Today’s brilliantly beautiful wedding is all about the feels. It’s Jen & Josh’s wedding at Alpheton Barns, captured by our friends and award winning wedding photographers York Place Studios. The photos capture the gloriously chaotic behind-the-scenes getting ready parts of the day before taking us through a heartfelt ceremony filled with laughter and impromptu hugs.

The celebrations after Jen and Josh say their vows are a whirlwind of love and joy and family connections. The air is filled with hugs and happiness and we get to see all of the tiny moments that make up the atmosphere of a wedding. There’s something incredibly special running through these images: perhaps it’s the sense of belonging and of family that this stunning couple inspire.

Seen through the eyes of Dom and Liam at York Place Studios, it’s “Irresistible, impulsive embraces during the ceremony, laughter through the vows. Quizzical looks and knowing glances; idiosyncrasies, inside jokes, charisma and chaos. These are characterful qualities that we are inspired to capture but cannot create. The photographic themes emerge not from our minds, nor even from theirs. They are found through the unconscious acts and connections of the people around us; our job is not only to see but to feel.”

The venue is lovely: a rustic barn with bunting and lanterns and country charm, set in the Suffolk countryside. It’s an exclusive use venue with a woodland ceremony space, and different barns for different parts of your day. The owners of Alpheton Hall Barns try to make it as nature-friendly as possible, through tree planting and a wildflower meadow – an idyllic setting!

The styling touches are fun and creative: the flowers are wonderful, the cake is a joy (and we adore the little birds on top) – and the table plan is ace! Stealing the show though, is Jen’s sparkly, sunshine-catching beautiful wedding jumpsuit – a showstopper of a wedding outfit if ever we saw one! (With Josh’s superb tartan suit a very, very close second!)

We’ll share more images on our instagram at @englishweddingblog – for now, here are some absolute favourites to make you smile, laugh and stop your scrolling in its tracks! This is how weddings should be remembered: for all of the amazing people who were there by your side, at their authentically brilliant best!

The post Jen & Josh’s relaxed family wedding at Alpheton Hall Barns, with York Place Studios appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Martin Cheung https://www.martincphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Martin was personally recommended to us by a good friend, who had worked with him several times. We loved his energy and sense of fun, and felt comfortable he would help us capture our day and record the amazing memories! We also loved that his wife, Daiga, was available to film, as we were really keen to get amazing video for those of our far-flung family who couldn’t attend. They were both so lovely on the day, working with us throughout a pretty hectic day to capture so many amazing images, both intimate and relaxed as well as large group shots. Reviewing the photos on our honeymoon, we felt so fortunate to have had them both involved with the day. Martin managed to corral our 150+ guests into numerous group and family shots, and is still mentioned at family gatherings as a ‘legend’! He was also endlessly patient with us putting back the time of our first dance because, in true Greek fashion, nothing happened on time!

Your best moment or memory

Seeing our dog Cleo, in her beautiful flower collar, coming down the aisle as our ring bearer was so special! Phoebe’s favourite part of the day was stepping out into the ceremony room and seeing Sarah’s beautiful smile lighting up the room, where Sarah and her family had been in charge of building a traditional Jewish chuppah on the morning of the wedding. The whole room was filled with love and sunlight. Sarah’s favourite moment was during the evening reception, when we found our roller derby team-mates building a human pyramid on the lawn! It just showed how relaxed our guests were, feeling free to let their hair down and party, which is exactly what we wanted!

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

We mixed some Jewish and some Greek traditions in, without much religion, to celebrate both of our family heritages, so we smashed a glass, swapped flower crowns, drank raki and danced to some traditional (and not so!) Greek and Jewish music at the reception. Phoebe walked down the aisle on her own, following both of her parents, and Sarah was accompanied by both her mom and dad, to buck the tradition of being ‘given away’.

Sarah + Phobe – Hazel Gap Barn from No Ordinary Films (Daiga Cheung) on Vimeo.

Videographer name + review

Daiga https://www.noordinaryfilms.co.uk/ Daiga was so friendly and enthusiastic about capturing our wedding. We have laughed and cried over our wedding videos as they really capture the warmth and love of the day! Daiga was so intent on capturing the little moments, and has woven them into a gorgeous video which really feels so personal and heartwarming to watch back. It really takes us back to the day!

Venue name + review

Hazel Gap Barn – what can we say but wow! This very quickly became our wish-list venue as it is so beautiful, but it was a bit out of our price range. Thanks to our very generous parents, we were lucky enough to be able to make it work and we were so happy we did.

Our co-ordinator, Beth, was so on top of everything on the day, it felt like we didn’t have to worry about a single thing. She was worth her weight in gold! The entire staff at Hazel Gap were so professional, polite and made the whole day run so smoothly. We got so many compliments on the food – people said it was the best wedding meal they had ever had – and we have to agree! It was so important to both of us that the food was great and we were so happy with the feast night that Hazel Gap offers to its customers, where we got to sample the menu. As a vegetarian, Phoebe was adamant that their vegan and vegetarian guests would have as much choice as anyone else, and Hazel Gap really delivered! The grounds and buildings are absolutely stunning and the staff really are excellent at what they do.

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

Phoebe wore an off the shoulder, old Hollywood-style chiffon dress with a dramatic sleeve, from All Who Wander. It made me feel like an absolute glamazon! Sarah had a tailored three piece suit, in a dark green and orange checked bamboo fabric. She wore her grandfather’s RAF dress shirt and cufflinks, which matched her buttons.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Phoebe: Emily’s Bridal, Sheffield.

Emily’s was one of the first dress shops I looked at online, and as soon as I visited in person, I knew I would get my dress there. Nicole helped me throughout, as my mum and sisters all lived abroad at the time, so I was flying solo when dress shopping. She listened to what I wanted, brought me armfuls of dresses and then found THE ONE (which was none of the things I had said I wanted!) She has a magic eye and her enthusiasm and warmth shone through every appointment, every silly question, and every request I made!

The last few weeks where I was driving up to Sheffield for fittings and stylings were some of my favourite wedding prep moments, because I was SO excited to see my dress and step into the calm, kind and happy environment they have created there! I was treated with kindness and joy by every single person I met at Emily’s and I will recommend it to anyone looking for a dress.

Sarah: Orhan London Tailoring.

I found the process of finding a wedding suit quite daunting at the beginning, as I wasn’t sure exactly what I was looking for and how the typical ‘mens’ suits would fit. I found Orhan London Tailoring recommended online as somewhere specifically queer-friendly and really loved their photos, so gave them a visit.

I felt super taken care of from my very first visit, where Joe went through the different options with me and made me feel completely comfortable asking all the questions!

Although I wasn’t originally planning on a tailored suit, I decided that it was a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance to create exactly what I wanted, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

Florist name + review

Sanita’s Flowers, Nottingham.

It took us a few false starts to find Sanita, and it turns out the best wedding florist is actually our local one! Right from our first meeting, Sanita filled us with confidence that she understood what we wanted and was going to deliver it. On the day, she was hands-on and enthusiastically making sure every flower she had planned was in the right place and looked perfect! Sanita absolutely fulfilled our ideas of bright, rainbow coloured blooms in a bohemian, relaxed style. She was also really mindful of our budget, and helped us carefully and thoughtfully make some small changes to deliver what we wanted within this.

Cake maker name + review

Pudding Pantry, Nottingham. When we realised our favourite cafe also made wedding cakes, we were pretty sure that we wanted them to make our wedding cake! However, having almost 200 guests to the event meant A LOT of cake. Pudding Pantry worked with us to do cake tastings (the best day of wedding planning!) and come up with completely custom combinations, and they didn’t bat an eyelid at any of our guests dietary needs. We weren’t quite sure about how we wanted it to look, but they were really patient and kind at showing us different ideas and talking us through options to design a cake together. On the day, it looked and tasted incredible, even if one of our younger guests did try to eat it with their hands before we got to cut it!

Stationery maker’s name + review

We used Vistaprint and some of their design features to personalise our invitations and thank you cards. It was an affordable provider with loads of options to customise the designs and we were really happy with the speed of service and quality of the prints.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

We did a lot of the decor ourselves, with Sarah’s friends and family spending the night before the wedding constructing paper lanterns, garlands and pompoms to hang up around the venue, as well as labelling the wedding favours. Phoebe painted the welcome sign and schedule, and made the guestbook and seating plan display herself as well, and brushed up on her calligraphy skills for the place cards too. These little touches made a lot of the wedding feel more personal and a lot of them are still decorating our house now!

Wedding readings?

Our friend Nathan read an extract from ‘Everything I Know About Love’ by Dolly Alderton, which perfectly captured how Sarah and Phoebe feel about each other and their life together.

Sarah’s cousin Justin read ‘A Lovely Love Story’ by Edward Monkton, really hamming up the line about the couple being old. It was fun and funny, and just the kind of laughter that Sarah and Phoebe wanted during their ceremony!

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Ten Years by Daði Freyr. We pondered for ages on the wedding first dance song, as we wanted something not too formal and stiff, but that we could have a few moments together to dance to, before having our friends and family join in! This was the perfect song, as it is bouncy, energetic but with a gorgeous message, and we still get up and recreate our dance moves whenever we hear it!

Hair + makeup name + review

Ms Moo Makeup – As soon as I got engaged, I knew I wanted Sali to be my makeup artist – I think she was the first person I booked when the date was confirmed! She has done several friend’s wedding makeup, and is a well known wedding makeup artist in the East Midlands. She is so funny, and fun, and made me cackle like a witch several times over the course of my wedding morning! She made me and my bridesmaids all look absolutely gorgeous and glowy, and set us all at ease. She listened so carefully to me during our initial chats and trial sessions, and delivered a truly special service on the morning, making me feel relaxed and at ease, despite my nerves.

Blush Moments Hair – Sharon was quite a late addition to my wedding team, and she was personally recommended to me by Sali, who had worked with her before. Sharon is so lovely and friendly, she was great at listening to what I wanted and delivering it in a way that worked with my dress, veil and overall style of the day. She gave me loads of input into hair care and prep, to make sure that it would all work together on the big day and last well into the night! On the day, she was calm, well-prepared and efficient and had us all ready early – which is no mean feat! Sarah’s hair and makeup was done by her gorgeous bridesmaid, Kariisa, with the help of some amazing samples from our friend Hayley at La Mer!

The post Phoebe & Sarah’s super creative, everything-and-more wedding, with Martin Cheung Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

“Obviously we’re biased and think our wedding day was magical but we’re also so pleased with how personal and true to ourselves the whole day felt. We want to sip champagne and dance to all our favourite songs with all our favourite people over and over again!” ~ April & Zoe

Wedding photographer’s website

Sam Chipman https://www.samchipmanphotography.com/

Wedding photographer review

Sam was really chilled and specialises in candid photographs which is exactly the vibe we wanted for our wedding. He put us totally at ease with his no fuss approach and really went with the flow.

Your best moment or memory

Walking back up the aisle as newlyweds with all our family and friends around us is a feeling I don’t think we’ll ever top.

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

We decided very early on that we both wanted to walk down the aisle seeing as we’re both brides. We also opted for a pastel rainbow cake as our way of incorporating a little bit of pride into our day!

Venue name + review

Chilli Barn
Leah and all the staff at Chilli Barn couldn’t have been more helpful and nothing was too trouble. The barn is an intimate venue with stunning countryside views and everyone commented on how beautiful it was.

Tell us a little about your outfits

April – My dress was very me! A boho/fairy vibe with a lace top and tulle skirt. I felt that it really suited the venue and I felt ethereal the whole day.
Zoe – I opted for a suit, I’m not really the dress type. Like April I kept it very me so casual and comfy but in pink! Trousers and a waistcoat and custom embroidered converse.

Dress or suit shop name + review

April’s dress is handmade from a lovely shop on Etsy – Lady Versus.

Florist name + review

We went DIY with our flowers and handpicked all the flowers for our bouquets, aisle arch and tables from an artificial flower wholesalers. It really allowed us to put our own stamp on the little touches.

Cake maker name + review

Little Dumplings Cakes. We’re vegan so finding a vegan wedding cake maker narrows the search considerably! Little Dumplings makes the nicest vegan and allergy friendly cakes in the world. We opted for a pastel rainbow rather than traditional white and it went down a treat with all the guests.

Stationery maker’s name + review

We used various small businesses from Etsy to make up all of our wedding stationery. We love supporting small local people.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Chilli Barn is an amazing venue where they let you decorate as you wish so we really let loose our inner crafters. We picked classic books for our table names and built our centrepieces around each book with natural log slices and candles and delicate wildflowers. We stained some used wooden crates to make our table seating chart as well as using a heart-shaped stamp to cut paper hearts out of books to sprinkle around the tables.

Wedding readings?

We had 2 readings, both done by family, from the bible – Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 139:14 We are a part of a church so this was really meaningful for us.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Not traditional at all but we chose Y’all Means All by Miranda Lambert as featured on season 6 of queer eye. The thought of slow dancing filled us with dread so we went for the complete opposite. Playlist recommendations – our playlist was filled with all things 00’s and pop punk – think Busted to All Time Low with a healthy mix of Lucy Spraggan and country thrown in.

Hair + makeup name + review

April really enjoys doing makeup and wanted to do her own (and by extension that meant Zoe too).

The post April & Zoe’s creative, DIY Chilli Barn wedding, with Sam Chipman Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Hannah Hall-Beddoe www.hannahhallphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

I do not even know where to start with words of praise for Hannah! I had been stalking Hannah’s Instagram for several years, before Bry and I got engaged. I’m not even sure how I found her! Most likely, it was from one of her many collaborations with one of my other epic wedding suppliers. I had been quietly assembling my ‘dream team’ for about 4 years before the engagement – Bry and I have been together for years and had two children. The wedding was purely a formality, but one we were going to make the absolute most of! While following Hannah on Instagram, I loved her candid, relaxed style and talent for capturing the moments that couples would laugh along with, smile with pride at and, most importantly, treasure forever! Hannah only takes a very limited set of staged group shots. Just enough to please the trad family members, without making the couple feel like they are a set of shop window mannequins!

Hannah was an absolute pleasure to spend our day with. She was there to see the bridal party getting ready and slotted right into the relaxed, chatty atmosphere that I wanted for the morning. Chilled, no drama! Hannah is a pure professional and knew exactly which shots to take and when, ensuring that all of our lovely suppliers would have gorgeous photographs that showcased their work. What’s even better is, when you hire Hannah, you don’t just get a photographer, you get a lovely friend too! We share a similar sense of humour and still chat on Instagram.

Onto the main event, Bryan and I are certainly not naturals in front of the camera, we’re reasonably socially awkward, particularly around public displays of affection! Hannah knew just how to give us gentle guidance to get the best photographs without making use feel nervous.

When we opened our full gallery, it was like reliving the best day of our lives all over again! Every moment captured, even things that we had no idea about! The photographs are just perfection, I don’t think we will ever stop looking at them daily, hourly!! Thank you Hannah for being an absolute legend!

Your best moment or memory

This is so difficult to choose! I think seeing family and friends happy and together! Particularly our two daughters who had the time of their lives! My youngest daughter screamed, “I’m so excited!!!” throughout the ceremony and melted everybody’s hearts twirling unashamedly on the dance floor during our first dance. While our eldest daughter was filled with emotion and burst into tears as we sat down to sign the Register. We got her over for a cuddle and she just said, “I’m just so happy!” What more could you ask for in a wedding day! Also, the Registrar acknowledging Bryan’s parents, who had joined the wedding over video call by necessity, and getting all of our guests to say bello to them! So simply, but such a lovely touch.

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

We wanted our wedding to have three key feautures: 1. Brilliant Music 2. Delicious Food 3. A chilled but totally extra and colourful vibe. We wanted everybody to feel comfortable and have a tonne of fun and laughter. Children were absolutely welcomed, our own girls were going to be in attendance, so we knew they’d like other kids to play with. Plus, I’m a primary school teacher, so a wedding without at least one random moment from a child would have felt bizarre to me! My dress featured two cartoon characters and I wore gold sequinned trainers. The speeches were before the meal and were also more like quick toasts. All designed to keep allow Bry and I to relax and enjoy our day. There was no bouquet toss as there was zero chance that I was going to let that beautiful bouquet be ruined! We basically kept the traditions that meant something and threw out anything that didn’t feel like us!

Venue name + review

Dodford Manor, Northamptonshire

We visited a few barn venues before choosing Dodford Manor. Again, I had been following the venue on Instagram for a while and had heard great things from friends and family who had attended weddings there. On the day we viewed, it absolutely hammered it down with rain but we still thought the venue looked incredible! As we were planning an October wedding, with all the inclement weather that the month can entail, this seemed like a sign!

The venue staff know exactly what they are doing. Weddings are their business and every detail was handled professionally and with genuine care. We felt so looked after as we booked, organised and experienced our Wedding Day. Not detail was too small or insignificant to be considered! The day ran without a hitch and this is down to the incomparable professionalism of the staff at Dodford.

I’d also like to praise Dodford’s approved caterers, Jenkinsons, who provided the most delicious and generously portioned food! The sausage and mash will live on in infamy for all time! They produced the most extraordinarily inclusive menu that we could have imagined! Everybody’s dietary needs were catered for with the same finesse as the main menu courses.

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

The wedding dress was so fun to wear and was designed and made couture, just for me! Kimono style champagne silk with full floaty sleeves, intricate appliqués, a gold sequinned underdress and a corset for the shape I was after. I also had a beautiful belt with my daughter’s favourite cartoon characters, Sarah & Duck (Quack!) embroidered amongst the flowers.

I styled it with a drape veil for the ceremony and an epic flower crown from the hugely talented Bombini Studio! To finish off the look I wore turquoise tights, from a company called Snag, (my favourite colour and such a lush inclusive brand) and of course sequinned gold trainers, with turquoise soles and personalised ribbon laces, from a lovely shop I found on Etsy called BeccisBridalDesigns

Bryan wore a gorgeous indigo suit from Marks and Spencers. A coral pink tie and pocket square and a white shirt from Charles Tyrwhitt.

Dress or suit shop name + review

The Couture Company

Being a plus sized bride, your options in regular boutiques can often be seriously limited and depressing. I hated the idea of trying on samples that were 6 sizes too small! Enter, The Couture Company! Jo and her team are Couture magicians!

I shared a few photos with Jo online and then travelled over to Birmingham for a design appointment. The studio is a treasure trove of bridal jems! There is a dress to suit literally every style! Jo immediately started pulling together a range of elements from different dresses and soon we had our final design. It was more unique and special than anything I ever would have imagined being able to wear! We looked at fabric samples too.

I had at least 4 more visits to The Couture Company and it was so exciting seeing my dream wedding dress being created! Jo’s attention to detail is incredible! She even embroidered my daughters’ beloved Sarah & Duck characters onto the belt! These were a huge hit with both children and most of the adults on my wedding day! Thank you Jo for making me feel like a bride but also still like me!

Florist name + review

Rockabilly Rose Cat from Rockabilly Rose was another of my wedding, “Dream-Team” suppliers. I love Cat’s eye for colour and use of both traditional and more modern flowers, within her arrangements.

Cat listened enthusiastically to all of my visions for colours and style. We shared some photos back and forth but ultimately I knew Cat’s work well and trusted her judgement.

Nothing could have prepared me for how beautiful the flowers looked on the day! All of the colour and vibrancy was shining out from every arrangement. Autumn weddings often have a more muted, earthy pallet, which can look gorgeous. Not for us though, we wanted ALL the colour, which Cat delivered in spades! Could not have been happier!

Cake maker name + review

Amelia Rose Cake Studio

Leann makes the best cakes, bar none. Light in texture, utterly delicious and meticulously decorated, to perfection. I gave Leann creative freedom and she ran with that. The resulting cake was really something to behold! The other guests loved it too judging by the sheer amount consumed in the day. The best compliment a baker can get, I reckon!

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Justine from Beau Bright Events was in charge of the decor and styling. I would say that for people who have the time, some of the elements, such as the ribbons draped on the ceremony room chairs and the coloured candles in gold coloured candlesticks could be recreated by a crafty type.
Confetti!! We bought loads and made sure it was super colourful! The supplier was Proper Confetti and the photos show just how important that often forgotten detail can be! Plus it was free entertainment for the kids! Some were even seen making confetti angels!

Wedding readings?

Yes, I’ll Marry You! – Pam Ayres Love by Phoebe Waller-Briggs (the hot priest’s speech from Fleabag)

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

First Dance: We Found Each Other in the Dark – City & Colour.

Bridal entrance: Let’s Stay Together – Al Green

Signing the Register: You’re All I Need to Get By – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell One Day Like This – Elbow

Exit song: I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown

Music was so important to our day. We both have a love for live music, so a live band was a non-negotiable! We chose Apollo Soul as our wedding band. They play a mixture of classic Motown and Soul, along with a range of generation spanning floor fillers. We opted for their six piece band which gave us Male & Female Vocals, Sax, Guitar, Bass/Keys and Drums. The music was outstanding and kept us all dancing and singing along to the end of the night!

Wedding stylists name + review

We had the wonderful Beau Bright Events as our Wedding Stylists!

I would highly recommend Beau Bright Events! From start to finish Justine was a dream to work with! She listened carefully to my wedding vision and used her creative flair to share ideas and make suggestions. All meetings were done virtually, which really helped to fit around my lifestyle as a busy working Mum.

Justine consulted me on every element of the design, I knew I was in safe hands. Justine also suggested a fantastic graphic designer, the wonderful Hannah from H Design, who was able to create unique, beautiful signage and stationery for the wedding. The close collaboration between Hannah and Justine meant that the finished look was cohesive and well considered!

The venue looked utterly incredible once Justine had worked her magic, dressing the whole place with colour and candlelight. Not to mention the awesome light up DANCE letters! Every detail was perfectly placed! Justine is talented, creative and knowledgeable, do not hesitate to work with her!

Hair + makeup name + review

Hair – Love Laura Hair Design

I have known Laura, on an off, since Primary School! We grew up in the same town and share friends. However, this was not the reason I chose her. Laura is a genuine genius at wedding and occasion hair! There was nobody else I would ever choose or trust!

Laura gave me an epic up-do for my sister’s wedding, which I received so many compliments about. I nearly cried when I had to take it down the next day! (Yes I slept in the up-do!). Laura has done the hair of so many of my friends as they became bridesmaids, brides or just wanted a great look for a special occasion! Fast forward to my engagement, on my 40th birthday in 2021, and Laura was one of the first people I messaged – to get my booking locked down! I had a trial, of course, but I knew I didn’t really need to. Laura, knew exactly what I wanted based only on my vague descriptions and the random Pinterest images that I showed her.

Laura makes everyone feel relaxed and happy. Chatting with ease, sharing lots of laughs, calming any nerves, all while meticulously creating the most epic hair creations! Laura also styled the hair of our two bridesmaids, my Mum and our beautiful daughters, who were extremely excited to be flower girls! Laura even gave my youngest daughter her first ever hair cut, on the day! I let everyone choose their own hairstyles, and everyone looked absolutely stunning and more importantly were happy with how they looked!!! My hair was everything I had wanted and more!! Laura made me feel so special and beautiful, I can never thank her enough for that!

Makeup – Features by Courtney Jane

Courtney was recommended to me by my hair stylist, Laura. They had worked together closely on a large number of weddings, so I knew I was in safe hands. Courtney is the queen of beautiful skin! She made my usually pale and palid skin shine, as if lit from within!

She listened attentively at the trial and fully got my ‘old Hollywood glam vibes. She helped me to choose the perfect red for my lips and the most luscious lashes! Courtney is friendly and professionals. She has luxurious brands in her kit and, my goodness, she knows how to use them! However, she also always puts the needs of the clients first. My Mum has very sensitive skin and Courtney was more than happy to use Mum’s tried and tested products to ensure that she felt comfortable, as well as beautiful! My make up lasted all day, bar a quick swipe of lipstick here and there! I loved my bridal look and working with Courtney was fantastic!

Special mentions need to go to two other suppliers, who did the ground work for my bridal look. Firstly, Emma from Rockabelles hair salon – who has taken my hair from mouse brown/grey to radiant copper! I’ve always wanted auburn hair and with Emma’s help, I have finally found my perfect shade! Secondly, Lucie for BrowWow Beauty! Lucie has brought back my brows from over plucked 90s style tadpoles, to the full and fluffy beauties I am proud to own today! She is a legend and beautiful person, inside and out!

—-dance

The post Laura & Bryan’s amazing Dodford wedding, with Hannah Hall Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Keep reading for supplier reviews and recommendations, and to read all about this magical, colourful, bursting-with-joy wedding! (Lots more pics coming soon on our insta – follow @englishweddingblog)

Wedding photographer’s website

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

Wedding photographer review

From the moment we found Hannah’s website we knew she was the photographer for us.

Her photographs and style were everything we were looking for, as we both hated overly posed photographs and wanted someone to be able to document the day for us to look back and remember the moments from. Hannah herself was the calming drive we needed on our wedding day.

She made us both feel at ease, and you could find her helping out with various things throughout the day. She had us in fits of laughter, and we felt so comfortable and confident around her.

Throughout the day she was fantastic at making things happen, getting our group shots, and incredible photos of our loved ones. She even managed to tame our feral 3-year-old daughter, and Hannah got fantastic photographs of her by sticking a stuffed hedgehog toy on her head… Our photographs were everything we hoped for, and more. We don’t know how Hannah did it, but she seemed to be everywhere at all points in our wedding, and she managed to capture everyone’s personality perfectly. As two socially awkward people who normally hate photographs, we absolutely love our photos and couldn’t have asked for a better photographer!

Your best moment or memory

Chris – Having both of our children there with us was really special. My son Reuben, aged 12, was one of my best men and gave us both our rings in the ceremony. Our daughter Ivy, aged 3, was a flower girl and seeing her walk down the aisle shouting ‘daddy!’ really made it special.

Lisa – The whole day was amazing, but one of my favourite memories from the day is being on the dancefloor at the end of the night with my niece Charlotte, aged 5, being the last two standing!

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

We both wrote each other cards to open on the day of our wedding, and Lisa wrote one to both of the children and her bridesmaids and flower girls. It was lovely to watch everyone open their cards (and shed a tear or two) and reading the cards from each other really made us excited to get married. When it came to our bridal party, Lisa had two maids of honour, and Chris had three best men – one of which was his son. We didn’t feel like those roles just suited one person, as we both had a few people we felt were special to us and we wanted included. When it came to the speeches we didn’t follow the traditional order. Chris isn’t a confident public speaker, so we felt we would rather he enjoy the day than be nervous about making a speech, so instead Lisa decided that she would do the bride’s speech instead! We had the father of the bride, two of Chris’s best men, Lisa’s two maids of honour, and Lisa doing speeches.

Something else non-traditional we did was giving our cake maker and florist full creative control over the cake and flowers – we had no idea what they looked like until the day! We had full trust in our suppliers, and loved what they did, so wanted them to create us something unique.

Venue name + review

Dodmoor House

We couldn’t rave about Dodmoor House enough. From our inital viewing until the end of our wedding day they were absolutely fantastic, and couldn’t have been more helpful. Throughout our planning they were always on hand with friendly advice, and our coordinator on the day ensured everything ran smoothly. The venue itself was absolultely beautiful, with the rustic barns, the gardens, and courtyard – we just knew it was the venue for us.

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

Lisa picked a dress from Confetti and Curves. Being plus-sized she was a little nervous about what styles would suit her, but she wanted something that fitted in with her alternative style and something ‘a little different’. She found a vintage-inspired dress with a beaded and pearl bodice, with a glitter tulle skirt that she fell in love with. Paired with a pair of silver glitter vans, and a pearl tulle bow. Chris wanted something a little more traditional, and opted for grey tails, with superhero cufflinks and socks. Both of our outfits were very us.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Wedding dress: Confetti & Curves – Being plus sized I was so nervous about buying a wedding dress and thought nothing would fit or suit me. I found Confetti and Curves, and was absolutely blown away with the amount of choice and various different styles available. The team were absoultely fantastic in helping me to find a dress that fitted my style, and suggested dresses based on what I was looking for. Suits: Victor Boss – Very friendly and helpful, suits fitted perfectly and were in great condition. They were always on hand to answer any queries and questions, and Chris and his groomsmen were very happy with their choice.

Florist name + review

Boho Blooms – our florist Lucy from Boho Blooms was incredible. We decided we wanted dried flowers for our wedding day, and gave Lucy the brief of bright and colourful. Lucy completely excelled herself with our flowers, creating bouqets for the bridesmaids and Lisa, button holes for the men, wands for the flower girls, as well as decoratations around the venue including an arch for the ceremony, and vases on the tables. All of the flowers were bright and colourful, and exactly what we were looking for.

Cake maker name + review

J Bakes Cakes.

Jodie created our cake for us, and it was incredible. We picked a three tier semi-naked cake, with three different flavours – raspberry and white chocolate, blueberry and lemon, and lemon and elderflower. The cake itself looked beautiful, and Jodie decorated it with coloruful dried flowers to match the rest. We then topped the wedding cake with a cake topper reading ‘I love you 3000’ to fit in with our Marvel theme.

Stationery maker’s name + review

Our friend Andy is a very talented graphic designer, and created all of our stationery for us. We wanted something different that fitted in with our superhero comic book theme, and he created us the most stunning stationery – everyone raved about it!

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Our wedding was a Marvel superhero theme, and so throughout the styling, we incorporated different superhero touches.

Lisa hand embroidered the table names with Marvel superhero names and designs.

On each table, Lisa also had designed quotes from Marvel films about love.

She also created a comic book for our guests to read when they entered the ceremony about the day, complete with a quiz to see how well our guests knew us!

Lisa’s mum designed and made the flower girls’ dresses. She found fabric to match Lisa’s dress.

Lisa’s mum also decorated jars around the venue to hold tealights and flowers, as well as glass bottles with lights inside for the tables for the wedding breakfast.

We had a few children at our wedding, including our two children and our nine nieces and nephews, so to help keep them entertained Lisa created activity packs for them during the wedding breakfast.

On one of the windowsills in the bar, we had a couple of photos of our loved ones that were no longer with us, it was a lovely tribute to them and felt special to us both.

Wedding readings?

We had two readings, one from Lisa’s mum, Sue, and one from one of Chris’s best men, Jamie. Jamie read All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulgham.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Our first dance was Sea of Love by Cat Power. We wanted a song that wasn’t overly mushy, and we both adored the film Juno so used this song from the soundtrack!

Throughout the day we also had a few other songs from the Juno soundtrack playing, and when we walked back down the aisle we played ‘Come and Get Your Love’ by Redbone, from the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack to fit in with our Marvel superhero theme.

Hair + makeup name + review

Makeup: Makeup By Juliet – Juliet was fantastic on our wedding day. I don’t usually wear much makeup so was a little nervous how I would look, and didn’t want it to feel too heavy. Juliet listened to me, and then suggested colours she felt would suit me and my bridesmaids. We were all so happy with our makeup, and Juliet herself was so much fun to have on the morning of the wedding with us!

Hair: Elizabeth Jane Wedding Hair – Elizabeth was incredible on our wedding day. She did myself, my mums, my four bridesmaids and my four flower girls hair – and nothing was too much trouble! We all loved our hair, and it looked so beautiful.

Ice cream van hire

We had a pink vintage ice cream van – Vintage Wonder Ice Cream during the evening which everyone loved! The ice cream was fantastic, and everyone loved the beautiful vintage van – we of course had to get inside for photos!

The post Lisa & Chris’s gorgeously colourful Dodmoor House wedding, with Hannah Hall Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

How did you choose your photographer?

“Steve Barber Photography was listed as a recommended supplier on The Ferry House website, we looked him up on Instagram and loved his style so had a zoom call with him and after an hour of chatting we knew he was the one!”

Wedding photographer website – https://stevebarberphotography.com

Were you pleased with your wedding photographer and the photos you have from the big day?

“Steve was a pleasure to work with on the day, he made us feel at ease and got some amazing shots! We are so pleased with our photos!”

Tell us what made The Ferry House special for you and why you chose this venue.

“As soon as we drove up to the venue, we knew it was the one for us, we actually did an outside viewing appointment as we chose the venue during lockdown! The views, the general feel, the lovely team working at the venue, the attention to detail and the ability to stay at the venue itself but also hire the cottages up the road just made it perfect for us!”

Your best moment or memory of the day

“There were so many!! A couple of stand out moments were our miniature dachshund Digby running down the aisle to bring us our rings during the service and walking into our wedding breakfast to the song ‘best day of my life’ by American Authors with all our guests waving their napkins around to greet us! Also, our first dance, we surprised everyone by my cousins husband joining our band to sing an acoustic version of ‘I wasn’t expecting that’ and him creating a new final verse just for us!”

Tell us anything you did differently

“Dean had a groomswoman as part of his bridal party on the day, we also decided to forgo the usual prosecco/champagne as our first drink as a married couple and went for Porn Star Martinis!”

Did you love wearing your outfits?

“We absolutely loved our outfits, I don’t think I stopped twirling around on the dance floor in the evening, I loved the way it swooshed! I bought my dress from Isabella Grace in Tunbridge Wells and just had the most wonderful experience, from my initial appointment trying on dresses (and finding the one), through to a dress reveal to my MOH, accessories appointment and all my alterations, they just made me feel so special and the store is beautiful.

Dean felt amazing in his suit, he has his shirt tailored so it fitted perfectly and included special finishing touches like our initials on the sleeve and our wedding date on the collar. He bought his suit from The Kent Wedding Centre and then all his alterations were done by Huebscher Tailoring and they were great from start to finish, being able to get everything in one place made things a lot easier!”

Did you hire a florist? Tell us about your floral amazingness!

“We had the wonderful Emma J Flowers as our florist, she transformed the venue with spring time flowers everywhere! Our theme was rustic, with pastel colours and eucalyptus being our colour pallet! Emma went above and beyond, a particular favourite was the floral details around our memory ladder for those who couldn’t be with us on our special day, the table decorations crated gardens with fairy lights and my bouquet just to name a few!”

Who made your cake? What flavours did you go for and what little details about the cake would you like to share?

“Our cake was made by The Ferry House and was made up of three individual layers of chocolate brownie with cheesecake frosting, we had three flavours, original, orange and salted caramel and they were all delicious (I ate some for breakfast in the bath the following morning!)

We had some very special details in the form of our cake topper, my friend created them for us and they represent things very special to us, one being a Minnie Mouse head as we LOVE Disney, one was a little blue cuddly bear as that was the first present Dean bought me and the last was our miniature dachshund Digby! They were all made from icing so we have them to keep from the day.”

Tell us about any special personal touches, or creative projects you made yourselves

“We had a few personal touches on the day, there were some hidden Disney touches all around, from our bride and groom Mickey and Minnie Mouse pens for our signing the registrar photos, some hidden Mickeys, our toast master adding in some Disney quotes during the day and me walking down the aisle to an alternative version of ‘Kiss The Girl’ from the Little Mermaid.”

Did you personalise your vows or have any wedding readings? What were they?

“We had two readings, one was from the film The Notebook, it was a quote we particularly liked. The other was a little different, it was from the TV show Friends, when Joey was going to be the minister for Monica and Chandler’s wedding, it went something along the lines of ‘it was a love based on having and giving and loving and receiving’ with those words being repeated through the ready (happy to share the full reading if you’d like).

We knew a lot of Friends fans would be at the wedding, so to hear my aunt start speaking and the slow realisation across the room of what was being read was amazing! The room was divided between people laughing and people wondering why people were laughing! It was great!”

What was your first dance song and why did you choose it?

“Jamie Lawson – I wasn’t expecting that. It’s a song that we have both loved since we listened to it together very early on in our relationship, I think it sort of summed up how we felt as when we first met on Tinder, I guess we never really were expecting to find what we did. The ending was changed though as the original has a sad one!”

Katie & Dean’s favourite wedding suppliers

Photographer – Steve Barber Photography – https://stevebarberphotography.com/ @stevebarberweddingphotography
Florist – Emma J Flowers – https://www.emmajflowers.co.uk/ @emmaj.flowers
Venue styling – Idyllic & Co – https://idyllicandco.com/ @idyllicandcohire
Suit – The Kent Wedding Centre – https://www.thekentweddingcentre.com/ @thekentweddingcentre
Alterations – Hübscher Tailoring @huebscher.uk
Dress – Isabella Grace – https://www.isabellagracebridal.com/ @isabellagracebridal
Hair – Ashleigh Bunting’s Hair – https://ashleighbuntingshair.co.uk/ @ashleighbuntingshair
Venue & cake – The Ferry House – https://www.theferryhouse.co.uk/weddings/ @theferryhouseweddings
Magician – Spencer Wood – https://spencerwoodmagic.co.uk/ @spencerwoodmagic
Band – Candy Apple Blue – https://candyappleblue.com/ @candyapplebluebiz
Videographer – Gary Locke
Bride and groom – @ourwildingadventures

The post From Friends to Disney… a beautiful Ferry House wedding for Katie and Dean, with Steve Barber Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Rachel Elizabeth rachelelizabethphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

What can I say, Rachel is wonderful. First and foremost, she captured the most amazing photographs of our wedding day. She is attentive, flexible and supportive. The week leading up to our wedding was not plain sailing, but she was so professional and nothing phased her, making us feel so comfortable. We got some great candid and posed photographs and she captured all the details of the day. From getting ready to guests arriving, the ceremony and down to the stationary and decorations.

Your best moment or memory

It was a joy for us to share this experience with our daughter Mabel. She walked down the aisle with Sarah and it was a very special moment.

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

My brother walked me down the aisle alongside my daughter Mabel.

Videographer name + review

Land of Wonder. The guys from Land of Wonder were fun and enthusiastic. They have created a very special video for us which we will enjoy as a family as our children grow.

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

Stuart – classic blue suit. I had a charm on the inside of my blazer jacket with a picture of Mabel. I had a coral, woven tie and socks to match. Sarah – Off the shoulder mikado style dress with gorgeous Pearl veil. Paired with pale blue shoes, my late nanny’s opals (borrowed from my mum) and a beautiful headpiece from White Design Bridal. I also carried a pendant with photographs of my dad and nanny on my bouquet to be with me during the day.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Moss Bros for suits. They sorted a big order for us at short notice. Hannah Elizabeth Bridal. Fantastic service, they listened to what style I was going for and picked out a dress that matched my vision perfectly.

Florist name + review

Hampshire Florist. All the flowers were beautiful. We chose colours to compliment the beauty of the Clock Barn venue.

Cake maker name + review

Suzy Blake. We had a coffee and walnut and a lemon cake. Both were stunning. We also had a selection of macarons around the cake.

Stationery maker’s name + review

Sarah!

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

Sarah designed the invites and created them from scratch. They were in the style of passports as we both have jobs in travel. Sarah also made the seating plan, ‘no phones’ sign and order of service.

Wedding readings?

Debbie (Sarah’s mum) read a poem.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

James Taylor – you’ve got a friend

Wedding planner name + review

Sarah and Stuart!

Hair + makeup name + review

NW Makeup. Great hair and makeup artists. Kelly managed to hide a weeks worth of sickness and stress from my face on the wedding day!!

The post Sarah & Stuart’s gorgeously floral, creative Hampshire wedding with Rachel Elizabeth Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

We chose Lake District-based wedding photographer Hannah Hall Photography

Wedding photographer review

Hannah was fantastic, from our first meeting with her she helped and guided us, with her wedding expertise. Hannah answered all my silly questions too. On the day she was so helpful, making sure we got all the pictures we needed and that the day ran smoothly! The photos are everything we hoped for, fun and full of love!

Your best moment or memory

The confetti for me, I just thought omg we Did it!

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

We snuck off with Hannah and had a hand fasting ceremony performed. It was so special, under a big tree with the wind blowing like crazy.

Videographer name + review

Patrick Taylor / Taylor Made Videography

Venue name + review

The great Barn, Aynho. Gorgeous venue In the countryside. Helpful staff on the planning stage but on the day we felt a little let down, with a new wedding coordinator who had no clue what we wanted. I would recommend, but ask for the same person throughout.

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

Bride wore Lillian west dress, forever sole shoes and carat London sustainable diamond jewellery. Groom wore – Mark Darcy and his grandfathers pocket watch.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Silver six pence in Towcester. Those girls are geniuses! They helped me find a dress so quickly with zero stress. Highly recommend.

Florist name + review

Annie Johnson, grooms sister.

Cake maker name + review

Cakes by kit. Everything we ever hoped for. A beautiful 4 tier dream cake with pink and gold accents covered in fresh flowers.

Stationery maker’s name + review

Handmade by Bride and groom.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

We made a Homemade archway and homemade giant photo frame with pictures of us as babies.

Wedding readings?

We read our own vows and both siblings did a reading. They both tweaked them to be personal, they were perfect.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Brand new, by you me at six. We went old school with the playlist lots of songs everyone knew, to get them dancing! Think blink 182, teenage dirtbag. Signature moments DJs are legends!

Hair + makeup name + review

Natalie Marie wood. Natalie was brilliant, made me and my bridesmaids look and feel fantastic!

The post Sophie & AJ’s classic and timeless Aynho barn wedding, with Hannah Hall Photography appeared first on English Wedding.