It was almost impossible to choose a feature photo for today’s blog – there are SO many gorgeous moments in Rika & Alex’s day! Not to mention all the colourful and eclectic elements and styles – and the stunning couple themselves. I have absolutely adored poring over the richness of this wedding, and I hope you love it as much as I do! The photographer is amazing: Cambridge wedding photographer Damien Vickers. The venue is breathtaking and different and a paradise all of its own: can you imagine getting wed at Kew Gardens? Congratulations to lovely Rika & Alex – your wedding is out of this world!
Wedding photographer’s website
Damien Vickers https://www.damienvickersphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
Damien was amazing from beginning to end as our wedding photographer. He dealt with the complexities of our fusion wedding, going between floors and rooms prior to the ceremony to capture all the details and lovely candid photos. He then followed us around Kew Gardens and shot beautiful couple photos for us that we will cherish for years to come.
Right down to ceremony and dancefloor photos, we couldn’t fault him, including shooting many family and friend group photos in record time but ensuring they were amazing quality.
Additionally, he catered to my many demands for photo retouching and editing due to a hair malfunction I had on the day, for which I am eternally grateful. I would recommend him to any couple wishing for a dedicated, discreet and talented photographer for their big day.
Your best wedding moment or memory
Saying my vows to my husband and hearing his, I felt we were the only ones in the room and the reason behind all the efforts to make this day happen was encapsulated in this moment.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We did both Bengali traditions (such as covering the bride and groom’s head with a red scarf and having the groom look in a mirror to see his bride’s face and announcing what he sees to the guests, as well as placing flower garlands on each other) and Japanese traditions (such as the sake ceremony which is a complicated back and forth of pouring and drinking sips of sake between the bride and groom). And we had many British traditions, such as writing our own vows, having a first dance, a cake cutting, and speeches from our best man and bridesmaids.
Videographer name + review
Robert Price (Redbeard Film Co). Rob was an amazing videographer, making the long journey from his base to London, and having a lovely rapport with our photographer and with all the wedding party. He really captured what we wanted, setting it to beautiful music, and eternalising those moments. He blended in the background as much as possible, and got the footage we had asked for through the day and night with no fuss and no extra time required. I would highly recommend this warm, professional videographer for your wedding.
Venue name + review
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Kew Gardens are an iconic venue that requires no introduction. It was such a privilege and truly a once in a lifetime moment to get married to my best friend here in front of all our loved ones. The Gardens are stunning, all the different parts of it, and the organisation of the team there from stewards at the gates to our Event Coordinator was flawless. They are true professionals and almost magicians when making it all come together on the night. We had our ceremony in the Nash Conservatory, our drink reception in the Princess of Wales Conservatory and our dinner and dance in the Orangery.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Alex and I chose to wear traditional outfits to represent our Asian heritage for the first part of the event, the ceremony and Reception. We then changed for the dinner and dance in the evening into a white dress and three piece suit.
My first outfit was a traditional red Banarasi saree with gold embroidery, worn in the traditional Bengali draping style.
Alex’s first outfit was a traditional Japanese male wedding outfit called the Hakama, with his family crest custom embroidered on the chest and sleeves.
My saree was from Priya Exclusives on Green Street in Upton Park, and his Hakama was ordered from Japan and custom made.
We were very proud to uphold our heritage, and then change into our British outfits which is also part of our culture and lives. My dress was from JJ House and his suit from Ted Baker.
Florist name + review
Claudia from Montpelier Flowers took on a big project for her small company and did an amazing job. She brought to life the vision I had, of a minimalist and green circular arch for our ceremony, and small minimalist vases to line the aisle.
I then wanted to minimise wastage of flowers, and asked for all these to be reused in the Orangery for the dinner, which she did beautifully and seamlessly for the head table and the centrepieces of all our guest tables. She dealt very well with the extra insurance required and complexities of transporting flowers in the Gardens, which has very strict rules for this as a Unesco World Heritage site.
Cake maker name + review
Lola’s Cupcakes. As always, Lola’s doesn’t disappoint and they made a wonderful two tier veil cake with lemon sponge and buttercream, plus a Victoria Sponge (my husband’s favourite) and Tiramisu cake (my favourite).
Care is very important to me, and I’ve used Lola’s countless times in the past for all occasions, so it made sense to go to them again for this most important occasion. They also worked very hard to deliver all these cakes safely to Kew to the appropriate area within the Gardens.
Stationery maker’s name + review
Laguna Catering kindly provided all the menus. We handwrote place settings on plantable seeded paper, from The Mankey Monkey on Etsy. We ordered our beautiful Welcome sign from Ottie Design on Etsy, and they custom painted some of the timeline drawings, such as of a couple in traditional Japanese dress for the Sake Ceremony. Our personalised table names representing restaurants we have eaten at/had a date in/loved in the past as a couple were custom made by Wedding Lux Shop on Etsy. Our Thank You cards following the wedding were customised and ordered from Papier.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
I made our cake topper in the shape of a penguin couple from coloured air dry clay, as penguins mate for life in the wild and they’re such cute animals in any case!
I also ordered origami cranes from Original by Reiko and Lavender Home London (both on Etsy) as name card holders. We created our own wedding favours, using recycled saree pouches from Etsy Handicrafts (based in India), traditional sweets and mouth fresheners (both Bengali, Japanese and British ones) and handmade candles of different scents with wooden wicks from KIKO Candles on Etsy. Our seating chart was also hand written with magic marker pens on a large mirror by my husband and his sister and mother.
Wedding readings?
No readings – but I wrote a poem as my vows and my husband wrote his own vows also.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Stand By Me – Ben E King.
We had several different playlists, for the ceremony and bridal entrance, as background music for the Reception, and then again for the Japanese Sake Ceremony and some suggestions for the dance floor to our DJ.
Wedding planner name + review
I planned our wedding with my husband and mum’s help mostly, so it was truly ours and all details were of our choosing!
Hair + makeup name + review
Makeup by Sukhi. Sukhi was lovely to work with and did an amazing job of my make-up, making me look both traditional and glam but not overdone for the big day. She brought out my best features, and the make-up lasted all day through various climates within the Gardens. The hair looked fantastic at first but unfortunately did not withstand the humidity of the Conservatories, and stronger hairspray would have been welcome! Overall though I would still recommend Sukhi and lovely demeanor, and her efforts to meet a bride’s demands.
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).
Laura & Bryan’s wedding is everything I wanted when I started English Wedding. To be able to share such an amazing blast of colour and joy is just incredible. The happy pair filled their day with vibrant styling touches and chose the perfect photographer to capture their celebrations. Laura is stunning in a fabulous couture dress made just for her; Bryan’s elegant outfit is just perfect for the occasion. They’ve written a brilliant write up of the day with some wonderful reviews for their wedding suppliers at Dodford, including the supremely talented wedding photographer Hannah Hall.
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
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
A late blog this Friday, as I’m just back from a calligraphy workshop (it was ace!) I’m absolutely beaming at my screen seeing all the gorgeous pics from today’s wedding. The sunflowers are so happy and colourful, and Erina and Dave are the loveliest couple! This wedding just shines – it’s the perfect, joyful celebration to bring us into the weekend.
Wedding photographer’s website
https://www.hannah-christine.com/
Wedding photographer review
It was a joy to work with Hannah, there were a few things that didn’t go to plan (like most weddings), and Hannah just stayed calm and rolled with it. We both have quite big families so there were a lot of people to organise for photos – Hannah was great at getting people together and making it work even when there were too many people in the photo. Many of our wedding guests/family let us know how impressed they were with Hannah. Hannah was calm, collected, and just seemed genuinely happy to be able to photograph our day. We are so glad to have Hannah as our photographer, and the photos are amazing! We have had so many compliments on our wedding photos. We are not great at taking photos ourselves, so it is great to have these wedding photos to look back on in our home. Hannah has great packages that are well worth the price – we love our wedding album and look forward to getting our USB box.
The service
Dave Lee led our service kindly and clearly, and made us feel really at ease in the wedding rehearsal/wedding day. Sam Stephenson gave a clear and concise talk on Jesus, which we were really grateful for.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We had a private cake cutting and then took all of our cake home! Too often the bride and groom don’t get to have any wedding cake, so we had a cake for our wedding guests so we could enjoy ours at home.
Venue name + review
St Andrew’s Wimbledon – We had our whole wedding at the church (ceremony + reception). It took a lot more planning than we thought, but everyone at St Andrew’s Wimbledon was very accommodating and helpful, and the church was really beautiful. They also had an outside area where guests could spend time together, and a second hall for a drinks reception.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Erina – I wore a simple satin A line dress from Wed2Be. It also had pockets! I got my shoes from the rainbow club selection at John Lewis. Dave – I wore a black 3 piece suit from Modigliani in Kingston.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Wed2be (Surbiton) – it was a bit of a roller coaster getting my dress form Wed2Be. However, they were really friendly, and it was all worth it in the end when I found my dress.
Modigliani (Kingston) – Rudy was a legend! He picked out my size as I came into the shop with one of my groomsmen, and let him try on suit jackets/trousers also. He was very knowledgeable and kind, which made the suit buying process simple and fun. I bought the first suit I tried on!
Your best moment or memory
We loved hearing the speeches from our close family and friends. As we mentioned, things didn’t going to plan and we weren’t going to have these photographed, but it’s wonderful to look back on those photos and remember all the lovely things people said. Also, the bride’s cousin stepped up for an impromptu performance which captured everyone and brought lots of joy and energy to the wedding.
Florist name + review
Sarah Hall (Belting Blooms) – Sarah. Was. Amazing! She asked us what we wanted, sent us a portfolio of her ideas, and then delivered more than we could have imagined. She communicated with us really well throughout the whole process, was transparent about what would work/what she could do with our budget, and genuinely went above and beyond throughout the whole day to make sure the flowers looked great. We are so thankful for her help leading up to the wedding, and on the day itself.
Cake maker name + review
Jodie’s Cupcakes – Jodie is a family friend that recently started her cake-making business. We weren’t too fussed with the style of the cake as we just wanted to eat tasty cake, but Jodie delivered a beautiful and tasty cake. We had a 3-tier sunflower cake with layers of red velvet, lemon drizzle and Victoria sponge. Once we told Jodie what we would like, she organised everything smoothly and liaised with our families well. We shared some with our church family the following day, and they loved it too!
Stationery maker’s name + review
Erina found a design on Etsy and we made most of our stationery through Printed.com Printed.com was simple to use and delivered quickly so it was easy to get our invites, service sheets and table numbers sorted.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
A few friends made welcome signs, and activities for the table. On each table we had ‘time capsules’ – messages for us to open each year of our marriage written by our wedding guests. We look forward to reading these!
Wedding readings?
Philippians 2:5-11 –
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Our first dance song was Perfect by Ed Sheeran, performed by Michael. We would always recommend Candy and Jerusalema, which got a lot of our wedding guests on the dancefloor!
Wedding planner name + review
God! We planned a lot of it ourselves, and we only got through everything by trusting God and praying together.
Hair + makeup name + review
Rebecca (@bexfly on Instagram) – Rebecca listened to what Erina requested and delivered really well on the natural look that Erina wanted. It was fun doing make-up with Rebecca, who was very chill and easy to talk to.
We’re thrilled to share this enchantingly autumnal wedding for a gorgeous couple in the Cotswolds. Jess & Tom had to postpone twice – their welcome sign tells quite a story! But their wedding, once it happened, is exceptionally beautiful. Jess is stunning in a dress from The Cotswolds Frock Shop, and Tom’s so handsome in his suit… although Albie almost steals the show with his little dog bow tie! All of the images are by Cotswolds wedding photographer Martin Dabek, who we’re proud to say is a member of English Wedding.
Wedding photographer’s website
How did you choose your photographer?
We read lots of reviews and used social media to get a feel for a variety of different local photographers. Our main priority however was to find a Cripps Barn wedding photographer that we would be happy to share our day with! We read Martin’s ‘A bit about me’ section on his website and instantly had a good feeling that we would get on due to our shared love of the outdoors, adventure and four legged friends! Of course we also loved his relaxed, natural and beautiful style that we really felt captured the best of all the emotions portrayed on your wedding day.
Were you pleased with your wedding photographer? Do tell… we love a brilliant review!
We knew that Martin would make the photo experience fun, that our guests would feel comfortable and that we would come away with some stunning photographs. All of which were definitely true! On receiving our pictures our family and friends’ comments included ‘stunning’, ‘captured the day perfectly’, ‘what incredible colours’ and my favourite, ‘absolute bangers’. He was also so kind and positive throughout the numerous date changes. It was stressful at times, but his friendly and professional approach really helped to keep us going!
What’s your fondest memory of your wedding?
Sitting at the top table surrounded by twinkling lights in the most beautiful surroundings and seeing all of our favourite people laughing and having fun after so long apart and sitting around the fire pit together taking a minute to reflect on the most amazing day!
Another highlight: Venus, ‘the planet of love’, making a special appearance for us whilst sitting around the fire pit with Tom. We got very lucky with a clear night and lots of stars.
Tell us about your venue – what made this place special for you?
We loved Cripps Barn from the moment we walked in. It was only the second venue we viewed but we knew straight away that we didn’t need to go and look anywhere else! We wanted to get married in the countryside and the barns, beautiful rustic beams and roaring fireplace were big ticks for us! We both love the outdoors so it was important to be able to ‘bring the outside in’ as we wanted to create a woodland feel with lots of ferns, foliage and wild flowers. Cripps is the perfect venue for this, it is already so stunning that any decor just adds to the wow factor. We took inspiration from our Cotswold dog walks and the gorgeous outdoor area surrounding the barn. Having the option to sit with friends around a firepit and explore the grounds under twinkling fairy lights was also very appealing! Not forgetting the food. We are both foodies and the food at Cripps is really something special. There is such a diverse range of deliciousness to choose from and the way it is served on sharing platters and cooked in an open kitchen is different from anything we had seen before. We can’t wait to go back to one of their feast nights!
Did you love wearing your outfits? How was your shopping experience, was it fun to find your wedding gear?
My dress was by Allure Bridals and I got it from The Cotswold Frock Shop in Stow on The Wold. It was actually the last dress I tried on but I instantly fell in love with the champagne lace, statement buttons and shimmery sequins woven throughout. I had always fancied long sleeves and loved Kate Middleton’s classic lace dress she wore on her wedding day. My shoes were also from The Cotswold Frock Shop, although if I am honest I did spend most of the day in my sequin converse! My necklace and earrings were from a charity shop and were ‘my something blue’.
Tom’s suit was from Moss Brothers in Oxford. He wanted a hint of country chic opposed to anything too formal but still wanted to look smart. The boys also had matching three piece suits, but Tom opted for a different waistcoat and tie to compliment the warm tones of the season. The bridesmaids wore dresses from Little Mistress. We all really loved the warm dusty blue colour and the way the buttons and lace complemented Jess’s dress. They also delivered to Australia where one of Jess’s bridesmaids was living at the time.
Did you hire a florist? Tell us about any floral amazingness 🙂
Our flowers were from the very talented Beth at Go Wild Flowers. She did an absolutely incredible job and really managed to create exactly what we had in mind (and more). We had lots of mixed foliage including our favourite, ferns, mixed with dill, lisianthus,veronica, blue thistle, dahlia, berries, safari sunset and roses. They really did look absolutely stunning. Thank you Beth!
As cake lovers here at English Wedding we’d LOVE to know who made your cake, and how delicious it was?
Our lovely friend Becca at ‘Willimonts Cakes’ made our delicious wedding cake for us. She created a two tier semi-naked cake with two different flavours; lemon, blueberry and white chocolate and carrot cake with orange frosting.
Tell us about any special personal touches, or creative projects you made yourselves (we love that stuff!)
Beth dressed the venue for us using woodland foliage and fairy lights for an overhead wheel on the ceiling of the barn and across the fireplace. We also designed our own centrepieces for the tables using blue Bombay Gin and Haig Club whiskey bottles, copper coloured glass containers, bark hearts, moss and vanilla candles. Beth kindly supplied wooden log slices to stand these on and wild flowers for the bottles. We kept the top trestle table rustic without a table cloth and instead opted for a foliage runner. All of the tables were named after our favourite forests across the UK. Jess and her dad also made a large frame for photo ops using moss and artificial flowers to compliment and we used rustic pallet boards to display some of our signage and as a container for blankets.
What was your first dance song? Why did you choose it?
Chris Stapleton – Millionaire. It is a beautiful country song full of soul that we knew would sound incredible performed live. It was also on in the background when Tom proposed!
Favourite wedding suppliers
Venue- Cripps Barn, Cirencester, https://crippsandco.com/cripps-barn
Photographer- Martin Dabek, https://martindabek.com/
Dress- Allure Bridal, The Cotswold Frock Shop, Stow on The Wold, https://thecotswoldfrockshop.co.uk/
Suits- Moss Brothers, Oxford, https://www.moss.co.uk/
Albie’s bow tie (dog bow tie), https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MyWoofWears
Flowers- Go Wild Flowers, http://www.gowildflowers.com/
Band- The Fiction, Cotswold Band Hire, https://www.bandsforhire.net/cotswolds-bands-for-hire
Stationery- You Bloom, youbloom_art on Instagram, also available on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/YouBloom
Slate table place settings- WholeCaboodleDesign, https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/WholeCaboodleDesign
Cake- Willimonts Cakes, https://www.facebook.com/WillimontsCakes
Hair by Fordham Hair Design
