Wedding photographer’s website

Andy at Howling Basset https://www.howlingbasset.co.uk/

Wedding photographer review

Andy is an absolute dream – professional, friendly and a fantastic photographer! We’ve had so many compliments about our photographs and friends have since hired him since they’ve seen ours – they’re fresh, playful and spontaneous. He took charge during the formal photograph session, helping to coordinate everyone and was great at finding solutions to the wet weather, so that Leo and I were just able to get swept up in the moment and enjoy the day. Thank you so much Andy!

Your best wedding moment or memory

Oh gosh, so many! The ceremony was just the most fantastic 45 minutes ever…all the emotions! Meeting at the top of the aisle was so much more emotional than I think we both thought it would be. I welled up with nerves and excitement before starting our entrance and then when I reached Leo, I could see that he was feeling exactly the same. The entrance music was a piece that we’d listened to a lot when we’d first started dating so it meant a lot to us – Max Richter, Vivaldi Recomposed, Spring 1. I’d had to listen to it in the weeks before as I was driving and things, just to ensure I was exposed to it as I knew it would set me off. And then it was just such a happy moment when the Reverend pronounced us husband and wife – the cheers from our families and friends were just fabulous, as was the confetti walk! Very happy times.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

Our venue wasn’t a traditional wedding venue – in fact, we were their first, which meant that we had a big white room to transform ourselves from start to finish. A big job, but we got a lot of satisfaction from it. Pulling off the dried branches hanging from the ceiling was a thrill and we chose some amazing pieces from one of the resident artists at the Creative Centre as a backdrop. And we had such fun the day before with our nearest and dearest, setting it all up! They’re some of my happiest memories around the wedding…

Videographer name + review

We didn’t have a videographer but to save a few pennies, we bought a handheld camcorder and a tripod and the ushers set it up so that our vows were recorded and to film the speeches. Our beautiful photographs are the star of the show, but it’s nice to have some informal shots of everyone chatting and laughing together.

Venue name + review

St Peter and St Paul Church of England Church, Appledore, followed by Rye Creative Centre. Martin at the Creative Centre moved heaven and earth to make sure our day was a success, given they hadn’t hosted a wedding before. The hall itself, with the stage and the parquet flooring, was the perfect backdrop for our decorations, which we wanted to look dramatic, glamorous but warm and cosy, all at the same time. And our caterers – Game & Flames – were so fantastic, going above and beyond to sort hiring all the tables, cutlery etc…they were central to making the organising process as smooth as possible, and the food was so plentiful and just delicious. I would 100% recommend them.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

My dress was by Freda Bennet, bought from Morgan Davies Bridal in London. Leo got his suit during a trip to London with my Dad. His parents live abroad and his Dad wasn’t able to travel easily, so this was a really touching moment in the run up to the big day. My father knows his stuff when it comes to a well-fitting suit and they hit the shops and had a slap up meal afterwards to celebrate.

Dress or suit shop name + review

The Morgan Davies team were just wonderful – so professional, friendly and knew exactly what would work on me – and the shop itself was beautiful – just what you imagine the experience to be!

Florist name + review

Woodchurch Cottage Flowers. I loved Lin and have kept in touch with her since the wedding. She was so knowledgeable, collaborative and helpful, and completely understood what we wanted from our first conversation. Lin grows the majority of the flowers she uses herself and so we were able to plan together. Plus there’s something lovely about knowing where the flowers have come from. She arranged all the bouquets, button holes and she put together a couple of amazing pumpkin flower displays, and then she gave us buckets of flowers and we rented posy jars from her to decorate the venue tables, which my bridesmaids all got involved in the day before. It saved us some budget and meant we were able to have so many more flowers than if we’d had them arranged by Lin’s team. The flowers were a massive highlight and I even took the bouquet with me to the country hotel we went to the day after the wedding!!!

Cake maker name + review

We wanted lots of homemade touches and so my mum made the cake and did a fantastic job, getting in touch with her creative side!

Stationery maker’s name + review

My friend Lottie had recently set up her business, Rather Lovely. We really wanted her beautiful work to play a central role in our big day and so she designed everything, from our Save the Dates through to our place-cards, wedding favours and table plan. It’s those touches that end up being your keep-sakes and she did such a beautiful job that I know I’m going to look back on them for years to come with such happiness. She 100% listened to our brief, sent us loads of ideas before cracking on with our final design and had lots of clever ideas we hadn’t even thought of. The stationery just tied everything together so beautifully, from start to finish.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

A lot of our styling was homemade and crafty. But one of my favourites were our wedding favours. We love to grow vegetables and so we gave out pumpkin seeds, which we felt were appropriate for our Autumn wedding! We put them all in the envelopes and then Lottie designed some super-cute labels so that they added a beautiful finishing touch to the table settings.

Wedding readings?

Leo is from Belarus and given we weren’t able to have the wedding there, we wanted to pay tribute to his heritage throughout the day. The readings gave us one such opportunity and so our first reading was Leo Tolstoy’s Love Letter to his fiancee, Valeria Arsenev, read beautifully by our good friend Alex. And then my brother read Life Lessons from an 80 Year Old Man, which was long but has such a touching final line.

First dance song? Music recommendations?

We both love Yes Sir, I Can Boogie by Baccara and it definitely got the party started. Our band, the Soundcasters, were a triumph. Such great guys, they kept everyone on the dancefloor all night!

Hair + makeup name + review

Grace Benson Makeup. Grace did my hair and makeup and was such a calming and kind presence during the getting ready time. We had such a lovely morning and her and her colleague were friendly, professional and made me, my bridesmaids and Mum feel a million dollars!

Further reading: discover more Kent wedding venues here!

The post Lizzie & Leo’s gorgeous wedding in Rye, with Howling Basset Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Jaye-Peg Photography at https://jayepeg.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Jaye captured our day beautifully, she was on the ball with our tight schedule and the album we have to cherish forever is stunning.

Your best wedding moment or memory

The memory of all of my loved ones being on a dance floor together loving, laughing & making beautiful memories.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

I told my 4 bridesmaids that I wanted them to choose their own dresses, I didn’t mind the style or type, anything goes, as long as they’re each a different shade of my favourite colour; blue. They had all seen my dress prior to the big day as I can’t keep a secret, so the big reveal photo was of my face seeing their dresses for the first time in my garden on my wedding day, and they all looked fabulous, as you will see from the pictures.

Videographer name + review

My nanna; Marbeth. who captures every single day of her life on video because… that’s just who she is. She will tell you exactly what you ate at that restaurant with her in 2015 if you ask! It’s thanks to her that we have a lot of good moments on video.

Venue name + review

Special event tipis at Threlkeld Cricket Club. We loved our tipi wedding, it was so personal to us and felt so different to anything we had been part of before, we were able to enjoy our own styled wedding in the beautiful Lake District where we live without the huge expense of a hotel . We all slept on the floor and woke up to views of Blencathra!

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

My dress was from a shop in Carlisle that sells off the rail dresses so it’s just luck if they have the style you like the look of in your size. I knew I didn’t want an expensive dress as I like to dance… it’s a good job I went for the lower end dress choice as I ended up doing a knee slide down the muddy hill at the cricket club with my bridesmaid and the dress was complete black on both knees. I had so much fun so I wouldn’t change a thing. Jonny’s suit was a 3 piece from Next, he would have looked great in anything, but looked 100% husband material in the suit he chose.

Dress or suit shop name + review

WED2BE, lovely, helpful & friendly staff.

Florist name + review

My mother; Anita. 10/10.

My mum decorated the tipi, tables & made all of our bouquets/buttonholes etc with love. She also brought all of her own furniture that she had collected throughout the year to decorate our tipi! She hasn’t worked as a florist for years but jumped at the chance to decorate our wedding venue and everyone agrees, it looked fabulous.

Cake maker name + review

My mums best friend Frances! I had no preference or rules on the cake as I eat ALL cake so I left it up to her. We ended up with 3 x naked sponge cakes; chocolate, carrot & lemon. All delicious.

Stationery maker’s name + review

My sister-in-law made the table place names and tables names, they were of painted outlines of the surrounding fells of the area the tipis were positioned at threlkeld, with the tables named after each fell.

My mum & I made the seating plan with a glue gun in hand & a glass of wine in the other one night after a trip to hobby craft. It turned out just fine! My best woman made our invites, this was her wedding gift to us, they were beautiful.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Pretty much each part of our wedding was brought together by our amazing family & friends each offering us something which made the day even more special as it was like a talent show for both of our families. It made for good conversation throughout the day but a long list of people to thank during my husbands speech!

Wedding readings?

By my father, the best man & my husband

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Borns- electric love was the first dance song.
There was a lot of Lady Gaga as I’m her biggest fan! We cut the cake to ‘Hold my hand’ which made the moment even more special. When dirty dancing came on we tried the lift.. it didn’t work but made for a good laugh and good memory!

Wedding planner name + review

Me; Danielle, I did a 10/10 Job pulling the whole thing together within 12 months, I do feel I should have been awarded a project management degree for my efforts & the turn out. I did get a special mention in my husbands speech ‘I’ve watched her work tirelessly this whole year with minimal input from me, however it’s in Danni’s nature to ensure a day all about her, goes according to plan’ this got a good laugh from us all… it is very true.

Hair + makeup name + review

Hair by Shakira from Slaters Salon, cannot compliment this girl enough! She is amazing, fast, efficient & great crack. She’s my hairdresser for life. We done our own make up.

A special mention for our caterer

Our Caterer was Jane from Table manners and she was fabulous. Her & her team pulled out all the stops and made our day run so smoothly, we didn’t even realise they were there, everything just happened and was cleaned away without us noticing they were working tirelessly around us whilst we just worked on making amazing memories.

There are many people that I haven’t mentioned who helped make our 2 day tipi wedding run so smoothly such as my husbands family, they were all so thoughtful ensuring every basis was covered with great detail, however in this small space, I must give special thanks to my father who I’ve not yet mentioned. He & my uncle drove countless times back and forth between my parents house in Carlisle, and the venue, to unload all of the furniture, decorations & additions that made it personal to us. He also made sure the generator didn’t run out of fuel and fed us all throughout the day with BBQ food, the day after our marriage, when we had a final informal celebration before the tipi was taken down.

We made memories that will last a life time and we wouldn’t change a thing about our tipi wedding in the lakes.

The post Danni & Jonny’s tipi wedding in the Lake District, with Jaye Peg Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Snapdragon photography- https://www.snapdragonphoto.co.uk/

Wedding photographer review

Kayleigh was amazing, she captured our whole day so beautifully. We couldn’t have asked for a better photographer and we will treasure the photos forever.

More from Snapdragon Photography (Devon)

Your best moment or memory

The whole day was wonderful. I loved our smoke bomb photo shoot after the ceremony. We had all our close friends join in and let off smoke bombs on the lawn- it was really fun and the photos looked great too!

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

The forecast for our wedding day was gale force winds and storms…We had our wedding at Tapeley Park in Instow, which has amazing grounds and we really wanted to be outside a lot! I had read somewhere online that if you bury a sausage in the garden the night before it will guarantee sunshine on your wedding day! – Sounds like a crazy idea, but worth a try? So the groom and his best men buried a sausage in the garden. Our wedding day turned out to be beautiful and the sun came out in time for drinks and photos on the lawn!!

Venue name + review

Tapeley Park in Instow. It was the perfect venue for us, it has beautiful grounds, a large grand house where we had our ceremony leading to a nice big lawn for drinks. We used their barn for our dinner and drinks, It was the perfect blank canvas for us to add our own style and decor.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

My dress was by WToo Watters, I found it online and had it amended, I also added some boho sleeves myself.

Paul had a blue suit jacket from Antique Rogue, which he matched with chinos and a floral shirt.

Florist name + review

One flower Worthing- we had some beautiful dried flowers which I still have and they smell amazing!

Cake maker name + review

My sister-in-law made our delicious wedding cake, ‘Frantaffstic Bakes’.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Our table plan was done on a one of Paul’s old surfboards which worked really well and everyone loved it.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

We had our first dance later in the evening- about 10pm- untraditional, but it worked well for us as the party was well underway by then and everyone loved it. We danced to Jet – Are you gonna be my girl.

Hair + makeup name + review

Beauty By Cathy, our make up was done by Cathy, she did an amazing job, making us all look and feel incredible on the day.

The post Ruby & Paul’s creative DIY wedding at Tapeley Park with Snapdragon Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Danny Jack https://dannyjackphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Danny was amazing. Having never had any professional photography done before we were both a bit wary about finding the right person to take the best possible photographs without it feeling too forced or posed. Danny was very easy going and fit in immediately – we shared several geeky interests and he was exceptionally easy to talk to. His natural and ‘in the moment’ photography style fit our wedding perfectly – allowing for an excellent mix of natural pictures and epic shots, without taking up too much time away from the party! He was able to capture all the magic moments – including an impromptu dancefloor cart-wheel from the groom! We would recommend Danny to everyone.

Your best moment or memory

There’s just so many, but if we had to pick one; the last dance of the night holds a special place for us; surrounded by all our closest friends and family (that had survived to the end!) whilst we danced as a couple at the center of the circle, allowing us to appreciate and soak up the final moments of the wedding evening.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We did not have any speeches – we felt that it would add unnecessary pressure to family members that were not confident public speakers which in turn, would affect their enjoyment and ability to relax. We also wanted a relaxed vibe, and we felt speeches too formal for us. We also took great delight at sneaking in as many geeky references as we could in the wedding, with varying levels of subtleness! Ranging from the barely visible ATLA runes on the invitations, to the D20 jelly wedding favours.

Venue name + review

The Ferry House. Absolutely perfect! We viewed the Ferry House Inn as our ‘wildcard’ venue as part of their wedding showcase and instantly fell in love.

The outdoor ceremony option of the gazebo was divine – surrounded by greenery and a lovely view of the water – it was exactly what we wanted. The gazebo option for the reception allowed us ample space for our guests – and the excellent quirk of hiding the dancefloor behind a screen until the evening reveal, was joyous! The wedding coordinators were incredibly helpful and made the whole process smooth and stress-free. Not to mention the food was sublime!

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

After seeing a green suit at the wedding EXPO in London we were surprised at how much we both loved the colour and thus began the hunt for a green suit, not nearly as popular as its blue or black counterparts. We finally found a friend in Edit Suits that allows for a custom design suit to be made – including several choices of material, pockets, colour and linings. After trying on several dresses – Faye chose the first dress she had tried on in the first shop: Bell’amore To fit with the rustic/relaxed/fantasy vibe Faye opted for a lace dress with floral patterns that had detachable sleeves(!).

Florist name + review

For our wedding we used Idyllic and Co. wedding designers who arranged and designed many aspects of our wedding – including the sourcing the flowers/florist (which ended up lovely!).

Cake maker name + review

Ericakes : https://www.ericakes.co.uk/

When searching for wedding cakes we knew we had found our cake maker when Faye saw Erica’s ‘Alice in Wonderland cake’ – the detailing and patterns were beautiful. Wanting something similar but a reflection of both Faye’s chaotic side and Dean’s ‘neater’ aesthetic, we met with Erica to discuss ideas and how we could tie in our fantasy/book theme. Erica came up with the brilliant idea of having a book page curled around one of the layers and it looked perfect. To add to this the cake flavours were varied and delicious. We were spoilt for choice! Would 100% recommend – we received many comments on how great the cake tasted and looked.

Stationery maker’s name + review

In the process of designing the table plan – Sophie (Idyllic and Co) recommended the work of LyndaLoves to do the stationery for the the seating places and table names. The colour choices worked perfectly with the table plan and, to ensure we were happy , samples were sent to us before a final decision was made. The calligraphy was beautiful!

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

We opted for sweets as our wedding favours and to hold them we purchased small white boxes and tied gold ribbon around them. However, looking a bit plain – we decided to tie them into our book theme by (spending many hours) making origami flowers from the pages of the book ‘The adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ which then perched upon the top of the boxes.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

A serene cover by Romy Wave of ‘Something Just Like This’ by Coldplay.

Wedding planner name + review

The Ferry House Inn Wedding Co-ordinators were friendly and very prompt to reply to any emails we sent. It was obvious this was something they excelled in, as every step was planned and organised – allowing for very little stress on our part. Meetings and checklists ensured nothing was missed and all aspects were covered.

We met several co-ordinators throughout our wedding planning process and every single one was a joy to meet and put us at ease. We would highly recommend them. The Ferry House works closely with Idyllic&Co who often decorate the venue on showcase days. This is where we first met Idyllic&Co’s Sophie after she had put together a stunning Autumnal display.

We very quickly decided on hiring Idyllic&Co for our day, and we had several meetings to discuss wedding colours, themes and options that had not even crossed our minds! So much was covered, for example, having a central family table instead of a top table (which was a stroke of genius as no one was able to see the father-of-the-bride spill wine down the bride’s dress – thankfully white wine!), or using a board of books as a table plan to fully bind the theme.

Sophie took our small ideas and changed them to a spectacular vision! The combined efforts of the Ferry House wedding co-ordinators and Idyllic&Co. was a dream team – it allowed for a very smooth and enjoyable lead up to the wedding with minimal stress – on our part. We cannot thank them enough!

We would also like to mention, The Ferry House DJ Carl who ensured the dancefloor was never empty!

Hair + makeup name + review

Hair: Suzy https://www.bridalhairbysuzy.co.uk/

Suzy was simply an amazing hair stylist. Faye is not someone who typically spends a lot of time on her hair and so did not have much of a vision in mind. Once an enquiry was made Suzy took the time to call and discuss options prior to booking and meeting at her studio for a trial day.

Suzy had a great depth of knowledge and was able to offer great insight and ideas to a bride that knew very little about hair styling. On the day Suzy was a life-saver! Being summer a couple of pesky wasps had managed to find their way into the getting ready room – as well as being a superb hair stylist she is also a wasp-whisperer and managed to coax the wasps out of the room – saving the bridesmaids who may or may not have been cowering sightly in the corner…

Despite having fine hair that does not hold a curl well – the hair style lasted all day and survived long hours of dancing! I am very grateful to Suzy for her vision and expert styling!

Make-up: Clare Lake https://www.clarelakemakeupartist.co.uk/ Clare has a very happy attitude and is an expert in her field. She knew instantly what would or wouldn’t complement the dress and bridal style which was perfect for a bride that was not sure what would work and had never worn false lashes.

The trial was relaxed and amazingly fun, discussing several styles and brands. Clare was able to put together a look for the bride, bridesmaids, and mother of the bride that suited everyone perfectly! Providing exceptionally useful hints and tips about the day in general. The makeup lasted all day and night, and the bridesmaids and bride felt incredible.

The post Faye & Dean’s timeless modern wedding, with Danny Jack Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Nicola & Richard chose a blank canvas venue and made it their own. Lovely Francesca at Piccolino Photography captured the celebrations and gets a brilliant review from the happy couple!

It’s fabulous, romantic and beautiful – more pics on our instagram very soon!

Wedding photographer’s website

Piccolino weddings – Francesca Brecciaroli

Wedding photographer review

Francesca was brilliant, she was so laid back and slotted right in to every part of the wedding from getting ready to the party shots. She captured everything. We couldn’t have asked for a better photographer.

Your best moment or memory

Taking Jaeger shots during our ceremony- the guests were so surprised!

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

Jaeger shots during the ceremony -handfasting with our little dog and 2 nans as ribbon bearers -bride wearing converse and customised leather jacket -grooms dad’s band played and the drummer was the grooms uncle – guests stayed on site in glamping tipis

Videographer name + review

Moment weddings videography was incredible, we are so in love with the video and watched it so many times. He’s an absolute perfectionist

Venue name + review

Longton Wood was the venue but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you want A LOT of hard work, I still can’t believe the amount of work we put in to making this day happen

Celebrant

Kathryn Palmer-Skillings our Celebrant absolutely made our day, she is the most joyful human we’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and we are so so happy she was our Celebrant- I cannot put into words how beautiful our whole ceremony was from the story she told about us to the hand fasting to taking shots.. it was perfect from start to finish.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Rich wanted a non traditional suit and we didn’t have a set colour scheme but ended up tying our looks together with a autumnal dark red theme which worked really well, I also loved how Rich had his hair up for the day and then down for the evening. Nikki’s dress was by an Australian brand called Made With Love. She wanted something plain and simple but wanted to show her back as she knows it is one of Rich’s favourite things about her, veil was also made with love, shoes were personalised myself with pearls and a glue gun

Dress or suit shop name + review

Suit was from WUD in Tenterden, they were great at helping us out at the last minute! And the dress was from Love in Lace- Kath was incredible, she felt like part of the family after all my dress fittings

Florist name + review

Coco and bloom made the most beautiful flower arrangements for us and they fit the venue so well, they also made a very seamless delivery and collection for us across multiple locations which we are really grateful for.

Cake maker name + review

The Cake Witch made the most amazing cake that our guests absolutely loved and she was a dream to work with from start to finish

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Nicola made everything herself- place-names, Signage, even the table plan book case was a thrifted bookcase that we painted, got loads of the decor from charity shops, the dressing table as well was hand painted and there was face glitter there for guests to use -there was a little hand painted table by the fire pit with a little tribute to a friend who had recently passed away -a wish you were here table with photos of loved ones who died -bride made all of the bridesmaids hair accessories including the flower girls flower crown -the bride made handmade macrame back drop for the photo booth and groom built and stained the wooden frame for it. Handmade all the stationery for the day, Invitations were printed on plantable paper with wild flowers seeds in

Wedding readings?

Wrote our own vows

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

First dance was you ask me by bb King that was the perfect song for us, especially because it was so short! Only 2 mins 30 but it was long enough with everyone staring at you!

Wedding planner name + review

Myself! (Nicola) I’m never doing that again! (Even if it did save us thousands)

Hair + makeup name + review

Did my own make up and the hair was done by Kelly from Jessica May Hair Design. She was a trooper, she had to do 7 girls hair in the morning of the wedding but she really kept her cool

The post A woodland wedding for Nicola & Richard, with Piccolino Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Hannah Timm www.hannahtimmphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Hannah is a fantastic photographer. She quietly clicks away in the background capturing beautiful moments. We really felt like she captured us just as we are, all the funny faces and all! Neither of us are particularly comfortable in front of the camera but Hannah made us feel relaxed and we couldn’t be happier with the pictures.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

My dress was 1920s inspired. It had beautiful beading and detail. My veil was long and very sparkly.
My dress was from La Boutique Bridal. They are a charity, all proceeds from dress sales go to brides who are terminally ill and want to get married before they pass away. All the dresses are donated either from designers or brides. It’s such a worthy cause and no dress is over £700. The ladies who run it are all volunteers and they treated me like a princess. Could not recommend them enough!
My husband wore a navy chino with a white shirt and tweed waist coat and jacket. The ties and pocket squares for all the groom party were made by my mum. We were struggling to find the colour for them so found fabric and she made them.The suit jackets were hired from Moss Bros. They were really nice and great quality, but their service at Moss Bros was very poor.

Your best moment or memory

Oh gosh there were so many! I’d have to say dancing all night with all our friends and family. We will never get that again and it was magical.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We had a traditional confetti throwing at the church but we also had pom pom confetti throwing at the venue. I tasked my brother, sister in law and mother in law with making them. Between them they made close to 500 pom poms of all different colours. It was really fun and the pictures are brilliant! They were collected back up and my brother made a pom pom collage for us as a wedding present.

Venue name + review

Kilminorth Cottages

Beautiful venue set in a gorgeous cornish valley. We had the entire venue to ourselves with beautiful cottages that over half of our guests were able to stay in. We had the freedom to creat the wedding we wanted, decorating it however we chose to.

Florist name + review

Our florist was The Fencing Florist. Named as such due to his day job as a fencing contractor. His flowered are beautiful we were so happy with them. Really great service and communication throughout.

Cake maker name + review

I made the cake and all the puddings.

Stationery maker’s name + review

I made the stationery items. I used an oak leaf stamp on the name cards to add to the autumnal theme.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Oh gosh so many! Made the name cards, my friend had made some wreaths and dried flower bunches for her wedding that we used. My sister in law mad a macrame arch that we used. My parents grew flowers and ornamental pumpkins. My husband made Wooden discs for the centrepieces. He also made table names on wood using a pyro pen. We collected pine cones, concurs, acorns, twigs the list goes on!

Wedding readings?

We had a good friend do a reading as part of the church service.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Karen Ramirez – Didn’t know I was looking for love
Playlist recommendations: Earth wind and fire – September
A selection of northern soul
Flo Rider – Low Faithless Insomnia

Hair + makeup name + review

Red Bridal – Hair

Very professional, really got on board with my theme for my look being 1920s. Really happy with my hair and would highly recommend!

Bow Bridal – Makeup

Again very professional, and really embraced my theme. Both my hair and makeup came together as one look. I couldn’t be happier with it.

Catering recommendation

The Croust hut for the best canapés I’ve ever tasted!

The post Sarah & Rhys’s colourful and creative Kilminorth Cottages wedding, with Hannah Timm Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Hannah Hall Photography https://hannahhallphotography.co.uk/

Wedding photographer review

Hannah was absolutely incredible! Not only was she an epic photographer that delivered the most gorgeous shots, she was a lifeline navigating pandemic planning and was so helpful on the day helping us make the most of every little moment.

Your best moment or memory

Honestly the whole day was just a blur of laughter and love! I do have a soft spot for our ring exchange, when we discovered Kris’s ring was actually a bit too small and I had to force it on in front of everyone

Venue name + review

Hothorpe hall woodlands We were so happy to find our dream venue at the woodlands. Finding an outdoor, woodland ceremony space that also had a proper bar and kitchens and toilets (!!!) was just perfect for us, it meant we managed to have a DIY aesthetic without actually having to do any of the logistical work!

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

My dress was a beautiful long sleeved beaded number from Eliza Jane Howell. I bought my dress during lockdown so I actually only managed to try on one and thankfully it was perfect! It was definitely an odd experience trying on my wedding dress for the first time in my bedroom on my own! Kris tried on so many more suits in every colour available and landed on a nice neutral sandy colour which made the bright Liberty accessories pop.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Dress was a sample via still white, a perfect opportunity to own my dream dress in budget!

Cake maker name + review

I was very lucky that my best friend and maid of honour is an incredible baker and she made our cake and all our evening goodies for us

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

We DIY’d as much as possible, I designed all of our stationery myself and roped in bridesmaids for everything from bunting stringing to place card making

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Our first dance was Kiss Me by six pence none the richer and we had an indie disco DJ that played all the throwbacks from our teenage years

Hair + makeup name + review

I was again very very lucky to have very talented hair stylist and makeup artist friends who did absolutely everything for me!

The post Sophie & Kris’s amazing woodland wedding, with Hannah Hall Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Our lovely couple have recommended some brilliant Bristol wedding suppliers, including lovely Becky Weir Photography, their venue Coombe Lodge, as well as the amazing Lucy Can’t Dance. Check out their English Wedding interview below to discover all the best Bristol wedding suppliers and why these two loved them so much!

Wedding photographer’s website

Becky Weir – https://beckyweir.co.uk/

Wedding photographer review

From the very moment we met Becky at a wedding fair, we knew she would be perfect for us. Her aesthetic, values, her kindness, originality & her fun. When we then saw her website and portfolio it all clicked into place.

She was a hand holding us through the day – So easy to talk to, so easy to ask questions. She honestly felt like one of the family.

Both Brad & I aren’t ones for attention or the spotlight being on us, but we felt so comfortable being in Becky’s company. Even when Bec gave us a little direction for our photos, we didn’t feel wooden, we just kept talking and goofing around like she wasn’t even there. She blends in so well for candid photography, you wouldn’t even know she was there!

She definitely understood what our wedding meant to us, with all our quirky takes on the day and my many DIY’s (even down to the wire of making Groomsmen ties 2 days before the big day) for that we cannot thank her enough.

We cannot wait to see our album and share our gallery with our friends and family – Becky’s post-wedding process is so stress-free and convenient, and we’re delightfully impressed with the options she has in place. Truly tailored to you and so original.

Your best moment or memory

There are many that I fall back on when I think about the day. There are two that stand out to me the most.

Seeing my father for the first time in a tailored suit with a tie and a buttonhole I’d created for him. His love, his support, and his emotion was just so raw, I’ve never seen him like that. My parents aren’t really ones to show their emotion, but dad did so well that day to let me know he was proud and pleased. He didn’t have to say it, I could feel it.

My second memory was when I was getting ready in the bridal suite. I could see our guests arriving, then out the corner of my eye when my hair was being done, I could see the children walking around with the Alpaca’s (Barney & Guinness) that we’d previously walked on the Quantocks in 2019 and had hired for after the ceremony. I was beaming form ear to ear and was so thrilled that everyone was happy to see their little fuzzy faces.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We’re not really the personalities for following traditions, one thing was that I hate the excess of items that are purchased for a wedding with only a single use.

I wanted our wedding items to preserve the day and have longevity.

I’m not a massive flower person and I’m a serial houseplant buyer. So much so, I almost cried at the till when Brad bought me a gorgeous Calathea at Botanica Studio in Bath.

I knew for sure that I wanted dried botanicals to be adorning myself, the Groomsmen, and my Bridesmaids. I made my bridesmaids botanical macrame wreaths to hold for the day in the hopes they’d use them as a feature piece or wall hanging afterward.

I also decided to request some bespoke tweed from my good and dear friend Charlotte (@fruitbattextiles) and made both pocket squares and ties for Brad and our groomsmen as a gift for the day.

I sourced the most amazing dried botanicals from @HANDANDBLOOM (Etsy, Bristol local seller) and elevated them with dried pampas and pheasant feathers as both Brad and I come from farming backgrounds, we wanted a subtle nod to our upbringing as our families were coming together for us.

Where we could, we researched independently owned businesses, local businesses, and small businesses.

It just so happened that most of these businesses were women-owned too, which we were both so proud to support.

As a little shameless plug, I also made quite a few little embroidered elements for the day that I will soon be selling through my own little small business Etsy. (BrueMoonFibres) This included individual embroidered place names for the head table in my own supply of hand-dyed cotton thread.

Venue name + review

Coombe Lodge, Blagdon – Martha and Issy our coordinators were incredible. Honestly, we couldn’t have pulled off our wedding without them.

The wedding planning and organization fell to me, not because I wanted it to. But, because I had a vision for our wedding and Brad wanted me to have free reign with my creativity and ideas. I’d never done anything like this before let alone thought I’d ever get married!

When we were looking around at venues, Martha stood out to be one of the most accommodating, calm, and down-to-earth members of staff that we had the pleasure of meeting.

Martha and her team were always so happy to help out with any queries or questions. At no point did we feel like we had requested too much of them, and they were always available either through the phone or email to put our minds at ease. Even with my extreme amount of DIY for the wedding, I was so proud to have them in the background of our day as they made it all the more special. Might I add, Brad was won over by Martha with the coffee and a brownie by the fireplace in the initial meeting.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Both our outfits were inspired by our love of nature, forests, and our agricultural backgrounds. We wanted our outfits to reflect our personalities but also fit in with our setting and our theme for the day.

Dress or suit shop name + review

My dress was found by my MOH when I was at my lowest point. I’d been in an unfortunate car accident in Feb (2022) and I was at a real down point feeling useless and frustrated with constant calls and forms whilst being bedbound in recovery.

My MOH mentioned to me that my favorite small business (Lucy Can’t Dance) was having a sample sale, I took a quick look and then fell in love with her. My dress was called Pumpkin and it fit so perfectly with our anniversary being the Halloween weekend, along with the delicate sequin leaf mesh that I adored when I finally got to see her. I took a risk buying her being a sample size, but luckily being a seamstress I was able to amend her straps and then with some help from my bridesmaids MIL we amended the length.

Florist name + review

Our wedding stylist was Kelly from Ambiance, Bristol. Kelly was an absolute babe and honestly took our ideas and made them a reality. She was like-minded in the way that we preferred foliage over floral, and she really got into our minds and helped us analyze our ideas and brought them to life.

We sleep with the foliage from the day attached to our macrame hanging above our bed and I’ve just recently used some of the excesses to make us a chunky wedding/Christmas wreath for our front door.

We’re so lucky to have worked with her for our wedding, she has decided to hand the baton to her colleague and is spending more time with her family. We support her decision and both wish her well for the future and will never forget the incredible day she allowed us to have.

Cake maker name + review

Ahh Toots, a brilliant bakery/cakery based in Bristol owned by Tam & Amy. Brad and I used to visit Ahh Toot’s little stand in St Nick’s market each time, most of the time going to Bristol just to see them and their cakes. When they opened up their cafe on Christmas Steps, we had no second guesses on who we’d love to make our wedding cake.

They did such an amazing job and made the most amazing cake we could have ever hoped for. We still have some in the freezer and we’re trying to not eat all of it so we can savor the day each time we sit down with a cuppa.

Wedding readings

Love Poem with Apologies for My Appearance by Ada Limón I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

You & Me song – The Wannadies

Hair + makeup name + review

By Sarah Kate – Sarah was incredible, soft, understanding and so so amazing.

I explained to her that makeup wasn’t really my thing but I wanted to look photo ready. She enabled me and my bridesmaids to look our absolute (as close as we could be) natural best on the day and enhanced our features so much.

She gave me skin tips and recommended products that I still use to this day. She honestly opened my eyes a lot more to make-up and I am in awe of her incredible talent.

*Check out our insta for an alpaca special – exclusively from Gem & Brad’s gorgeous day! (Coming soon if you don’t see it yet!)

The post Gem & Brad’s super creative wedding at Coombe Lodge, with Becky Weir Photography appeared first on English Wedding.