Our Wedding Day.
Strap in and get yourselves ready for one hell of a blog post. From the structure of our day, through to food, outfits and even toilets, I cover it all here! It’s a lot to be condensed into one post – but a lot goes into one wedding day and I thought it easier to have it all in one place as a reference point.
FINDING OUR VENUE:
We got engaged during the first national lockdown in the UK and with more time on our hands than usual we dove straight into planning the wedding. We found the most dreamy location that we felt ticked lots of boxes on what we thought we should be including in our wedding day. But as time ticked on, and the uncertainty of the pandemic continued to loom, we realised financially a ‘big’ wedding just wasn’t going to be possible, and that actually, it wasn’t really what we wanted either. The day I received a quote for flowers at £5,000 was the point in which we had a reality check: we aren’t really wedding-y type people, so why would we push ourselves so hard financially to achieve something that would ultimately be for other people, rather than ourselves?
And so we made the difficult decision to cancel it. We knew we’d take a hit, losing deposits already paid – but that ultimately we would save a huge amount of money in the long run doing the day in a much more low-key way, that felt authentic to us.
Back to the drawing board, then. We both agreed that what we truly wanted was something as small, intimate, and chilled as possible. We love good food and so the idea of renting a local restaurant and having a beautiful dinner with our closest friends and family really resonated – but having cancelled the ‘big’ do, we realised what parts of that day would have been significant to us, and having a ceremony was one of those things. It felt important to both of us to be able to celebrate our marriage in that way; it was just working out how we could incorporate that into the new day.
I was chatting with my dear friend Lulu after one of her yoga classes in her home studio about what we were thinking and she looked at me and said ‘babe you are not having your wedding ceremony at the restaurant, you’ve got to have it here’.
When we moved to our village three years ago, I never imagined I would make new friends. But Lulu invited me to one of her yoga classes, set in the grounds of her beautiful family home and it instantly felt like I had known her for years. Lulu’s home, and the place I fell in love with yoga, very quickly became an incredibly special place to me. My friendship with Lulu was one built on love and honesty, with no judgement and an absolute ease that I find super rare to find. Combined with the healing space she created with her holistic modalities that have been fundamental to my health and wellness journey, meant that when she said the wedding needed to be at her home, I knew instinctively that she was right. (And you can even book to stay here at their beautiful B&B too).
And so it was decided. The restaurant idea was scrapped, and a garden wedding was the new agenda!
Everything with planning beforehand that had felt so tricky, suddenly felt easy. The way the day would go just naturally unfolded simply and although it was a lot of hard work (and came with some serious emotional stuff to unpack and work through), what to do and how to do it was kind of effortless.
OUR DAY:
We opted for a tipi wedding with an outdoor ceremony and a very laid back festival vibe with street-food vans and a horsebox bar. We kept a few traditions, like the ceremony itself and having a few speeches in the evening, but aside from that it was just a day that felt right for us, which meant a lot of the traditions didn’t really feature.
The tipi was mainly there as a fail safe in-case the weather was terrible (dry summer weddings in the UK are never a guarantee!) and my anxious brain absolutely couldn’t run the risk of not having an indoor space for our guests if the heavens decided to open.
We very much wanted to encapsulate what the physical space represented to us – a relaxed, welcoming environment with no agenda or pressure.
For us, that meant: no strict timings (apart from the ceremony), no seating plan, no name cards, and no sit-down meal.
But even with a ‘laid-back’ vibe in mind, it is no mean feat to organise an entire wedding yourselves without a specific wedding venue or supplier list. There is a lot to consider and we put in months and months of work to ensure it felt relaxed on the day – these things certainly don’t happen by accident!
But to give you a brief rundown – We had just over 50 guests, with the ceremony starting at 4pm. Both Jamie and I love other people’s weddings, but we do find a 12pm-12am day a bit of an endurance test. And so for our day, we leaned into a later start that meant we’d feel more relaxed and a little less exhausted by the end of the night. My bridesmaids and I stayed at the house the evening before, went out for a lovely meal and started the morning of the wedding with Lulu’s beautiful yoga class before having some lunch and getting ready early afternoon.
We’d done the legal bits the Wednesday before the wedding, and so for the actual wedding day we asked my best friend and maid of honour Charly to officiate the ceremony for us. It was one of the best decisions we made – having something completely personal and from a person we both love so much, Charly wrote the ceremony herself and it was absolute magic. I couldn’t recommend doing it this way more to be honest – and it meant that even though we were already legally married, we could create and write a ceremony and vows that felt incredibly special, completely us and remove some of the formality of it all.
My mum and I (and my friend Alex too!) dried all the confetti from rose petals in our gardens throughout the spring and summer, and I’d saved as many rose petals as I could from bouquets from our engagement too. It was a little time consuming, but worth it for how beautiful it looked, smelt and for the environmental benefits. It was something special to do with my mum as well which we both really enjoyed.
Welcome drinks (hello Pimms) were served as soon as the ceremony finished and the food vans were open, prepped and ready to go then too. We were very sure that we didn’t want there to be any hanging around waiting for us to have photos or for anyone to be twiddling their thumbs with a rumbling belly. This way it also meant we could keep costs down on the catering side of things. As we had a late ceremony, there was no need for canapes and with two food van offerings, there’d be more than enough food for everyone to enjoy.
The day flowed effortlessly into the night with a few speeches, following on to dancing, sparklers, and a 12am finish (of which the wedding playlist was epically timed!)
I thought it might be helpful to also give a little insight into some more of the fundamental parts of the day too – just in case you’re thinking of organising your own garden wedding that might be helpful to get you started:
THE BAR:
Two absolute angels in barmen form. We found the Windsor Boys on the wedding website ‘Add to Event’ – we popped in our details and requirements, they came back to us with their price breakdown and offerings and it was the perfect fit. Their horsebox is beautiful and looked truly stunning in the garden. The guys were great in the lead-up to the day, allowing us to create our own bespoke cocktail (one they’d not made before…I heard plenty of testers were trialled by them before the day, just to make sure it tasted right 😉) with options for post-ceremony drinks and even asking us if there was specific alcohol we’d like them to stock. All our guests said how wonderful the guys were and they did a stellar job of looking after everyone into the evening.
THE FOOD:
One of the most important elements of the day for us, and I’m so glad we went with our gut (quite literally!) on this one. We love really good food and opting out of a sit-down meal for us, meant street-food/festival vibes instead. We wanted to have more than one option for our guests and purposely picked two caterers that would compliment one another so that everyone could have a bit of both.
Based in Market Harborough town centre Jamie and I frequented their pop-up café in our local Eco Village a handful of times a month throughout the last year. They make the most delicious nourishing, nutritious food and it was a no-brainer to have them join us at the wedding. Claire and Alison are the kindest souls who have become more like our mates and their recipes are second to none. We opted for their Goat Bowls – a selection of three colourful nutritious salads, topped with a choice of halloumi, prawns or sweet potato falafels.
Another local supplier, co-founded by one of my old school friends making the most delicious sourdough pizza. The guys were brilliant, great value for money and even allowed me to have pineapple as an option! They gave us plenty of choices for toppings and were just a total breeze to liaise with in the run up. The team were so friendly on the day and they ensured that every pizza we paid for was made so that nothing went to waste.
All our guests commented on how amazing the food was – it felt really special to us to have two of our favourite local artisans as part of the day and that others really enjoyed it too made my heart happy.
CAKE:
A common theme here seems to be us going against the grain – and likewise with the cake, we didn’t have a cake at all…instead we went for bakes! My beautiful friend Frances baked us the sensational tower of custom peanut butter bourbon brownies and miso flapjacks. They were insanely gorgeous (thank you to Alex for piling some on a plate for us so we had some post wedding snacks!) and went down a treat with our guests. It was super special to me to have one of my dearest friends be involved in such an important part of our day, and I feel so grateful to Fran for making something so special for us. It also doubled up as our dessert which kept costs in check too! If you’re looking for someone to create a magical bake (or cake!) for your wedding, Fran is absolutely your woman.
THE LOOS!!
The least glamourous of all the elements – but a necessary one none the least! Portaloos for a garden wedding were a must, and we decided to go for ones that felt like actual toilets as opposed to really channelling the festival vibe here! They had vanity areas with sinks, hand soaps and creams, paper towels and ‘normal’ toilets. It was more of an investment, but worth it for us in terms of that extra comfort and more luxury feel.
THE MUSIC:
Another money savvy option here was creating our own playlist and buying a set of speakers (and microphones) online – Both Jamie and I love our music, and knew we didn’t want anyone else to be in charge of pulling a playlist together. We especially didn’t want to do all that work curating one to pay a DJ to just hit play. So we saved the money, did it ourselves and it worked out so well. We also bought some £20 disco lights that synced with our phone to flash with the beat of the music and create a dancefloor atmosphere in the tipi! The speakers and mic also doubled up for the ceremony and speeches which was perfect.
THE FLOWERS:
Flowers are a tricky one for me. I find them quite an important contributor towards the look and feel of the day, but I also struggle with the financial implication around so much waste. We tried to strike a balance between the look and aesthetic we were hoping to achieve, whilst not breaking the bank and I think we managed it.
Knowing it would be a garden wedding and having no particular ‘back drop’ for the ceremony, it felt right to have something to frame us. I’ve attended other weddings with wooden frames which I love – but for ours I wanted any installation to be an extension of the garden, and for it to feel almost like it was always meant to be there. We opted for an independent local florist and old friend Ben Martin from Bunches & Co. I chose two floral pillars with a solid wooden base for our ceremony stands – keeping it soft and gentle with a mix of white and pink gypsophila (a great way to keep cost down as gyps is quite affordable but covers a lot of area), interspersed with soft pink flowers to add texture and definition. The gypsophila also made up my bridesmaid bouquets and the buttonholes for the rest of our bridal party. My bouquet was a wildflower theme, again to fit in with the wild flower meadows within the garden and included a faux red poppy at the back (my nan’s favourite flower).
WEDDING FAVOURS:
Perhaps unsurprisingly we decided against wedding favours. Instead we invested in a polaroid camera and a load of film, so that all our guests could take snaps throughout the evening and have a keepsake to take away with them from the day. We also had a book that if they wanted to take more, they could stick one in the book and write us a little message – which was something really nice to look back on after the day.
THE BRIDESMAIDS:
I had twelve bridesmaids, which I realise is quite excessive – but I am truly blessed to call some of the literal best women on this planet my best friends and when I stopped to imagine my day, all of them were by my side. So twelve it was! They were absolute angels, with my anxiety off the charts in the lead up they all stepped up in a massive way and I’ll never forget how supported and loved I felt by all of them. There’s no way I would’ve made it down the aisle without them.
My girls have lots in common, but when it comes to style, everyone is different. I really wanted them to feel as comfortable as possible, so when it came to their outfit it was obvious to me that everyone should pick their own dress. I pulled together a Pinterest board for some inspiration, gave a few nods on what to avoid (i.e. details of my own dress) and a theme of green was agreed. They all looked absolutely mega – with dresses they’ll be able to add to their wardrobes and wear again.
THE GROOMSMEN:
In true Jamie style – he left the groomsmen outfits pretty close to the wire (I was starting to have palpitations as we crept closer and still no decision was made!!) But also in true Jamie style, he pulled it off effortlessly. Being a hot day, instead of going for a full suit, we just had the guys in waistcoats. They didn’t match Jamie’s suit, but all matched one another and we thought that was a nice way to do it – they all tied in together with matching ties and the colours of their suits complimented Jamie’s really nicely whilst still letting him stand out.
MY ACCESSORIES:
For my jewellery I wanted to go for something that would compliment my dress and fell head over heels for these Aligiheri gems. I love the simplicity that matches the softness of my dress, but the rough textures of the chains and molten gold holding the delicate pearls and stones. They’re a piece I know I will wear time and time again and I felt so beautiful in them.
My bag was an old Shrimps number I already had in my wardrobe, I hazard a guess I probably wouldn’t really need a bag, and I was right! It stayed inside the whole day – so I’m glad I didn’t invest in something new!
I ordered a bespoke headpiece for the evening from Pretty Wild which was, in my opinion, some of the best money we spent. I knew I wouldn’t be able to wear my veil all night – so I wanted to have something a little more wearable that would feel just as special. Ellen worked so, so hard to bring it together for me and I’m beyond grateful. Made from dried flowers, it’s something I’ll be able to keep forever and it made me feel totally amazing.
Finding the right pair of shoes was so much more difficult than I thought. Being a garden wedding, stiletto’s were an absolute no, as I didn’t want to be sinking into the grass! And finding a chunky pair of heels that weren’t super glitzy or completely boring was a challenge. When I discovered Loeffler Randall I was very happy indeed. Super soft and feminine in style whilst still being incredibly comfortable and practical; they also came in a heel size that didn’t make me want to wince and I danced in them all night long. They were an investment for sure, but I would absolutely recommend them for the quality, and I’ll definitely wear them again.
HAIR & MAKEUP:
There were a few things I was 100% sure on for the wedding day, and hair and makeup fell into that. I wanted to wear my hair how I felt most comfortable: down and wavy. I did enquire about hair stylists, but they were costly, and would be recreating a style that I do every day on myself - so I made the decision to go it alone! I washed, blow-dried, curled and set my hair the night before so when I woke up the next morning the curls would be softer and I could just re-curl a few pieces if needed.
Makeup was a whole other thing though – I enjoy doing it, but I haven’t got the foggiest when it comes to creating a look that feels like me but will last all day. One of my bridesmaids booked a makeup artist for me and Gabby was amazing. We had a trial to test out what I might like which was really helpful, and on the day I’ve honestly never felt more beautiful, whilst still feeling like I looked like myself. Like my own makeup, but a million times better! It was a really simple way to ensure I felt special on the day and Gabby also did the makeup for some of my bridesmaids too.
JAMIE’S OUTFIT:
Jamie chose a gorgeous suit from Reiss, a waistcoat from ASOS, a hugo boss shirt, a tie from River Island and Dr Martens shoes. He was really keen to buy things he would wear again, and he hit the nail on the head with every single item. He looked so handsome and I know he felt really good too.
MY DRESS:
There is an entire blog post dedicated to this beauty. My bespoke, made-to-measure collaboration with the amazing Andrea Hawkes. If you’d like to read more about it, you can do here. In short, it was the best thing I’ve ever worn in my life and I feel so incredibly grateful to have shared my wedding experience with them.
RINGS:
Jamie did a wonderful job of choosing my engagement ring – a one of a kind piece from one of my favourite jewellers, Alex Monroe. It made complete sense to both of us that Alex should then be the one to make our wedding bands, too. I went for a bespoke twist of one of their existing designs – taking their birch diamond wedding band, sprinkling in a few more diamonds and adding a subtle curve that fit perfectly around my engagement ring. We made sure to make the curve subtle enough that the band could be worn on it’s own, or with other rings in the future and Jamie chose their Fossil Band. We had a one-to-one appointment in store to try on all the options, which I would recommend to anyone looking to buy. Jamie had looked online prior to our appointment and was sure of what style he wanted, but when he tried them on he actually went for something totally different!
THE PHOTOGRAPHER:
One of my pals and one of the most talented wedding photographers in the business, enter: Rosie Hardy. Worth her absolute weight in gold, Rosie captured our day in the most effortless way. I wouldn’t have known she was there during the ceremony, and afterwards she slotted into our day like one of our guests. She is the kindest soul, and every single photo she took oozes the joy we all felt. I couldn’t have asked for more and I’d wholeheartedly recommend her.
THE VIDEOGRAPHER:
Charlie was a total dream. I found him on Instagram through one of my followers recommendations – but it transpired that we actually went to the same school and lived down the road from one another growing up! As a creative myself, it was such a joy to see how both Rosie and Charlie captured the day in totally different ways. Watching back Charlie’s films I felt such a sense of calm and happiness that I can’t quite describe. Cinematic, but personable – he captured so many incredible moments from our day without us even knowing he was there. If you’re hesitating on booking a videographer, don’t! It is without doubt the best investment!
That was an absolute beast – so congratulations if you’ve managed to wade through it all.
I hope some of it is helpful for you in regard to planning your own wedding day – and of course if you have any questions please let me know.
It was truly the most magical day of my life that I wish I could do over and over and over again, and to share a snippet of it with you is an absolute honour.