This wedding is an absolute beauty!!! Faye & Dean styled their day with a fantasy book theme (I’d be on the Rain Wilds table, which I love!) The gorgeous pair got wed at The Ferry House, one of our favourite Kent wedding venues. Danny Jack was their photographer. The images are out of this world, and Danny gets a glowing review from Faye & Dean below!
Wedding photographer’s website
Danny Jack https://dannyjackphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
Danny was amazing. Having never had any professional photography done before we were both a bit wary about finding the right person to take the best possible photographs without it feeling too forced or posed. Danny was very easy going and fit in immediately – we shared several geeky interests and he was exceptionally easy to talk to. His natural and ‘in the moment’ photography style fit our wedding perfectly – allowing for an excellent mix of natural pictures and epic shots, without taking up too much time away from the party! He was able to capture all the magic moments – including an impromptu dancefloor cart-wheel from the groom! We would recommend Danny to everyone.
Your best moment or memory
There’s just so many, but if we had to pick one; the last dance of the night holds a special place for us; surrounded by all our closest friends and family (that had survived to the end!) whilst we danced as a couple at the center of the circle, allowing us to appreciate and soak up the final moments of the wedding evening.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We did not have any speeches – we felt that it would add unnecessary pressure to family members that were not confident public speakers which in turn, would affect their enjoyment and ability to relax. We also wanted a relaxed vibe, and we felt speeches too formal for us. We also took great delight at sneaking in as many geeky references as we could in the wedding, with varying levels of subtleness! Ranging from the barely visible ATLA runes on the invitations, to the D20 jelly wedding favours.
Venue name + review
The Ferry House. Absolutely perfect! We viewed the Ferry House Inn as our ‘wildcard’ venue as part of their wedding showcase and instantly fell in love.
The outdoor ceremony option of the gazebo was divine – surrounded by greenery and a lovely view of the water – it was exactly what we wanted. The gazebo option for the reception allowed us ample space for our guests – and the excellent quirk of hiding the dancefloor behind a screen until the evening reveal, was joyous! The wedding coordinators were incredibly helpful and made the whole process smooth and stress-free. Not to mention the food was sublime!
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
After seeing a green suit at the wedding EXPO in London we were surprised at how much we both loved the colour and thus began the hunt for a green suit, not nearly as popular as its blue or black counterparts. We finally found a friend in Edit Suits that allows for a custom design suit to be made – including several choices of material, pockets, colour and linings. After trying on several dresses – Faye chose the first dress she had tried on in the first shop: Bell’amore To fit with the rustic/relaxed/fantasy vibe Faye opted for a lace dress with floral patterns that had detachable sleeves(!).
Florist name + review
For our wedding we used Idyllic and Co. wedding designers who arranged and designed many aspects of our wedding – including the sourcing the flowers/florist (which ended up lovely!).
Cake maker name + review
Ericakes : https://www.ericakes.co.uk/
When searching for wedding cakes we knew we had found our cake maker when Faye saw Erica’s ‘Alice in Wonderland cake’ – the detailing and patterns were beautiful. Wanting something similar but a reflection of both Faye’s chaotic side and Dean’s ‘neater’ aesthetic, we met with Erica to discuss ideas and how we could tie in our fantasy/book theme. Erica came up with the brilliant idea of having a book page curled around one of the layers and it looked perfect. To add to this the cake flavours were varied and delicious. We were spoilt for choice! Would 100% recommend – we received many comments on how great the cake tasted and looked.
Stationery maker’s name + review
In the process of designing the table plan – Sophie (Idyllic and Co) recommended the work of LyndaLoves to do the stationery for the the seating places and table names. The colour choices worked perfectly with the table plan and, to ensure we were happy , samples were sent to us before a final decision was made. The calligraphy was beautiful!
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
We opted for sweets as our wedding favours and to hold them we purchased small white boxes and tied gold ribbon around them. However, looking a bit plain – we decided to tie them into our book theme by (spending many hours) making origami flowers from the pages of the book ‘The adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ which then perched upon the top of the boxes.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
A serene cover by Romy Wave of ‘Something Just Like This’ by Coldplay.
Wedding planner name + review
The Ferry House Inn Wedding Co-ordinators were friendly and very prompt to reply to any emails we sent. It was obvious this was something they excelled in, as every step was planned and organised – allowing for very little stress on our part. Meetings and checklists ensured nothing was missed and all aspects were covered.
We met several co-ordinators throughout our wedding planning process and every single one was a joy to meet and put us at ease. We would highly recommend them. The Ferry House works closely with Idyllic&Co who often decorate the venue on showcase days. This is where we first met Idyllic&Co’s Sophie after she had put together a stunning Autumnal display.
We very quickly decided on hiring Idyllic&Co for our day, and we had several meetings to discuss wedding colours, themes and options that had not even crossed our minds! So much was covered, for example, having a central family table instead of a top table (which was a stroke of genius as no one was able to see the father-of-the-bride spill wine down the bride’s dress – thankfully white wine!), or using a board of books as a table plan to fully bind the theme.
Sophie took our small ideas and changed them to a spectacular vision! The combined efforts of the Ferry House wedding co-ordinators and Idyllic&Co. was a dream team – it allowed for a very smooth and enjoyable lead up to the wedding with minimal stress – on our part. We cannot thank them enough!
We would also like to mention, The Ferry House DJ Carl who ensured the dancefloor was never empty!
Hair + makeup name + review
Hair: Suzy https://www.bridalhairbysuzy.co.uk/
Suzy was simply an amazing hair stylist. Faye is not someone who typically spends a lot of time on her hair and so did not have much of a vision in mind. Once an enquiry was made Suzy took the time to call and discuss options prior to booking and meeting at her studio for a trial day.
Suzy had a great depth of knowledge and was able to offer great insight and ideas to a bride that knew very little about hair styling. On the day Suzy was a life-saver! Being summer a couple of pesky wasps had managed to find their way into the getting ready room – as well as being a superb hair stylist she is also a wasp-whisperer and managed to coax the wasps out of the room – saving the bridesmaids who may or may not have been cowering sightly in the corner…
Despite having fine hair that does not hold a curl well – the hair style lasted all day and survived long hours of dancing! I am very grateful to Suzy for her vision and expert styling!
Make-up: Clare Lake https://www.clarelakemakeupartist.co.uk/ Clare has a very happy attitude and is an expert in her field. She knew instantly what would or wouldn’t complement the dress and bridal style which was perfect for a bride that was not sure what would work and had never worn false lashes.
The trial was relaxed and amazingly fun, discussing several styles and brands. Clare was able to put together a look for the bride, bridesmaids, and mother of the bride that suited everyone perfectly! Providing exceptionally useful hints and tips about the day in general. The makeup lasted all day and night, and the bridesmaids and bride felt incredible.
That’s Friends with a capital F… and a part of Katie and Dean’s elegant and subtly funny wedding theme! Keep scrolling for gorgeous little Digby and his puppy dog eyes; for stunning blooms and the most romantic of days. Katie and Dean both look amazing (as all couples do on their wedding days: grooms and brides really do have that happy glow!) – and the images by Steve Barber are sublime. See if you can spot their “hidden Mickeys” – and check out more beautiful pics on our English Wedding instagram.
How did you choose your photographer?
“Steve Barber Photography was listed as a recommended supplier on The Ferry House website, we looked him up on Instagram and loved his style so had a zoom call with him and after an hour of chatting we knew he was the one!”
Wedding photographer website – https://stevebarberphotography.com
Were you pleased with your wedding photographer and the photos you have from the big day?
“Steve was a pleasure to work with on the day, he made us feel at ease and got some amazing shots! We are so pleased with our photos!”
Tell us what made The Ferry House special for you and why you chose this venue.
“As soon as we drove up to the venue, we knew it was the one for us, we actually did an outside viewing appointment as we chose the venue during lockdown! The views, the general feel, the lovely team working at the venue, the attention to detail and the ability to stay at the venue itself but also hire the cottages up the road just made it perfect for us!”
Your best moment or memory of the day
“There were so many!! A couple of stand out moments were our miniature dachshund Digby running down the aisle to bring us our rings during the service and walking into our wedding breakfast to the song ‘best day of my life’ by American Authors with all our guests waving their napkins around to greet us! Also, our first dance, we surprised everyone by my cousins husband joining our band to sing an acoustic version of ‘I wasn’t expecting that’ and him creating a new final verse just for us!”
Tell us anything you did differently
“Dean had a groomswoman as part of his bridal party on the day, we also decided to forgo the usual prosecco/champagne as our first drink as a married couple and went for Porn Star Martinis!”
Did you love wearing your outfits?
“We absolutely loved our outfits, I don’t think I stopped twirling around on the dance floor in the evening, I loved the way it swooshed! I bought my dress from Isabella Grace in Tunbridge Wells and just had the most wonderful experience, from my initial appointment trying on dresses (and finding the one), through to a dress reveal to my MOH, accessories appointment and all my alterations, they just made me feel so special and the store is beautiful.
Dean felt amazing in his suit, he has his shirt tailored so it fitted perfectly and included special finishing touches like our initials on the sleeve and our wedding date on the collar. He bought his suit from The Kent Wedding Centre and then all his alterations were done by Huebscher Tailoring and they were great from start to finish, being able to get everything in one place made things a lot easier!”
Did you hire a florist? Tell us about your floral amazingness!
“We had the wonderful Emma J Flowers as our florist, she transformed the venue with spring time flowers everywhere! Our theme was rustic, with pastel colours and eucalyptus being our colour pallet! Emma went above and beyond, a particular favourite was the floral details around our memory ladder for those who couldn’t be with us on our special day, the table decorations crated gardens with fairy lights and my bouquet just to name a few!”
Who made your cake? What flavours did you go for and what little details about the cake would you like to share?
“Our cake was made by The Ferry House and was made up of three individual layers of chocolate brownie with cheesecake frosting, we had three flavours, original, orange and salted caramel and they were all delicious (I ate some for breakfast in the bath the following morning!)
We had some very special details in the form of our cake topper, my friend created them for us and they represent things very special to us, one being a Minnie Mouse head as we LOVE Disney, one was a little blue cuddly bear as that was the first present Dean bought me and the last was our miniature dachshund Digby! They were all made from icing so we have them to keep from the day.”
Tell us about any special personal touches, or creative projects you made yourselves
“We had a few personal touches on the day, there were some hidden Disney touches all around, from our bride and groom Mickey and Minnie Mouse pens for our signing the registrar photos, some hidden Mickeys, our toast master adding in some Disney quotes during the day and me walking down the aisle to an alternative version of ‘Kiss The Girl’ from the Little Mermaid.”
Did you personalise your vows or have any wedding readings? What were they?
“We had two readings, one was from the film The Notebook, it was a quote we particularly liked. The other was a little different, it was from the TV show Friends, when Joey was going to be the minister for Monica and Chandler’s wedding, it went something along the lines of ‘it was a love based on having and giving and loving and receiving’ with those words being repeated through the ready (happy to share the full reading if you’d like).
We knew a lot of Friends fans would be at the wedding, so to hear my aunt start speaking and the slow realisation across the room of what was being read was amazing! The room was divided between people laughing and people wondering why people were laughing! It was great!”
What was your first dance song and why did you choose it?
“Jamie Lawson – I wasn’t expecting that. It’s a song that we have both loved since we listened to it together very early on in our relationship, I think it sort of summed up how we felt as when we first met on Tinder, I guess we never really were expecting to find what we did. The ending was changed though as the original has a sad one!”
Katie & Dean’s favourite wedding suppliers
Photographer – Steve Barber Photography – https://stevebarberphotography.com/ @stevebarberweddingphotography
Florist – Emma J Flowers – https://www.emmajflowers.co.uk/ @emmaj.flowers
Venue styling – Idyllic & Co – https://idyllicandco.com/ @idyllicandcohire
Suit – The Kent Wedding Centre – https://www.thekentweddingcentre.com/ @thekentweddingcentre
Alterations – Hübscher Tailoring @huebscher.uk
Dress – Isabella Grace – https://www.isabellagracebridal.com/ @isabellagracebridal
Hair – Ashleigh Bunting’s Hair – https://ashleighbuntingshair.co.uk/ @ashleighbuntingshair
Venue & cake – The Ferry House – https://www.theferryhouse.co.uk/weddings/ @theferryhouseweddings
Magician – Spencer Wood – https://spencerwoodmagic.co.uk/ @spencerwoodmagic
Band – Candy Apple Blue – https://candyappleblue.com/ @candyapplebluebiz
Videographer – Gary Locke
Bride and groom – @ourwildingadventures
