A real wedding from beautiful Yorkshire… with the most wonderful flowers and a gorgeous couple! I love how the light shines through Megan’s Essense of Australia dress. I adore the meadow style flower arrangements and the way the couple gave florist Jo at Clock Dandelion free rein to create their stunning arrangements. The images are utterly wonderful and I know you’ll adore this day, captured by talented North Yorkshire wedding photographer Joss Denham.
Wedding photographer review
I would recommend Joss time and time again. He was absolutely fantastic, and also slotted right in with all our family and friends. It never felt like we had a photographer following us, and we got some incredible photographs that we will cherish forever.
Dom and I aren’t great in front of the camera, and we also didn’t want to miss any of the wedding day. We chose Joss for his relaxed style and candid photographs. It was probably the best decision we ever made. There’s an amazing photo of every single person at our wedding. We have printed them out and sent every guest a photo of themselves enjoying our day in the thank-you cards. I was so worried I wouldn’t like any photos of myself, but the couple portraits are all fantastic. We look so relaxed and happy in them. Joss really captured the essence of the day.
Venue name + review
We got married at Burtonfields Hall in Yorkshire. We fell in love with the venue (and the owner Will) as soon as we walked through the door. It felt like a home away from home, and we loved that all our family and friends could stay for the weekend. The venue was also so naturally beautiful it required very little dressing.
Dom’s Kitchen did our catering, and wedding food has never tasted so good. Dom and Emma are also such wonderful people, we loved having them as part of our wedding day. We did canapés (sausage rolls, and fish and chips), followed by a restaurant quality wedding breakfast. The cheese came from our local cheesemonger’s George & Joseph, and then we had a pizza “van” for evening food – the oven is in a converted Landrover Defender. The pizza was the first thing we booked. I just love pizza!
Tell us a little about your outfits.
I took my mum dress shopping to Chester, because that’s where her wedding dress came from. It was an Essense of Australia ivory chiffon dress, and it was nothing like what I had pictured. We walked in to the store and a sales assistant walked past holding it. I loved it the moment I put it on because it was so light and comfortable. But I’m a very indecisive person, so it took me a few months to finally buy it.
Flowers
We wanted seasonal English flowers and we didn’t specify any colours or specific flowers. I wanted all the flowers to look like they had always been there. Jo (our amazing florist) brought my vision to life, and the flowers were one of my favourite parts of the wedding.
Jo called my bouquet style “garden gathered” – it looked like it had been plucked straight from the ground, but I’m sure it actually took her hours. Our aisle focal point was a floral floor arch, and I wanted it to feel like it had grown up from the grass itself. All of our flowers came from within a 2 mile radius of the venue. Because we didn’t specify what we wanted, I felt like we got the best of what was in season at the time.
Cake maker name + review
Our cake came from a lady in our home town. We asked her if she made wedding cakes, and she said she makes great cake, and we can use it for a wedding if we want! It was a traditional Victoria Sponge with a vanilla buttercream on the outside. Picking it up and transporting it to the venue was the most stressful part of the wedding weekend.
Stationery
Our invites were all on wildflower seed paper, so wildflowers became an accidental theme. We wanted everything to feel very natural and authentic. We used as many local suppliers as possible and all the flowers came from within a couple of mile radius from the venue.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
We handmade our garden games and we made a newspaper order of service with a crossword. People are still asking us for the answers! All of the table names were golf courses, and we got a bespoke course map created for the top table as that is where my late grandad played golf, it’s also where my new father in law currently plays.
Music & Entertainment
Music played a big part in our wedding day. We had a Piper play people in to the venue, we then had a pianist playing on the grand piano in the hall. The pianist played our ceremony music (I walked down the aisle to a version of Meatloaf’s I would do anything for love). We then swapped to an acoustic guitarist for the reception drinks. In the evening we had the band Big Shout. If I could give any piece of advice to other couples getting married, it would be to get a band. The dance floor was full all night.
I’d say this Plas Dinam wedding was adorable, but honestly the alpacas take it to the next level! Helen and David make a gorgeous couple, the atmosphere is pure joy and the pops of colour everywhere make this day look perfect. Keep scrolling for some stunning images by Bristol wedding photographer Martin Dabek, and some fabulous supplier recommendations from Helen and David!
Wedding photographer’s website
Plas Dinam wedding photographer Martin Dabek https://martindabek.com
Wedding photographer review
Martin was amazing and such an integral part of the weekend. He gave us so much invaluable advice in the run up to, and on the day. We really enjoyed having lots of little photo shoots throughout the day, which gave us a chance to escape the madness and have some lovely quiet moments as a couple. Martin was so friendly and easy going that he really felt like a part of the wedding party! And needless to say, the photos are absolutely stunning.
Your best wedding moment or memory
David surprised me with a little visit from the Alpacas! (https://admiralsviewalpacas.co.uk/) I have absolutely no idea how he managed to keep that a secret but I was very impressed and it was such an adorable surprise. I also can’t think back to our speeches without shedding a tear, everyone was so lovely and funny, and I’m so glad we opened up the floor to impromptu toasts at the end.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
As we officially tied the knot during lockdown, for our wedding party we combined all of our favourite parts of the traditional ceremonies from our respective cultures. From the Jewish side we had a beautiful Chuppah and had our family recite the seven blessings, we shared a cup of wine and at the end of the ceremony David broke the customary glass. From the Persian side we had the Sofreh table, displaying symbolic items, and my brother did a traditional reading, whilst happily married women dusted us with sugar to ‘sweeten’ the marriage. It all felt very special and unique to us and was one of my favourite parts of the day.
Venue name + review
Plas Dinam was our dream venue and worked perfectly for what we wanted.
It was so special to have all our loved ones with us for a whole weekend in such a beautiful venue. The team were so helpful during planning and on the weekend itself, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and all of our slightly less traditional plans (alpacas, laser tag!) went off without a hitch.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
I was very keen on buying a second hand wedding dress and was so lucky to find my dream dress on Still White. I am obsessed with its detachable sleeves and pockets!
Florist name + review
Tammy at TMS events (https://tmsevents.co.uk/) was brilliant from the very beginning and helped bring my vision to life with nothing more than a screenshot from pinterest and the words ‘feathers’ and ‘moss’. She understood exactly the vibe we were going for and the end result blew me away.
Any crafty projects or special styling touches?
I made our welcome sign and the seating plan, as well as the place settings, the programmes and the tags for the favours. The biggest shout out goes to my brother-in-law who did the most amazing job of decorating the stable ceiling beams!
We couldn’t get away without mentioning our favourite fudge shop The Fudge Patch who supplied our wedding favours and an unsightly amount of fudge for our sweet table!
Hair + makeup name + review
Rebecca Forshaw
Rebecca was so lovely and we all felt so relaxed. We had a really good trial beforehand and made some adjustments on the day and it all came together beautifully-my hair stayed in until the Monday morning! (when I reluctantly had to give it a brush)
—-dowm
—her
A stunning summer wedding (because we all need ALL the sunshine right now!) for Lois and Josh. This is ever so beautiful: the stunning couple chose Shortmead House wedding photographer Damien Vickers to capture their day, and gave him an amazing review in their English Wedding Interview! Damien’s an experienced wedding photographer based in Cambridge and covers the whole of the UK and Europe photographing weddings in his natural, authentic and timeless style. Watch out for breathtaking florals and super cute styling touches, with moments of joy and laughter where every single guest gets involved in celebrating this gorgeous wedding!
Wedding photographer’s website
Damien Vickers https://www.damienvickersphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
When planning our wedding, finding the right photographer was a top priority. We wanted someone who could not only capture the moments but also the emotions and energy of the day. Damien exceeded all our expectations with this. From the moment he arrived, Damien blended seamlessly into the celebration. His unobtrusive style allowed us to enjoy every moment while he worked his magic behind the lens. We hardly noticed he was there, yet he managed to capture the highlights of our wedding perfectly. Damien has an incredible ability to capture candid moments that show the true energy and excitement of the occasion. Beyond his technical skills, Damien was also a pleasure to work with. He was professional, attentive, and genuinely invested in making our day special. His passion for photography shines through in his work, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. If you’re looking for a photographer who will capture the energy and excitement of your wedding day, we highly recommend Damien. His photos will allow us to relive our wedding day for years to come.
Your best wedding moment or memory
Our wedding was unforgettable, filled with special moments shared with our family and friends. The surprise of a singing waiter from Silver Service Singers after our meal brought so much fun, and seeing everyone enjoying themselves was amazing and it was a perfect transition into the evening reception. We also really enjoyed the journey from the church to our reception venue. It was so nice to have some time together and really soak up the feeling of being newlyweds. We used a company called Lucky Penny Cars and we hired their VW beetle and VW camper van for our bridal party.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We wanted our wedding to really reflect us and the things we love. Instead of the usual setup, we opted for a sweetheart table, allowing us to share some time together and to catch up on all of the moments the other person may have missed. We also switched things up by having speeches during welcome drinks, creating a relaxed and informal atmosphere. For a fun twist, we had the cutest ice cream van serve gelato for canapés (company was called ice baby) which was lovely as the weather was perfect for ice cream. We are both hairdressers and we were so lucky to be gifted to us from Denman Brush mini hair brush key rings which all of our guests love.
Videographer name + review
OWP Videography
Olly was incredible on our wedding day. We trusted him completely, and he delivered beautifully. Even though we haven’t seen the full edit yet, the teaser video gave us all of the highlights and perfectly captured the energy of our celebration. We highly recommend him to anyone looking for a talented and reliable videographer.
Venue name + review
Shortmead House. Shortmead House stood out as a unique venue with stunning grounds and an amazing outdoor pool. We wanted a relaxed wedding reception after our church ceremony and they offered us the flexibility to make it truly ours. Esme, Lee, and Linda were fantastic both on the day and in the weeks leading up to it. We received so many compliments on the venue, we were so lucky that the sun was shining it and having a cocktail or two by the pool felt like we were abroad!
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Our wedding colours were blue, white, and peach. We chose pale blue for the bridesmaids’ dresses and navy for the groomsmen. Josh wore a dusky blue suit with a floral Liberty tie to complement the theme perfectly. Lois’ dress was made by a designer called Madi Lane in the style ‘Jenica’.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Dolly’s bridal boutique
Dolly’s Bridal Boutique helped me find the perfect wedding dress. As someone who’s 5 feet tall, I was really nervous that I wasn’t going to find anything that suited me but they made me feel so at ease and offered so many great tips and options. After trying on a few dresses, they found my dream gown! I had the nicest experience, and they made me feel so special.
Florist name + review
Flowers by Louise.
Louise went above and beyond with our wedding flowers. She truly brought our vision to life with her attention to detail and knowledge of shapes and colour palettes. Even at the very start of the wedding process Louise sent over a detailed mood board of ideas so we knew straight away our flowers would be in good hands! On the day you could tell that every arrangement was thoughtfully crafted and we received so many compliments on them! Her creativity made our day even more beautiful than we could have imagined. We highly recommend Louise to anyone in need of a talented and attentive florist.
Cake maker name + review
Kelly’s cake kitchen
Kelly’s Cake Kitchen made our beautiful wedding cake. We chose Belgian chocolate and lemon with fresh lemon curd. It was decorated with white buttercream, pale blue details, fresh flowers, and tiny sugar pearls. Since we were honeymooning in Florida, she added a white Cinderella and a hidden Mickey Mouse among the pearls. It was delicious!
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
We designed all our stationery using Canva, including our RSVPs through the website With Joy. We also created wedding newspapers for our guests, as well as all signage like the table plan, welcome sign, and name cards. We made our own crisp wall with pallets and a Polaroid stand. Lois’ mum baked all the brownies for our dessert table and made individual biscuits as favours for the guests, which were a big hit and we loved trialling all of the flavour options for the brownies.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Our first dance was Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran. Lois’ sister created the perfect playlist for the wedding morning and during dinner we had acoustic Disney classics!
Hair + makeup name + review
Adam Lee & Thomas Savage @adam_amhair & @thomas_amhair Adam and Thomas are two of our best friends and we are so lucky that they did the hair for Lois and the bridesmaids. Lois opted for a half up half down style with soft waves and the bridesmaids had a textured low bun or a half up half down style. It was incredibly special to have them there that morning and we all loved our hair. @Makeupby__erin Erin did our makeup for Lois, her maid of honour, and her mum on the morning of the wedding. She made us all feel like princesses, (and now we want to buy all the products she used.) Her professionalism and skill were exceptional. Our make-up was still perfect by the end of the day. @luciapiarosa_beauty Lucy did all our nails before the wedding and did all of the makeup for our bridesmaids. They all looked so beautiful and they were made to feel extra special!
Content creator
We also booked Amy who is a content creator (@amyleighsocials) We hired a content creator to capture all the little moments of the day. It was wonderful to see the event from a different perspective, and having all the content available within 24 hours was incredibly convenient!
During our welcome drinks we had musicians Cara Beard & Joey Hanson to help create a chilled and relaxed atmosphere in the sun. They are both so talented and really set the tone for the reception. (@carabeardmusic & @joeyhanson_)
Today’s wedding is an absolute dream! Lovely Danni and Jonny were married in the Lake District, partied in tipis and spent the night there… guests woke up to views of Blencathra and it all looks amazing! They chose one of our faves, Lake District wedding photographer Jaye Peg Photography, to capture their day. It’s a treat for me to be able to say Jaye is a member of English Wedding! Keep reading for all their pretty handmade touches and to see stationery, cakes and flowers all made by the couple’s family!
Wedding photographer’s website
Jaye-Peg Photography at https://jayepeg.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
Jaye captured our day beautifully, she was on the ball with our tight schedule and the album we have to cherish forever is stunning.
Your best wedding moment or memory
The memory of all of my loved ones being on a dance floor together loving, laughing & making beautiful memories.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
I told my 4 bridesmaids that I wanted them to choose their own dresses, I didn’t mind the style or type, anything goes, as long as they’re each a different shade of my favourite colour; blue. They had all seen my dress prior to the big day as I can’t keep a secret, so the big reveal photo was of my face seeing their dresses for the first time in my garden on my wedding day, and they all looked fabulous, as you will see from the pictures.
Videographer name + review
My nanna; Marbeth. who captures every single day of her life on video because… that’s just who she is. She will tell you exactly what you ate at that restaurant with her in 2015 if you ask! It’s thanks to her that we have a lot of good moments on video.
Venue name + review
Special event tipis at Threlkeld Cricket Club. We loved our tipi wedding, it was so personal to us and felt so different to anything we had been part of before, we were able to enjoy our own styled wedding in the beautiful Lake District where we live without the huge expense of a hotel . We all slept on the floor and woke up to views of Blencathra!
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
My dress was from a shop in Carlisle that sells off the rail dresses so it’s just luck if they have the style you like the look of in your size. I knew I didn’t want an expensive dress as I like to dance… it’s a good job I went for the lower end dress choice as I ended up doing a knee slide down the muddy hill at the cricket club with my bridesmaid and the dress was complete black on both knees. I had so much fun so I wouldn’t change a thing. Jonny’s suit was a 3 piece from Next, he would have looked great in anything, but looked 100% husband material in the suit he chose.
Dress or suit shop name + review
WED2BE, lovely, helpful & friendly staff.
Florist name + review
My mother; Anita. 10/10.
My mum decorated the tipi, tables & made all of our bouquets/buttonholes etc with love. She also brought all of her own furniture that she had collected throughout the year to decorate our tipi! She hasn’t worked as a florist for years but jumped at the chance to decorate our wedding venue and everyone agrees, it looked fabulous.
Cake maker name + review
My mums best friend Frances! I had no preference or rules on the cake as I eat ALL cake so I left it up to her. We ended up with 3 x naked sponge cakes; chocolate, carrot & lemon. All delicious.
Stationery maker’s name + review
My sister-in-law made the table place names and tables names, they were of painted outlines of the surrounding fells of the area the tipis were positioned at threlkeld, with the tables named after each fell.
My mum & I made the seating plan with a glue gun in hand & a glass of wine in the other one night after a trip to hobby craft. It turned out just fine! My best woman made our invites, this was her wedding gift to us, they were beautiful.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Pretty much each part of our wedding was brought together by our amazing family & friends each offering us something which made the day even more special as it was like a talent show for both of our families. It made for good conversation throughout the day but a long list of people to thank during my husbands speech!
Wedding readings?
By my father, the best man & my husband
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Borns- electric love was the first dance song.
There was a lot of Lady Gaga as I’m her biggest fan! We cut the cake to ‘Hold my hand’ which made the moment even more special. When dirty dancing came on we tried the lift.. it didn’t work but made for a good laugh and good memory!
Wedding planner name + review
Me; Danielle, I did a 10/10 Job pulling the whole thing together within 12 months, I do feel I should have been awarded a project management degree for my efforts & the turn out. I did get a special mention in my husbands speech ‘I’ve watched her work tirelessly this whole year with minimal input from me, however it’s in Danni’s nature to ensure a day all about her, goes according to plan’ this got a good laugh from us all… it is very true.
Hair + makeup name + review
Hair by Shakira from Slaters Salon, cannot compliment this girl enough! She is amazing, fast, efficient & great crack. She’s my hairdresser for life. We done our own make up.
A special mention for our caterer
Our Caterer was Jane from Table manners and she was fabulous. Her & her team pulled out all the stops and made our day run so smoothly, we didn’t even realise they were there, everything just happened and was cleaned away without us noticing they were working tirelessly around us whilst we just worked on making amazing memories.
There are many people that I haven’t mentioned who helped make our 2 day tipi wedding run so smoothly such as my husbands family, they were all so thoughtful ensuring every basis was covered with great detail, however in this small space, I must give special thanks to my father who I’ve not yet mentioned. He & my uncle drove countless times back and forth between my parents house in Carlisle, and the venue, to unload all of the furniture, decorations & additions that made it personal to us. He also made sure the generator didn’t run out of fuel and fed us all throughout the day with BBQ food, the day after our marriage, when we had a final informal celebration before the tipi was taken down.
We made memories that will last a life time and we wouldn’t change a thing about our tipi wedding in the lakes.
I’ll put this right out there: we don’t get sent nearly enough weddings which are inclusive, diverse, or include the rainbow of wonderful humanity we love to see. Please – if you’re a couple or a wedding photographer, perhaps a celebrant or a planner – get in touch and send in your submission!
India & Conor’s day is beautiful because it has the BEST people. It’s a rainbow of joy and celebration, literally when it comes to the bridal party! The happy couple are adorable, and their little girl is super cute.
At English Wedding we believe with all our hearts that your wedding – if you choose to have one – should reflect you as a couple, and other than that – a wedding can be ANYTHING you’d like it to be. Conor & India prove that with this beauty of an alternative wedding, and we ADORE them for it.
Images are by lovely Dorset wedding photographer Nathan at Libra Photographic, who gets a fantastic recommendation from the happy couple!
Wedding photographer’s website
Nathan Eames – Libra Photographic (covers weddings in Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, and more!) https://libraphotographic.co.uk/
Wedding photographer review
Very friendly and approachable, put everyone at ease and took many fantastic photos. Managed to get a smile in every picture from our overwhelmed 2 year-old. You wouldn’t know she spent half the time in tears. Can’t recommend him enough.
Your best moment or memory
Our 3 year old nephew’s impromptu moment singing his very own “we’re best friends” song into the microphone for everyone
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We did a handfasting ceremony, where each of our parents tied the rope around our hands once and said a few words. It was a great way to involve those close to us and make it special.
Videographer name + review
Josh Jackson https://brightsky.film/ Friendly and flexible around our day, created multiple excellent videos of different parts of the day (ceremony, speeches, and short clip)
Venue name + review
Ashley Wood Farm Stunning scenery and a large space with great indoor and outdoor areas set in the beautiful Cranborne Chase. Friendly owners and had few restrictions to allow us the freedom to tailor the setting to our own vision.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
India wore a fishtail dress with a cape and butterfly brooches. Conor wore a navy suit and ivory waist jacket.
Dress or suit shop name + review
CG Boutique in Amesbury Very friendly girls who helped India to try on lots of different styles to find the perfect dress. Recommended a good seamstress for adjustments.
Florist name + review
Coombe Bissett Blooms
Has a ‘pick your own flowers’ option so India picked out a range of flowers for the bouquets, button holes, and table displays. Family helped out putting it all together beforehand.
Cake maker name + review
India made her own cake. Highly recommended.
Stationery maker’s name + review
We made our own invites.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
We had the homemade cake, as well as a dessert buffet. Flower arrangements were all homemade. We decorated the venue ourselves. We also made a red post-box for collecting small gifts, cards, etc.
Wedding readings?
We had our respective parents say a few personal words during the handfasting ceremony but no specific readings.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Halestorm – Here’s To Us
Food & drink
The food at our wedding was excellent, supplied by Game and Flames, including wild pigeon, venison, and boar, with flame-cooked butternut squash, and roasted vegetables. The wine was all delicious Scottish fruit wines supplied by Cairn O’Mohr Fruit Wines, and we also had some local Lyme Bay Banquet mead as well as Lindisfarne dark mead.
