I’d like to start this post by saying thanks for all the really helpful advice you left on my last post. It’s really nice to know that we’re not the only people going through the trials of where to have our nuptials. We’ve decided to stick with our guns and have a small civil ceremony and a blessing in the woods. We’ll have the civil ceremony a day or two before the blessing and reception- that way there will me no manic panic of trying to squeeze everything into one day.
So, to get back to the nitty gritty, let me tell you how ‘A Military Mission’ is going…. We have our new barn! Gone are the old shabby sheds and up is the new beauty!
After days of demolishing the old buildings/cleaning/trips to the dump and huge bonfires we finally have our new barn area. To save on labour and echo my mothers ethos of ‘why would you pay someone to do stuff when we can do ourselves?!!’- followed by a lift of the eyebrow. As if to say ‘are you mad?!’
Much to our delight (and Rob’s hard-work) dismantling the sheds were relatively easy which was a very welcomed surprise. The hard bit was emptying the contents and going to the dump about 20 times. Why do we all accumulate so much rubbish over the years?! When the area was clean and clear (too tempting not to say ‘and under control’) the steel workers came in to put up the barn. Much to mom’s disappointment and much to our delight this really is one area that we could not do ourselves.
This gorgeous new shiny barn will contain the bar, dance floor and mobile fridge trailer we’ve hired- serving warm beer is a big bad sin in my dad’s eyes so this fancy cooler was a must. Although the steel looks a bit industrial, I don’t think it’s anything a whole lotta fairy lights won’t fix.
The next stage was to even out all the flooring. Here our DIY skills were put to good use again by mixing and throwing tons of concrete. The one plus of all this labour is that I am hoping to achieve a lovely pair of toned ‘Jennifer Aniston arms’ by the wedding. But the rate we are going I may just look like Popeye! Not a great look.
My mom set up an outdoor coffee station which ensured we weren’t tempted to go inside for a break and sit on the sofa. ‘You’ll never come back out if you go inside!’ she exclaims. She is right of course. Dad shoots me the – lets just get this over with look. I do wonder where she gets the energy!
*The finished New Barn
Saving dates…
My friend Zoe More O’Ferrall illustrated our save the date cards. She’s a very talented artist so was my first port of call when the time came for stationary. Amoung loads of other stuff she designs invitations and wedding maps that are unique and very personal to you.
Zoe is a pleasure to work with and sent me the artwork file once it was completed. I got it printed on some nice thick card at our printer and once it was sent I could hardly wait to receive them. We love them and they couldn’t be more perfect for us. I am so exited for her to start working on our invitations.
Sorry to jump from one subject to the other but I thought I’d better give you an update on how our little plants are doing. A lot of the cuttings we took back in July seem to be doing very well (touch wood) and a few are on deaths door. We’ve brought them into the conservatory to give them some extra warmth as the arctic conditions outside are just too much for the poor things. The lavendar has taken a bit of a beating with the snow. We covered it and tried to protect it as much as possible but Mr Frost is a mean old character. I never thought plants could cause so much heartache and worry.
With 8 months to go we have most things under control. We’ve booked the caterers (who deal with all the tables, chairs, cutlery, linen), the mobile fridge and luxury loos. The cake is being made by our aunt, Rob’s uncle is blessing us, my friend Zoe is doing our stationary, our friends Chanelle and Craig are the photographers and our flowers are being done by our friend Jo who has just opened her first florist shop. I feel very relaxed about all of the above mainly because our friends and family are a very talented bunch, we feel extremely privileged that they are all contributing to our day. As for the music, well that’s another story. Do we go for a live band? Or do we have a DJ? And where do you find them? We considered just having an ipod with palylists compiled by close friends but have been advised it may be a complete disaster. Baaah, suggestions needed please!
With love from,
a very musically confused Robyn xx
I love lvoe love your posts, Robyn! They can’t come often enough for me. It’s like peering into the world of someone who is far more capable than I will ever be!
I cannot believe you are mixing concrete. I’ve just added that to “things to do before I’m 30″
The poor plants! I will be worrying about them not as well. Poor defenseless mites. Nasty Mr Frost.
Love the save the dates – how talented is your friend?!?
Oh, what the hell – loving the whole damn thing.
Seriously. You make me want to cry. Your wedding is going to be so personal and amazing. Sob.
I wish I had talented friends!
I completely love your posts too Robyn! I am in awe at everything you are doing yourself and how many of your friends and family are involved – well done you
I think a live band would rock your venue! And you would still be able to put together some ipod lists for their breaks. We asked our guests to request a song to be played by the band / on the ipod set list on our rsvps which worked well.
Cannot actually wait for your next post! xx
wow – amazing! fair play!! xxx
You have amazing friends, a super family (your mum sounds fab) and you are pretty damn lovely yourself. I love your updates!! xxx
And I agree with Roz – a barn neeeeeds a live band xxx
Robyn – there is so much amazingness in this post, I cant even tell you my fave bits – though the “warm beer” and “popeye” comments got a hearty chuckle from me!
As for the music, I concur – HAVE A BAND!
We are having a band and its one of the best decisions we ever made. Like Roz, we are asking for song requests on our RSVPs and people’s choices will either be played during the wedding breakfast, by the band or inbetween the bands sets via the clever little iPod DJ! xoxo
I Love the idea of having songs picked by your guests and then put on an I pod. My friend is doing a similar thing, she has asked us all to come up with two tracks, I have spent ages trying to decide which two songs to pick and I hope she will be pleased with all of her guests choices…. I know we have all put thought in to our songs. Good Luck with all the planning and the day itself xxxx
Fab post Robyn, actually can’t beleive how much work you are putting into your wedding – I’m sure its about 100 times more than me (and I thought I was doing a lot of planning!!) Well done on getting friends involved… not sure ours would be quite so willing!!
As for the music question…. definitely a band, it would really be the cherry on the top of your day! We’re also doing the ipod thing during the wedding breakfast, but we’re picking the tracks – ones that we love etc…
xoxo
And also Robyn….just think of the cool festival vibe a band would have at your venue! Not that your wedding needs any more cool. But it would be seriously awesome. And you have to get a crowd-surfing-in-your-wedding-dress shot….
Wow, I love how much work you are putting into your wedding! It is going to be so personal and amazing.
Oooh and you’re getting married on my birthday
xx
I love your posts sooo much, love the wedding you are having! Those robin stds are just gorge! The barn will look amazing, I just can’t wait to see the final report
xx
Super Excited about your wedding Robyn! It is going to be lovely, I just know it!
x
Hi Robyn,
Your wedding looks so perfect! I had also seen your gorgeous engagement photos and hadn’t put two and two together untill I saw the link below.
Where is the farm? I work for Sternberg Clarke, and we are an entertainment agency. I think that a live band would be fab, please take a look on our website for more ideas! Best of luck with the rest of the plans! Alice xx
P.S I LOVE your friend’s illustrations. If you like hers, you might like Rob Rydon too, he has done quite a lot of stuff for John Lewis recently, but it’s sooooo gorgeous
Have a band – it doesn’t have to be expensive – we got a ten piece funk and soul band who were students so weren’t that expensive at all.
People still mention the fab band a year later! I love your wedding whatever you choose it will be amazing!
I just used the new link widget thingy to look at your E shoot again. I had forgotten how gorgeous you two were! I don’t think you need to worry about the industrial look of the steel as no one will be taking thier eyes off of you!
Hi Robyn, I love reading your posts and think what you’re doing is A.Mazing!! Will be such a personal day with all your friends and family involved, I wish I had such talented friends in the floristy / drawing dept, the Save the Date cards are awesome!
Personally, if your budget can stretch to it, I don’t think you can beat a band, I have been to a couple of weddings with the ipod scenario and found that there was always a bit of a lapse between songs and at the other wedding, the system broke down so there was no music at all so make sure there’s a contingency plan if you go down this route. We had The Deadbeats at our wedding and they were brilliant and got everyone up on the dancefloor, our guests raved about how good they were after, it really was one of the best decisions we made. We also asked our guests to provide an 80′s song choice on the RSVP and got the band (who DJ’d in between sets) to play them which the guests really enjoyed too. For the most obscure 80′s song choice we gave the winner a bottle of bubbly which went down well
In any case I think your wedding will rock, can’t wait to read more!! Good luck with the plants, I hope they survive the Big Freeze!! xx
Love the post, Robyn! I’m having a band and a DJ later in the night, the vocalist from the band is my oldest friend and she’s willing to sing anything!
I’d say get a band, and one that has a rustic, hicky, country look about them (not necessarily playing those tunes though!) would be magic!
You are a scarily capable lady- think I’m DIYing it by writing placecards!
The barn looks totally great – Robyn I love your posts! Cant wait to see your wedding.
Rachie xo
Oh Robyn…I’m the most incredible shade of green right now. You’re pretty, he’s gorgeous, you BUILT A BARN, your Save the Dates are stunning, your Mum sounds hilarous and your Dad sounds like a hero!
Is there enough time for us to become friends so I can have a part in your wedding please?! Unrelated as I can’t sing for toffee so I couldn’t be the singer, but I’m in Camp Band too-the setting and the atmosphere will be the perfect background for an awesome live band.
So amazing! Well done Robyn and Robin!
x
Love it. All of it.
Wow Robyn, love your post! Your writing is so funny and your plans are so intriguing and inspirational I can’t wait to read more!
I can’t believe how you and your family and friends are basically building your whole day from scratch! You totally put those of us who are attempting bits of DIY for our weddings to complete shame! And your Mum sounds amazing, she should be a wedding planner!
Thanks for sharing so much of your planning with us.
xXx
So impressed! This is serious work, lady! Again, loved reading your post.
I would definitely go for a band if you can squeeze it in the budget and I love Luci’s idea about the type of look would be great in a barn. We didn’t have the budget for a band, if we had I would’ve pushed for a big band/swing band.
I am already dreaming about the fantastic photos you’re going to get on the day – please have more fairy lights than you can shake a stick at. String after string after string – it’s going to look beautiful!! xxx
Ladies, as always your supportive and lovely comments are enough to make a girl blush. Right now I am thinking BAND!
Alice- the farm is in Surrey so going to go on your website right now and have a good squiz.
Inga- loving the prize for the best song. May have to steal/borrow that.
Luci- would so love King of Leon to be our rustic/ hicky looking band. Unfortunately we are not cool enough to ever know them.. seeing them in concert is the closest we get!
Lucy- there may not be enough power supply for how many fairy lights I wanna string.
Aisling- tell me more about your band!
Had a couple of glasses of wine (yes I know its only 7.45 but it’s been a long-short week) but I have to agree, my mom and dad are pretty amazing and none of this would be possible without them. And Rob of course
XX
Band in a barn for me too!!!
I had a band and it was awesome, one of the best bits of the day was our ‘swing’ band singing Prince’s Kiss…brilliant!!!
I love everything about this, its just so personal and lovely!
xxx
P.S I LOVE your save the dates!!!
So glad I logged on tonight – had my own freak-out today about making our ‘save-the-dates’ incase they don’t match up to professional ones – but yours have inspired me!
Much better to have a personal connection then shop bought I think.
Your plans are amazing Robyn – so inspirational! I love following your wedding progress xx
What about having a ceeileigh band? Sorry about the spelling! The most fun I’ve had at a wedding was with one! And it would totally go with the rustic vibe!
AH! This is all so lovely – such personal touches and the barn is looking good! Plus, excellent way of toning up – good planning
Hope the band search is going well, I’m in the middle of the same muddle – spending all my lunchtimes with my office door shut listening to online versions of every song imaginable!
Hope it’s all going well!xx
Ha ha ha I just ADORE your save the date cards. My lovely dad is called Robin so its a future baby name – for either a girl or boy! Loved this.
WOW! I love your save the dates! Just gorge…
You have to have a band because they will create an atmosphere that cannot be acheived by ones Ipod alone…but a good idea to have the Ipod loaded to play when the band are finished that way you don’t have to pay for a DJ too and you can ensure that all your favourite floor fillers are played!
Judging from what we’ve seen so far I can’t wait to see your dress is like!
x
Lovely!
We’re doing an awful lot ourselves too and we have amazing friends which is worth its weight in gold!
As for music, we’re having bands throughout the day as we have a lot of friends who are musicians, between that there will be an ipod but we have also told friends that they can have short “DJ” slots through the day! Everyone is far more excited about this than I imagined and are busy planning their slots to be better than everyone elses!
Good luck xx
Pingback: Saturday Sneak Peek and Round Up! | Rock My Wedding
Robyn – the lights the lights!
Just saw this post:-
http://www.snippetandink.com/iowa-farm-wedding.html
and it made me think of your fairy light tastic wedding shindig. I don’t think there can ever be too many fairy lights… xxx
Wow, so impressed at your industriousness. Building barns, growing stuff… we are planning for June 2012 and basically have a field, possibly with the option of an old outbuilding a little like your new barn, so I’ll be interested to see what you do with it. Best of luck!
Excellent Work! Really Like it. Keep it up
We were the lucky company to do the catering for this wonderful wedding. It was a complete joy on Saturday to be working for Robyn and Robin and their lovely family. Every detail was perfect – and the bride looked gorgeous. I think the bride should become a wedding stylist!! With love to you all – Sara at Tandem Sevenoaks