Inspiration

The vibe was autumnal, dark, moody boho, and rustic. The black dress for wedding made this all come together. A guest also called it ‘ethereal’, which I loved. The rural venue made the perfect backdrop for our wedding, with approximately 95 acres of gardens, woodland and fields to explore. Not only that! There was an orangery to hold our ceremony and speeches, cottages for 28 guests to stay for the weekend and an old barn to hold our reception. This was all centred around a large courtyard where we had a loaded fries popup for evening snacks. We tried to be as sustainable as we could. That meant no unnecessary signs. We also thrifted our decor!

Black Dress For Wedding Weekend

If your budget will allow, try to stretch your wedding out by making it a weekend-long getaway! This was the BEST decision we made. It means you greet/meet most of your guests the day before which takes the pressure off. It also means the whole celebration is longer, and you get to talk about everything with your closest people the day after. If you're wanting a non-traditional day/outfit, but are nervous about what people think/say, please try to be true to yourself. Your people love you for being your authentic self, and would rather see you happy.

One favourite moment would be impossible to pick, so I've had to go with two. Firstly, we had the venue exclusively for ourselves and our guests. We only had friends stay with us, and on the morning of, we all sat together and had breakfast. This was so relaxing and helped my nerves a lot. Secondly, we took a walk around the grounds with our amazing photographer and videographer. They were both amazing. Walking back to the gardens, we could hear everyone laughing and joking, playing beer pong. It was a magical moment.