I’m really feeling the love when I scroll through the images of Andy & Isaac’s wedding. These two are absolutely gorgeous, full of character and they’ve written a fabulous interview for their English Wedding feature! With thanks to lovely Mike at Greenhill Photography for his images of this very special day.
Wedding photographer’s website
https://www.greenhill-photography.com
Wedding photographer review
We chose Mike as we loved the natural styling of his pictures. They managed to grab the moments that we couldn’t always be around to see and at the same time capture the feel of our big day. We didn’t want too many staged pictures. We wanted to see the pictures and relive the special moments from our day. Mikes pictures have helped do just that.
Your best wedding moment or memory
One of the moments that stands out from our wedding day, was the moment we made our big entrance for the ceremony. Many of our guests assumed we would enter by the double doors to the rear of Great Hall at Leigh Court but the dual staircase provided the opportunity for the perfect entrance which warranted a round of applause from the guests. You could feel the love in the room. Seeing so many of our close family and friends gathered together to share the day was such a magical moment.
Venue name + review
Leigh Court. We shortlisted just a few venues that suited our criteria but Leigh Court stood apart from the others.
The imposing building and impressive, characterful rooms blew us away. We knew our guests would be equally as charmed by it. Having the whole of the ground floor allowed our day to seamlessly flow from room to room but each room providing its own purpose.
The Great hall, which had also been used for filming of Bridgerton amongst other TV dramas, was a striking space for the ceremony.
The Salon for the drinks and canapés, the Library for our wedding breakfast while the stunning Tapestry room became the backdrop to dancing in the evening. The Morning room provided a more relaxed space for the photo booth to be set up.
The bar and lounge provided a brilliant space for friends to gather and converse while they grabbed a drink. So many of our guests have gone on to comment what a beautiful venue Leigh Court is. We found having Claire, our assigned wedding planner for the venue at hand, especially reassuring.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
We decided on something coordinating and traditional. Tweed, wool suits were practical as we married in November, yet the styling seemed in keeping with the setting of the wedding. The warm brown tones were also hinted at on the twine of the invites and even the hydrangea button holes.
Florist name + review
Primrose May Florist.
Maddie at Primrose May totally understood the feel of wedding we were trying to create. We wanted flowers to look natural, not overly fussy or structured. Hydrangeas in a neutral cream suited the vibe. We had never considered these could be used for button holes even too.
Maddie set to work to create something that complimented our big day. We loved how local she was to us and isn’t a large company. Maddie even went above and beyond and provided us with a posey to be added to decorate our wedding cake when due to illness, a close friend who makes cakes and supplying the cake for our big day, was struck down by sickness and told he couldn’t even supply the cake he had designed and made for us.
Although the plain iced cakes we managed to source on the eve of the wedding weren’t the dramatic teal marbled creation we had hoped for, Maddie’s hydrangea saved the day, along with a little help from our venue wedding planner, Claire, so we had a more understated but classic cake instead.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
All our invitations were hand made. Each featured a photo booth like strip of pictures of us attached to the front of some of our happy memories. These were tied together by twine with a parcel tag with our logo, kindly designed by a close family friend, hand stamped on the front. This set a theme that was picked up through the wedding favours and place names.
The natural hues from the twine and parcel tag suited the vibe of our wedding and we suppose hints at the colours of wool suits. We share a love of live music, which from the start of relationship gave us a common interest and bonded us with us visiting established and up and coming artists touring. We therefore themed each table name after a musical act that we loved seeing.
Isaac created mock ups of vinyl 45’s record covers noting the name of a music act for each table. Guests could scan a QR code on the single mock up to take them to a play list of tracks from all the artists featured on the tables.
Wedding readings?
Keeping in line with our love of music, we felt a reading from a song by an artist we had seen live would be appropriate. Young Blood by Sophie Ellis-Bextor had the right sentiment and suited us so well. You only have to read the lyrics and we are sure you’ll share our thoughts.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
This guys in love with you by Herb Alpert, a total Burt Bacharach penned classic brought the guests gathering to watch our first dance. The words of this still make us slightly emotional. The title says it all. It means so much to us both.
Wedding planner name + review
Claire O’Shea who we met from our first visit to Leigh Court over saw the organisation of our big day. On the run up she made she we were on track with everything. On the eve of the wedding, she let us walk through our entrance and talked through the running order so we felt everything was in control. From offering guidance to our best men, to meeting us at the front door on the day itself, as we secretly arrived away from the eyes of our guests to create a sense of drama when we did finally appear, Claire managed the situation brilliantly.
Caterers name + review
Berry Blue, the caterers who deal with the catering for Leigh Court were great. So many people remember the food at a wedding so we were very aware how crucial getting it right was. We had a food tasting with Berry Blue of some of the selected dishes from their large range of choices. The only problem we were spoilt with what to go for. We were delighted with the meal provided though. Amazed at how the chefs got so many meals out in one wave, so everyone got fed almost at the same moment and impressed at the attentiveness of the waiting staff too.
A lovely little wedding from Cragwood hotel in the Lakes, sent in by the amazing Hannah Hall Photography. Megan and Natalie are gorgeous, and their day is full of personality and love. The little details are perfect: the wedding rings and stationery are understated and elegant. And the location blows me away. What a stunning spot to get wed, on the shores of lake Windermere. Keep reading for heartfelt supplier reviews from the happy couple – not least for Lake District photographer Hannah Hall, who I’m delighted to say is a member of English Wedding.
Wedding photographer’s website
https://hannahhallphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
We were recommended Hannah by about 3 different lake district photographers. We are so happy that we found Hannah. Seeing Hannah’s previous work cemented the fact that we wanted her to shoot our special day. Hannah’s photographs are so natural and capture exactly what happens. Hannah’s communication throughout the lead up to the wedding and after the wedding, was fantastic. We realised that we had a lot in common about how we wanted to do our wedding and how our back stories were quite similar, it felt like we were meant to have Hannah as our photographer. On the day, we couldn’t have asked for a better person to join our celebration, Hannah was not only a photographer she became one of the wedding party, helping Meg get ready and Nat pin her buttonhole! To rallying the troops for the confetti! When we spent time alone for our bride and bride photos in the woods and at the lake, Hannah wasn’t phased by the fact that we were both awkward as, posing!
Your best wedding moment or memory
Everything!! Seeing Meg walk in with the boys will forever be in Nat’s memory. Our eldest boy handing over the rings. Seeing everyone who was there having a lovely time and all being together, which never gets to happen due to everyone living in different parts of the country.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We knew we wanted an intimate, relaxed wedding. In the end we had 15 people there including us. It was perfect! 2 days with the people who mean the most to us making precious memories
Venue name + review
Cragwood country house hotel
Cragwood was the first venue we visited. Having a tour around we fell in love straight away. Everything was perfect, the old building, the rooms, the grounds! Being so close to the lake and seeing all the hills knowing how beautiful it would look in it’s autumnal colours. The staff were phenomenal.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Nat knew she wouldn’t wear a dress, it’s not her style, she wouldn’t feel comfortable or be true to herself! The first outfit Nat chose was a relaxed smart look with braces but after months of deciding that was the outfit she had a change of heart and wanted to feel even smarter! Meg on the other hand changed outfits, a million (at least 7) times!! Eventually staying with the choice she wore. In Nat’s opinion Meg blew her away with how beautiful she looked, the dress was perfect.
Florist name + review
The dried flower shop, blackrod
We chose dried flowers for the bouquet and buttonholes. Best choice ever as they still look amazing sat in our hallway now.
Cake maker name + review
Megs best friend Julie! Perfect coffee cake!
Stationery maker’s name + review
Ourselves with stamps from Hobbycraft!!
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
All the table decorations and stationery courtesy of Hobbycraft, eBay and local garden centre!
Wedding readings?
Bubbles by Rachel bright
And I love you means forever
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
We had a party a few days after our wedding and that’s where we had our first dance. Our first dance was BON JOVI – thank you for loving me. In one of Meg’s romantic moments, she said that the words to that song are the words she wanted to say to Nat after a sometimes tough few years. Everytime it plays, even now, it makes Nat cry like a baby! There weren’t many dry eyes in the house when it was our first dance, until in our usual smooth selves decided to go for a twirl but both tried to twirl each other at the same time and got tangled up!
Wedding planner name + review
Cragwoods own Hannah! Absolute legend!
Hair + makeup name + review
Nats sister – Louise Thanks for facetiming in the middle of boots telling us what to buy as we didn’t know what we were doing!!!
Today’s real wedding is a sophisticated, elegant day with a huge personality! Gorgeous grooms Mike & Lewis chose Derbyshire’s Yeldersley Hall as their venue, and Nottingham wedding photographer Matt Selby to capture their day. He gets a glowing review from the happy couple, who’ve shared some fantastic supplier recommendations with us!
Wedding photographer’s website
Matt Selby / https://www.mattselbyphotography.co.uk/wedding-at-yeldersley-hall/
Wedding photographer review
Matt did an amazing job capturing our wedding and we couldn’t have been happier with the results. The photography was a really important aspect for me, and we loved Matt’s style and offering.
Communication was great ahead of the wedding (we were organising it from Australia), as well as on the big day. My husband and I were negotiating about how long we were prepared to spend away from guests to capture photos. In the end, it didn’t really matter as Matt and his second shooter were capturing lots of natural shots of what was going on, he captured the formal family shots quickly and when we went outdoors in the evening for photographs with just the two of us, we were ready to stretch our legs and get some fresh air anyway.
They blended in so much that we didn’t even notice them most of the time but they captured all the key moments as well as the finer details that really helped tell the story of the whole day. We got the final photos quicker than expected, with easy download options and links to share with guests. We are so happy with the results.
Your best moment or memory
Standing outside the doorway immediately before the ceremony as our musician played Simply the Best, then walking in together and seeing all our friends and family from across the world there to celebrate with us.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
The Humanist ceremony that Louise Gather pulled together was outstanding and really reflected our values and what we wanted. Not the traditional ceremony – it had fun audience participation, lots of laughter and really told our story beautifully. We also cracked a bottle of champagne and poured for each other at the end of the ceremony.
Venue name + review
Yeldersley Hall. We really liked the ‘rustic farmhouse with a touch of Downton Abbey’ style, including the beautiful grounds and gardens that Yeldersley offered. There were some really nice features like the former stable, Rose Garden and Orangery that we knew we could use during the day.
We were able to supply our own drinks until early evening (served by onsite staff) which helped keep it more affordable. It also had onsite self-catering accommodation that could host our families and some of our overseas guests for the whole weekend.
The gardens were a big selling point as we wanted an outdoor ceremony. Whilst the ceremony itself didn’t happen outdoors in the end (due to rain), we were still able to use the gardens throughout the weekend, as well as the features like the barn and courtyard. The owner Andrew was also really approachable, down to earth and upfront about a couple of minor restrictions. This gave us confidence that we could organise the day we wanted.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
We went for blue suits with maroon Italian silk tie and bowtie and braces for a more styled look.
Dress or suit shop name + review
We got our Joe Black suits in Australia where we now live. Tie / Bowtie – https://declic.com.au/collections/ties/products/declic-kontur-floral-tie-burgundy
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Lewis’s step-Mum Lin made the button holes, flower arrangements and chair sashes which helped keep the wedding in budget and gave a nice personal touch.
Wedding readings?
If you can love each other (tap to read), “Marriage” and a short speech / story from Mike’s sister
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
We put together a medley of Somebody to Love (Queen), Vogue (Madonna), Spice up Your Life (Spice Girls) and Don’t Stop Now (Dua Lipa). We had a dance choreographer who put the dance together and taught it to us. It ended with Mike sliding through Lewis’s legs which gave a good ending!
Wedding planner name + review
Ourselves. We were organised and split up tasks, working to our strengths. There were moments where groomzilla came out but it went well overall.
Hair + makeup name + review
Preston Guild Hair (Sydney) / ourselves.
A glorious, joyful wedding for a gorgeous couple with a wonderful sense of fun! This one will go down in English Wedding history for the creative way Phoebe & Sarah picked the best bits of their heritage to include as wedding traditions – and for the colour, the joy in Martin Cheung‘s images and the generous reviews of their incredible wedding suppliers. As always – more on @englishweddingblog Instagram!
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!
April and Zoe’s wedding is making me SO happy this morning! The newlyweds are beaming with joy and it’s brightening up my whole day! They’re also a gorgeous couple, whose wedding looks and feels amazing, with lots of personal touches and beautiful pics by Sam Chipman Photography. We’ll share even more on our @englishweddingblog instagram today!
“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).
