You can’t beat a wedding with a really fun story. Lovely Jade and Carl invited all of their guests to their children’s christening – and surprised them with an extra: they got MARRIED!! It makes the photos of the beginning of the day even more special, knowing that for most of the guests, the whole thing was a secret surprise!

Images are by lovely Fiona at Anoif Photography, who gets a fabulous review from Jade and Carl in their interview (at the end of the blog post). Photography was the couple’s biggest spend, and one they’re very glad of – for while this was very much a DIY wedding on a budget, the images will last a lifetime and I love the piece of family history they’ve captured for our lovely bride and groom!

 

Wedding photographer’s website:

www.anoifphotography.co.uk

Instagram: @anoifphotography
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anoifphotography/#anoifphotography

How did you choose your photographer?

She came highly recommended after meeting at my best friends wedding!

Were you pleased with your wedding photographer? Do tell… we love a brilliant review!

Absolutely! The photographs are more than I could have ever imagined & Fiona’s relaxed approach to capturing the day was just what we wanted. The natural shots of our family & friends enjoying the day are by far our favourite!

Tell us about the moment you saw your wedding photos for the first time?

I may or may not have cried, just a little! It was lovely to see what was going on in the church whilst I was hiding with the bridesmaids unbeknown to the guests!

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed creating everything for our wedding, from flowers, hair pieces, to invites & to favours. It definitely added that personal touch to everything! The majority of our wedding was hand made (by myself & the bridesmaids) or bought online to save money! The church didn’t need much decorating besides pew ends as it is such a beautiful church. However, it took us approximately 2 and 1/2 hours to decorate our reception venue (Spencer’s) the night before! We set up tables, place names, table plan, Centre pieces, lights, decorations, sweet tables, etc.

All of the flowers for the wedding including my bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, hair pieces, boutonnières, flower girl flower on dress, church flowers, reception flowers, etc were all made by myself! I ordered silk & plastic flowers in bulk and arranged them all in the months leading up to the wedding.

 

Wedding venue:

St Andrews Church Rillington
Spencer’s Bar & Grill Pickering

Wedding month:

May

Can you describe your wedding in fewer than 10 words?

Everything we could have ever wished for!!

Your wedding style or theme:

SURPRISE!! Our wedding was actually a complete surprise to our guests as we had invited them to the christening of our children, Margot & Grayson.

What’s your top tip for saving money?

Do as much as you possibly can yourself and accept help from those who are willing to offer it! It doesn’t have to cost the earth to be as special as you imagine it to be..

… and which elements of your wedding are you glad you spent more on?

The photographer!! Out of all our wedding costs our photographer was the most expensive but I would have been happy to pay twice as much knowing the quality of Fiona’s work! Couldn’t be happier. The photos last forever and looking at them instantly takes you back to that amazing day!

Where did you buy or source your wedding stationery – or was making it a labour of love?

Absolute labour of love for approximately 5 months leading up to the wedding!

Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?

Not at first. To save costs I purchased my dress online from America (I believe!). When it came it was slightly too big but thankfully my friend is an amazing seamstress & she made it fit perfectly!

Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:

JJ’s House

Tell us about your accessories: jewellery, shoes and anything else!

My shoes were another bargain which I’d found online coming from America! The lace detail complimented my lace wedding dress perfectly.

And what did the groom wear?

Carl wore a 3 piece Navy tweed suit to match our son Grayson with matching burnt orange tie/dickie bow!

Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?

My beautiful bridesmaids wore a Dusky Lilac floor length halter neck dress with ruffles across the chest. It fit them all perfectly!

Hair and make-up – did you DIY or hire a professional?

I did it myself the morning of the wedding.

The wedding cake: what kind of cake did you choose and why?

Our lovely friend Susie (the vicar’s wife!) makes THE BEST brownies I have ever tasted! Brownie is my husbands favourite so we asked her if she would kindly make us a giant tower of brownie as our wedding cake! It was amazing!

Entertainment: any musical recommendations, surprises or treats?

We planned our entire wedding playlist and had it played through the speakers once the meal was finished. Our friend Laura introduced us to the dance floor for our first dance!

Words of wisdom: share your best piece of advice for other couples:

It is your day! Don’t let anyone else’s interference or input take away from your special day! Choosing to have a surprise wedding meant we could plan and decide everything ourselves meaning it was OUR day!

What’s the best thing about being married?

In all honesty our lives haven’t changed all that much as we have been together over 12 years prior to getting married! But I can honestly say it has been a long time coming and I am so pleased to finally be Mrs Crossley.

Favourite supplier web links for other brides and grooms:

Anoif Photography
JJ’s House – bridal dress
Ever pretty – bridesmaid dresses