When I first saw these images of Scott and Karolina’s beautiful Sheffield Wedding captured by Alexandra Cavaye Photography, I knew I just had to feature it on Adored Bride. Scott and Karolina were married on September 2nd 2017 after getting engaged in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy. They chose a relaxed day surrounded with friends and family and some pretty cool little kids. (particularly love the little girl rocking the Dame Edna glasses and the little boy offering his lolly to the barstaff!)

I am a huge fan of city weddings, the urban environment offers some brilliant settings for photography and there are some pretty cool and edgy venues and suppliers in Sheffield at the moment. Scott and Karolina chose a relaxed vibe to their Sheffield wedding day, traveling to their ceremony together, walking up the aisle together and generally looking pretty amazing throughout.

They were married at Sheffield Town Hall which is an unbelievable building, so historic and grand with celebrations continuing at The Holt Cafe and Ottos Restaurant. Karolina looked stunning in a dress by Ghost, something about it has a slight seventies feel to me, it suited her perfectly. Beautiful flowing dress with cute lace detailing. Scott looked similarly dapper in his suit from Saville Row. Karolina’s hair and make up, a very beautiful and natural look were created by  Capelli Hair Salon and Sarah Gray MUA The Make Up Studio. With stunning flowers by Moss and Clover.

I really do love Alexandra Cavaye’s photography, it has an authentic and slightly raw quality to it that just exudes natural flair and conveys the moments of the day and the framing of the images is just perfect. I cannot get enough if the amazing images with the street scene backdrops. You absolutely should check out more of Alex’s work after you have enjoyed this gorgeous Sheffield Wedding;|

Congratulations to Karolina and Scott thank you for sharing your day with us and big thanks also to Alexandra Cavaye for these gorgeous images,

with love

I’ve such a gorgeous wedding for you today, lovely Victoria and Jonathan had a beautiful church ceremony followed by a rustic wedding reception in the prettiest village hall in June last year. These gorgeous images by Rachel Joyce Photography show just how much total joy there was on the day. Victoria and Jonathan look so happy! Victoria is so pretty in her Enzoani gown, I adore the beaded overlay, total elegance.

Their families and friends were very involved in their rustic wedding day with lots of homespun details, it has created a truly authentic, genuine vibe. A heartwarming display of the love that surrounds them. The couple put a huge amount of thought into lovely details that have meaning to them. From the decor (test tube flower displays as the groom is a scientist), to the food that celebrates the brides heritage, the stationery that celebrates their different travels, places they have lived and their wedding bands from the two locations where their love grew.

Let me hand you to bride Victoria to tell you more;

THE LOVE STORY

We both met at Secondary school, where we were in the same social circle, but not really close friends. It was only until we went to separate colleges but kept bumping into each other at parties and get togethers that we realised that we both wanted to be more than friends! So at one party, with my hatred for banana shots and Jonathan’s lost contact lense, was the time for our love to blossom!!
What we thought was going to be a summer romance before University ended up being a ‘we’ll just see how things go’ and 10 years later we’re still doing that!!

THE PROPOSAL

With a quest to be eternal students, and a few career changes along the way, we felt finally settled in our London life. Jonathan therefore decided we needed to take the next step to cementing our lives together. So he set out on his hunt for the ring, keeping it all to himself apart from telling my Dad about his plans. One early Saturday Morning, underestimating the body clock of a nurse, he snook off to shave (knowing I would know something is up if he was shaving on a Saturday). He got down on one knee and popped the question along side a champagne breakfast and some hysterical surprise face times to close family letting them know. He had the day planned with a trip up the Shard for cocktails and celebrations followed by dinner at borough Market, and the rest is history!

VENUE

Perfect for a rustic wedding vibe the couple chose their village hall for the reception;

As we both grew up in the area we both knew we wanted to get married in Mellor church. However we really struggled to find a venue which was close and created a relaxed atmosphere which we could put our own touch on. When the village hall was suggested it just seems perfect as we could do pretty much anything we wanted and it was a short stroll down the hill from the church!

CEREMONY

My dad had great privilege in walking his only daughter down the aisle and to be there for me to step into the next chapter as a married lady.

WEDDING RINGS

Jonathan got a platinum band from the same shop he bought the engagement ring from in Hatton Gardens in London.
My wedding ring is a platinum band with baguette cut diamonds inset in a curved design to fit with my engagement ring. This was handmade by Christopher Evans at a jewelers in Poynton. It was really important for us to have a little piece of Manchester (where we met/got married) and London (where we live/got engaged).  We both got both of our rings engraved with the date of the wedding on the inside of the band.

PHOTOGRAPHY – RACHEL JOYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Where do we start! From the beginning Rachel put us both at ease and it felt like a friend was with us on the day! She has a true talent for capturing the day as it happens, without you even realising. We wanted a photographer who captured the emotion of the moments and the little things which you don’t even realise are happening on the day. Her personal touches and warm approach made us both feel really supported on the day and we are both so pleased with the photos.

RUSTIC WEDDING INSPIRATION

Planning the wedding in our local Church and choosing for more of a low key setting in the village hall, has meant we’ve been able to choose all the things we love as a couple. It’s been all hands on deck with the lead up to the wedding, with many a crafternoons! But what has made it so much fun, is spending time as a couple working out what is important to us! In the end we decided that once the ceremony is complete and we’re man and wife…the rest is just a big party!
We wanted to have a relaxed theme to the day which celebrated all the people and things we love. From a gin bar to climbing ladders to hand test tube chandeliers (Husband’s a scientist). We wanted it all to have a personal touch and comments from guests were that it was one of the most personal and happy weddings they’ve ever been to.

Overall: Relaxed, personal and a big celebration with all the people we love!

DRESS

I didn’t really know what kind of dress I wanted but I wasn’t a big fan of lace. The simplicity with the elegant beading sold it for me. I also really liked the fit of the dress and it felt like me.

SHOES

Victoria wore Dune shoes, Breann style which were nude suede high heels with beaded buckle detail.

ACCESSORIES

Victoria wore a floor length ivory veil made by The Wedding Dress Shop where she found her beautiful dress too;

I wore a preserved flowers head comb by Folkey Dokey in my hair, the designer lives locally to where I grew up and I just loved having flowers in my hair without the worry of them wilting.
My husband bought me some diamond earrings as my something new as I had my ears pierced for the wedding. My grandma’s wedding ring which my grandad had inscribed when they got married. As well as two broaches which I attached to my bouquet as my something old/blue (1 belonged to my great Auntie who no longer is with us and the second from my Grandma who was there on the day).

PERFUME

Victoria chose Jo Malone-Tudor Rose and Oud.
Myself and Jonathan went scent shopping as a treat before the wedding where we both helped choose each others perfume/cologne. I loved the floral notes of this scent which felt in keeping with the time of year. Now whenever I wear that perfume or Jonathan wears his it instantly takes us back to our day!

BRIDESMAIDS

The girls lovely grey shift dresses were the Shanie dress from Coast, with pretty shoes from Dune called Dolley, they were Jewel trim peep toe-nude colour shoes.

HAIR AND MAKE-UP

Victoria and her bridesmaids chose Amanda Jones Makeup and Hair for the morning of the big day;

I wanted to just look the best me without looking too ‘done up’. We went for a dewy natural look with the makeup. With the hair I knew I wanted it up to show off the beading of the dress and otherwise I would mess around with it! We went for a natural curly up do which was amazing, it lasted all day without any issues!
The bridesmaids went for similar but with plaits incorporated and sprigs of gypsophila in their hair.

GROOMS ATTIRE

Jonathan wore a Charles Tyrwhitt charcoal textured slim fit suit, with shoes from Russell and Bromley. His cufflinks, gold initial plates, were a Christening present from his Grandparents. His tie was DKNY and Victoria bought him a vintage gold bean for good luck to wear on his pocket watch as well as a Paul Smith pocket square. He wore a pocket watch, chain and sovereign which was his Grandpa’s.

BEST MEN
The Best man wore a suit from Marks and Spencer with a tie from DKNY.

TRANSPORT

My cousin’s VW camper van which him and his partner had decorated especially! My cousin Danny is like a brother to me (only child) and it was really special to have him my part of the morning celebrations and for him to drive me, my mum and dad to the church.

FLOWERS

The couple chose Jenni Fleur’s of Marple Bridge to create the florals for the day.

We chose wild, in season flowers which had lots of greenery and herbs mixed in with peonies. In the Church all the flowers were arranged by the Groom’s mum and the church helpers.

VENUE STYLING

We wanted an informal relaxed environment where we could have all the things we love in a place which is really special to us. It also meant we could make things to decorate the hall to make it personal to us. All the decorations were either made by us such as the ‘dingly dangley’s’ which we cut and threaded onto string to hang from the entrance ceiling as well as chandeliers for flowers to be displayed around the venue and from the ceiling in the hall.

The father of the bride made the signposts himself for outside the hall! As well as both fathers of the bride and groom making barrels of beer. Any aunties, and grandparents drying petals for confetti! It was a full family and friends hands on deck over the 6 months leading to the wedding.

RUSTIC WEDDING CAKE

The cake was a white chocolate and raspberry sponge, lemon and Victoria sponge cake. All covered with vanilla icing. it was created by ‘Icing on the Cake’ in Marple.

The mothers of the bride and groom also made and decorated a fruit cake together.

CATERING

The couple chose Travelling Gourmet-Caters for the wedding breakfast;

They did a great job at making delicious food. We’re both big cooks and wanted to incorporate our favorite things. My family are polish so it was important to have a nod to my heritage. We therefore did a mezze board which had a polish influence for starters/canapes. It was great to see people dig in and get involved rather than formal canapes. Followed by lamb shoulder with seasonal veg and salads and dips. We allocated carvers all around the tables which made for great entertainment! It was one of our highlights seeing all these little chef hats mixed in on the two big tables sharing food like family.

We did the alcohol ourselves and made a pimp my prosecco and pimp my gin bar which was very popular. We also had a Polish toast called stolat and a Yorkshire toast to have a nod to both mine and Jonathan’s roots.

STATIONERY AND FAVOURS

We all made the stationery by hand sewing and printing and stamping with a bottle of wine!
The table plan was a play on our names and living in London which we made and had printed of the order of the day being similar to a tube stop. We home made rhubarb and ginger gin and decanted into little bottles for everyone to have on the day!

HONEYMOON

I used to live in Barcelona so the day after the wedding we both jet off to stay in Barcelona for a week which was fab!
We then stayed in St Lucia Royalton Diamond Club for two weeks in November for the honeymoon. It was just magical!

FIRST DANCE

Elbow-One day like this. Although quite cheesy it holds a special place for us both and with Elbow being from Manchester it just felt right. We didn’t practice the first dance and it was just literally us in the moment with each other.  

FAVOURITE MOMENTS

The first dance was truly magical-at the end of the song all our guests we’re on the dancefloor in a big circle surrounding us in the middle. All the love, smiles and energy from them all was just magic!
We also had a little moment just the two of us with a bottle of champagne after the ceremony and meal where we went for some pictures with the photographer. Jonathan had hidden a bottle of champagne for us to enjoy and just taking a moment after the photos just the two of us was super special we were both just giddy with excitement!

ADVICE FOR OTHERS

Think about the things which mean the most to you as a couple. Just take your time and think about little things which will have a big impact with little stress. One of our favorite things was thinking about what we loved as a couple and how we could add this to the wedding! People around you, love helping so when help is offered, take it! Don’t sweat the small things just remember to enjoy the moment!

Thank you so much to Victoria and Jonanthan for sharing their lovely rustic wedding day with us and to Rachel Joyce Photography for these truly beautifully authentic images,

love

I adore this wedding, it is such a beautiful, bright and colourful wedding. Claire and Huw were married in Wales on the 8th April last year, happy First Anniversary you two for yesterday! I love the indie vibe to their day, the bold spring colours throughout and the music that played a big part in the celebrations.

These gorgeous colourful wedding images have been captured by very lovely Jess Yarwood Photography, she has a really fabulous natural story telling quality to her images. I love the way the day unfolds through the photographs from getting ready right through to the party at the end.

Also incredibly lovely is Huw’s proposal to Claire;

The Proposal

We met on a night out through friends. For our engagement Huw took me on a weekend to Edinburgh. He’d booked us a table at our favourite restaurant ‘The Kitchin’ by Tom Kitchin. All of the staff at the restaurant knew that Huw was going to propose!

Before going to Edinburgh Huw had created a photo album full of photographs of our years together. On the last page it said ‘will you marry me?’ Huw had sent the photo album to the restaurant in advance. The staff at The Kitchen brought the photo album out as if it was the dessert menu, I didn’t have a clue what was going on!!

I looked through the photo album, got to the last page and said ‘yes’. Huw had the ring in his jacket pocket! The staff at the restaurant were on hand to bring over champagne to celebrate!! We had a great weekend.

Rustic, Colourful Wedding Inspiration

For the day itself we wanted a rustic, natural style. We really just wanted the day to be a fun and colourful wedding celebration!

The Dress

As soon I walked into Dolly Blue Bridal and met Adele I knew it was the place for me as it was such a relaxed and fun place . The shop is absolutely stunning and the dresses even more so.

I eventually decided on my dress due to my sisters reaction when I put it on. Although it was my favourite, as I wanted a plain dress with minimum sparkle, when she saw it she gasped and said ‘that’s the one!!’.

We opted for fresh flowers fairly last minute as hair accessories. So it was a surprise on the day what they would look like. I then found a bright blue pair of heels from Asos.

Bridesmaids

The Bridesmaids dresses were for Asos with gorgeous fresh flowers flowers in their hair.

Hair and Make-Up

Head Office Hair Studios did our hairstyles. We all wanted individual styles and Vicky created these perfectly. I like to think we were pretty easy going so we just let Vicky do her thing.

Made Up by Harriet Morris did our make up and Harriet was just fantastic. We wanted to look like ourselves but better and she achieved that perfectly.

Photography

The couple chose talented photographer Jess Yarwood to capture their day, you must check out her work if you are looking for your own wedding photographer. Claire and Huw were so happy the chose Jess for their colourful wedding day as she captured it perfectly;

Jess came recommended to us and we liked her laid back, informal style of photographs.

Groom’s Attire

Huw looked really smart in his bespoke suit and colourful wedding tie that fitted the vibe of the day perfectly. His suit, shirt and Tie were all from Richard Smith Bespoke in Manchester. His shoes were from Barker Shoes.

Best Man’s Attire

The best man’s attire was from Pretty Green.

Wedding Ceremony and Venue

Claire walked down the aisle with her dad Paul. The couple had selected ‘It’s about time’ by Jamie Cullum for the service.

We were married at Minera Church. It is our local church in a beautiful setting. We the had our wedding breakfast and Evening Reception at Plas Isaf Country Barn and Gardens.

Wedding Rings

We wanted something simple and chose rings from Powells the Jewellers. Huw also bought my engagement ring from here. It is a vintage, diamond engagement ring.

Wedding Wheels

Claire and Huw had some awesome wheels for the day including their VW Camper and 2 Jaguar Mk2 cars as well.

Flowers

The gorgeous colourful wedding flowers were by Vivid Floral Design;

We wanted a rustic theme and basically asked the florist to create bouquets that looked as if it had just been picked up from a field.

The Cake

Our cake was from  NV Cakes . It wasn’t a traditional wedding cake. We had a naked cake with buttercream. The bottom tier was chocolate sponge with baileys buttercream. The middle tier was vanilla sponge and white chocolate buttercream and the top tier was chocolate orange sponge and orange buttercream. It was divine!!!

Stationery and Favours

We created the table plans ourselves in a crate full of herbs.

We also had favours. All guests had a miniature drink and mixer. They ranges from gin & tonic, Vodka, whiskey etc. All top table guests had their personal favourite drink. The children had a ‘goody bag’ to keep them entertained.

Entertainment

Music was a big part of Huw and Claire’s day and they had some fantastic entertainment for their guests; their friends band Blue Genes and the Snowdonia String Quartet in the day and at the church and then in the evening the amazing Marblehead Johnson, (A Bluetones reference..I LOVE the Bluetones) an indie covers band.

Honeymoon

Huw and Claire has a mini-moon to Edinburgh;

We then honeymooned in New York and Sorrento, Italy. It was amazing.

Favourite Moment

It was all fantastic! Our friends, Blue Genes wrote us a song to be performed in the church called ‘you make love look easy’. It was so thoughtful and personal and it’s not everyday someone writes a song just for you! The Best Men’s speech was great too!!

First Dance

Claire and Huw chose ‘Baby I’m Yours’ by the Arctic Monkeys as their first dance;

When we first heard it in 2006 we said that if we ever got married that would be our ‘first dance’.

Advice from the Couple

Relax! Don’t let it stress you out! Don’t aim for perfection as it doesn’t exist, just enjoy everything as it comes. Enjoy preparing your special day!

Congratulations to Claire and Huw and I hope your first anniversary celebrations this weekend were amazing. Thanks for sharing your beautiful welsh wedding day with us and every happiness for your future.

Massive thanks to wonderful Jess of Jess Yarwood Photography for these amazing images of the day too,

with love

I really am loving today’s wedding, it’s so beautiful! Bride Lizzie is stunning in her David Fielden dress,  hair braided with wild flowers.

Lizzie and Will were married at the stunning surrounding of the monastery at Forde Abbey, with celebrations continuing at Will’s parents Farm. The day is filled with gorgeous rustic details,with the couple, their family and guests all making the most of the perfect Devonshire summer day. Sitting on hay bales under the trees for the speeches and toasts.

These beautiful images are courtesy of the talented Jennifer Jane Photography. I love her style, capturing all the moments and beautiful portraits of Lizzie and Will. Be inspired and enjoy as I hand you over to bride Lizzie to tell us about their day;

The Love Story

We first met at the age of 16, when Will’s parents moved to Devon, to the farm where we had our the evening reception. We went to the same Sixth Form and were always close. Will was always fixing my broken-down car so I could give him lifts home from school. We ended up going to University in the same city, but it wasn’t until a few years later that we became a couple. When Will’s younger sister broke her arm, I spent lots of time helping out on the farm and riding her horses; Will was always conveniently around! We grew closer after a rather chilly hockey match I departed for Will’s to be greeted by a hot bath and roast dinner. From there on, we never looked back.  

The Inspiration

We were fortunate enough to hold our reception at Will’s family farm. We strove to embrace an ‘English Countryside’ theme with hay bales providing informal seating, and old reclaimed barn doors for tables. We utilised what the farm could provide for our decoration, using old milk churns for flower arrangements and old storm lanterns for lighting. We added our own touches with handmade bunting and strings of origami cranes as a homage to our time spent living abroad in Asia as a couple.

The Venue

We had our hearts set on holding our reception at Will’s parents farm, but were unsure where to hold our ceremony. We looked at some incredible venues but when we first approached Forde Abbey, we were blown away by the beautiful setting of the historic monastery. We knew our guests would be able to stroll around the stunning gardens and enjoy the magnificent grounds just as we had.

The Photography – Jennifer Jane Photography

Our photographer Jen was the perfect choice as our wedding photographer. At our first meeting. Jen’s warm and bubbly personality shone through, and after a couple of biscuits and slurp of tea at her beautiful home we were sold. Jen made us feel completely at ease and we both felt utterly relaxed in front of the camera. Her organisation throughout was fantastic; scouting out both venues and exploring camera angles to get those beautiful shots. She always went the extra mile; army crawling in wet sand, clambering up rickety looking structures, and paddling through chilly streams. 

Jen is an absolute perfectionist and the passion for her work practically oozes from her. She is incredibly talented at her craft and takes such pride in the work that she does. The real proof is in the stunning photographs that Jen took, she managed to capture so many happy memories. Looking through them now, the photos tell such a beautiful story of our special day. We will treasure them forever.

David Fielden Dress

My wedding dress, ‘Esme’ by David Fielden, was chosen from Carina Baverstock Couture. They were fantastic at teasing out how I envisaged my dress and gave me a stunning collection of gowns to try on. I knew I’d found the perfect dress when I tried on the ‘Esme’, and then (much to my sister’s amusement) spent another hour strolling around the shop in it. I wanted a versatile dress that I could dance in but had a soft and romantic feel to it- with layers of beautiful, delicate lace over a low back slip- the Esme ticked all the right boxes! 

My eldest sister kindly lent me her Jenny Packham veil, which my middle sister had also worn for her wedding, something of a tradition. My hair was in a relaxed plaited up do with wildflowers woven into the braids.    

Is it bad that I can’t remember…I am so not a shoe person!

Bride’s Accessories

I wore a beautiful set of sapphire earrings that my sister and husband have given me as thank you from their wedding, to match the engagement ring Will had designed. My bridesmaid lent me her beautiful Cala Lily style bracelet with a stunning pearl to finish the look. I wore Boss Orange Sunset- it’s the scent that reminds Will of me and vice versa- he has the same Boss Orange for men

Make Up

Zoe from Beauty with Zoe was incredibly professional, seamlessly transforming myself and 5 bridesmaids. Zoe created a perfect natural look for me, which was just what I had wanted. My make-up stayed perfect the whole day and evening, I didn’t have to do a single touch up!

The Bridesmaids

I wanted the bridesmaids to feel perfectly comfortable in their dresses and thought long and hard about what style to choose. The multi-way dresses in pastel blues and greens were a perfect choice, complementing their body shapes beautifully. We had many a laughs learning how to tie and knot them!  

The girls all looked absolutely stunning, with loose, natural hair and flower headbands.

The bridesmaids had a white silk pashmina which my Mum had brought as gifts from Turkey as an accessory and a cover up for the evening.

Groom’s Attire

The groom and groomsmen all looked the part in their navy suits from Debenhams formal hire, with matching ties and pocket squares, complementing the bridesmaids’ dresses. The buttonholes were hand tied with raffia and included fragrant herbs. The groom’s included a beautiful blush pink rose, to match the bridal bouquet.

The Flowers

I knew that I wanted to source seasonal, British grown flowers and found a perfect choice with In Bloom Devon. We picked up three buckets of freshly cut flowers the day before the wedding, with bridesmaids on hand to artistically arrange the gorgeous blooms.

In Bloom created the bridal and bridesmaids’ bouquets along with the buttonholes for the groom and groomsmen. The buttonholes were hand tied with raffia and included fragrant herbs. The groom’s included a beautiful blush pink rose, to match the bridal bouquet.

The Cake

Will’s grandmother made our wedding cake, including the incredible sugar craft flowers used as the cake topper. A close friend and work colleague made the cupcakes, incorporating our wedding colours into the decoration. Both cakes were absolutely delicious and appreciated by all. 

The Rings

Will had my engagement ring designed and made at Gold and Platinum studios, based in Bath. The team were so incredible and passionate about their work that we knew we would go back to have our wedding rings crafted there.

Catering

Veysey’s Butchers Hog Roast, our local butchers created an incredible feast for us in the evening, appreciated by all. We catered for ourselves in the day, providing our guests with a traditional English afternoon tea!

The Wheels

Will’s family are avid car fans and so we were fortunate enough to use their old Sprite sports car as our wedding car. Will and I have spent many an hour in the garage toiling over the engine, and driving around the country lanes so it was great to use it on our wedding day. 

The Stationery

Will and I love crafting so were somewhat foolish and decided to make our own wedding stationery. Will designed everything while I was the manual labour, cutting and glueing into the small hours. We enlisted family help which made things happen a lot faster! It was great fun to do but I would recommend leaving yourself more time than you would imagine to get those invites completed.

The Decor and Styling

We strove to embrace an ‘English Countryside’ theme and gathered from the farm environment. We used old reclaimed barn doors for tables, old milk churns for flower arrangements, old storm lanterns for lighting and large wagon wheels for decoration. We added our own personalised touches with handmade bunting and strings of origami cranes as a homage to our time spent living abroad in Asia as a couple.

The Honeymoon

One of our first (and favourite) holidays together was spent in France and so we decided to go back there for our mini-moon. We stayed in an idyllic cabin on it’s own private lake near the Dordogne. We used Canopy and Stars, an incredible site with fun and quirky places to stay both in the UK and abroad. Coincidentally we had stayed in one of their properties in Cornwall when we Will proposed.

For our honeymoon we were lucky enough to spend a month travelling in Indonesia. Spending time in the jungles of Borneo, and exploring the islands of Bali and Indonesia.

The Ceremony

My brother-in-law was kind enough to give me away. It was a great honour to have him walk me down the aisle, although I think he was more nervous than I was. We elected for something neutral and chose Pachebel’s Canon in D.

First Dance and Entertainment

Our first dance was ‘Better Together’ by Jack Johnson. Although Will and I didn’t consider ourselves to have ‘a song’ we thought that this suited us perfectly, and have spent plenty a time dancing around the kitchen to it.

Entertainment

We had The Little Informers Our brief for the band was energetic and awesome! The Little Informers kept our guests dancing into the small hours of the morning with an incredible set. They had even learned our First Dance Song ‘Better Together’ by Jack Johnson which was a complete surprise to us.

Favourite Moments

With so many special moments to choose from it’s hard to say. My funniest moment is perhaps the glee on my bridesmaids’ faces when they decided it was an excellent idea to put a plastic bag over my head so that I could put my dress on without covering it in my make up! We wouldn’t have changed anything, apart from somehow made the day last longer.

Advice for Others

Delegate. If people offer to help and do tasks, then let them. Either give them a free rein on creativity or assign them something very specific. It’s a great way to keep you more relaxed and not feel that you’re having to do everything.

Congratulations to Lizzie and Will, such a beautiful day! Thank so much to Jennifer Jane Photography for sharing it with us,

with love

I am so happy to share this beautiful springtime, seaside boost of sunshine on Adored Bride today. Lovely and talented Kate Waters Photography got in touch with me before Christmas to share the gorgeous wedding day of Sam and Tori and I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to share it with you! It’s just the inspiration we need with wedding season really upon us now and spring trying to shrug off winter!

Sam and Tori Worster were married on the 8th of April on a perfect spring day, they have added so many wonderful personal touches, from the yards and yards of handmade bunting to everything fitting their seaside theme. They had lots of love and help from family and friends and have created the most wonderful celebration for their big day. A mix of seaside and country garden all rolled into one.

Tori wore a really delicately detailed Pronovias dress that suited her to perfection. I am a huge fan of this spanish bridal design, I am a Pronovias bride too…so a bit biased!

Let me hand you over to Tori to tell you more about their day;

The Love Story

We met in a house share in Leeds, I was sharing the top floor with my friend Lucca and Sam moved into one of the basement rooms. Sam didn’t know Leeds or many people there so I offered to show him my favourite places to go, which transformed into dates. When I then got a place to study medicine down in Norwich, Sam offered to move as well and we bought a house here together where we live with our dog, Oban.

Sam proposed in one of my favourite spots in the world. I’ve always loved the fireworks in Aldeburgh and he proposed on the beach while the New Year fireworks were going off over the sea.

Inspiration

I was on Pinterest and wedding blogs A LOT. I loved the idea of pale seaside colours, homemade bunting, relaxed and romantic. Sam quite liked a traditional style, while I liked the idea of a relaxed day where we could really enjoy the day and watch our friends and family enjoy themselves too!

Photography

We heard about Kate Waters through a friend who is also a wedding photographer. We checked out her portfolio online and instantly loved what we saw. We’d been looking for a photographer with a subtle, soft romantic style that would allow us to look back at the pictures for a lifetime. We contacted Kate and arranged an engagement shoot – upon meeting her we knew we’d made the right decision. She was kind, caring, funny and easy to relax with – everything you did. Combined with infectious enthusiasm and creative ideas. We didn’t hesitate to confirm her for our wedding and she did not disappoint. She was perfection and the photos were amazing.

Pronovias Dress

Tori chose a dress by Pronovias at Serendipity Brides and had it altered by La Creme Brides in Norwich.

I tried on a handful of dresses from La Crème, and 4 out of 5 of the dresses that I really liked were all one designer, Pronovias. So my sister (Maid of Honour) arranged for me to go to the flagship store in London. I had my heart set on an off the shoulder fish-tail style – but when I tried on the one I ended up buying, my sister cried – she’s not usually a crier so I knew it was the one! I also loved it obviously, I was very comfortable in it and it flattered my figure like none of the others had.

Bride’s Accessories

I wore earrings from my beautiful university friends and a gold bangle borrowed from my Mother which was given to her by my Grandmother.

Hair and Make Up

My talented sister did my hair on the day. My makeup I bought and trialed at Bobbi Brown. My bridesmaids did their own hair and makeup. But shout out to Cassie (bridesmaid) who ended up doing everyone else’s hair!

Bridesmaid’s Dresses

Tori’s bridesmaids all wore Coralie Beatrix multi-wrap dresses from Etsy in a lovely navy blue that perfectly matched the theme of the seaside colours.

The girls all wore rose gold initialed bracelets from Not On The High Street and had navy wool shrug from eBay to help keep any spring chills at bay.

The Groom’s Attire

Sam and his groomsmen wore Victor Valentine, with accessories from Moss Bros hire, cufflinks and ties from eBay and tie pins from etsy.

The Ceremony and Venue

Tori was given away by her father in a touching church ceremony before the couple and their guests celebrated in a marquee in the grounds of stunning Glemham Hall.

Flowers

Tori chose Jane Clarke from Flowers For Special Occasions to create her bouquet and flowers;

I was hell bent on having peonies, they are my favourite ever flower so was devastated when we realised they weren’t going to be in season. But I did some research and found some other lovely blooms such as ranunculi and avalanche roses. I had a rough idea of what I wanted and pinned a whole bunch of bouquets on Pinterest. Then when I met with Jane she was so accommodating and just helped to guide the process. I was so so happy with the result!

Cake

We had a cheese stack – we love cheese, what can we say! It was sourced by our caterers.

Wedding Rings

We both work for the NHS and therefore plain bands had to be chosen if we wanted to wear them at work. As we were buying very simple designs we used a fantastic website called Wedding Rings Direct. They send you samples out cast in silver so you can chose the size and shape before you buy them in gold.

The Entertainment

We had ‘On Demand’. A three-person band found via Warble Entertainment. They were loved by all the guests. We also had a Photobooth from Boom Booth Pow.

The Wheels

Sam’s Father rented us an old Triumph Stag from Big Sky Classic Car Hire in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

The Details

Tori designed and produced all the wedding stationery and made all the bunting to decorate the marquee with and lots or candles everywhere to create a lovely atmosphere.

We had those little red fortune telling fish that you place on the palm of your hand – a little icebreaker between guests. Also our nickname for each other is ‘fish’ so it seemed apt. We filled sweetie bags with flying saucers as well, Sam’s favourite sweet!

My Mum and I did the table flowers ourselves. I sourced the vases off Gumtree and ordered the hydrangeas from Triangle Nurseries in Suffolk (very helpful!)

Favourite Moments

Sam and I went straight to the beach from the church with our photographer and it was so lovely to just have a few stolen moments before we celebrated with everyone.

Advice for Others

Don’t worry too much about everyone else having fun – after you’ve done all the organising to make it the best you can, it’s then up to them to enjoy themselves!

Congratulations to Sam and Tori, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful wedding day with us, I hope you have an amazing first anniversary next month.

Huge thanks also to Kate Waters Photography for these stunning images,

So after an extended summer break, I’m back and with one of my favourite weddings to date! Beautiful Tatiana wore a stunning boho Grace Loves Lace dress to marry her love Brian in April this year in St Petersburg, Florida. They chose their venue, Green Bench Brewing for it’s meaning to them, they filled it full of their favourite people and had a genuine and beautiful wedding day. Tatiana worked with her wonderful florist to bring their vision to life, from the venue to the flowers weaved into her hair is just jaw-droppingly beautiful!

I was completely wowed by the incredible flowers, the beautiful flower girl and bridemaids, the epic bouquet throw and I love how all the couple’s family look so happy and proud of them both, it’s so lovely.

I follow their incredible photographer Mari Sabra on instagram, I love her style, it’s very, very cool, authentic and beautiful. These images capture the details and beauty of the day and has an honesty to it that I really adore. So I think you should go get a coffee, and start your day with this beautiful celebration of love, family and friends.

Let me hand you over to Tatiana to tell you all about their amazing wedding day;

The Love Story

We met in 2011, we were both working for a craft brewery in Tampa, Florida, he as a brewer and me as a bartender. We were friends for about 6 months before we started dating.

The engagement process was a lot of fun. We decided to go with a non traditional stone and design the ring together. The stone we chose was a mint green Tsavorite Garnet, both of our birthstones, from the recommended Fine Water Gems  We had it set in a rose gold Tacori setting from a local jeweler.

The Proposal

The proposal, although I knew was coming eventually, was the best part. We took a trip to Colorado, our first vacation without any friends or family. We had been hiking all day in Boulder and wanted to hit one more trail. Once we got there Brian magically pulls out a large picnic basket from the trunk of the car and we make our way up to find a nice spot to relax. While eating our various charcuterie, cheeses, fruits, and wine (a favorite of ours) he pulled out a little blue box and asked if we could spend the rest of our lives together. It was simple, magical, and totally us.

Inspiration

I wanted our big day to be fun and organic. Most of our friends and family would have to travel and I wanted to make sure it was an enjoyable and not stressful experience for everyone. I loooove flowers; all shapes, colors, and sizes. I didn’t choose “colours” for the wedding but instead told my florist to use whatever was in season. Everything else (linens, bridesmaid dresses, backdrops, etc.) remained on the neutral side to let the flowers stand out.

Venue

We decided on Green Bench Brewing Co. for a lot of reasons. Mostly because they have a beautiful tasting room and beer garden, but we both also work there. Brian is the head of the Mead & Cider program and I wear many hats from production to the tasting room while I finish school. We love the space, the people, the beverages, it’s really our home away from home. Can’t get much better than that!

The Ceremony

My lovely Father walked me down the aisle. He adores ‘Brain’  We walked in to an instrumental version of a song from our favorite Bollywood movie. Jasn-Bahaaraa by A.R. Rahman – it was so dreamy and ethereal. I felt like i was floating walking down the aisle towards Brian.

Photography

I chose Mari Sabra based on her style and value. I didn’t want a style that was too bubbly but instead more on the romantic side. I had seen a lot of her work with local florist and models and loved it. She also included an engagement shoot in her pricing, which was great because we probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise. So glad we did!

Dress – Grace Loves Lace

My dress is from the Australian designer Grace Loves Lace. Effortlessly elegant and unique handmade French lace dresses. I had been following them on Instagram for a while and had my eye on a few of their dresses. The only problem was, at the time, their only showroom was in Australia. Lucky for me they started a traveling concierge in the U.S. and were to hit two cities in their first visit. One of which was Dallas, Texas, where one of my best friends and bridesmaid lives. So my mom and I hopped on a plane and made a girls weekend of the trip. The dress I choose is their Verdelle gown. All lace with a faux cape, super comfortable, timeless, and unique. Exactly what I was looking for. I bought it that weekend and never looked back.

Veil

The veil is also from Grace Loves Lace. It’s their silk chiffon, floor length, Gabriela veil. The accessories I kept simple and went with another Australian designer, Salita Matthew. Grace Loves Lace carries some of their jewellery and I purchased the Venus anklets with rose gold accents the same weekend as my dress. I later purchase their Gaia earrings with rose gold accents directly from their online shop.

Shoes and Accessories

The shoes I wore were simple, comfortable, and nude, with a single strap at the ankle and a thick heel. I found them at DSW, the designer is Audrey Brooke. I wore an antique diamond ring that belonged to my grandmother as my “something old”

Hair and Make-up

My hair style was inspired by an Instagram picture a saw by stylist Ulyana Aster and executed perfectly by my personal hair stylist Uliana Pakskina. She also did all the bridesmaids and flower girl. I gave all my girls freedom to do what they wanted with their hair, just no crazy updos. I wanted them to feel beautiful and comfortable, not forced into anything.

For my make up artist I went with a friend who happens to be a MAC make up artist, Cristina Puentes. I wanted to look like a polished version of myself. I don’t wear much makeup on a regular basis so I didn’t want to show up to the wedding with it caked on. Same for all the ladies in my party. Sticking with the relaxed, comfortable, organic theme.

Bridesmaids and Flower Girl

The bridesmaid dresses are from VICI  They are nude/tan universal wrap dresses. I thought they’d give a cohesive look but still allow each girl to be different. In the end they decided on everyone going with a sleeved look except for my sister and maid of honor.

They all wore whatever shoes they wanted, I just asked that they stay away from black. As bridesmaids gifts I gave each of them necklaces form Long Lost Jewelry that they all ended up wearing for the big day.

The flower girl dress we got from Windsor which can be more on the adult side, so later we added straps and a sash at the waist.They each wore flower pieces in their hair by my florist, Cotton & Magnolia  each one different.

Style

I didn’t have a planner or stylist, that was all done by myself with input from Brian along the way. I did, however have a co-ordinator on the day, my florist, she was amazing and made my vision come to life.

I wanted our wedding to be reflection of us and all the things we love and have made us fall in love along the way. I took the traditional layout of a wedding and put our spin on everything i could. For example, the processional song and song I walked down the aisle to were instrumental versions of songs from our favourite Bollywood movie and the food was inspired by what we ate on our first date. It meant throughout the whole wedding there were a bunch of little things that reminded me of falling in love with Brian.

Groom’s Threads

Brian loves to get suited up but has very few occasions to do so. He has a tailor in town, Angel’s Custom Tailor, Inc, he has been using for years who also custom makes suits, and what better reason for a custom made suit than your wedding day. He went for a three piece lighter navy suit that we got to hand pick the fabric and style. It fit like a glove and the color was perfect on him.

Brian’s shirt and tie are both from Nordstrom, shirt tailored again by Angel (who also did some minor adjustment to my dress). Shoes and belt are Allen Edmonds and his shoes are Carlyle Plain-Toe Oxfords in Walnut.  All the Gents wore their own suits, I just asked again for no black.

Flowers

My florist was Elaina, of Cotton and Magnolia, I love her! I met her at the Indie Market  that Green Bench hosts every first Saturday of the month. Her booth was full of beautifully arranged flowers and she was so sweet. When choosing flowers i gave her a lot of creative freedom. I wanted colour and I wanted what was in season (trick to keep prices low) with lots of green. She hit it out of the park! We had dahlias, king protea, peonies, ranunculus, and few varieties of roses. The centre pieces had all of the above plus some tulips and berries with tons of greenery throughout. The guys had petite succulents in their boutonnieres which i though was a nice masculine touch.

The Cake

Our cake designer was Jovanna at The Artistic Whisk We wanted a clean looking cake design, not too busy, we both like a geometric theme, and incorporated rose gold and ivory for colors. It actually ended up looking a little Art Deco inspired, which was fine by us. The flavours were the best part. Two of the tiers where a marble with German chocolate ganache and the other two (our favourite) was a Lemon cake with a raspberry and basil jam filling. We figured that covered all the desert bases.

The Rings

We got our wedding bands from Zales. Brian wanted to be able to try his on because originally we were thinking of an alternative metal for his ring. Those ended up being too bulky and heavy on his hand so we went with a white gold band with ridged accents around the top and bottom. I stuck with my rose gold theme, with a slender band that has a row of dainty diamonds to compliment my engagement ring but small enough to be practical for everyday wear. We got the rings soon after Valentine’s day, which happened to be great timing with some awesome sales.

Catering

Man did we have awesome vendors! We love paella and it also happened to be what we ate on our first date. We got so lucky when a friend of a friend suggested Senor Pepe’s Paella Catering. Jose was so friendly and quick to respond to all my questions, I cannot recommend him enough! We ended up with three giant paellas; one with a variety of fresh local seafood, one with chicken and Spanish chorizo, and one vegetarian. They were big, beautiful, and so delicious. It was important to me that the food we had wasn’t just sitting under a heat lamp getting cold and old. The paella was right off the fire and so flavourful. He was also almost a third of the price of any other “traditional” caterer I spoke with.

For ease we wanted to use disposable plates but still wanted them to look and feel nice. I also hated the idea of just throwing away a bunch of plastic at the end of the night. We found these awesome biodegradable palm leaf plates from Webstaurant Store  they were beautiful, sturdy, and each one was was a little different. All of our other rentals were supplied by Coast to Coast.

Favourite Moments

It all went by so fast! Probably the speeches for so many reasons. My Dad’s speech express so much pride and gratitude. His family is from Mexico and came to the U.S. as immigrants. My father is now a 20 year U.S. Army Veteran. He spoke of how much pride he has for his heritage but also of the joining and melding of our family to Brian’s, which has a well established History in the States. It was such a touching expression of past, present, and future. Especially in today’s political climate. My sister and Maid of Honor had everyone, including myself, laughing, then crying, then laughing again. And Jeremy, Brian’s twin brother and Best Man, who usually has a harder exterior actually started tearing up when giving his speech. It was surprising but so touching.

Entertainment and Lighting

Green Bench already had string Edison bulb lights in the beer garden so we just had to worry about music. I DID NOT want the typical “We are Family” “ChaCha Slide” DJ. We had heard DJ Sugar Bear aka Seth spin at Green Bench a few times and he had a great old school vibe that made you want to get up to get down! He played for the ceremony and cocktail hour as well. You know you picked the right DJ when your grandparents, friends, and little ones don’t want to leave the dance floor.

Transport

We used Skyline Limousine of Tampa Bay as transportation to and from our wedding. Our driver was so nice and on time for everything.

Stationery and Favours

All the Invites, menus, and name cards came from Minted.  We didn’t really do favours, but we were leaving the next morning for our honeymoon so we asked everyone to take home and enjoy all the flowers from the day.

First Dance

We chose another very ‘Us” song.  Rose Royce – I wanna Get Next to You.

Honeymoon

It was amazing! The night of the wedding we stayed the the Marriott Hotel in Tampa International Airport and flew to Los Cabos Mexico the next morning for a whole week! We stayed at The Cabo Azul Resort in San Jose del Cabo. Less of a party town than Cabo San Lucas, more of a quite artsy fishing town. It is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been. Very walkable and friendly.

Advice For Others

Take your time and do it as a team, after all that’s what this whole thing is all about. Try to incorporate as much personal touches as possible. It’ll make the day even more special, seeing, hearing, tasting all the things that made you fall in love. Finally, your vendors are everything! Look outside the box, you’ll find less expensive and more unique options.

We wouldn’t do anything differently other than made it an hour or two longer! it went by so fast and i never get to have all the people i love in the same place at the same time.

What an incredible day, huge congratulations to Tatiana and Brian, the new Mr and Mrs Wing! Thank you so much for sharing your day with us and sending you love for your future together.

Thanks too to Mari Sabra Photography for these brilliant images, be sure to check out her other work on her website and Instagram too.

with love