A charming autumn wedding for the loveliest pair and their adorable little sausage dog Stan! We’re smitten with Doxford Barns and falling in love with string lights all over again! Congrats to gorgeous couple Jess & Jake, hugs for Stan and big thank yous to Paylor Photography for sharing their amazing images with us today.

Wedding photographer’s website

https://www.paylorphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

We couldn’t recommend Paylor enough! Jake and I aren’t the most comfortable in front of the camera but Rebecca and Rob were so easy to work with, they made us feel at ease from the word go. They took photos of moments we didn’t even know they were there for, they work like magic.

Your best moment or memory

As much as people say, it really does go in a blur! But the little moment we reminisce about the most is the 5 minutes we had to ourselves after the ceremony, everyone else had gone for drinks and we sat away from the business of the day with a glass of bubbly and talked about how bizarre it all felt. To be finally husband and wife, signed, sealed – we sat smiling like idiots! I also remember how wide awake we were once everyone had gone to bed, the venue was empty but we didn’t want to end the day so we got changed out of our suits and dress and took Stan our dog out for a late night walk around the venue – the stars were so bright and it was so quiet, walking past the barn and fields on a little walk felt so normal after such a whirlwind day.

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

We didn’t have a lot of NEW traditions but we knew what what we didn’t want. A small but significant change was we didn’t do a bouquet toss – we kept all the bouquets in water after the ceremony and we took them home with us. I dried them out and have them as a dried floral arrangement for our kitchen counter. The roses are perfectly preserved and I smile everytime I walk past 🙂

Venue name + review

Doxford Barns – Honestly it was my husband that found our venue before we were even engaged (he loves to remind me!) we completely fell in love with it from our first viewing. Being able to have the full venue to ourselves for the full couple of days meant so much! The team at Doxford are just fantastic, nothing is too much and they were so accommodating to all our requests. I’ve never had a meal like that – most amazing options made to the highest standard.

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

For me, I knew my dress as soon as I had it on I then had to wait patiently for almost 3 years to wear it! For Jake, I couldn’t fault his taste, he knew exactly what he was after form the word go and honestly the blue tweed worked so well and he looked so sharp!

Dress or suit shop name + review

My dress was from Amore Brides in Sunderland and Jake’s suit was from Moss Bros. Amore Brides was great – she understood the vision I had and her expertise made the process so seamless! (Pun intended)

Florist name + review

Made Simply Perfect- Our day would have not been the same without their complete professionalism, expertise and attention to detail. They really understood our vision and brought it to life with style and vibrancy in the amazing bouquets and venue styling. To say the Threshing Hall was breathtaking is an understatement. They really brought everything together!

Cake maker name + review

The Cake Garden in Ellington – you just need to look at the cake, it looked as amazing as it tasted – it was delicious, simply elegant, everything we wanted. A particular thanks was given to the ladies at Ellington who stepped in last minute for our original cake designer was unable to make our deadline.

Stationery maker’s name + review

Made Simply Perfect

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

We printed our own confetti cones just for ease but in the process my Mum had spoken to us to make it a bit more personal. She asked us for a song each that reminded us of the other, she printed the lyrics onto the paper, a lovely touch that really made me smile. She even added on Toy Story’s ‘you’ve got a friend in me’ for our sausage dog Stanley

Top tips from the happy couple

If you can and you have the option – have an engagement/pre wedding shoot with your photographer. It’s so so worth it to put you all at ease and get to get the most amazing and natural photos on your big day! Plus you get another set of beautiful photos before your wedding. Highly recommend!
Cut up any leftover wedding cake then store it in the freezer for a tasty treat one day! It’s great.

Wedding readings?

Blessing of the hands by Rev. Daniel l. H – a simply beautiful reading, so well written. Always tear up when I read it! Secondly, we had ‘These I Can Promise’ by Mark Twain, a matter-of-fact, honest statement of love and affection, which really hits home in its simplicity and beauty.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer

Wedding planner name + review

NA My mum (MOB) was our eyes, ears and PA from the word go – if she WAS a wedding planner, we couldn’t have afforded her skill!

Hair + makeup name + review

Hair – my own hairdresser, Lauren Charlton who works at Bootylicous Hair and Beauty Makeup – Josephine Birkett not only incredible at what she does but she is so lovely and down to earth, I wanted her to stay around all day. She made you feel so relaxed and at ease, something that doesn’t come naturally on a wedding morning!