Finding amazing suppliers and trusting them to create something stunning will guarantee you an unforgettable wedding. For lovely Amanda & Keith, their dream team included Lakes wedding photographer Mark Battista, floral stylist Kevin from Brackens of Bowness and the utterly charming Broadoaks Country House. If I could start every year with a real wedding like this, I would!

Scroll down for Amanda & Keith’s wedding story and supplier recommendations, and check @englishweddingblog on instagram for more!

Wedding photographer’s website

Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista

Wedding photographer review

Mark was both invisible and also great fun on the day – not sure how you can be both those things but he was! He made everyone feel at ease and managed to get all the shots we wanted without anyone feeling like they were spending time away from the party. And we were thrilled with the results. There’s not a single photo of us or of anyone that we don’t like and we had a real dilemma trying to choose our favourites to get printed for our home.

Your best wedding moment or memory

We wanted lots of colourful flowers everywhere and at one point the band started playing Flowers by Miley Cyrus. The guests loved that and everyone was stealing flowers from the display and putting them in their hair and clothes and then throwing them at the band. It was at the end of the night so we didn’t mind one bit and it was just a lovely surprising moment seeing all our family and friends having such a good time together.

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

We have a blended family and we asked our children to be our best men and maid of honour. We then swapped out the traditional run of speeches and had our children do a speech and we also did a joint speech together where (because it was a small wedding) we got to mention and thank all our guests. It brought everyone into the speeches and also brought our nuclear family into the core of it and it also meant we had a lot more female representation than you normally get at weddings – an equal mix of genders.

Venue name + review

Broadoaks is a beautiful place, very traditional but modern in their approach to the wedding. Our event planner was amazing and nothing was too much trouble for her. The outside space where we got married was incredible too.

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

I started off looking for something sleek and simple but every time I tried a dress on it got bigger! So I didn’t think I’d end up with the type of dress I got but I was over the moon. I had a cape for the ceremony which I loved. And I adored my headband from Etsy. The cape and headband made me feel very regal I have to say!

Dress or suit shop name + review

Ava Rose Hamilton in Colne. This is an incredible shop where they put so much effort into the bridal experience. And nothing was ever too much bother for them.

Florist name + review

Brackens of Bowness. The flowers really made the wedding for me. It looked stunning. And it was such an easy experience too. I talked to Kevin at Brackens and he knew what I wanted in about 3 seconds. I wasn’t even sure how to get across what I wanted until he told me what was in my head. And then on the day he just sorted it. It was totally stress free and I can’t tell you how much I loved what they did with the venue. Loads of guests commented on the flowers.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Can’t help falling in love by Elvis. We didn’t want a first dance (couldn’t handle all that attention!) but the band cheekily asked our wedding planner what song we walked down the aisle to, which was this Elvis song. We chose this song to remember my husband’s dad Bill who passed away a couple of years ago and it’s such a beautiful and fitting song for a wedding. The band played that song and got us on the dance floor and we then grabbed my new mother in law and the three of us danced together and it was a beautiful way to bring in Bill to the wedding.

Hair + makeup name + review

Amy Brown make up – what a brilliant lady Amy is! Exceptionally talented, funny, helpful, lovely to spend time with.
Holly at Loubellai – Holly was amazing and gave me the most beautiful Hollywood curls that lasted all day and made me feel like a 1940s movie star.