Tropical Flowers and Grace Loves Lace for Cool Craft Brewery Wedding

Tropical Flowers and Grace Loves Lace for Cool Craft Brewery Wedding

Tropical Flowers and Grace Loves Lace for Cool Craft Brewery Wedding

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.

Beautiful bridesmaid
Beautiful bridesmaid
Beautiful bridesmaid
Beautiful bridesmaid
Beautiful bridesmaid
Beautiful bridesmaid
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.

Grace loves Lace for stunning craft brewery wedding
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

Photographer – Mari Sabra Photography | Venue – Green Bench Brewing Co  | Bridal Designer – Grace Loves Lace | Veil – Grace Love | Brides Accessories – Salita Matthew | Shoes – DSW – Audrey Brook | Hair – Uliana Pakskina  | Make Up –  Cristina Puentes | Bridesmaids Dresses – VICI  | Flower Girl – Windsor | Rings – Zales | Groom’s Suit –  Angel’s Custom Tailor | Groom’s Shoes – Allen Edmonds  | Flowers –  Cotton and Magnolia | Cake – The Artistic Whisk | Lighting – Typical Type | Stationery – Minted | Entertainment – DJ Sugar Bear | Transport – Skyline Limousine | Catering – Senor Pepe’s Paella Catering |

Delicate Charlie Brear Lace for Pretty Woodland Wedding

Delicate Charlie Brear Lace for Pretty Woodland Wedding

Delicate Charlie Brear Lace for Pretty Woodland Wedding

If you love an out door wedding, you will adore this ethereal, whimsical celebration. Emily and Craig were married on the 1st of August at a stunning woodland blessing in Suffolk. The day was a real family affair with a beautifully relaxed feel, stunning florals, the prettiest lace Charlie Brear dress and so much laughter, affection and joy.

These images were shot by Mick at Miki Photography and are truly beautiful, I love the way all the joy, smiles, laughter and light are captured throughout.

Let me pass you to bride Emily to tell you more;

 

The Love Story

We met seven years ago through my brother, who inadvertently introduced us at a party. I think he’s regretting that now!

The Engagement

Craig proposed at Pangong Tso, a lake in the Himalayas that extends from India to Tibet. It was a long and treacherous journey to get to there, but it was definitely worth the trip! It was about -15 and had just started to snow when Craig got down on one knee. It was magical. Not so magical when our truck got stuck in the mountains for several hours on the way back to where we were staying, but definitely memorable.

Planning The Day

We had a long time to plan the wedding, so decided to book the most important things (the venue, catering, photographer etc) about a year before. We had a look around Kenton Hall Estate in Suffolk (where Emily’s parents are from), and knew immediately that this was the right venue for us. We then took it easy for about six months, before starting to think about the finer details about three months prior to the big day. We planned the event with the help of the wonderful Emily McVeigh (owner of Kenton Hall).

Inspiration

We didn’t really have a specific theme, but we knew that we wanted the wedding to be informal, fun and ethereal. The most important thing for us was that all our closest friends and family were a big part of our wedding day. One friend played the Kora (a West African Harp) whilst I walked down the aisle; another led the ceremony for us. Our beautiful flowers and wedding cake were also designed and made by great friends, and we had lots of help decorating the venue with origami cranes, lanterns and lots of foliage! 

The Dress – Charlie Brear

The dress was from Charlie Brear, a beautiful boutique in Central London, which sell unique and modern wedding dresses. Emily wanted something natural, understated and comfortable to fit in with the outdoor theme of the day. The experience of trying on dresses was really fun.

A small group our closest friends and family stayed overnight at the venue with us, in bell tents and yurts. We had a huge campfire, a lot of drink and some music. We sang, danced and reminisced on the day’s events until the sun came up. It was a perfect end to an incredible day. 

The Flowers

Emily’s mother’s beautiful and talented friend, Liz, designed and made all the flowers including the bouquets, table arrangements, hanging flowers and woodland displays. Liz and three friends spent a whole week painstakingly preparing and arranging them all, and her attention to detail was incredible. We were overwhelmed by her generosity and talent, and the woodland flowers in particular were stunning, which were interwoven between a willow arch in the woodland clearing.

Stunning flowers in woodland setting.
Flowers decorating the woodland ceremony
Pretty table plan in marquee
Naked cake decorated with fruit.
Flowers decorating the marquee.
Origami cranes in the wedding marquee
Entertainment

We found a band busking on the streets of London (The Thirst), who we invited to play for an hour and then just played a big Spotify playlist. A few oldies and some newer songs.

We also had about an hour of Jewish dancing. It wasn’t a typically Jewish wedding but Craig is Jewish and wanted to play a few songs. We were hoisted up on chairs by our guests and everyone really went for it!

First Dance

We actually decided not to have first dance, because we wanted everyone on the dance floor together!

The Celebration

A small group our closest friends and family stayed overnight at the venue with us, in bell tents and yurts. We had a huge campfire, a lot of drink and some music. We sang, danced and reminisced on the day’s events until the sun came up. It was a perfect end to an incredible day. 

A gorgeous wedding, thanks so much to Emily and Craig for sharing their day. Thanks to to Mick at Miki Photography for these stunning images.

with love

Photographer – Miki Photography | Venue – Kenton Hall | Bridal Designer – Charlie Brear | Brides Shoes – Rainbow Club (Katie) from John Lewis Rainbow Club (Katie) | Grooms Suit – Mr Start | Stationery – made by friends Jason and Sophie | Flowers – Family Friend Liz Fielding | Cake – made by friend Daisy | Music: The Thirst | Hair/make-up – by brides friends and next-door neighbour |

 

Laure de Sagazan for Cool Boho Farmhouse Wedding

Laure de Sagazan for Cool Boho Farmhouse Wedding

Laure de Sagazan for Cool Boho Farmhouse Wedding

I adore a boho inspired wedding and Emma and Phillip’s day is just the most gorgeous, cool, bohemian, rustic, spring affair. Captured by Ali Paul in his signature natural, slightly edgy, honest and beautiful style. The couple knew exactly the type of setting they wanted for their day, a rustic barn they could make their own, when they found Farbridge they were smitten. They set about with their family and friends to create a day that was relaxed, beautiful and that brought everyone together. I totally love that they made centre piece containers from concrete, there is nothing I love more than a bit of industrial mixed in with the pretty, also check out the image in the big concrete walled outbuilding thing, love it!…anyway I digress;

Emma’s dress is an absolute ruddy stunner by Laure de Sagazan from The Mews of Nottinghill and she looks the epitome of the boho beauty that she is wearing it and the flowers are incredible too. So with out further ado, let me pass you over to Emma to tell you all about their boho spring day;

Boho Inspiration

Philip and I knew we wanted lots of grey and white tones with greenery. We love plants and wanted to create a rustic bohemian relaxed style wedding.

The Venue

The couple chose Farbridge in West Sussex, a beautiful barn venue for their day;

We really wanted to get married in a barn and looked at lots of venues. Farbridge,  ticked all the boxes for us. We felt they understood exactly what we were looking for from the beginning, and were happy for us to decorate the space as exactly as we wanted to. The setting is beautiful, surrounded by rolling hills and spectacular rural landscape.

The Dress

Emma wore ‘Allen’ a beautifully boho dress by Laure de Sagazan;

I am not really a dress person, but knew I wanted something timeless, floaty with a bohemian feel. I loved the Mews of Nottinghill straight away. They were so friendly and helpful and not your typical wedding shop. I cannot recommend them enough. Their dresses are stunning and I would have been happy wearing any of them! I decided to go for the dress I felt most comfortable in, the lace detail and silk was stunning.

Emma completed the boho look with her mum’s pearl earrings and pale grey heel shoes by River Island.

Hair and Make Up

Emma’s friend and bridesmaid, Krystle Gohel created her boho look for the day;

Krystle is an amazing hair and makeup artist. I felt privileged she offered to do my hair and make up for the wedding. She usually has celebrities and models to work with not little old me. I am not very confident in front of the camera and with her skills I felt amazing!

Boho Bride Tribe

Emma’s bridemaids wore pale grey dresses by Elise Ryan that she sourced from Asos. The pretty flower girl’s dress was by Monsoon.

The Grooms Threads

Phillip’s suit was by Jennis and Waremann and great value for money. He wore a Zara tie, shoes by Kurt Geiger and accessories that belonged to his granddad.

His Groomsmen wore their own suits and the little page boy outfits were from River Island.

The Ceremony

For their ceremony Emma and Philip had a reading from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin read by best friend Liz Swift. They also chose Grow Old with you by Adam Sandler, sung by friend Joseph Swift.

It really set the tone and felt special.  My engagement ring was left to me by my nan when she passed away. My mum had been keeping it for me since I was a little girl, and Philip knew this was my dream ring.

Our wedding bands were made by Philip’s extremely talented Cousin, Max James. He is an exceptional jewellery maker so we were very lucky to have the opportunity to call on his services.

The Photography

Emma and Phillip chose Ali Paul to capture the day for them;

We loved Ali’s style of photography, and when we met him he was so relaxed you could tell he was a true professional. He was absolutely amazing and really captured the feeling of the day. He was so subtle and fitted in with our day, everyone was so impressed with his pictures.

The Flowers

The couple created their own floral decor, choosing Laura at Wild Willow to make the bouquets flowers crowns and button holes;

I was very particular about the style of flowers I wanted whimsical, nothing structured, just beautiful wild flowers. I came across Wild Willows website and knew instantly it was the right choice. They were more beautiful then I ever imagined and she was so relaxed and friendly it was brilliant!

Catering

All the catering at Farbridge is provided by their in-house caterers, Cuckoo. Run by husband and wife Nickie and Simon.

They were unbelievably flexible with all the food you could have for the day. We went for a good old classic Sunday roast with all the trimmings, and it was top class. Sharing platters of whole roast chicken and slow cooked roast pork, every single guest said they had never had such good food at a wedding before. Our desert of salted caramel chocolate brownie sundae was a serious talking point.

Philip and I knew we wanted lots of grey and white tones with greenery. We love plants and wanted to create a rustic bohemian relaxed style wedding.

Boho Details

We made a lot of the decorations ourselves and pulled in lots of friends and family to help us out. A lot of inspiration came from Pinterest and wedding blogs.

Philip and I made all the grey concrete pots for the tables, it was really easy to do and very cost effective. We brought all our flowers and succulents from New Covent Garden flower market 3 days before the wedding. Philip’s mum, Sue, made the lace table runners.I sourced all the teas lights, and made the favours and kids entertainment bags for the table. Philip’s brother, Mike, sourced all the wood for cake stands and decoration.

All the table invites and wedding invitations were designed and printed by myself. We used old windows for signs/table plan and Philip built some wooden ones as well, and I did all the writing.

Entertainment

Ellie, Philip’s brothers wife owns a kids party/event hire company, What About the Kids  and kindly brought along some brilliant entertainment, like teepees, bouncing cows, bubble machine and a fancy dress box for the little guests. We had a lot of children of various ages at the wedding and it really added an element of fun to the wedding.

Philip also made the photo booth background, and we brought all the props and cameras. It was a really simple idea and ended up with some brilliant snaps.

The couple booked Mighty Fine Entertainment for the evening;

Mark our DJ from Mighty Fine Entertainment was great. We met up a few weeks before the wedding and discussed what type of music we wanted. He was very professional.

The Cake

We are very lucky to have a close friend who makes the most delicious cakes! Caroline created exactly what we were hoping for, beautiful and elegant, and as always it tasted soooo good! My mum’s close friend Maggie also made two yummy lemon drizzles to go beside it. We didn’t want a formal looking cake, just simple, honest ingredients, you can’t go wrong.

Advice for Others

If you are going to create a lot of the decorations yourself I recommend starting early like we did and being super organised so you are not manically trying to get everything made last minute. The few days leading up to your wedding should be fun and relaxed, we loved every minute!

I absolutely love this wedding and it’s completely authentic feel. Huge congratulations to Emma and Phillip on your wedding and thanks for sharing it with us. Thanks too go to Ali at Ali Paul Photography for these epic images of the day.

If you are a photographer, couple or supplier that would like to submit a real wedding to be featured on Adored Bride, you can find out more here.

with love

 

Photography – Ali Paul | Venue – Farbridge | Bridal Designer – Allen by Laure de Sagazan | Bridal Boutique – The Mews Nottinghill | Brides Shoes – River Island  | Bridesmaids Dresses – Elise Ryan from ASOS | Flower girl dress – Monsoon | Page Boys – River Island | Grooms Attire – Suit – Jennis and Warmann Tie – Zara  Shoes – Kurt Geiger | Wedding Rings – Max James Jewellery | Hair and Make Up – Krystle Gohel | Floristry – Wild Willow | Flowers – New Covent Garden Market | DJ – Mighty Fine Entertainment |

Maggie Sottero for Pretty Cambridge Summer Garden Wedding

Maggie Sottero for Pretty Cambridge Summer Garden Wedding

Maggie Sottero for Pretty Cambridge Summer Garden Wedding

I love this wedding, it’s got such a pretty and sweet classic vibe to the day, gorgeous bride Rachel wore a Maggie Sottero lace overlay dress, with delicate pink hued summer flowers for her bouquet and beautiful Jenny Packham shoes. Keeping her gorgeous curly hair in a very natural style, with just a pretty bit of a sparkle, it feels very authentic and true to herself.

Rachel married her love Jon at Cambridge Union Chambers with them celebrating with a laid back and fun garden party at Rectory Farm, in a mini heat wave on the 23rd July last year. Congratulations to them on their first wedding anniversary this weekend, we hope you have a great day!

These lovely images were captured by Caroline Hancox. Caroline is based in Basel in Switzerland and London and says she ‘ loves to capture moments and to record the world around me, I genuinely get excited when I press the shutter and I know that I’ve got something special inside that magic little camera box!’ Her lovely approach has resulted in these lovely personal images.

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

The gardens on the morning of the wedding
The bride getting ready on the morning of the wedding
The brides Jenny Packham shoes
bridesmaids getting ready
The brides pretty summer bridal bouquet sat on a wall in the garden
The Love Story

We met in London on a night out, all rather by chance. We swapped numbers, went for a drink the following week and the rest is history!

photos of the couple hanging in the marquee
View of the venue
Maggie Sottero dress hanging up in the venue
The Venue

On the morning of the wedding Rachel and the bridal party got ready at their reception venue, the pretty Rectory Farm, Cambridge.

Rectory Farm was actually the first wedding venue we went to visit and we were won over by the lovely gardens and tree lined approach to the house (even though we first saw it in a frosty February!) We also thought it was brilliant that most of our guests would be able to stay there and the outdoor pool fit in with our overall aim to make the day as fun as possible.

Our absolute top priority was for it to be a day where everyone had fun – that was a key factor in picking the reception venue as we wanted somewhere that was flexible on how we decorated, where people could stay, that allowed music to carry on for as long as possible and we could have garden games etc, the outdoor swimming pool was really just a bonus!

The Ceremony

Our ceremony was held at the Cambridge Union Society, in the debating chamber . It look us a while to find our ceremony venue but we were absolutely delighted with the Cambridge Union Society, the debating chamber is such a unique venue to get married in and was a nice link to Cambridge University where I went to Uni.

My Dad took charge of organizing the wedding car, a beautiful Rolls Royce from Peterborough Cars. It was a very special way to arrive at the ceremony, a journey with my dad that I’ll always remember – he did a great job of keeping me calm!  It was also lovely to have a few moments alone as husband and wife on the journey from the ceremony to the reception venue.

My dad walked down the aisle with me and we walked down to a piano version of Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major and we exited to Love on Top by Beyoncé.

The Dress – Maggie Sottero

Rachel wore the pretty Maggie Sottero Emma style dress, bought from Mia Sposa, London

I went shopping with my mum and one of my bridesmaids and this was one of the first dresses I tried on, I loved the detailing of lace and the capped sleeves and felt like a princess in it, it was an easy choice! I chose some Jenny Packham, navy jewel embellished heels to go with it.

Hair and Make Up

Rachel’s hair was styled by talented stylist Becks Simpson of Thairapy Freelance,  with one of my her lovely bridesmaids Natalie Wilson applying her makeup to complete her natural look for the day;

I have curly hair, which Jon really likes, so I wanted to still look like myself on the big day so I was keen to pick a hairdresser that could work with curly hair. Becks was absolutely brilliant, she understood exactly what I was after and came up with a polished version of how I would normally have my hair with a jewelled hair slide to add some glamour.

The bridesmaids all picked their own styles and we had a brilliant time all getting ready that morning with Becks managing the timings to precision to get everyone ready in time (well, 10 mins late!)

The Photography

The couple chose the lovely Caroline Hancox to capture their day;

We did Skype chats with a few photographers whose styles we liked but choosing Caroline was an easy decision as she was the most enthusiastic (I think she just really likes going to weddings!) and seemed to really get what we were after. She was very reassuring about the whole process and having the opportunity to do a practice “engagement” shoot meant we were much more relaxed on the day

The Bridesmaids

Rachel’s bridesmaid all wore full elegant length pewter dresses from Twobirds Bridesmaid the classic jersey ball gown style.

The Grooms Threads

Jon wore a bespoke three piece navy blue suit from Dress to Kill The groomsmen were all free to wear their own navy suits but they all wore the same ties, from TM Lewin.

The Flowers

We worked with lovely Heidi Appleyard Floral design for our flowers. I found picking the flowers really difficult until I had found the bridesmaids dresses and my dress and then it all came together. I knew I wanted roses but I didn’t want it to be too pink and girly and Heidi was great at suggesting colours and combinations. I was blown away by the bouquets on the day and we were lucky that the ceremony venue was so unique that it didn’t need a lot of extra decorations beyond the pillars at the end of the aisle and some bay trees that my mum sourced.

The Cake

The couple had a stunning cake made by Jill, Rachel’s mum;

My mum made the cake, including all the decorative sugar work flowers on the top and it looked AMAZING! The bottom tier was a fruit cake made to my gran’s recipe, the middle tier was chocolate sponge and the top tier was lemon sponge. We couldn’t believe how amazing it looked, she absolutely exceeded our expectations and we still have the flowers from the top, they are decorating our mantel piece at home.

Our absolute top priority was for it to be a day where everyone had fun – that was a key factor in picking the reception venue as we wanted somewhere that was flexible on how we decorated, where people could stay and that allowed music to carry on for as long as possible.

Wedding Rings

The couple’s wedding rings are from Jade Jewellers in Hatton Garden which is where Jon bought Rachel’s engagement ring from too.

The Food

Our caterers were Cambridge Dining Company  who were absolutely amazing and we had many compliments on the quality of the food.

Entertainment

We had  Fun House as our band for the evening and the singer Devon was really brilliant, interacting with the guests and keeping everyone dancing – she even got involved in a dance off in the middle of one of the sets, executing a very impressive worm to cheers from everyone!

Stationery

We did a lot of the stationary ourselves (the save the dates, order of services, menus, table numbers and table plans etc) We wanted to personalize the tables so named them after our favourite holiday destinations with pictures of us there and some text about why they were special to us on each table.

The Honeymoon

We went on mini moon a few days after the wedding to Dartmouth for a few days of relaxing by the seaside which was lovely – Jon organized it as a surprise.

We then went on our proper honeymoon in the November to South Africa and Mauritius and had a brilliant time for 3 weeks touring around Cape Town, the wine regions, the garden route, on safari and then relaxing by the beach.

First Dance

Yes, we danced to Kodaline’s “The One”, the lyrics were absolutely perfect and one of our lovely friends is a dance teacher who taught us a few moves before the big day which was great for keeping the nerves down when all eyes were on us!

Favourite Moment

That’s a difficult one as it was all great. I actually really enjoyed the ceremony itself more than I thought I would, it was so exciting seeing each other for the first time and saying the vows in front of all our friends and family was really special.

I wouldn’t do a thing differently, it was an absolutely perfect day and we are still getting compliments from friends and family about how great a time they all had, even the weather surpassed itself (at 27 degrees!)

Advice from the Bride

Make a plan and a thorough to do list! Focus on picking suppliers as early as possible so there are no last minute panics.

I love this wedding for its perfect mix of traditional and modern wedding style its, relaxed, elegant and fun. Huge congratulations to Rachel and Jon, wishing you both a fantastic first wedding anniversary this weekend and thanks for sharing your day with us.

Thanks also go to lovely Caroline Hancox whose gorgeous photography captured the day perfectly too.

With love

Photographer – Caroline Hancox | Venue – Rectory Farm | Ceremony – Cambridge Union Society | Bridal Desiger – Maggie Sottero | Bridal Boutique – Mia Sposa| Brides Shoes – Jenny Packham | Hair – Becks Simpson | Bridesmaids Dresses –  Twobirds Bridesmaid| Groom’s Suit – Dress to Kill | Grooms Tie –  TM Lewin | Floristry – Heidi Appleyard | Entertainment – Fun House Band | Catering – Cambridge Dining Company |  Transport –  Peterborough Cars | Rings – Jade |

Sparkle and Blooms Contemporary Rustic Owen House Farm Wedding

Sparkle and Blooms Contemporary Rustic Owen House Farm Wedding

Sparkle and Blooms Contemporary Rustic Owen House Farm Wedding

Such a stunning rustic meets contemporary wedding for you on the blog today!  Gorgeous Jade and Dom were married on the 29th of April 2017 at  Owen House Wedding Barn , a really cool event space, on a farm in Cheshire. It’s just a bit different to your usual rustic barn and Jade and Dom fell in love with the space and knew it was perfect for their modern rustic wedding day. Gorgeous blooms by Dreamweavers, a stunning cake by Bloomsbury Cakes, sparkly glam bridesmaids dresses in peachy pink blush and sequins and THAT dress!

These amazing images are by talented (and very lovely) husband and wife team Paul and Kel of Paul Joseph Photography. I really love the work of these two and was so happy when they sent over this beautiful day. You need to check out their website, their top tips for weddings include this   ‘Forget traditional, you’re cooler than that”, yes you are!

Here’s beautiful bride Jade to tell us more about how she and Dom met and all about their wedding;

pretty shoes from Dune for rustic barn wedding
The Love Story

I am from Northern Ireland and Dom is from Manchester. We met in Edinburgh in ‘The Candy bar’ on George St. I was over for the weekend apartment hunting as I was moving there in a few weeks time and Dom was on his cousins stag party! We caught eyes across the bar and it was love at first sight!

Dom flew to Belfast to take me to dinner the weekend before I moved to Edinburgh and even though he spilled wine all over me (!) it was so romantic and I knew that this was something special! Needless to say my stay in Edinburgh was short lived!

The Proposal

Dom proposed to me at Lymm Dam; we made a wish on the wishing bridge then he took me to a little bench and much to my surprise, pulled out a scrapbook he had made. As I was reading through all the memories and pictures, he got down on one knee (into the mud!) and I said YES!!

The Dress

My dress is by Kenneth Winston at Ella Rosa. I found it in Forever Bridal boutique in Belfast.

I initially booked the appointment as a bit of fun, and when I took a look at the dresses I was overwhelmed and didn’t think there was anything that I liked. I had a look by myself and picked out a couple to try and to my surprise I was completely blown away. My dress was the second option I tried on and I kept putting it back on and just staring at myself – I felt so amazing. I didn’t bother going dress shopping after this, I knew it was ‘the one’ and eventually went back and got it.

My shoes were Dune bridal collection, with Rose Pearl earrings from Links of London.  I chose to wear Elie Sabb ‘Le Parfum’ as it is such a gorgeous, romantic scent and I wore it a lot when I first met Dom.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride and dad arrive at rustic venue
The Rustic Venue

When we found our venue, we knew that we wanted everything about the day to just be very ‘us’. I was always on Pinterest seeking inspo! We wanted the style to be very relaxed and effortless, not quite ‘Boho’ but just really dreamy and pretty, ultimately we just wanted everyone to have fun and it to be an amazing day.

I had looked online for ages but as soon as I saw Owen House, I had to go see it. It was the only venue we saw and we booked it as soon as we got home!

Owen House Wedding Barn were so great on the build up and on the day. Vanessa and Dan were more than helpful and really couldn’t have done enough to ensure it all went perfect on the day. We really didn’t have to think about anything other than enjoying ourselves and that was just amazing.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
The Ceremony

We had a lot of family meet with us the night before for some drinks to mingle etc then Dom went to stay with his family and I went back to our house. It was so special when I saw him at the top of the aisle!

My mum came with me and the bridesmaids in the car to the venue and took me to my dad who walked me down the aisle

Rachael Gladwin the harpist played Pachelbel – Canon in D. It was so romantic and I felt so emotional and happy when I was walking down the aisle towards Dom. It was such a special moment I will never forget it.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
The Photography – Paul Joseph

The couple chose the brilliant Paul and Kelly of  Paul Joseph Photography for their big day;

We saw some of the guys work in connection to Owen House on social media, then met them at a wedding fair at OHWB and they were just fab. They were really fun and we just knew they were the right fit! On the day they were just brilliant, so great with all the guests and we just felt at ease with them, they did such a great job!

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
Hair and Make-Up

I’m actually a make up artist myself so I did my own make up and a good friend of mine Shealeen Savage who I used to work with at Bobbi Brown, did my bridesmaids and mum’s make up. Shealeen, who is now a make up artist for Charlotte TIlbury, did an amazing job – I didn’t have to give her much direction, I completely trusted her to make the girls look flawless!

For my own make up I was conscious to choose a look that would be timeless, so I kept it simple – glowy skin and pretty pink lips & cheeks. I absolutely LOVED the So Sue Kim lashes I wore they were gorgeous and completed my make up perfectly.

Terence Paul in Hale came out to the house and did our hair. The girls were amazing they really did above and beyond on the morning, helping with bits and bobs to make our morning run smooth! I wanted mine and the girls hair to be just very pretty and in a relaxed style.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
The Bridesmaids

I wanted something different for the girls. I had seen something similar featured on a fashion boutiques social media and just knew it would be perfect.  The skirts are Little Mistress which I found on ASOS and the tops I found on an online retailers website. (sorry I can’t remember where) The girls got their own shoes, they were both different but similar in style – strappy and rose gold!

They wore some pretty gypsophila flowers in their hair, and  I got the girls a stunning pair of SWAROVSKI crystal studs to wear too.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
The Grooms Threads

Dom found a gorgeous Ted Baker suit in Slaters in Manchester – the team there were absolutely brilliant with everything from fittings, alterations and so on.

Dom’s shoes were brown Dune brogues which looked amazing with his navy suit. His cuff links and tie pin were a wedding gift from myself for him to open on the day, they were from Moss Bros Manchester. The Best Men and groomsmen all had the same suit as Dom – a navy Ted Baker fitted suit.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
Catering

We had Barretts Event caterers – who were really just fab. The food was absolutely delicious and they were such a great supplier to work with.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
The Cake

Our cake was made by Bloomsbury Cakes in Altrincham.  Marise did an amazing job – it was 3 tiered, each tier was a different flavour! We had lemon curd, raspberry and white choc and chocolate orange – DIVINE! It had a buttercream finish and was so pretty with some of our flowers placed around the tiers.

We got a lovely little cake topper from Ginger Ray online which Marise placed on top.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
Wedding Rings

Our wedding rings are from David M Robinson in Altrincham. My engagement ring is from there so it was natural that we went back there to get rings to match. 

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
Honeymoon

We went to Aruba in the Caribbean. It was the most amazing and special place ever. It was a long plane journey but well worth it. The weather was hot, the sea was an incredible turquoise with fish swimming right up to shore and the people were just so friendly.
We really had the most romantic time. Our resort was the Riu Palace Aruba. Wow – check it out. We even got a free upgrade of room. The most attentive resort and staff, we will definitely be back!

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
The Flowers and Styling

The couple chose Dreamweavers venue stylists from Middlewich to help create the look for their day;

We had seen the ladies work at Owen’s House at a wedding fair and I fell in love. They’re style was so dreamy and pretty, it matched exactly what we wanted and thought would look great in the barn.

For inspiration I did a lot of Pinteresting! I found some amazing pics and took inspo from that. I wanted it to look really romantic and dreamy – lots of blush, peach, white and greenery. They did the most amazing job styling the venue it looked incredible!

We had a ‘candy cart’ which we got from Candy Hearts – they again were fab, loads of old penny sweets which the kids absolutely loved! They also supplied us with ‘LOVE’ letters which were behind the top table.

bride leaving house
bride leaving house
bride leaving house
Entertainment

We had Six15 entertainment and they were amazing! The DJ got everyone up on the floor with some amazing music after the wedding breakfast and then later in the evening two of their guys, Tom and Kami came and played Sax and Percussion – it was a crazy/amazing atmosphere and everyone was up on the dance floor. It was such an incredible feeling – it sounds cheesy but it really was incredible entertainment, it just made our day so special and we will never forget it.

During the ceremony and drinks reception we had a harpist Rachael Gladwin who was just amazing. Her playing was so perfect and added a real romantic touch to the day.

Transport

We used Nostalgic Campers and had a blue VW van take us to the venue. The van was so cool and they supplied a little bottle of Moet for Dom and I to have after the ceremony.

Stationery

Our stationery was a variation – our save the dates we just used a picture of us when we got engaged and got it printed in a polaroid style and sent it out to everyone.  We found Norma & Dorothy on Etsy and used them for our invites- (they are based in Manchester) – they were gorgeous! They even let me incorporate a little drawing/map I had drawn into their design and we were super happy with them.

We didn’t have favours but I did make a few little booklets for the kids so they could draw and colour etc while the wedding breakfast was going on.

First Dance

We had Jason Mraz – I won’t give up. It really is ‘our song’ and always makes me well up when I really listen to the words. We just new it had to be our first dance because the words mean so much to us. We had everyone come on the dancefloor about half way through which was nice as it is such a romantic song.

Favourite Moment

It gives me butterflies thinking of when I was waiting to enter the ceremony room with my dad, I could hear the harp and when the doors opened and I saw some friends and family I just became so overwhelmed, I was so happy to see Dominic, I had to take a deep breath and keep my composure because I knew he was so emotional and it was such a special moment.

At the end of the night there was this amazing moment that I don’t think we got any photos of but I will definitely never forget. All our family and friends were all holding hands and dancing in a circle and Dom and I were dancing like lunatics in the middle, it was just so fun and everyone was having the best time. I will always remember the feeling I had looking at everyone and just thinking wow we are so lucky. – makes me well up thinking about it!!

The day was so perfect I would do it all again and never change a thing.

Advice from Jade and Dom

The build up can be stressful, especially paying everything off. Just try and enjoy the planning and everything that comes with it, remember why you are planning it in the first place.

Loads of people told us to take some time out for ourselves and that is exactly what we did. Every so often we would take 5 outside to just chat and be with each other and reflect. It was the best advice!

It’s easy when adrenaline is running high to forget to eat and drink a little too much, but the last thing you want is to wake up the next day and not remember anything or be ill! We had fun and enjoyed ourselves for sure but waking up and remembering / going over the day start to finish was just so amazing. Those butterflies will stay with you!

Love and congratulation to the new Mr and Mrs Hill, aka Dom and Jade, such a fabulous day, thank you so much for sharing it with us. Big thanks to Paul and Kel too, of Paul Joseph Photography. If you loved this be sure to keep an eye out for another fabulous wedding we’ve got coming up on the blog from these guys in the next few weeks, an awesome relaxed back yard wedding.

with love

Photographer –  Paul Joseph Photography | Venue – Owen House Wedding Barn | Bridal Designer – Ella Rose – Kenneth Winston Collection | Bridal Boutique – Forever Bridal| Brides Shoes – Dune | Hair – Terence Paul | Bridesmaids Dresses – Little Mistress | Groom and Groomsmen’s Suit – Ted Baker at Slaters  | Groom’s Shoes – Dune | Flowers and Styling Decor – Dreamweavers | Cake –  Bloomsbury Cakes| LOVE Lighting – Candy Hearts | Entertainment – Six15 | Harpist – Rachael Gladwin | Transport – Nostalgic Campers | Catering – Barretts Event Caterers | Invites – Norma & Dorothy | Wedding Rings – David M Robinson |

Gorgeous Thrift Store Find Dress for Handmade Hereford Water Garden Wedding

Gorgeous Thrift Store Find Dress for Handmade Hereford Water Garden Wedding

Gorgeous Thrift Store Find Dress for Handmade Hereford Water Garden Wedding

This beautiful handmade wedding, is truly inspirational. Lucy and Mark’s celebration shows just how brilliant a day you can create when you are lucky enough to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family to help you enjoy the journey of planning your wedding. The couple and their family and friends created almost every element of the day themselves, with the help of some well chosen wedding suppliers. I love all the little details, the personalised ceramic napkin holders made by Lucy’s mum, an artist, the handmade bridesmaid dresses, the shawls knitted by the bride and the stunning flowers, many arranged by the wedding party.

I also adore the fact that Lucy didn’t plan to get her stunning wedding dress from a charity shop, that it was just serendipity. It fits her perfectly, was such a lucky find and was also for a good cause!  So brilliant all round. I’ve always loved the line from that Sheryl Crow song, If It Makes You Happy;

“We went searching, through thrift store jungles, found Geronimo’s rifle, Marilyn’s shampoo and Benny Goodman’s cursive pen”

Because its true, you do never know what wonderful charity treasures you’ll find and what stories you’ll imagine or new memories you’ll make. I once found a dress for a student ball rummaging around our local charity shop, it was amazing, a pale blue vintage 1970’s halter neck chiffon dress…it fitted me perfectly, I loved it, it made me feel incredible when I wore it, it was just perfect! So get rummaging folks, you never know what gems you might find, maybe even a perfect dress like Lucy.

Lucy and Mark were married on the 23rd of July last year in the beautiful surroundings of Westonbury Mill Water Gardens in Hereford, they chose a great guy, Che Birch-Hayes Photography for their wedding. Che has a wonderful relaxed and gentle style, capturing the emotions and all the details in an authentic and charming way, the light and colour in his photography is captivating. So let me now hand you over to bride Lucy to tell you more about their day;

wedding dress
bride getting hair and make up done
bridal prep at home
The Engagement

We met whilst studying at university in Newcastle in 2009. We got engaged in June 2015 on the side of a hill in the Cotswolds.

bride with hairdresser
prep at home
bride with make up artist
The Venue

We found the most amazing venue partly by chance – it was a outdoor water gardens, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens that is incredibly natural so this inspired the rest of our wedding.

The gardens looked really beautiful and matched the natural style we were looking for. The owners were lovely, and spent a lot of time answering our questions. They had only hosted a few weddings before and were therefore very open to accommodating anything we wanted.

bouquet on windowsill
bride getting ready
The girls getting ready
The Dress

The dress was bought from Clic-Sargeant charity shop. I went in with my mom and godmother for fun. After a few…interesting… dresses, they gave me this one to try on. It fit perfectly and I loved it so that was it!

I also wore my mom’s veil, some leather boots from a vintage shop, A necklace with Whitby jet (a family tradition) and fresh flowers in my hair.

girls getting ready
Bride stepping into her pretty shoes
bridesmaid laughing
Hair and Make Up

Lucy’s gorgeous hair was styled on the day by talented wedding hairdresser Tabitha MacCurrach-Paine , with her pretty natural look make up by Grace of Grace Beauty.

Bride smiling
mum sees bride ready
Grooms Threads

Mark’s suit was from House of Fraser, with a tie from BHS. He also wore some Marvel cuff links a gift from Lucy on their wedding day.

Groom doing his shoes
the wedding rings sat on the piano keyboard
Groom getting ready
Groom getting ready
Photography

The couple chose Che Birch-Hayes Photography to capture their celebrations. Their wedding planning was trans-continental as Lucy was in South Africa for a lot of it of the times;

As well as having pictures we loved, Che was willing to Skype Mark in the UK and me in South Africa! Che was friendly, unpretentious and genuinely wanted to listen to what was important to us and our families. He made an effort to see the venue prior to the wedding to get ideas and to hear ours. We loved his enthusiasm throughout, and appreciated his respectfulness on the day. 

groom waiting for bride
bridesmaids

Handmade Bridesmaids Dresses

The pretty bridesmaids dresses in different colourful fabrics were all handmade by the bridal party, a huge task, but worth it as they looked amazing;

Stupidly, we decided to make all the (seven) bridesmaids dresses ourselves. The fabric was from George, South Africa, and Hereford. Dresses were made by Lucy, Mark’s mom and the bridesmaids.

Their shoes were from Clarks and the girls wore fresh flowers in their hair. All the bridesmaids shrugs were handmade too, knitted by Lucy and her mom. Their necklaces were made by Isla Clay.

bride walking down aisle
bride walking down aisle
bride walking down aisle
The Ceremony

My Aunt Joyce played a processional and recessional that she had written and played at several of my family members’ weddings. It was somewhat of a challenge getting a piano into a field, but it was completely worth it! 

detail of pink bridesmaids dresses
detail of pink bridesmaids dresses
detail of pink bridesmaids dresses
detail of pink bridesmaids dresses

The dress was bought from Clic-Sargeant charity shop. I went in with my mom and godmother for fun. After a few…interesting… dresses, they gave me this one to try on. It fit perfectly and I loved it so that was it!

Flowers

Lucy’s bridal bouquet, the corsages and buttonhole were all created by the incredibly talented Caroline Ede of Rough Acre Wedding Flowers.

The rest of the flowers were from flower wholesalers in Spaulding, Lincolnshire. This allowed us to get a tremendous range of colours and flowers. We had a great team of friends and family putting together the bridesmaids bouquet and decorations, led by Mark’s mom and sister in law. Jenny, Marks sister decorated an archway with the foliage from Mark’s parents garden and the flowers.

Stationery and Favours

The Save the Dates and the invitations were designed by my sister, Rosie. We couldn’t have been more pleased!

Our wedding favours were a bag of wildflower seeds and a personalised handmade ceramic napkin ring (the perks of a mother who is an artist!)

We found the most amazing venue partly by chance – it was a outdoor water gardens, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens that is incredibly natural so this inspired the rest of our wedding.

handmade wedding hereford
glass bottle house in grounds of water garden
handmade wedding
water gardens
The Marquee

The couple sourced their marquee from Burgoynes Marquees of Lyonshall, Herefordshire;

We chose Burgoynes because they were local, friendly and very adaptable to our needs. 

marquee wedding
handmade wedding hereford
handmade wedding hereford
glass bottle house in grounds of water garden
handmade wedding
water gardens
Catering

Our catering was done by Ruth Watson and her fantastic team. They did a fantastic job at catering for a wide range of diets and everything they produced was delicious.

marquee wedding
marquee wedding
handmade wedding hereford
handmade wedding hereford
handmade wedding hereford
Lawn Games

The guests were entertained in the beautiful surroundings of the water garden and the weather was perfect for it.

handmade wedding hereford
glass bottle house in grounds of water garden
glass bottle house in grounds of water garden
glass bottle house in grounds of water garden
handmade wedding
water gardens
water gardens
water gardens
The Cake

One of the bridesmaids, Hess, handmade the cake, which was a beautiful cake with a layer each of baileys, chocolate and cardamom, and lemon.

Entertainment

We were so lucky with the band that we hired, who were called Hope Street. They were incredibly talented, and they pitched the set list perfectly. All of the guests were up and dancing the entire time!

handmade wedding hereford
glass bottle house in grounds of water garden
handmade wedding
handmade wedding
First Dance

Lucy and Mark took to the floor in their gorgeous marquee for their first dance, choosing the Ellie Goulding song ‘How long will I love you’

Thank you so much to the newly wed’s Lucy and Mark, for allowing me to share their wedding on Adored Bride today. Big thanks also go to Che Birch-Hayes Photography for these beautiful images.

with love

Photographer – Che Birch-Hayes Photography | Venue – Westonbury Mill Water Gardens | Marquee – Burgoynes Marquees | Bride’s Dress – Clic-Sargeant | Hair – Hair by Tabitha MacCurrach-Paine | Make Up – Make Up By Grace | Bridesmaid’s Handmade Dresses –   | Bridesmaids Necklaces – Isla Clay | Groom’s Suit – House of Fraser | Grooms Tie –  BHS | Bride’s Bouquet – Rough Acre Wedding Flowers | Entertainment – Hope Street | Catering – Ruth Watson|

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