedding

A Beautiful Homespun Rustic Yorkshire Barn Wedding

Today’s wedding is so special, apart from being a beautiful rustic inspirational wedding with lovingly hand made touches in a stunning location to inspire you, it is also just an amazing testament to the pure love of two people. When I was contacted by Amy-Leigh and Daryl from Let Love Flourish photography I was so captivated by this wedding, I knew I wanted to share it. I think it is a true skill, to be able to capture the emotion of a moment on film, to transport the viewer to that exact moment, regardless of whether you were there originally.

When I saw these images of Patrick and Laura’s wedding this past August, that’s exactly how they made me feel. The instant Patrick see’s Laura for the first time at the ceremony is so lovely, in that moment you can just see how much he loves her, everything in the run up to that precise second and the emotions that spill over.

So please, enjoy this beautiful day with pretty rustic details and enjoy the love you are about to witness, captured by the genius that is Let Love Flourish. Just before I had you over to the gorgeous bride Laura to tells us more about the day, I also have a fantastic video of their day too courtesy of Lukas and Laura of One Wedding;

Patrick and I met through mutual friends in 2007, we were quite young, I was 18 and Patrick almost 20. Patrick was in a band with one of my friends and we got talking before and after gigs. It was the times of MSN Messenger and we spent a lot of time talking before we agreed to go to the cinema.

Patrick had been planning to propose for a while. He asked my dad’s permission and finally decided to do it on Saturday 31st January 2015. Patrick had planned for us to spend the day in the local village and then go out for a meal. Patrick then filled the living room with candles and set up his phone so we have a video of the whole thing!

Bride having make up applied.
bride looking at image in locket
Dress hung up in window

We originally wanted an outdoor wedding or to have the reception in a tipi. However, we couldn’t find a venue or Tipi within our price range and Patrick felt it would be too much planning and organizing on top of an already busy time – I’m glad he made that decision as I’m pretty sure it would have been too much for us!

I didn’t want any strong colours or a particular theme for our day – I loved the look of rustic barn weddings that I’d seen online. I used Pinterest loads (of course!) and created lots of specific boards for each area. Neither Patrick nor I like being centre of attention and so we wanted a relaxed feel to our day, with a fun, party atmosphere in the evening.

Laura and Patrick chose East Riddlesden Hall, a beautiful National Trust venue in Keighley.

We had done lots of searching online at different venues and thought this looked beautiful. A lot of the venues we looked at were in Cheshire, so we decided to venture in the opposite direction. On the drive there, we decided that it was probably a little too far away – until we turned into the drive! We saw the beautiful pond and the stunning house, looked at each other and said ‘wow!’ We knew it was perfect.

bride with dressing gown that says 'Mrs Jagger' on it
Envelop addresses to Mr and Mrs Jagger

Neither of us like being centre of attention – this also applies to having our photographs taken. We really didn’t want photographers who wanted us to stand and pose all day. We loved the look of alternative photographers that capture the emotions of the day. I did a quick google search and came across Amy-Leigh and Daryl of Let Love Flourish. Their photographs were amazing and just what we wanted! We sent them an email and they responded really quickly. We knew instantly that they were who we were going to choose – their response was super helpful and they were really friendly. It was clear they weren’t just responding for our business, but truly cared about weddings and photographs, giving us tips and advice. Unfortunately, price was a factor and we were convinced we wouldn’t be able to afford these amazing photographers – but we were really surprised and were able to book them!

We were going to skip the pre-wedding shoot, but Amy and Daryl explained that this would be really useful for us to get to know each other, and find out our likes and dislikes. We arranged the shoot at Binn Green, at Dovestones Reservoir and were so pleased! We were really nervous but actually had the best day – it made us really excited for the wedding day and proved that we had definitely chosen the perfect photographers for us!

On the day, they arrived early, for bridal preparations – although poor Daryl had to wait around for Patrick, as he had to go and set up the barn! They stayed throughout the day, after the first dance, even capturing some of the party atmosphere. We were so happy and couldn’t have wished for anyone better!

Detail of dress hung up
bouquets in boxes on the bed for bridal party.
The girls getting ready


We were torn whether to have a videographer or not – partly due to the confidence issues, and partly due to budget. However, my parents had a video of their wedding and I used to watch it all the time when I was little. So, in a perfect little world I would love for our future children to watch our video in the same way! (Cheesy, I know! Haha)

We finally decided quite late on that we did want a videographer. We wanted someone that was unobtrusive and complemented our photographer’s work. We came across One Wedding and loved their style, so we were really lucky that they were available!
We thought it was going to be one videographer, but on the day they surprised us with two and even brought a drone to get some fantastic aerial shots! Lukas and Laura were lovely and had recently got married themselves. They completely got our style and also stayed until really late on.

Detail of brides dress, with silk sash.
Bride stepping into her pretty shoes
bridesmaid putting garter in bride

My dress was WTOO by Watters. I wasn’t the best when it came to dress shopping – again, down to lack of confidence. I went to a few places, but was conscious of price as my parents had offered to buy my dress. I originally wanted a dress that was quite floaty and boho style, but then I saw a video of a dance and the bride was wearing a fuller tulle skirt. It still floated but had a gorgeous texture. It turned out it was a Watters dress!

I tried my dress on at a boutique in Uppermill, but was undecided. However, I then compared other dresses I tried to this one. A few weeks later, I found the dress in a sample sale online from a shop in Northallerton, Rocks and Roses – it was the size I had tried on, so we took the leap and bought it. It came with a pink satin belt, which is not the colour I would have ordered, so the seamstress I used removed it and added some more satin to create a new belt.

Bridesmaid smiling
Two bridesmaid reflected in the mirror
Bridesmaids doing her makeup

I knew from the start that I wanted flowers in my hair, but was undecided about a veil. Patrick had wanted me to wear a veil but I wasn’t sure. I’d reluctantly tried one on in a bridal shop, but they put part over my face and I freaked out – it felt really claustrophobic!


However, about a week before the wedding, I was swaying more towards wearing a veil. So I decided to order a plain tulle veil online to get a feel of a veil without the added pressure of being watched in a shop. When it arrived, I actually liked that it was so plain, so decided I didn’t need to get a different one, and I told myself I’d see how I felt on the morning as to whether I would wear it. Everyone agreed it looked lovely and so it stayed.

Groom doing up his tie
Groom getting ready doing up his shirt
Grooms reflection

I wanted something a little bit fun for my bridal shoes and something I could wear again and found some colourful Miss KG shoes with pretty flowers that I loved.I also got myself a pair of ‘dancing’ shoes, with a smaller heel for the evening. I found some that were really similar to my Miss KG shoes from ASOS – they were metallic pink, with white flowers. I was really chuffed and they helped make sure I could dance all night!

Like everything else, I wanted pretty simple jewellery. I didn’t really want a necklace, but decided I’d get some pretty earrings. I wear pearl earrings most days, so wanted something similar but extra special. I found some lovely drop pearl earrings with a little sparkle – perfect!

Patrick and I decided we would both get new perfume and aftershave for the day, as scents really bring back memories. We went shopping together and tried lots of different options. I chose Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf and Patrick chose Bleu by Chanel. These were the two we kept coming back to and felt warm and romantic. We wear them as our ‘special’ scents now, and they really take us back to the day and honeymoon!

Rustic barn setting, guests outside the venue with bunting hung.
The dotted crotchets - string trio playing under the trees at rustic wedding.

My hairdressers, Steph and Lindsey from Studio 82 in Radcliffe, came to do mine and the bridesmaids’ hair. I knew for a long time before that I wanted my hair down, soft curls and some pinned up. I hardly ever wear my hair completely up, so it was an easy decision to wear it mostly down, as that’s more ‘me’.

I wanted a ‘boho’ look, with some small plaits in for additional texture. I had a trial a few weeks before the wedding and took along some pictures. Steph was great and created the perfect look first time! On the day, she recreated it and added flowers to complete the look. Steph and Lindsey worked on the bridesmaids hair, again using pictures. We wanted their hair up with some plaits. They all loved it.

Make up was another last minute booking, I used Gemma Edwards, who was recommended by Chloe at East Riddlesden. She came to my house a couple of weeks before the wedding and we had a trial. I was quite relaxed about what I wanted, as I don’t tend to wear loads of make up. I’d read that a bride should ask to look ‘polished’ rather than natural, and Gemma completely understood what I meant! We discussed the style of the day and the colours we were using, and she worked her magic.


On the day Gemma did the make up for myself and my two adult bridesmaids, Natalie and my sister Sarah. We were all really happy. Gemma gave us all a bit of our lipstick in a pot so we could reapply throughout the day!

My three teenage bridesmaids did their own make up with their fantastically filled makeup bags!

detail of pink bridesmaids dresses
beautiful rustic brides bouquet
The bride stepping out of the VW Beetle at the venue

I find it really hard to say what my favourite part of the day was, Patrick said his was when I walked down the aisle to him. He was really emotional on the day and so it must have been a relief to see me finally arrive!

Groom Patrick welling up with tears as he see's Laura for the first time.
Bride Laura walks down the aisle with her dad.
Patrick very emotional as best man looks on.
Bride and groom at alter, Laura dabs her eye, very emotional moment.

Laura found her bridesmaids dresses at YS Dress;

I found a page on Facebook of a dress shop pretty local to me. We chose a maxi dress ‘dusky pink’ that all five girls really liked. I couldn’t believe how quick we decided on the bridesmaid dresses – I was expecting at least a few dress options, but we just seemed to find the perfect dress straight away.

I was happy for the bridesmaids to find their own shoes, and only asked that they were pretty neutral. Sarah and Natalie opted for Miss KG and the teenagers all chose white heeled sandals from New Look. The girls all wore their hair up, pinned to the side, with a few plaits. The pearl-like detail on the headbands that were a real bargain find in Primark ended up looking really nice.

Patrick turns to Laura, still fighting back the emotions of the moment
Mum and bridesmaid looking on, not a dry eye in the place!
The exchange of rings moment!
bride and groom taking vows
Couple embrace at end of ceremony.

Patrick didn’t want a ‘formal’ suit, but something a little more stylish and that perhaps he could wear again. After a quite unsuccessful search we decided have a look in some high street shops and went to Next. We were really surprised by the range offered. He tried a few on, and had one favourite with two back ups. We wanted Patrick and the groomsmen to wear the same suit, with the possibility of Patrick having a different waistcoat or tie. So we took photographs and Patrick went back with his groomsmen. Luckily, they all liked the same suit as him!

We tried Patrick’s suit with a different coloured waistcoat, but we felt it didn’t quite look right… so we decided that a patterned tie might be the answer to make him stand out as the groom. We found a lovely patterned tie in Marks and Spencer, with all the right colours – blue, pink and white.

Couple exit rustic barn to a flurry of confetti
The rustic barn doorway frames an image of the couple outside
More smiles and confetti!

We knew that brown shoes would look best with the blue suit, we stumbled across a KG section in Debenhams. I joked that we could have matching wedding shoes so dragged him over – we actually found a beautiful pair of brown leather shoes! Meant to be!

We got all of the groomsmen pale blue ties and pocket squares from Next. They got their own brown shoes and we gave each of them engraved cufflinks and my nephew Finlay wore a suit from Monsoon that matched the other suits perfectly!

Patrick was convinced his shirt didn’t need cufflinks, but I knew otherwise. I wanted the cufflinks to be a present for the morning of the wedding, so I let him believe he had button cuffs. I thought it would be nice to get engraved some lovely wooden cufflinks. I designed and had made some bespoke ones and them to Patrick on the morning of the wedding, with a card and a hankie (which is the one thing he really needed and forgot to take with him!)

the couple take a walk in the grounds
Groom kisses bride on the head as she laughs and they hug.
Beautiful shot in the garden with the couple embracing

I wanted to have a really personal touch to our day. My best friend & bridesmaid, Natalie was an enormous help and we worked together to design most things. We designed and created the Save the Dates and Invitations. I had seen an idea for the invitations online and recreated with my own twist – an engraved wooden magnet, so people could stick the invite to their fridges. Natalie made the wooden part at a laser cutting company and I ordered some strong magnets from ebay!

I collected jars from friends and family to put around the venue, filled with candles and flowers. We wanted simple, pretty décor – nothing too fussy. I spent quite a bit of time decorating the glass jars with the lace and twine used on the invites – I had a little help from friends and family as our day grew closer and I still wasn’t ready! My friend Milly had some log slices that we borrowed, sitting the jars on for the centrepieces.


We wanted bunting for the barn – we decided it would be an enormous job to make, so hired it. We used Simply Vintage who put up the bunting on the morning of the wedding, along with a set of stepladders for our table plan. I had printed out a list of names for the tables, putting in individual white frames to be positioned on the ladders.


We also hired LOVE lights and festoons from Typical Type. They really added to the warmth of the venue.
 Another idea was to have some seating outside the barn – an original plan was to get some large cushions and blankets. However, our venue had recommended someone who hired hay bales – we loved this idea and went with it!

On the morning of the wedding, the barn needed decorating. I would have loved to do this, but unfortunately didn’t have the time, what with hair and make up. So Patrick and his best man, Chris, were given the job. I was really worried it was being left in their hands, so my friends Harshana, Corisse and Dan offered to go and help them out. They worked with Lucy from East Riddlesden and did a beautiful job! The barn looked stunning and was everything I’d imagined.

Bride laughing in the gardens

We wanted natural looking flowers, rather than more formal arrangements. We searched for different florists in the West Yorkshire area and came across Natasha’s website, Natasha Coustol Floral Designs. Her portfolio was everything we loved about flowers and we knew straight away that we wanted to hire her. We sent her an email and she was super helpful. We arranged to meet up to discuss our ideas in detail, and Natasha came to our house. She was warm and friendly, and seemed to have exactly the right idea about what we wanted. To be honest, we don’t really know anything about flowers – just that certain bunches look pretty! We trusted Natasha completely to find us the right flowers for our day.

She even pulled it out of the bag on the morning of the wedding! The only thing that I’d known right from the beginning, having flowers in my hair…. I’d completely forgotten to mention to Natasha!! So my sister spoke to her on the morning and she brought me some gypsophila.

We had a stunning cake made by Suzanne Thorpe at The Frostery in Uppermill. We were extremely lucky that Patrick’s godparents, Ian and Sylvia, wanted to help out with the wedding and offered to get our cake for us. Their granddaughter had completed a course with Suzanne and spoke very highly of her work.

We went in for a consultation, where we took photographs of the venue, bridesmaid dresses, suits, my dress and the flowers. We had a tasting and looked at some examples of cakes. Suzanne then sketched up her idea of what we would like from our discussions and created the most beautiful design. Although there were some beautiful flavours, we decided Vanilla Sponge was a classic and the Lemon Sponge was delicious.

Close up shot of an embrace
Close up of their arms embracing
A kiss

We had a string trio, the Dotted Crotchets, who were amazing! They played as the guests were arriving and to my walk down the aisle. They then played for the drinks reception and we had lots of comments how fantastic they were – they had such a wide repertoire and we were able to pick lots of our favourite songs for them to play!

In the evening we had Vibetown who again were fantastic! Patrick used to play in a band and we love live music, so it was natural that we would want a band to play at the reception. Again, they had such a varied repertoire and we were spoiled for choice! At first people were a little coy, but they got everyone up to dance! Again, people were talking about how great they were even weeks after the wedding!

Patrick and his old band mates also took their gear with them and ended up playing 3 songs in Vibetown’s interval! Our guests loved it, as many of them had never seen him perform. It was really special though, as the band was the reason we met.

We wanted to hire a VW camper, as our wedding party was quite big and we had to get to the venue from the hotel. We found the Volkswagen Wedding Company online, the vehicles were beautiful and we decided to hire the beetle, Rosie, and the camper, Victoria. The company is family run and they are truly lovely people. They waited after the ceremony and the drinks reception for us to have photographs with the cars. We were so pleased we found them!

I wanted the favours to be something that people would want to keep as a momento of our day. I had the idea quite early on – a wooden decoration with our names and wedding date on one side and the person’s name on the other side, so they doubled up as place settings! We also gave people bubbles that they could use on the day / in the evening.

Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
Barm decorated with bunting for the meal
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.

On the day Laura’s dad gave her away;

I’ve always been a ‘daddy’s girl’! We chose the Beatles, Here, There and Everywhere to walk down the ailse to.The Beatles were always Patrick’s favourite band, and so have had a big part in our relationship. We also love ‘Friends’ and this song was the song that Phoebe had played on the steel pans as she walked down the aisle to marry Mike (ha!). We loved this and always joked that we would have the same. We hired a string trio to play on the day and so it was a given that I would walk down the aisle to this song!

We weren’t sure what our first dance song was going to be and had agreed to spend some time together to find one. However, one day when we were getting ready to go out, we had the i-pod on ‘shuffle’ and an Arctic Monkeys song came on that I’d not heard before. It was a B-Side to one of their singles that Patrick had bought a few years earlier. We listened to the words and just gave each other a look – we knew right away! The song was a cover of Barbara Lewis’ Baby I’m Yours. We love the Arctic Monkeys and went away one weekend to see them, so we knew we wanted their version rather than the original or played by the band.

Our second song we knew would be Moves Like Jagger – of course being the new Mr and Mrs Jagger! We’d joked a few times that this would be our first dance, but we thought it would really get the party started… and it did!

Guests dancing...this guy in a crown!
bridesmaid dancing
more laughter and dancing by guests
The bride and guest in silly glasses dancing, laughing and enjoying some bubbly

I find it really hard to say what my favourite part of the day was, Patrick said his was when I walked down the aisle to him. He was really emotional on the day and so it must have been a relief to see me finally arrive!

I think perhaps for me, my favourite moment was just after the ceremony when our guests were gathering outside ready for the confetti throw, Patrick and I waited in the reception part of the barn. We held each other and danced together – it felt so perfect to be together and have those few minutes alone right after becoming husband and wife! There was also another moment like this where we waited outside the barn whilst our guests were seated for the wedding breakfast. We stood together taking in our beautiful surroundings. Our photographers actually captured this moment and we had no idea! I love those photos…

If I could do anything differently, it would probably to try to be a little more organised! It never quite felt real, so I was rather laid back about everything. But then that meant I was decorating jars two days before the wedding, and packing things up, making last minute errands on the day before when we should have been at the hotel relaxing! So nothing major really…

My advice to other couples would be as most people say, it goes so quickly just make sure you spend a few moments together just you two on the day.

Lovely image of the couple dancing together as guests look on an rustic barm dresses with a sea of bunting

Such an emotional day and so beautiful. Thank you so much to the newly weds Patrick and Laura, aka Mr and Mrs Jagger, for allowing me to share their wedding on Adored Bride today. Big thanks also go to Amy-Leigh and Daryl from Let Love Flourish Photography for these completely insanely awesome images. I mustn’t forget to say a thank you also to One Wedding for the film of the day. I do think Laura and Patrick did a really good job of finding a videographer that complimented their photographers style really well.

Lots of love for the future and best wishes to the happy couple from us at Adored Bride.

Photographer – Let Love Flourish | Videographer – One Wedding | Venue – East Riddleston Hall | Bridal Desiger – Wtoo Watters| Bridal Boutique – Rocks and Roses| Brides Shoes – Ms KG and ASOS | Hair –  Studio 82 | Make Up – Gemma Edwards | Bridesmaids Dresses – YS Dress | Bridesmaids Shoes – New Look and Ms KG | Groom’s Suit – Next | Groom’s Shoes – Kurt Geiger | Grooms Tie – Marks and Spencer | Groomsmen’s Suits – Next | Page Boy Suit – Monsoon | Bunting and Decor – Simply Vintage Events | Cake – The Frostery | Floristry – Natasha Coustol Floral Designs | Lighting – Typical Type | Entertainment –Vibetown | String Trio – The Dotted Crotchets | Transport – Volkswagen Wedding Company | Catering – James Brown |

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