We were on holiday in Sorrento in July 2019.
After our first full day of exploring, we went back to our hotel room, and Max proposed at sunset on our balcony overlooking the sea and the lemon trees.
The Proposal
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Relaxed, fun, informal, personal, Spring meadow flowers, outdoors.
The Vision
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Wood Farm Barn, Benacre – Suffolk
The Venue
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We really wanted to make the most of the barn’s surroundings and were hoping for an outdoor ceremony.
The day before when we were setting up we got a bit nervous as it was so windy, but on the day itself the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Max and the groomsmen, Georgia (coordinator), and Lydia (florist), set up in the morning at the back of the barn overlooking the fields.
The Ceremony & Music
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We had vintage rugs for the aisle, and beautiful spring meadow flowers. I walked down the aisle to Noah Reid’s cover of Simply the Best (we are big Schitt’s Creek fans).
As we had already had a mini Covid legal wedding day on our original date in September 2020, we worked with Nichola Collinson to create a really personal ceremony. We still wanted a wedding day that we could share with all our loved ones
The Ceremony & Music
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and it was important to us that we were able to say our vows in front of them.
We met Nichola over a video call in January 2022 so we could get to know each other. We were a bit nervous before but we felt so comfortable with her, we had a great chat and lots of laughs. She sent through drafts until we were 100% happy with the script. But it didn’t take long as she completely got us from the start, and we ended up
The Ceremony & Music
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with a wonderful ceremony which was both emotional and funny. With little insights into the life we’ve built together.
Pulse did an acoustic set after the ceremony, and then two sets in the evening. They were incredible. We were nervous that the dancefloor would be empty and guests would spread out outside, but it was completely packed the whole night. They were so talented and engaging, dealing with a few drunken requests too!
The Ceremony & Music
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We didn’t have a specific theme, we just picked out lots of things we loved. The barn was dry hire so we had a blank canvas to work with.
We always wanted a fairly relaxed wedding breakfast so we hired reclaimed wood trestle tables (from Anthology) that were dotted with brass and cut glass bud vases, with space for sharing platters. I made the place names with air-drying clay and little letter stamps.
The Styling & Decor
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Festoon lights were draped from the beams and there were fairy lights too.
No cake – homemade chocolates from Jess’ grandma and we bought some macarons from Waitrose. Our caterer also did some chocolate-dipped strawberries.
We had a giant hat tipi as a chill-out area with sofas, blankets and rugs which was really popular throughout the whole day.
The Styling & Decor
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Festoon lights were also put up around the walled garden and down the path which looked great, especially when it started getting dark.
We wanted the bar area to feel really fun, with disco balls and amazing bunting from Boomting Bunting (made from scrap fabric). We also printed lots of polaroids and put up some vintage travel posters of places that are special to us.
The Styling & Decor
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We hired whisky barrels and tin baths (Anthology) and bought some beers that are local to us (Loddon Brewery and West Berkshire Brewery). We also imported bottles of Lemon Soda and Orange Soda from Italy – which I drank endlessly in Sorrento where we got engaged.
Flowers – I told Lydia we wanted Spring, wild, natural, meadow vibes and she delivered! We had two suspended arrangements from the beams inside,
The Styling & Decor
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a deconstructed arch, and some amazing hedgerow-style arrangements that we moved around after the ceremony.
Abbie Worton created our stationery and we loved the signage – she was so easy to work with and made it really fun.
The Styling & Decor
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Wedding dress from Lavender & Jude. I’d been to a few bridal shops before going to see Claire at Lavender & Jude (where my mum actually bought her dress from ten years before), and I hadn’t really enjoyed the experiences.
I had an idea of what I wanted but could never explain it (or it didn’t exist!) but Claire just understood me. She saw I was a bit stressed about it but managed to put me in a dress I wouldn’t have picked out myself but that I felt amazing in,
Your Outfits
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and most importantly still felt like me. Claire is amazingly talented like that (and a bit magic I reckon!).
Max’s suit was from Dobell – Max wanted a country gentleman vibe and to be in keeping with the venue. He liked the contrast between his full suit and the groomsmen with the matching jackets and ties.
Your Outfits
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Georgia Rachael (photographer) – I had obsessed over Georgia’s photos on Instagram for a while before we were ready to book.
From the first point of contact she was so friendly, enthusiastic and professional. We postponed twice due to Covid and she was so supportive throughout it all, even though it must have been a really worrying time for her business.
Your Photographer
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When we had our legal ceremony in 2020 she kindly offered to come along and take some photos for us, so we have some wonderful memories that we can look back on at what was a very strange time.
I can’t believe that now our big day has happened our journey with Georgia has somewhat come to an end after so long. She has felt like a great friend, so much so that our guests were asking if she was a friend because she fitted in so well on the day.
Your Photographer
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She whizzed around taking so many amazing photos of our loved ones and all the little details, but also got stuck in and had lots of laughs with everyone. She spots the magic at the right moments and when we look at the photos we can’t believe it’s us. We feel so lucky that she is not only awesomely talented but also a really wonderful human being!
Your Photographer
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We drove up to Scotland for an amazing week around Glencoe and the Isle of Skye.
The Honeymoon
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– The speeches were pretty special – laughter and tears all round.
– Straight after the ceremony when we did the confetti line – it was the first time that I got to properly see everyone’s faces.
– The whole day was special – after so long planning, postponing, and stressing, we’re so happy it finally happened and was exactly how we imagined it.
Memorable Moments
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If you’re planning a wedding at a dry hire venue, consider a coordinator for the day. I don’t know what we would have done without Georgia (Boomting Bunting), she went above and beyond on the day, and worked so hard to make sure everything was in place in the lead up.
There were lots of moving parts that needed to come together and I had been very anxious about it, but Georgia completely took that stress away from us. She also reminded us that everyone
Advice For Other Couples
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(suppliers and guests) wanted the day to be amazing too – sounds obvious but when you’re in the depths of planning stress it’s easy to forget!
And on the day you won’t be thinking about all the little things you were worried about.
Everyone says it, but the day does go so quickly – remember to take a quiet moment with your other half and just take it all in. Stop and look around at everyone who has come together to celebrate
with you.
Advice For Other Couples
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During the wedding breakfast I tried to process everything that had happened so far and look round at everyone’s faces. And make sure you eat the food!