This fabulous shoot has been waiting in my inbox for just the right amount of sunshine to feature… and as I set off on a little adventure this weekend, I am thrilled to be sharing this beautiful editorial with you. Sent in by amazing Lake District wedding photographer Hannah Hall Photography, and planned by super talented cake designer Francesca at Snowdrop Wedding Cakes, the look is simply breathtaking. Cakes are sleek, modern and beautifully crafted with incredible sugar flowers.
Tass Florals’ floral arrangements are delicate and different in soft lilac and peach tones, working exquisite textures together with stunning craftsmanship.
And models Alex & Gregor bring grace, romance and enchantment to Hannah’s images, with love so real you can feel the warmth even through a screen. They aren’t married in real life yet, but Alex says bridal modelling is giving her lots of ideas for what she’ll pick when the day comes!
Glenapp Castle itself is a fairytale wedding venue, the magical towers, turrets, and crenellations revealing themselves as you approach. The glasshouse is a wonderful space with so much character: of course, if budget allows and you fancy getting wed there, you can hire the entire castle for your wedding guests to stay, and really celebrate your big day in style!
Check out these amazing Ayrshire wedding suppliers
Concept/Planning/Cake Snowdrop Wedding Cakes
Photography Hannah Hall Photography
Venue Glenapp Castle
Styling Artisan Weddings Ayrshire
Catering Jambo Kitchen
Florist Tass Florals
Dress & ruffle veil Unbridaled
Makeup Laura Dewar
Hair Megan Lindsay
Models Alex & Gregor
Jewellery Sarah Brown
Kilts MacGregor & McDuff
Pearl Veil The Wedding Veil Shop
Hairpieces Scarlet and Wolfe
Shoes Di Hassall
Content Creator Your Day Unplugged
Stationery Wedding Artwork
A few words from Ayrshire cake designer Francesca at Snowdrop Wedding Cakes:
My goal in putting together the shoot was to create a set of images that were very romantic and timeless. We wanted something quite classic and elegant, with a modern twist – and I think we achieved that.
Glenapp Castle is stunning. We were lucky enough to have exclusive use of the Azalea Glasshouse for the day, which is set in a beautiful walled garden surrounded by the woodland of the estate. Glenapp have recently featured on the BBC’s ‘Amazing Hotels: Behind the Lobby’ and hosted an episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars!
Every single one of the suppliers who collaborated on this shoot is incredibly talented and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. Hannah Hall Photography produced the stunning images.
Sonia from Tass Florals created the beautiful floral arrangements. Gill from Artisan Weddings Ayrshire did the styling and catering. The dress and ruffle veil were provided by Emily at Unbridaled in Ayr.
Make up and hair were provided by Laura Dewar and Megan Lindsay respectively. Stationery by Daria at Wedding Artwork, content by Erin at Your Day Unplugged, kilt by MacGregor & McDuff and jewellery was by Sarah Brown. Accessories were provided by Di Hassall (Shoes), Scarlet and Wolfe Headwear (hairpieces) and the Pearl veil was from The Wedding Veil Shop.
Heartfelt, romantic, joyful… this wedding from The Oak Tree of Peover is everything. Elanor and Tom look amazing, the venue is beautiful, there are moments that make me grin and some which put a happy tear in my eye. Plus oodles of colour and so much personality in this brilliant and stunning wedding day. Images are by the inimitable, utterly wonderful Lake District wedding photographer Hannah Hall, who gets a glowing review from our gorgeous newlyweds! (Keep scrolling to see!)
Wedding photographer’s website
Hannah Hall Beddoe. https://hannahhallphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
Hannah was an absolute superstar, we can’t thank her enough. We both find having our photos taken very awkward and uncomfortable and from the first meeting she put us completely at ease. She has captured the day exactly as it happened, including some magic bits we didn’t get to see. We love them so much that we purchased a digital frame so we can see them all the time in our home and plan to order prints when when we move into our new home soon. We’ve had so many compliments about her from the day, she became a part of the family and was an absolute pleasure to be around. Her style is absolutely beautiful and vibrant and the photos are gorgeous and more than we could have hoped for. If we could do it over again she is the first vendor we would book, in a heartbeat.
Your best moment or memory
Walking down that aisle is a moment neither of us will forget. All that stress and hard work just melted away and it was just perfection in the moment. Pure happiness to finally be marrying each other after 15 years together.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We both chose not to have a hen/stag do, neither of us enjoyed the idea of it and preferred to celebrate together with each other on the day. Other than that we were fairly traditional!
Venue name + review
The Oak Tree of Peover. What a beautiful venue. It was the first venue we went to view and nothing compared after we had seen it, we knew this was the place. The team were so open and friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Everything surpassed our expectations on the day and they were a fab team to work with.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
As a plus size bride I found dress shopping very daunting. I did a little research and found The Bridal Suite in Southampton who specialise in plus size bridal dresses and booked an appointment. First dress I tried on was the one, I tried on so many but kept coming back to this one and I still think it was the right decision, I love it and felt so beautiful on the day. I can’t thank them enough for turning what could have been a very stressful thing into an absolute pleasure.
Tom got his wedding suit from Moss Bros. It was his first time being measured for a custom suit which he found a little awkward but it was worth it as he loved it and got our wedding date embroidered to the inside as a lovely reminder.
Florist name + review
Flossie’s Weddings dressed our venue and supplied flowers. They are just masterful at what they do. On our first appointment we had very little idea what we wanted, we just knew we wanted colour and relaxed vibes. From that they created this beautiful wonderland of colour from the flowers to the table settings, absolutely gorgeous and a fantastic team.
Cake maker name + review
Cake made by a friend of the family (Adam).
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
With working as a nurse and a teacher we didn’t have time to do DIY or crafty projects to help, we would have loved to, as I love to craft, but it just wasn’t viable at the time unfortunately
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
David Choi – I can get used to this. He was a small YouTube artist when we first got together 15 years ago and Tom used to send me his videos when we got home from 6th from college to let me know he was thinking of me. So although no-one else knew who he was it was a very personal first dance for us and meant a lot.
Hair + makeup name + review
Rebecca Anderton – absolute legend. Again I’m not someone who is used to having hair and makeup, especially done by someone else. She put us all at ease from the trial run and made sure we were happy and comfortable at each step, she knew that I didn’t wear a lot of makeup and just listened and did something beautiful. My maid of honor said it was like having her sister do her hair and makeup. Her and Hannah (photographer) really became part of the bridal party in the morning and were so good at keeping everyone calm and relaxed.
A glorious styled shoot full of vibrant colour that says: be you. The couple in this stunning photoshoot are Jay & Sam, who inspire us with their thoughtful insta posts and their beautiful, brave and curious / adventurous outlook on life. The Stranger Things inspired cassette tape place names and 80s nostalgia in these images are fabulous and we’d love to see more of this at weddings! The cake is a real talking point – what better nod to the Upside Down could there possibly be?!
With amazing photos by lovely Hannah Hall Photography.
At Huntsmill Farm we are known for our 18th-century stone barn on our family farm, with rustic timber fences, and steel storage units. To create a contrast to our background, we created the styled shoot ‘Love is Strange’ heavily inspired by the hit TV show, Stranger Things. The concept was to create an ‘80s-themed editorial shoot, with a brief to include dark, moody elements.
We worked with stylist The White Emporium with the brief to create a dark, moody, theme with ‘80s elements, alongside photographer Hannah Hall Photography and videographer Gina Fernandes Photography.
When it came to a colour scheme, we wanted to focus our shoot around the Pantone colour of the year – Viva Magenta. We used this colour throughout our styling, and to complement this and the Stranger Things theme we also incorporated darker shades of black, purple, and navy, alongside highlights of pinks, oranges, and reds.
Our styling involved a lot of ‘80s-inspired décor, from disco balls to Walkmans, boomboxes and vintage cameras. The venue was decorated with a neon sign from Stardust Events and colourful lighting, alongside a rustic set up with a rattan table and chair set.
Our stationery took inspiration from Stranger Things, using the font and colours, designed by Peach Wolfe. The stationery was created with a bold colour scheme and incorporated the ‘80s elements such as cassette tapes as placenames.
The tablescape was set under a canopy of hanging disco balls, draped with dark fabric. The table itself was laid with draping fabric, and Wren Ark provided the tableware, a mix of blue, red, and black glassware. Jade Flower Boutique created the floral arrangements, incorporating the colour scheme and viva magenta Pantone colour within the flowers.
When it came to the cake, we wanted to play on the Stranger Things theme and create an upside down cake. J Bakes Cakes designed a bespoke upside-down black cake with various textures to complement the theme, adorned with disco balls and pink and red flowers from Jade Flower Boutique.
Our models Jay and Sam from Pulse is Racing wore outfits from ASOS incorporating the ‘80s theme and our colour scheme. We decided to feature a real same-sex male couple for our concept to represent the LGBTQI+ community in a true, authentic way, and to show that love is for everyone.
Credits
Venue and concept: Huntsmill Farm
Photography: Hannah Hall Photography
Videography: Gina Fernandes Photography
Styling: The White Emporium
Neon sign: Stardust Events
Flowers: Jade Flower Boutique
Stationery: Peach Wolfe
Catering: Portfolio Events
Tableware: Wren Ark
Cake: J Bakes Cakes
Models: Pulse is Racing
Outfits: ASOS
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
Today’s real wedding is a BEAUTY and we LOVE all the stunning photos of gorgeous couple Lisa & Chris. They celebrated at Dodmoor House and chose one of our fave UK wedding photographers Hannah Hall to capture their day!
Keep reading for supplier reviews and recommendations, and to read all about this magical, colourful, bursting-with-joy wedding! (Lots more pics coming soon on our insta – follow @englishweddingblog)
Wedding photographer’s website
Hannah Hall Photography – https://hannahhallphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
From the moment we found Hannah’s website we knew she was the photographer for us.
Her photographs and style were everything we were looking for, as we both hated overly posed photographs and wanted someone to be able to document the day for us to look back and remember the moments from. Hannah herself was the calming drive we needed on our wedding day.
She made us both feel at ease, and you could find her helping out with various things throughout the day. She had us in fits of laughter, and we felt so comfortable and confident around her.
Throughout the day she was fantastic at making things happen, getting our group shots, and incredible photos of our loved ones. She even managed to tame our feral 3-year-old daughter, and Hannah got fantastic photographs of her by sticking a stuffed hedgehog toy on her head… Our photographs were everything we hoped for, and more. We don’t know how Hannah did it, but she seemed to be everywhere at all points in our wedding, and she managed to capture everyone’s personality perfectly. As two socially awkward people who normally hate photographs, we absolutely love our photos and couldn’t have asked for a better photographer!
Your best moment or memory
Chris – Having both of our children there with us was really special. My son Reuben, aged 12, was one of my best men and gave us both our rings in the ceremony. Our daughter Ivy, aged 3, was a flower girl and seeing her walk down the aisle shouting ‘daddy!’ really made it special.
Lisa – The whole day was amazing, but one of my favourite memories from the day is being on the dancefloor at the end of the night with my niece Charlotte, aged 5, being the last two standing!
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We both wrote each other cards to open on the day of our wedding, and Lisa wrote one to both of the children and her bridesmaids and flower girls. It was lovely to watch everyone open their cards (and shed a tear or two) and reading the cards from each other really made us excited to get married. When it came to our bridal party, Lisa had two maids of honour, and Chris had three best men – one of which was his son. We didn’t feel like those roles just suited one person, as we both had a few people we felt were special to us and we wanted included. When it came to the speeches we didn’t follow the traditional order. Chris isn’t a confident public speaker, so we felt we would rather he enjoy the day than be nervous about making a speech, so instead Lisa decided that she would do the bride’s speech instead! We had the father of the bride, two of Chris’s best men, Lisa’s two maids of honour, and Lisa doing speeches.
Something else non-traditional we did was giving our cake maker and florist full creative control over the cake and flowers – we had no idea what they looked like until the day! We had full trust in our suppliers, and loved what they did, so wanted them to create us something unique.
Venue name + review
Dodmoor House
We couldn’t rave about Dodmoor House enough. From our inital viewing until the end of our wedding day they were absolutely fantastic, and couldn’t have been more helpful. Throughout our planning they were always on hand with friendly advice, and our coordinator on the day ensured everything ran smoothly. The venue itself was absolultely beautiful, with the rustic barns, the gardens, and courtyard – we just knew it was the venue for us.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Lisa picked a dress from Confetti and Curves. Being plus-sized she was a little nervous about what styles would suit her, but she wanted something that fitted in with her alternative style and something ‘a little different’. She found a vintage-inspired dress with a beaded and pearl bodice, with a glitter tulle skirt that she fell in love with. Paired with a pair of silver glitter vans, and a pearl tulle bow. Chris wanted something a little more traditional, and opted for grey tails, with superhero cufflinks and socks. Both of our outfits were very us.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Wedding dress: Confetti & Curves – Being plus sized I was so nervous about buying a wedding dress and thought nothing would fit or suit me. I found Confetti and Curves, and was absolutely blown away with the amount of choice and various different styles available. The team were absoultely fantastic in helping me to find a dress that fitted my style, and suggested dresses based on what I was looking for. Suits: Victor Boss – Very friendly and helpful, suits fitted perfectly and were in great condition. They were always on hand to answer any queries and questions, and Chris and his groomsmen were very happy with their choice.
Florist name + review
Boho Blooms – our florist Lucy from Boho Blooms was incredible. We decided we wanted dried flowers for our wedding day, and gave Lucy the brief of bright and colourful. Lucy completely excelled herself with our flowers, creating bouqets for the bridesmaids and Lisa, button holes for the men, wands for the flower girls, as well as decoratations around the venue including an arch for the ceremony, and vases on the tables. All of the flowers were bright and colourful, and exactly what we were looking for.
Cake maker name + review
J Bakes Cakes.
Jodie created our cake for us, and it was incredible. We picked a three tier semi-naked cake, with three different flavours – raspberry and white chocolate, blueberry and lemon, and lemon and elderflower. The cake itself looked beautiful, and Jodie decorated it with coloruful dried flowers to match the rest. We then topped the wedding cake with a cake topper reading ‘I love you 3000’ to fit in with our Marvel theme.
Stationery maker’s name + review
Our friend Andy is a very talented graphic designer, and created all of our stationery for us. We wanted something different that fitted in with our superhero comic book theme, and he created us the most stunning stationery – everyone raved about it!
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Our wedding was a Marvel superhero theme, and so throughout the styling, we incorporated different superhero touches.
Lisa hand embroidered the table names with Marvel superhero names and designs.
On each table, Lisa also had designed quotes from Marvel films about love.
She also created a comic book for our guests to read when they entered the ceremony about the day, complete with a quiz to see how well our guests knew us!
Lisa’s mum designed and made the flower girls’ dresses. She found fabric to match Lisa’s dress.
Lisa’s mum also decorated jars around the venue to hold tealights and flowers, as well as glass bottles with lights inside for the tables for the wedding breakfast.
We had a few children at our wedding, including our two children and our nine nieces and nephews, so to help keep them entertained Lisa created activity packs for them during the wedding breakfast.
On one of the windowsills in the bar, we had a couple of photos of our loved ones that were no longer with us, it was a lovely tribute to them and felt special to us both.
Wedding readings?
We had two readings, one from Lisa’s mum, Sue, and one from one of Chris’s best men, Jamie. Jamie read All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulgham.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Our first dance was Sea of Love by Cat Power. We wanted a song that wasn’t overly mushy, and we both adored the film Juno so used this song from the soundtrack!
Throughout the day we also had a few other songs from the Juno soundtrack playing, and when we walked back down the aisle we played ‘Come and Get Your Love’ by Redbone, from the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack to fit in with our Marvel superhero theme.
Hair + makeup name + review
Makeup: Makeup By Juliet – Juliet was fantastic on our wedding day. I don’t usually wear much makeup so was a little nervous how I would look, and didn’t want it to feel too heavy. Juliet listened to me, and then suggested colours she felt would suit me and my bridesmaids. We were all so happy with our makeup, and Juliet herself was so much fun to have on the morning of the wedding with us!
Hair: Elizabeth Jane Wedding Hair – Elizabeth was incredible on our wedding day. She did myself, my mums, my four bridesmaids and my four flower girls hair – and nothing was too much trouble! We all loved our hair, and it looked so beautiful.
Ice cream van hire
We had a pink vintage ice cream van – Vintage Wonder Ice Cream during the evening which everyone loved! The ice cream was fantastic, and everyone loved the beautiful vintage van – we of course had to get inside for photos!
