Epic Modern White, Foliage and Gin Inspired Country Wedding by The Crawleys

Epic Modern White, Foliage and Gin Inspired Country Wedding by The Crawleys

Epic Modern White, Foliage and Gin Inspired Country Wedding by The Crawleys

This breathtaking wedding captured by The Crawleys is such a stunningly beautiful day. A charming Cheshire church wedding, an epic confetti throw, a country pub reception and cool marquee wedding breakfast. A marquee decorated with two huge real trees, fairy lights, festoon lighting, silver pineapples, gramophones, lots of foliage and white blooms with metallic accents and gin favours. The couple’s friends and family all got involved, there was a gin bar, ping pong table, photo booth and hay bale seating around firepits for toasting s’mores. It’s just a brilliant day.

I have been so excited to share it with you because it features two of the nicest people, my friends Rob and Jem. Not only is it’s their first wedding anniversary, (congratulations you beautiful beings) …. but their wedding just also happens to be flippin epic too!!!  Jem looked incredible in her bespoke Emma Beaumont two piece dress and her beautiful Sophia Webster flats. I love the subtle boho feather theme too in the brides shoes, the stationery and the grooms cuff links.The whole bridal party looked fabulous, including gorgeous Buddy their dog and there is so much joy and laughter in these pictures.

Rob and Jem chose to have their day captured by the brilliant Liam and Bee of The Crawleys and the images are wonderful. The Crawleys are exceptionally talented and some the friendliest, most down to earth folks you’ll meet and that is exactly what you want at your wedding;

The Engagement

We were walking the dog at sunset one evening and the proposal was a complete surprise. Rob had been down in London, I had been away in Glasgow for work – I bought him some Percy pigs he bought me a Tiffany engagement ring!

We planned our wedding in 11 months and went for a white and green colour theme with mixed metallic accents in rose gold, silver, gold and copper throughout. We were looking to create an informal feel with olive trees, succulents and eucalyptus festoons. The feel was slightly scandinavian, a clean white look with wood, metallic candle holders, terrariums, exposed metal poles etc so slightly industrial. Gin was also a theme!

The Dress

Jem wore a stunning bespoke two piece by Emma Beaumont Design in Knutsford Cheshire.

I went with a Pinterest board to Emma and a strong idea of what I didn’t want. It was an organic process of design guided by fabric choices and Emma’s eye for modernity with classic touches.

Jem completed her amazing look with a beautiful Emma Beaumont veil and a Folky Dokey dried flower crown.

Hair and Make Up

Gareth from Gareth West Hairdressing created all the hairstyles on the day, with Jayne & Laura at Sensoria from the Wild Boar, applying everyone’s make-up.

Both parties came to my mum’s house to prep us there and we all had manicures and pedis the day before. Gareth, Jayne and Laura were all really efficient and a real calming presence.

Bride’s Accessories

I wore Seraphina flats by Sophia Webster, they were a gift from my sisters who were my bridesmaids. They bought me one shoe each!

I wore pretty earrings from Daisy Jewellery and my bracelet is a family heirloom, a diamond bracelet. Plus I borrowed my Nana’s rose gold Monica Vinader friendship bracelet for the day too.

I had pre-chosen Oilily Flowers perfume but Rob surprised on day with Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia (had also treated both mums and himself to new smells) so I wore both!

The Groom and His Men

Rob wore a jacket and waistcoat from Remus Uomo that he found in Jepson’s of Nantwich. With trousers from Jack Wills, Ted Baker shoes and a Marks and Sparks shirt. Rob wore arrow cufflinks from Massimo Dutti, that fitted with the subtle cupid arrow theme.

The best man and groomsmen wore assorted jackets, all from Jepson’s of Nantwich with trousers from Jack Wills. I really like the look as it reflects their own individual styles but still has a cohesive overall feel. Very smart lads!

The Ceremony

We were married at St Peter’s Church at Little Budworth, it’s local, small and accommodating to pets, so Buddy our dog could be involved!

My daddy gave me away and we walked down the aisle to It’s all about you by Mcfly. We walked back down the aisle to Feel so close by Calvin Harris. Both were played acoustically by Mac Bros who also played during the signing of register.

Rob chose my engagement by himself from Tiffany’s in London, we then both took trip to Bond Street to choose wedding rings.

buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
Stationery

Our stationery was a custom order by Hattie Boo Designs. She designed the table plan, invites, names, tags for gin and order of service. Emma is great and has lot of useful contacts and an amazing studio. She took on board all of our ‘creative’ requests re wording and styling of the invites.

We also hand painted wooded pallets for the menu, order of the day and welcome sign. Our metallic confetti pouches were from Sixpence Paperie on Etsy, which we filled with natural confetti from Shropshire Petals.

buddy the dog in the church
Leaving the Church by the crawleys
Photography by The Crawleys

Rob and Jem chose the talented Liam and Bee of The Crawleys as their weddings photographers. They have won countless accolades having been named in the top 150 wedding photographers in the world, the WORLD!!  I remember Rob telling me they’d booked the Crawley’s, he was so excited. As a photographer himself he is a huge fan of Liam’s work and these amazing images speak for themselves.

I had 700 images to choose from for this blog post and it has been so hard to get the images down to anywhere near a sensible number. Eventually I arrived at these 160 amazing images! But ..sorry not sorry because each one is incredible and every single image I didn’t include was amazing too.

Rob was long time admirer of Liam’s work, especially his documentary style, which is non invasive. Liam was the 2nd thing we booked after the church. He was really supportive, communicative and the pre-wedding shoot and questionnaire help a lot. Ive particularly enjoyed seeing the photos that I’m not in of how other people were living the day. A very good capture takes you right back to the moment.

The confetti throw by the crawleys
buddy the dog in the church
the crawleys epic wedding confetti shot
buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church

We were walking the dog at sunset one evening and the proposal was a complete surprise. Rob had been down in London, I had been away in Glasgow for work – I bought him some Percy pigs he bought me a Tiffany engagement ring!

buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church

Choosing a favourite moment is hard….It’s a cliche but having everyone you love all together in one place, it’s overwhelming, all the feels, no tears just insane euphoric delirious smiles.

buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
The Venue

We had a gorgeous marquee in the grounds of the Cholmondeley Arms, we chose it for the casual vibe, it’s location and it’s very good gin selection! The Cholmondeley Arms catered with chilli and nachos (Rob’s favourite and last meal on earth choice) it’s easy for veggies too. Followed by the peanut butter choccy brownie.

buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
The Bride Tribe

The bridesmaids wore stunning 2 piece midnight blue dresses that complimented the design of Jem’s dress. They were also designed and made by Emma Beaumont. The girls wore sparkly flats from Office and Folky Dokey dried flower crowns in their hair. Their accessories were rose gold Chakra earrings, bracelet and rings from Daisy Jewellery.

buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
buddy the dog in the church
The Preparations

Julie, Jem’s lovely mum helped massively with the wedding preparations and organisation, including locally sourcing the amazing real trees in the marquee, that were later planted at their family home.

I’m eternally grateful to my mum, she made endless phone calls, emails, chasing suppliers and was overall master coordinator, vision of the marquee when I was struggling with not being able to see it set up before.

We used Rebecca at Pretty Creative – to help us collate ideas, to make final decisions (as we were being very indecisive!), to help source key props like the gramophone and to calm late wedding eve panic.

Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
speeches
bride and her mum
The Speeches

Rob and Jem had a drinks reception in the Cholmondeley Arms itself and did all their speeches there before heading into the Marquee in the gardens for their wedding breakfast. Such a good idea as it is a beautiful relaxed space and meant that the Groom, Best Man and Father of the Bride could get all the nerves over and enjoy their meal!

Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
bride and her mum
speeches
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
bride and her mum
Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
bride and her mum
speeches
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
bride and her mum
Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
The Flowers

Jem and Rob chose Heather from Living Colour for their incredible flowers.

Heather’s style is ideal, natural, informal not chintzy and lets the flowers speak for themselves. She made all of the bouquets, button holes, the arch at church, table arrangements, the foliage from the festoon chandelier, the ‘trees’ in the church and marquee. We had definitely wanted eucalyptus as the base and lots of foliage and went from there, including white peonies!

My mum sourced two large Hornbeam real trees for in the marquee to create a huge focal point. The wedding car flowers were done by auntie Clare.

The marquee
The marquee
Favours

For favours everyone was given homemade rhubarb gin and each place setting also had a small potted succulent from Okells Garden Centre.

speeches
bride and her mum
bride and her mum
Beautiful rustic cake by The Frostery
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
The Cake

Jo’s Cakes created our wedding cake, with a Victoria sponge, chocolate fudge and lemon curd sponge layer, dressed with lots of flowers and fruit. We also had yummy cheese wedding cake sorted for us by Rob’s mum Jane.

The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
Mini-Moon

We went with the dog to Wales for 3 days, it rained a lot, we were very tired and just ate, drank and slept, you will need a short break after but was nice to then wait and look forward to another trip.

The honeymoon was 6 weeks after wedding and was 4 weeks in Malaysia and Indonesia – but that’s a whole epic story in itself…

It was also really nice to attend a wedding soon after ours as a newly married couple, we made very appreciative guests!

The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
First Dance

We chose ‘You’re the one that I want’ from Grease as our first dance, for the comedy, ironically cheesy and to get people moving. It was a good moment for a confetti cannon !

The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
Favourite Moment

Choosing a favourite moment is hard….It’s a cliche but having everyone you love all together in one place, it’s overwhelming, all the feels, no tears just insane euphoric delirious smiles.

The best things are likely to be those that you can’t plan for, like the hilarity of the cake collapsing or the impromptu family dance circle including those from aged 15 to 80!

On reflection, we wouldn’t have done anything differently, everything that happened to plan (or otherwise) is now a part of a unique amazing day.

The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
Entertainment And Decorations

The rustic gin bar was supplied by Cholmondeley and was a big hit with everyone. We had hay bales around fire pits for s’mores, a ping pong table, large balloons spelling ‘L O V E’ and a Photo Booth from Booths dot co ( who were very efficient). We sourced all the table wear we needed from Corkscrew Hire. 

Our festoon lighting and rustic festoon chandelier were supplied by Hipswing. With acoustic music in church from the Mac Bros band, (friends of the bride — through Warble Entertainment)

We borrowed lots from family friends; tablecloths, hanging tea lights, vases and crates. We spray painted pineapples and silver birch branches and bought plant pots white hydrangeas and herbs for fragrance and to have at home after. All the candles were from good old Tk Maxx and B&M.

It was a big team effort the day before including all the bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents, siblings and we’re very grateful to them all, it was the day of Brexit vote!

The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
Advice From the Couple

I’d say don’t underestimate the groom! He can be so helpful, even those areas you might assume he’s not actually bothered about! Don’t try to take on too much yourself, when I was stressed about the hairdresser Rob sorted it within half an hour, lots of contacts!

It’s truly about YOU two, as a pair and as individuals. Also don’t check the weather forecast like a maniac it’s literally out of our control, don’t let last minute guest issues get to you either, or political referendums …

The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee
The marquee

Isn’t it just an amazing day? Huge congratulations to Rob and Jem and massive thanks to Liam and Bee, aka the Crawleys for these gorgeous images.

with love

Rebecca

Photography – The Crawleys | Venue – Cholmondeley Arms | Bridal Designer – Emma Beaumont | Brides Shoes – Seraphina by Sophia Webster | Bride’s and Bridesmaids Accessories – Daisy Jewellery | Brides and Bridesmaids Floral Crowns – Folkey Dokey | Bridesmaid’s Shoes – Office | Hair – Gareth West Hairdressing | Make up — Jayne & Laura at Sensoria | Groom’s and Groom’s Mens Attire – Jackets – Jepson’s of Nantwich, Trousers – Jack Wills, Shoes – Ted Baker | Groom’s Cuff links – Massimo Dutti | Flowers – Living Colour Floral Design | Cake – Jo’s Cakes | Stationery – Hattie Boo Designs | Props and Styling Assistance – Pretty Creative | Band – Mac Bros | Lighting – Hipswing | Photo Booth – Boothsdotco | Confetti Pouches – Sixpence Paperie on Etsy | Natural Confetti – Shropshire Petals | Tablewear – Corkscrew Hire |

Sublime, Elegant and Relaxed Summer Garden Wedding

Sublime, Elegant and Relaxed Summer Garden Wedding

Sublime, Elegant and Relaxed Summer Garden Wedding

This elegant affair is the most gorgeous traditional summer garden wedding. A stunning subtle pale pink floral theme, teamed with pretty pale green accents in the foliage and authentic, incredibly classic elegant lines throughout in the decor.  I love the effortlessly relaxed celebration that Ashley and Kate created when they were married on the 17th September last year.  Kate wore an elegant dress, in a silhouette hugging shape that sweeps into a perfect train with delicate buttons cascading down the length of it and a intricately jewelled detail on the waist.

Getting married at the local church, the couple were just a stones throw from Kate’s parents home. Walking distance, but no walking involved when your dad has the most amazing classic racing car to chauffeur you in! A gorgeous, gorgeous racing green Lagonda! After a church wedding filled with flowers, guests enjoyed drinks and canapes on the lawn of Kate’s parents house in the late summer garden sunshine before a reception in the huge marquee. Lucy of Clara Cooper Photographer whisked the couple away for a moment to create the gorgeous images of Kate and Ashley in the garden, with the foliage and festoon lighting gently swaying in the early evening light.  I love these two they are so relaxed and look like they just enjoyed every moment, especially the surprise confetti cannon as everyone hit the dance floor.

Thanks to lovely Lucy of Clara Cooper Photography for these epic images, capturing the essence of the day, each shot just framed beautifully. If you are in search of a photographer for your own wedding day, I highly recommend Lucy, not only is she a brilliant talent she’s bloody lovely too;

brides stunning summer Bouquet
elegant garden wedding - bridal preparations

We met at the University of Manchester through friends. We got engaged in our flat in Didsbury. Ashley had been planning to propose a couple of days earlier but couldn’t get hold of my Dad to ask him!

brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet

I always wanted to get married in our local church St Mary’s Eccleston and then have a marquee in my parents garden. I wanted to create an elegant look for the marquee and day but also to be really relaxed. It was very important to us that everyone felt at ease and relaxed on the day.

brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
The Dress

My dress was by Essense of Australia, from Cheshire Rose Bridal in Chester. The Dress wasn’t what I had originally thought of….I originally wanted a lace dress with no train. But saw this in a magazine 4 days after we got engaged and loved it. Then saw it in a shop and decided to try it on. I loved it straight away and knew that it was the one.

stunning dress ...the bride walks down the stairs to her father at her summer garden wedding
Bride’s Accessories

Kate completed her look with pretty satin Rainbow Club shoes from Elegant Steps, a delicate short veil and the prettiest of hair slides. Kate’s hair and make up look was created by Lizzie Griffiths. Kate had an elegant updo with a very natural make up look.

The Groom’s Threads

The groom and his men got ready at Oddfellows in Chester, enjoying a drink with some guests before heading to the church. Ashley wore a smart suit from TM Lewin. The guys were all gifted posh socks on the day from Happy Socks.

brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
brides stunning summer Bouquet
groom getting ready
Place settings with little wooden heart favours
grrom tying his tie
Light up LOVE letters by Typical Type with band in front.
THE PHOTOGRAPHY

The couple chose lovely Lucy of Clara Cooper Photography to capture the whole day;

We had seen Lucy’s work at a friends wedding and just loved it, we didn’t look at any other photographers, we booked Lucy straight away. We also had the day filmed by the Manchester Wedding Film Company.

groom getting ready
groom getting ready
groom getting ready
groom getting ready
The Flowers

We chose Wild Floral Design, as I’d always admired their flowers and they do a lot of designs for Oddfellows hotel above them which I always loved.  I asked for a very natural bouquet with lots of interesting flowers then a simple tie. I loved my bouquet!

The Marquee was decorated with gorgeous seasonal blooms to compliment Kate’s bouquet and elegant marquee garden theme. The stunning white marquee decorated with exquisite details and personal touches.

The Ceremony

Kate arrived at the church in her dad’s other pride and joy his racing green vintage 1938 Lagonda v12 le mans. The only way to arrive! They walked down aisle to I Giorni by Ludovico Einaudi, Kate loves this piece of music and had always wanted to walk down the aisle to this.

I just loved the whole day, it was all so exciting. There were no nerves whatsoever, I just enjoyed it all. Was just very excited and couldn’t wait to get married.

The Rings

The couple chose wedding rings from Kayes in Chester, Kate’s engagement ring was from here too.

Summer Garden Wedding

The couple worked with Tents and Events in Chester to supply the stunning marquee in the breathtakingly beautiful garden of the house belonging to Kate’s mum and dad. With catering throughout by Dougherty & Allen.

The Bridesmaids

Kate’s 3 bridesmaids wore pretty pale green dresses, by Mark Lesley from Aristocrats of Chester, which complemented the pink and seasonal foliage in the flowers. Kate had given them each a pretty drop pearl necklace on the morning that matched the sweet pearl drop pins in their hair. The girls each carried a bouquet of flowers in pale pinks and greens.

Honeymoon

We went on Honeymoon to Lux Le Morne in Mauritius, it was absolutely amazing!

Stationery and Favours

Our invitations we designed ourselves on Minted. I did the table plan, menus and name places by myself with some gold foiled card. We had miniature bottles of Mount Gay Rum- that we got from Barbados as favours which also doubled as a perfect shot for toasting the speeches!

Entertainment

After the speeches, the party continued into the early hours, with entertainment from a live band called Black & Gold, who were brilliant.

The Cake

The couple chose a three tiered ivory cake with gently ruffled icing and fresh flowers to decorate.

We wanted a simple cake and chose a cake from Pretty Tasty Cake. We had three layers, chocolate, vanilla & red velvet.

Favourite Moment

I just loved the whole day, it was all so exciting. There were no nerves whatsoever, I just enjoyed it all. Was just very excited and couldn’t wait to get married.

The First Dance

Our first dance was Ed Sheeran- Tenerife Sea. I had always loved the song and wanted something from Ed as I love him but slightly different to the norm. This song seemed to relate to us.

Confetti Cannon

I love this, as Ashley lifts Kate up during the first dance as a surprise confetti cannon showers them in gold and all their friends and family hit the dance floor around them . A truly perfect moment.

Advice from the Couple

Just enjoy it, it’s so amazing planning everything. Don’t stress either, most important bit is just being there with everyone you love in one room. It’s so much fun.

Isn’t this the most brilliant day? I love the very relaxed vibe to the whole event, so much laughter and joy, the dance floor looks packed! Sending love and congratulation to Ashley and Kate, thanks so much for letting me share your day. Thanks to go to Lucy of Clara Cooper Photography for these awesome images;

with love

Photographer – Clara Cooper Photography | Videographer – Manchester Wedding Film Company | Bridal Designer – Essense of Australia | Bridal Boutique – Cheshire Rose Bridal | Brides Shoes – Rainbow Club at Elegant Steps | Hair and Make Up – Lizzie Griffiths | Bridesmaids Dresses –  Mark Lesley from Aristocrats of Chester | Groom’s Suit –  TM Lewin | Grooms men’s Socks – Happy Socks | Rings – Kayes | Cake – Pretty Tasty Cake | Floristry –  Wild Floral Design| Marquee – Tents and Events  | Stationery – Minted | Entertainment – Black & Gold | Catering – Dougherty & Allen | Honeymoon – Lux Le Morne in Mauritius |

Boho Vibe Houghton Dress for Gorgeously Hippie Wedding

Boho Vibe Houghton Dress for Gorgeously Hippie Wedding

Boho Vibe Houghton Dress for Gorgeously Hippie Wedding

I have to confess that I stalked this gorgeous wedding on Instagram. Lovely Rebecka at Jean Jackson Couture was sharing images of beautiful bride Joanne in her seventies bohemian vibe Houghton dress and I was just bowled over by her style. She adores all things bohemian, a self confessed hippie at heart and the wedding to her love and soulmate Stephen is such a reflection of that.

Joanna and Stephen, aka the new Mr and Mrs Fox (very appropriately named!) were married in Cumbria in October. I don’t even know where to start with how much I love their wedding. From the amazing bride tribe, the very dapper mod style of the groom and his men and the bride’s proud daddy. To the totally down to earth and genuinely authentic decor in their stunning tipi to the flower crowns and unbelievably natural wild flowers and foliage.

All of this is just beautiful, the reason it’s so captivating is as at the heart of it is friends and family and a strong sense of being true to themselves. The couple beam throughout, their deep love is obvious and has been captured by a photographer who is their good friend, Karly Curwen Photography. So let me hand you over to the divine bohemian bride, Joanne to tell you all about the day;

Bride getting ready with a hippie vibe
bridesmaids getting ready
Beautiful detail of brides floral crown
shoes and bouquets

Me and Stephen went to school together, he was the typical all round popular sports guy and I was the awkward teen who loved all things bohemian and a little weird…some would say total opposites! But as I have come to realise opposites attract. After many attempts at asking me on a date (those attempts including a face book poke and an offer of naked twister) he finally went with the traditional route of asking me to have drinks and a night of dancing! It was the best date I have ever been on, we laughed, we danced, we sang until closing time…I knew this was going to be one exciting adventure from then on!

Bride getting ready
Bride getting ready hippie bridal crown
Bride getting ready
Bride getting ready

The Engagement

The engagement was one of complete surprise, we had taken a trip to Rome…knowing my love for all things natural and unique Stephen had planned a trip to the Orange Gardens of Rome. We climbed to the top of what seemed like the steepest hill which ended with two large majestic iron gates, I opened the gates to reveal a secret overgrown park filled with orange trees, the ground was completely covered in fresh oranges! As I was walking through this beautiful orchard all that you could smell was the sweet scent of fresh oranges and the powerful aroma of a million flowers (whenever I smell oranges it takes me straight back to that magical place..I always refer to it as my secret garden)

 bridesmaid putting bride's garter ready
Gorgeous pregnant bridesmaid getting bride ready
 bridesmaid's getting ready

At the end of the park was an old wall, at first it looked nothing out of the ordinary but once you got there you soon realised that this wall was what held the heart of this secret garden….Peering over the wall you could see Rome in its entirety, Rome’s best kept secret view. I was overwhelmed by how beautiful it had all been, by this time some other people had joined us. As I was gazing out over Rome I could hear Stephen breathing extremely heavy and very fast, it was then that it dawned on me what was going to happen, I was so nervous.

He told me that he didn’t just bring me here to show me the secret garden, he brought me here to ask me an important question, I turned around and he was 1down on one knee, before he could start his speech (which I can only assume was going to be one of heart felt memories and all things lovely) I flung my arms around him and said yes straight away! I was so overwhelmed at how much thought he had put into it, those gardens were like my paradise and he knew how much I would love them! It was the perfect place!

 bridesmaid's getting ready
 bridesmaid's getting ready

Wedding Style

Joanna and Stephen planned their amazing celebrations with a bohemian feel, true to them at the heart of it;

I am very whimsical and the ultimate bohemian, I love all things natural, earthy and relaxed. The idea of having a wedding in the woods was always something that I have dreamed of. Of course, Pinterest always plays a huge part in any girls wedding, they say you need your Pinterest budget and then your real-life budget! I always knew that wherever I had my wedding I wanted it to be filled with flowers and have feels of the forest running through.

The groom
Bouquets

The Wedding Ceremony

My father walked me down the aisle to Songbird by Oasis. I love that this song was written about a love and it was perfect for me and Stephen. It was sung by Zoe Warren. We also had Birdy wings when we were signing the register and Florence ‘You’ve got the love’ when we were walking out of the church (all sung by Zoe)  

The wedding rings were a special part of the day as Stephen had personally designed the engagement ring with the owner or the jewellers. He was given the drawings for the design in which we have since had framed. I had a black diamond engagement ring, something unique so the wedding band was simple in contract. 

My favorite part of the day which stands out to me was the moment I got to the end of the aisle and saw Stephen’s face for the first time, his eyes were glazed and his hands were shaking, I’ve never seen Stephen cry and (I know this is complete cheese) but when I looked at his face and I just knew I was his complete world and that he thought I was the most beautiful girl in the world it was an amazing feeling and one I won’t forget.

bride and her father at the church
bridesmaid set off for the church
Groom at church
the bride tribe at the church

The Photography

The couple chose Karly Curwen Photography to capture their day;

Karly is a friend of mine and I have seen her photos of her friend’s wedding and she captured the moment in the most magical ways. I knew that I didn’t want photographs that were stiff and posed, I wanted candid photos that I could look back on and remember the moment it happened…And that’s exactly what we got! I knew she would listen to what I wanted and point me in the right direction! Karly was fantastic with us, she guided us through the whole day, she gave me and Stephen direction which produced relaxed natural photos…exactly what I wanted!

groom waiting for bride as she walks down the aisle
groom and bride at the aisle
groom and bride at the aisle

Boho Hippie Forest Styling

I teamed up with the most amazing, interesting woman on this earth… Janet Wilde of Wilde and Romantic! She is a small business owner that specialises in prop hire and event styling! The imagination on this woman is unreal! I went to her with the idea of a woodland wedding and what she created was something far more spectacular.

She provided a vintage wash stand for my cake, two vintage front doors for my table plan, four real ram skulls for my top table and a host of other vintage treats. I had told her I wanted the venue to be filled with flowers and it was Janet who came up with the idea of having the flowers hanging from the ceiling…in which I had 250 jam jars (all collected between us) hanging from the rafters of the tipi some filled with wild flowers and some filled with floating candles. I had an assortment of 90 vintage gin / whiskey and Cumbrian ale bottles spread on the tables each filled with more wild flowers and in between each bottle the greenest real moss was scattered.

groom and bride laughing during ceremony
groom and bride laughing during ceremony
groom and bride laughing during ceremony

The Dress

As any Bride will tell you, the dress is one of the most important details of any wedding and it’s so important to get one that reflects your style. As my wedding was relaxed and bohemian I knew that I wanted a style that embodied this. The Houghton dress I chose was simple and elegant, it was flawlessly romantic and suited my body shape to perfection. I am forever dreaming of a life in the seventies and I love to generate that style and I felt this dress had the perfect combination of classic elegance with a free flowing hippy vibe…a very difficult combination to achieve!

I would love to mention how amazing Flick and Becky from Jean Jackson Couture were. When I first went to the shop I was so deflated and my confidence was at rock bottom, I actually went to the fitting with two sets of spanx on because I thought I was going to be too big for any of the dresses. As soon as I walked in they really did boost my confidence and made me believe that I was actually going to feel great on my wedding day, I had exhausted so many shops looking for the right dress but hand on my heart I can honestly say I didn’t come across two people more genuine in the whole process, they genuinely wanted me to be happy and confident it was much more than the dress and the passion they have for their brides is amazing and it shines through! I do owe a lot to these women because they gave me the confidence I needed!

groom and bride laughing during ceremony
groom and bride laughing during ceremony
groom and bride laughing during ceremony
groom and bride laughing during ceremony

Hair, Make-up and Accessories

There was nothing much traditional about my wedding so I knew when it came to my hair I would always want flowers in my hair! I chose a flower Crown to keep with the bohemian hippie style.

As a natural hippie, I knew that shoes would not remain on my feet for long so I did not chose an expensive pair. They were white barely there’s from Asos, I had them on in the church and then I felt the grass between my toes for the remainder of the day!

As a gift from Stephen I wore a Monica Vinada silver coin pendant, I also wore two bell anklets around my ankles from Dixi jewellery. I wore Chanel Chance, this is the perfume Stephen always gets me.

My hair was styled by my good friend Amy Pedan, a vintage chick with an eye for style and an amazing hairdresser. I had Great Lengths Hair extensions in which she created a combination of plaits for a relaxed up do. The bridesmaids had a halo plait teamed with gypsophila.
Our make up was done by Kate Stewart a freelance makeup artist. I had six bridesmaids all my best friends since childhood and one was Stephen’s sister, they all had their makeup done. They are all very natural and do not wear much makeup at all, so they had a subtle base with a Smokey eye.

groom and bride after the ceremony
groom and bride showered in confetti
groom and bride after the ceremony

Venue and Tipis

Following the church ceremony, continuing the boho hippie forest style Joanne and Stephen celebrated with a tipi reception;

The venue was a piece of land called Rivendell set within the Forest owned by a couple whose children I used to teach. It is a very understated yet magical place filled full of woodland life. As you walk up to the land all you can hear is the chirping of birds and the rustling of trees! You catch glimpses of foxes and squirrels, the nature that surrounded this place made it perfect for a woodland wedding. The land is owned by Joanne and Alwin Branniff who regularly host and organise music events there. The tipis from Fjell Tipis  were the perfect addition to compliment my woodland theme, they have a sense of magic and earthy feels about them.

groom and bride arrive at Tipis in the VW beetle
The groom
Bouquets
groom and bride arrive at Tipis in the VW beetle
groom and bride arrive at Tipis in the VW beetle

Bride Tribe

I am not a fan of traditional formal dresses, so I wanted something that was relaxed and comfortable for the girls. As they are more like my sisters they had a lot of involvement in choosing the dress, I wanted them to like the dress colour and feel comfortable, although they would have worn anything I put them in, I wanted them to feel nice so they could be completely relaxed for the day too.

We had a few options before we picked the right one. When you have six bridesmaids all different shapes, sizes and skin tones, including one who was seven months pregnant it was difficult to find a style that suited all of them. The dresses we fell in love with were a pale grey / blue, a relaxed spaghetti strap, with cross back and a pleated bottom. The dresses were from Asos. I think it’s important for brides to understand that the price tag or label isn’t the most important, what is more important is to get the right style and something that your gals feel comfortable…makes a happy bride tribe!

They all wore their own shoes. We knew it would be a bare foot affair so shoes weren’t important. The bridesmaids had a halo plait teamed with gypsophila and I had bought them all a Stirling silver arrow arm cuff which they all wore on the day.  

the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis
The bride tribe
The bride tribe
The bride tribe

Grooms Threads

Again, coming away from tradition Stephen decided a suit was not the way he wanted to go, he is a quirky character and he wanted to remain smart but true to his style. His entire outfit was bought form Threads Clothing a local business channeling the modern Mod. He wore navy carrot cut style trousers, a white oxford shirt, braces and a polka dot tie. He wore Doc marten loafers (with no socks which the priest found hilarious and made reference to this is the middle the service)    

The best man and Grooms men were in matching attire but instead of a polka dot tie they had a polka dot Dickie tie.

the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis

Flowers

Flowers were the most essential part of the wedding, I love fresh flowers and the affect they have in any environment. My flowers were done by the talented by Vanessa Adams I wanted fresh wild flowers everywhere to get the sense of a wood / Forest type theme. I had 250 hanging jars filled with wild flowers including Dill, Mint (the smell was amazing) Solidago, Treefern, Asparagus fern, Bupleurum, astrania, French ruscus, eucalyptus, wax flower. and 90 vintage gin / whiskey bottles again filled with wild flowers as the above,

My bridesmaid bouquets were natural greenery a combination of poppy heads, hard ruscus, eucalyptus, gypsophila, fatsia leaves, tree fern, leather leaf, my bouquets was compiled with dark flowers purple calla lilies, white mini gerbera, poppy heads, hard ruscus, French ruscus, Eucalyptus, leather leaf and tree fern, I wanted a huge bouquets to stand out against the simplicity of my dress. Every table had five bottles of wild flowers and fresh moss scattered throughout, the smell inside the tipi was unreal.

The table plan was two vintage doors covered in Fatsia leaves wax flower, gladioli, French ruscus (again the greenery just gave the effect of a secret garden) The vintage bike was filled full of asparagus fern, tree fern, French ruscus, gypsophila and solidaga.

the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis
The groom
Bouquets

The Food

I had a three tiered natural cake by Custom Cakes by Debbie Louise, laced with fresh lavender flowers rested upon a vintage washstand and protected by a rams skull. We donated the entire cake to our local retirement home the next day. During the day we had a BBQ and in the evening we had a mix of hog roast and bacon sandwiches by Border Hog Roast.

the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis

The Wheels

We hired transport from Lake District Vintage Cars. The bridesmaids and groomsmen arrived in a 1964 VW Camper van, called Gertrude. Me and Stephen arrived at the venue in a 1973 VW Cabrio white beetle named Gwendolyn (we had the roof down that day).

the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis
the bridesmaids at the tipis

Stationery and Favours

I wanted something natural, simple and earthy for my invites, I had natural brown card, banded with hessian rope and slotted within the card fresh leaves. The table plan was two vintage old doors, reminded me of the doors to the secret garden they were covered in greenery. Within each pane of glass was the table numbers (the table numbers were small blocks of wood that had been hand painted and designed by the tattooist Stephen goes to).

the bridesmaids at the tipis
top table decorations
door table plan
the bridesmaids at the tipis

The favours were homemade sloe gin, in small medicine bottles aptly named…Rivendell sloe gin. What was funny about the favours is no one realised that they were supposed to be mixed with something…so everyone drank them like a shot! This was definitely they reason everyone was so merry aha! I also had small pieces of card which had the words ‘love and lavender’ on and then people names. Inserted within the card I placed a fresh piece of lavender, the smell was divine!  

table decor
table decor
table decor

Decor

The couple had such an amazing and eclectic array of beautiful bohemian decor, ladders with fresh plotted plants, a wash stand for their cake, bottles, feathers, rams skulls, pretty hanging jars on shepherd hooks all up the path and yards or festoon lighting.

I had acquired an old gypsy wheel from a farming friend. I painted it bright yellow and decorated with bunting on the day and took an old vintage bike decorated with a huge basket of flowers. We had crates that we used for the arrival drinks, with glass dispensers filled with Pimms and huge tin baths for the peroni bottles.

top table decorations
top table decorations
door table plan
door table plan
table decor

Honeymoon

The honeymoon was spectacular. We did one month around Asia stopping in Bangkok (white water rafting and waterfall trek, floating markets), Phuket (caving, James bond island), phi phi (maya bay, monkey island, island, blue lagoon) Vietnam (Mekong delta, chi tunnels) and Bali blow hole, surfer’s paradise).

table decor
table decor
table decor
table decor

My favorite part of the day …. I got to the end of the aisle and saw Stephen….I looked at his face and I just knew I was his complete world and that he thought I was the most beautiful girl in the world it was an amazing feeling and one I won’t forget.

table decor
table decor

First Dance

The couple chose Bob Dylan – Mr. Tambourine Man as their first dance;

This is a song that I have listened to since I was little, my dad used to play it to me all the time and when I hear it I think of growing up and I think of my dad and how he moulded me into who I am. Me and Stephen are both very close to our family and we value family very much, and this song has always been a song close to my heart, Stephen suggested this song as he said it always reminds him of me because I constantly have it on the record player.

When we had finished our first dance a lot of family members and older people had approached us and said that the song had transported them back to growing up and the good times and listening to that song in the kitchen while their mam was cooking tea…I loved the idea of that because that’s what the song did for me too, very nostalgic, I know traditionally a first dance song is about the bride and groom and has some romantic connotations but for us it was something different.

When I was 16 me and my girls took a trip to see the kooks in Liverpool, we had the most amazing time and from then on we have always said the song Naïve was our song, Every wedding that’s been Naïve is the second song to play and all us girls get up and dance…and so sticking to tradition my second song was Naïve and arm in arm with my best girls we danced our hearts out to it!

table decor
table decor
table decor

Advice from the Bride

Stick to your own styles and stay original. Keep your integrity and remember this is a day for you as a couple. Enjoy every moment and love every moment. Take the time to sit and enjoy the day…one of the best things I did was take five minutes to sit outside in front of the outdoor fire pit with a gin in my hand and remembered the day and watched all the people go by. That was one of the best moments over the day…taking the time to take the day in just allowed complete happiness to wash over me, I would not change a thing.

table decor
table decor
table decor

Massive congratulations to Mr and Mrs Fox, you are a right pair of foxes and we love you and your wedding day! Massive thanks too Karly Curwen too for these beautiful chilled and gorgeous images.

love

Photography – Karly Curwen Photography | Venue – Rivendell | Tipis – Fjell Tipis | Bridal Designer – Houghton NYC | Bridal Boutique – Jean Jackson Couture (Northern Quarter Lounge) | Brides Shoes – Asos | Brides Jewellery – Monica Vinader and Dixi | Groom’s and Groomsmen’s Attire – Threads Clothing | Bridesmaids – Asos | Hair – Amy Pedan | Make Up Artist – Kate Stewart | Wedding Rings – Horsman’s Jewellers | Styling and Prop Hire – Wilde and Romantic | Florist – Vanessa Adams | Cake – Custom Cakes by Debbie Louise | Transport – Lake District Vintage Cars | Catering – Border Hog Roast | Entertainment – Jack Murray DJ |

Beautiful Naomi Neoh Gown for Pretty Shustoke Barn Wedding

Beautiful Naomi Neoh Gown for Pretty Shustoke Barn Wedding

Beautiful Naomi Neoh Gown for Pretty Shustoke Barn Wedding

I can’t get enough a this stunning barn wedding in Warwickshire from Helen King Photography. With its beautiful lush June blooms, pretty surroundings, stunning bouquet, THAT dress and all the pretty details crafted by the bride Charley.

Charley and Ben were married on 20th June at All Saints Church with a gorgeous rustic, English country garden style barn wedding at Shustoke Farm Barn. It rained a little early in the day but it seems only to add to the vibrant colour of all the natural elements of the day, the gardens and surroundings too. Charley wore the most beautiful Naomi Neoh dress, with flowing chiffon and the prettiest floral detail on the waist, complete with a flowing veil and flowers in her hair. All the divine flowers were created by Bloom Fleuriste.

It’s a wedding full of warmth and beautiful moments, I love the way Ben looks at Charley in the car as they leave the church, with his proper cat that got the cream face. So let me thank Helen King Photography for these beautiful images as I hand you over to bride Charley to tell us more about their gorgeous barn wedding.

brides dress
wedding invite

We met in our local pub when I was 17 and Ben was 19. Our first conversation was Ben’s amazing chat up line of asking me for some paracetamols! Of course I told him no and walked off, he didn’t give up and we ended going out with each other.


Ben asked me to marry him during a weekend away to Dartmoor for my Birthday. He had picked the perfect spot…a rope swing overlooking a river with stepping stones…picture perfect. Everything was set for a seamless proposal…bar our springer spaniel trying to drown herself at an inopportune moment!

barn wedding

Charley and Ben struggled to find a venue, they had an clear idea what they wanted and knew when they found Shustoke online that a barn wedding would be perfect;

We knew right from the start that we wanted our day to be relaxed and care free, neither of us like much fuss and being centre of attention.

After getting engaged we knew we wanted to get married locally, but soon realised that what we were looking for from our wedding venue was going to be hard to find…relaxed, rustic charm with something a little extra and definitely not formal. After spending ages trawling the internet on our lunch breaks we found it, Shustoke Farm Barns. It has everything we wanted and more.

bridesmaids outside church
flowers at church door
bridesmaids outside church
flowers at church door

We had the same problem with trying to find our photographer as we did with the venue. We didn’t want forced formal shots and as I mentioned earlier we are both camera shy at the best of times!! Luckily we found the lovely Helen King, we fell in love with her cinematic relaxed style. She put us at ease as soon as we met her with her hassle-free style and made it feel like a friend photographing us rather than a stranger.

barn wedding
bridesmaids outside church
flowers at church door

Charley wore a stunning dress, Clementine by Naomi Neoh from The Stamford Bridal Rooms;

I didn’t want your traditional wedding dress or to look like toilet roll doily. I wanted to feel like myself and didn’t want to feel like I was playing dress up with my Mum’s clothes. I tried on countless dresses and none made me have that feeling that everyone talks about you are meant to get. I thought perhaps I’m just not going to get that feeling until I tried on my dress THE dress that made me feel amazing.

Charley’s pretty veil and hair accessories and her pretty Mimosa shoes by Rachel Simpson were all from Cicily Bridal.  The pretty bridesmaids dresses were Two Birds Classic Ballgown style in the Heather colour, again from Cicily Bridal.

The bridesmaids all chose their own shoes as one of my bridesmaid’s was heavily pregnant so I wanted to make sure she was comfortable…she gave birth the week after!  

My bridesmaids and my hair were done by the super talented team at Francesco’s Group Tamworth. Our makeup was done by Ben’s Cousin, who is a professional make-up artist, which meant the world to me that she could be a part of our special day.

Ben and his groomsmen wore smart trousers, waistcoats and jackets from Moss Bros with shoes from Marks and Spencer. Ben’s shirt was from Reiss and the groomsmen’s shirt were from Ralph Lauren.

the pretty gardens at shustoke
the pretty gardens at shustoke

The couples transport for the day was a totally epic ride, a 1950’s Chevrolet provided by a family friend.

At the church Ben didn’t look back at me while I was walking up the aisle as he was too busy trying not cry!! I cried during the rehearsal, but didn’t on the day so it was a bit of a role reversal!

Charley walked down the aisle with her father to traditional church music.

Once married and signing the register one of Ben’s best friends Sam Seamark sang and played on the guitar Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ in the church.

the pretty gardens at shustoke
the pretty gardens at shustoke
the pretty gardens at shustoke
the pretty gardens at shustoke

We didn’t want your traditional wedding flowers and were so pleased when we stumbled upon Hannah’s website, Bloom Fleuriste. We immediately fell in love with her free form style of arranging and it was exactly what we were looking for…flowers that could have been picked straight from the garden.

bridesmaids outside church
bridesmaids outside church
bridesmaids outside church
flowers at church door
flowers at church door
bridesmaids outside church
bridesmaids outside church

We didn’t want your traditional wedding flowers and were so pleased when we stumbled upon Hannah’s website, Bloom Fleuriste. We immediately fell in love with her free form style of arranging and it was exactly what we were looking for…flowers that could have been picked straight from the garden.

bridesmaids outside church
bridesmaids outside church
bridesmaids outside church
the bride
the groom

One of my best friends Becca Yates made our cake. We wanted something simple that would tie in with our table centre pieces so we went for plain white icing decorated with hessian, lace and flowers. We are not overly keen on the traditional fruit cake so we went for Victoria sponge, lemon drizzle and double chocolate.

All the catering was provided by the venue Shustoke Farm Barns, with entertainment sound and lighting by Ashmore Acoustics Live Music. The couple highly recommend them both.

the bride
the groom

The couple sourced their weddings rings in Victoria James in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham.

I didn’t want anything to take away from the beauty of my engagement ring so had a plain platinum band. Ben also had a plain band in palladium.

barn wedding

I made all of the wedding stationary myself…it took over my life for a short time, but it was totally worth it!!

For favours we had horseshoes which also doubled up as name plates. We wanted them to look rustic so got used ones from my brother who is a farrier which was handy. Ben just had to put several hours into re shaping them in the fire and then buff half of them up for a contrast.

I made all of the table centre pieces myself and created them from collecting old bottles and jars and covered them in lace, hessian and jute twine.  

Our first dance tune was John Legend’s ‘All of me’. The first dance was never going to be the highlight of our wedding as we are not the greatest dancers so we couldn’t wait for everyone else to join! Having said that we still embraced the moment we had together on our own.

Two weeks after we got married we went on our honeymoon. We spent four days in Garonga Safari Camp in South Africa and then we travelled to Mauritius for 10 nights and stayed at 20 Degrees Sud. It was a lovely holiday and we would definitely recommend it.

Ben – For me the favourite part of the day was sitting at the meal and looking at my beautiful wife and all our wonderful friends and family and realising how lucky I was.

Charley – I think my favourite part of the day would have to be the speeches…I laughed, cried and winced and so did everyone there.
We wouldn’t have done a thing differently all the imperfections made it our day and we wouldn’t change it for the world.

Our advice to others; do exactly what you, as a couple, want to do and not what family or friends want. We made a couple of decisions at our wedding that raised a few eyebrows within the family. But at the end of the day it’s your day and no-one else’s so be selfish if you have to be!

I hope you have been inspired by Charley and Rob’s beautiful barn wedding, congratulations guys, we hope you have a fantastic anniversary next month. A special thanks goes to Helen King Photography too for letting us share her beautiful photography on Adored Bride today, such a talented lady, be sure to check out her website.

If you enjoyed this wedding, you may also enjoy this Devon barn wedding.

much love

Photography – Helen King Photography | Venue – Shustoke Barn | Bridal Designer  – Naomi Neoh | Veil and Hair Accessories – Cecile Bridal |  Brides Shoes – Rachel Simpson | Hair –  Francesco’s Group  | Bridesmaids Dresses – Two Birds | Groom’s and Groomsmen’s Suits – Moss Bros  | Grooms Shirt – Reiss | Groom and Groomsmen Shoes – Marks and Spencer  | Groomsmen’s Shirts – Ralph Lauren | Rings – Victoria James | Floristry – Bloom Fleuriste | Entertainment – Ashmore  Acoustics|

A Natural, Bohemian Luxe Cornish Coastal Elopement

A Natural, Bohemian Luxe Cornish Coastal Elopement

A Natural, Bohemian Luxe Cornish Coastal Elopement

I’m sharing with you today a Cornish elopement, a breath taking, natural, wild and authentic coastline inspired shoot. It’s filled with beautiful imagery, stunning landscapes, delicate florals, a stunning dress and pale blue detailing. There is something so magical about the setting of the Cornish coastline, the light, even on stormy days is incredible.

These gorgeous photographs are from Irina and Chris who are amazing wedding photographers from Germany who love to travel. They love to photograph, in Irina’s own words, ‘couples crazily in love’. So I just knew I was going to adore their work!

With this evocative bohemian luxe elopement they have captured the light, the love, the connection between the couple and created some truly gorgeous images.

Lovely Irina explains about the inspiration behind the images;

When we planned backpacking a little bit through Cornwall, I knew that would be the perfect place for an aquamarine, natural, bohemian intimate wedding elopement. A coastline inspired wild and back to the roots elopement, that was our vision.

When we planned backpacking a little bit through Cornwall, I knew that would be the perfect place for an aquamarine, natural, bohemian intimate wedding elopement. A coastline inspired wild and back to the roots elopement, that was our vision.

couple embracing on beach
bride on beach with bouquet
coastline
bride stood on rocks
coastal elopement

We just love natural coastlines and I particularly love that aquamarine water colour that you can find in lakes, usually in the mountains (we found them in the Rocky Mountains in Canada). So when we discovered the greenish blue hue at the beach lakes of Cornwall when the tide is in, we really wanted to shoot on location. I collected brass candle holders and soft blue candle sticks in advance, knowing some day I would realise the vision in my head, which I’d had for some time.

coastal elopement
couple embracing on beach
bride stood on rocks
coastline
bride on beach with bouquet
coastal elopement

It all came to realisation with the fabulous effortless look that the dress and the floral bouquet gave to the scene. The dress is handmade by a German designer we know Light and Lace Couture. It is perfect for the beach; lace and chiffon and a backless design, so alluring and elegant too.

coastal elopement
coastal elopement
coastal elopement
couple embracing on beach
bride on beach with bouquet
coastline
bride stood on rocks
couple embracing on beach

We found florists Becca & Maz from The Garden Gate Flower Company through Instagram. They are true artisans. Their bouquets are pieces of art. They look so effortless as if you picked them yourselves at the fields and still they are so nicely composed. It totally matched the easy breezy flair of our shoot.

coastal elopement
couple embracing on beach
coastline

Our model couple, Emily and Tom, are a true Cornish couple. They are actually engaged and so, though it is a styled collaborative shoot, it has some true story in it: True love of two people who appreciate each other and embrace their life by the Cornish coast.

Huge thanks to the talented team involved in bringing us this beautiful shoot, the wonderful Irina und Chris Photography, Garden Gate Flower Company and Light and Lace Couture. You should be super proud of your stunning and amazingly natural shoot.

Are you planning an elopement? You may also enjoy reading this,

best wishes

| Photography – Irina und Chris | Bridal Designer – Light and Lace Couture | Florist – Garden Gate Flower Company |

Liberty Prints and Feathers – A Rural Cheshire Maker’s Wedding

Liberty Prints and Feathers – A Rural Cheshire Maker’s Wedding

Liberty Prints and Feathers – A Rural Cheshire Maker’s Wedding

This fabulous wedding today is a beautiful hand crafted affair, entwined with pretty blue liberty prints, vintage haberdashery props and stunning hand made textile details. It’s so lovely to feature this wedding as it’s my friend and super talented Cheshire gal Kaye Hannabuss’s own wedding day to her lovely Richard. You might recognise some of the stunning details if you are a regular moocher around the lovely artisan Cheshire Makers Markets as Kaye is the talent behind Kaye Hannabuss Textiles.

Kaye and Richard were married at Sandhole Oak Barn in June, which is set in the most beautiful rural countryside setting. Kaye looked amazing in her House Of Mooshki dress that she paired with a beaded lace cape during the day and a gorgeous diamante stole for a different look in the evening.

I know you are going to enjoy all the details from the day that Kaye made herself,  I particularly adore the pale blue silk shoes bows and Eliza the dog’s Liberty print lead and collar, just so sweet. Huge thanks to Gray Weddings for sharing these images with Adored Bride;

liberty
bride getting ready
pretty hand made shoe clips
liberty

We met at primary school at 5 years of age, we always liked each other, but nothing ever happened right through all our education.Then 4 years ago at a very sad memorial service of an old school friend we met again. Both single and still an attraction. We went of a few dates and within 6 weeks we jetted off to Cape Town, for Richard to meet my dad, who emigrated there 20 years ago. We got on so well, laughed, re lived our youth.

Richard proposed 2 years later, he was secretly in the jewellers whilst I was supposedly out having a coffee with my mum, looking at wedding rings. He had the shock of his life when he looked up and we were peering through the window at the gems, he dived onto the floor and hid, all 6 foot 3 of him!

We wanted a small wedding and soon, we didn’t want to waste any more years!

getting ready
beautiful bouquet
sewing machin
pretty hand made shoe clips

We didn’t have a theme as we like everything visual and I have an eclectic taste. I’ve always had a love for British prints such as Liberty and a love of birds and feathers, so these colours and textures played heavily through out the day.

We wanted a relaxed wedding, being creative and having creative friends I naturally enlisted them to help.

liberty
liberty
liberty
liberty

We chose Sandhole Oak Barn in Congleton Cheshire, We loved the natural feel the venue. A farm with a purpose built wedding barn, accommodation in the old stable blocks. A beautiful sun deck overlooking a lake a beautiful country side. Sheep in the neighbouring fields. Also, we could bring my Dog Eliza!

groom waiting at alter
liberty bunting
liberty
liberty
liberty

After several dress shopping sessions, not being afraid of trying on different silhouettes, I opted for a simple floor length, Duchess satin fit and flair silhouette. I agonised over the length, initially wanting a tea length dress, then realising they were ‘on trend, but decided I didn’t want to be fashionable and then look dated in years to come. I was only planning to do this once, so to be a classic bride I went with some volume and a train.

The dress ironically came from the House Of Mooshki‘s British range, which specialize in Tea length gowns, I bought one of the only floor length gowns in the collection and added a puddle train.

liberty
liberty
liberty
liberty
liberty

I wore a beaded lace cape for the ceremony as I wanted different looks through out the day and created my beaded head dress which had a vintage feel and a simple long Tulle Train. I then changed in the evening and wore a diamante stole and accessorised with one of my handmade clutch bags.

I made my garter from vintage lace from my Auntie’s haberdashery stash.

Kaye wore some simple ivory satin shoes from Debenhams;

I made soft blue bows to coordinate with the rest of the wedding party, it formed my ‘something blue’. Richard arranged a gift of a pair of vintage drop pearl and diamond earrings to be delivered to my dressing room the morning of the wedding, an emotional moment, I now wear these most days.

wellies images
liberty
liberty
liberty

We had all of our hair and makeup done by Caroline Ashcroft, who came to the venue the morning of the wedding where we got ready in the lovely relaxing dressing rooms.

My friend and maid of honour Vicky wore a complimenting soft blue pleated dress from Chi Chi, and Richard’s daughter Evie wore an ivory satin pleated dress from Monsoon I made the bows and belts. Vicky wore her own actual wedding shoes, from her special day the year before.

liberty

I had collected over the months, vintage haberdashery, buttons, threads and tape measures, we added vintage football memorabilia, books, glass bottles and porcelain vases, pheasant and guinea fowl feathers were mixed in the varied clusters of flowers.

beautiful bouquet
sewing machin
beautiful bouquet
sewing machin
sewing machin
beautiful bouquet
sewing machin

Richard wore a Donegal blue tweed jacket and navy chinos with brown leather brogues, a crisp white shirt and a navy Waistcoat. We wanted a casual look, and items he could wear again as a reminder of the day.

Kaye made all the blue floral Liberty print neck ties and matching cufflinks.

The Grooms men wore similar relaxed outfits. The button holes were made by Richard’s mum, using ivory flowers, foliage, feathers and twine.

beautiful bouquet
beautiful bouquet
sewing machin
sewing machin
sewing machin
beautiful bouquet
beautiful bouquet
liberty

We didn’t do a first look, I was very late down the aisle, Richard thought I wasn’t going to make it!

My dad travelled form South Africa to give me away, I’m his only daughter, it was an emotional walk down the aisle.  We had the venue blessed by our South African friend, who left Rose quartz in each room for good luck.

beautiful bouquet
sewing machin
beautiful bouquet
sewing machin
sewing machin
beautiful bouquet

Kaye and Richard chose Gray Weddingss Photographers;

We met Beki at a wedding fair, I instantly fell in love their actual stand and presentation, it looked like my lounge, Tweed, Persian rugs, Chesterfield, countryside elements and very British Heritage feel.

The images were natural and raw, textured and quite dark, but it felt fresh and new to all of the other wedding photographer’s I’d seen where everything was polished and felt a little staged. We got chatting and it turned out that Beki and her husband also got married at Sandhole the year before, so it was meant to be!

liberty
liberty
liberty
liberty
liberty

I styled the wedding myself, with collected items and many props from our home, we didn’t want the wedding or venue to look too themed and let the simplicity and beauty of the venue speak for itself. We used natural decoration for the chairs, decorated the venue with planted Wellington boots and old watering cans to carry on the British heritage and country feel.

I designed and made all of the invites with the help of a friend, using kraft card and Liberty print fabric, a huge job, but enjoyable. The table plan was a selection of herb pots with lollipop stick name tabs. I made the favour bags form the Liberty fabric and we added a bag of Maltesers, (a long and funny story!)

liberty
liberty
liberty
liberty
liberty

Their florist was talented Lisa from Red Door Design;

Lisa worked tirelessly with me to create an eclectic look with the flowers and the table decorations. My bouquet was a large relaxed hand tied, with simple shades of ivory and greens. This look was recreated in smaller versions for my maid of honor and flower girl.

I had collected over the months, vintage haberdashery, buttons, threads and tape measures, we added vintage football memorabilia, books, glass bottles and porcelain vases, liberty print details, pheasant and guinea fowl feathers were mixed in the varied clusters of flowers, from roses, nigellas, foliage.

We had festoon lighting for the ceremony and animated rustic initial letter lighting for the wedding breakfast room to complete the look.

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Our best Man’s wife Rebecca created a naked 3-tiered cake for us. Each layer being a different flavour. Victoria sponge, chocolate and lemon drizzle. It was amazing! I could eat it gain now. It was decorated with flowers and feathers.

The venue provided a choice of two caterers, we chose Sue Le Bonne, who we felt offered a personal service, with premium food and the chef Ben designed a menu with a specialist South African style canapes for us to honour my Dad and his wife.

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The couple had a live band and a Photo Booth for evening entertainment;

We chose a live band called Champagne Skies, they were fun and fresh, a bit grungy but played some pop classic too. We also hired a vintage caravan photobooth for the evening for a bit of fun from Natty Bee’s Vintage Hire.

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Our first dance was Etta James, ‘At Last’, sung by the band, which was amazing.

We went to Bali for total relaxation and some Culture. We stayed in the created and arty inland area of Ubud at a breathtaking Hotel called The Viceroy.

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Advice to other couples? I would let others help more with the planning, and not obsess over the smaller details. I know this is what all brides say afterwards and I wish I’d taken their advice! On the day relax and enjoy, it passes so quickly.

Huge thanks to lovely Kaye and Richard for sharing their beautiful day with us and to Gray Weddings Photography too for these fabulous images.

If you’ve been inspired by Kaye’s gorgeous day, be sure to check out her Instagram feed for all her latest designs and if you are in the Northwest you can meet Kaye at the Simply Cheshire event in May.

With love,

Photographer – Gray Weddings | Venue – Sandhole Oak Barn | Dress – House of Mooshki | Accessories – Kaye Hannabuss Textiles | Bridemaid’s Dresses – Chi Chi and Monsoon | Florist – Red Door Design | Hair and MUA – Caroline Ashcroft | Vintage Caravan Photo Booth – Natty Bee’s Vintage Hire | Caterers – Sue Le Bonne | Entertainment – Champagne Skies | Festoon Lights – Not Just Lights | Honeymoon – Bali |

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