Inspiration

Everything you are about to see will put a huge smile on your face. From the rustic old barn reception full of vintage trinkets to the breathtaking portraits of our gorgeous couple on the Hope Valley Derbyshire moors. I simply adore Charlotte's Maggie Sottero gown, with a gorgeous champagne slip making the intricate lace overlay look amazing and what could be more country than a groom in tweed. Perfect. If you love the just picked wild flowers look, stacked antique books, ditsy vintage china and a wedding full of sentiment and love then you're truly in for a treat.

The Proposal

Charlotte The Bride: Toby proposed on the top of Scafell Pike in the Lake District in the middle of February (was very icy and cold!)

The Vision

A relaxed vintage/country themed wedding that we could put our own stamp on

Planning

Looking at Pinterest and blogs for ideas, lots of lists, and then lots of help from my Aunty Joy for the artistic vision.

The Venue

Wedding ceremony at St Mary’s Church, Bolsterstone, Sheffield then the reception at Townfield Barn, Shatton, Sheffield.

The Dress

We tried a few places in York and Leeds (taking my Mum, three sisters, two cousins and my Aunty along too!) before finding the dress in Angel Brides in Horsforth. It was a lot easier than I expected as I’m so indecisive!

Groom's Attire

We wanted to go for a tweed suit which was more difficult than we thought as full suits were very expensive, but managed to find a donegal tweed jacket by Jeff Banks in Debenhams and then closely matching Donegal tweed trousers in Austin Reed. My cousin Amy Stubbs designed and made the bow ties and pocket squares for Toby and the Groomsmen. For the ushers and best man we bought tweed jackets from Slaters.

Readings & Music

We had a reading from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and then another reading from the Song of Solomon. I came down the aisle to Air from Suite No. 3 by Bach, we had Canon in D by Pachelbel for the registers and then we left church to Toccata by Widor.

Bridesmaids

I had my three sisters as Bridesmaids and they all had dresses by True Bridesmaid that we bought from the same shop that I bought my dress from. We decided on different purple shades that would fit in with the country theme.

Florist

Jill from Plantology in Sheffield was great and helped us to pick out the perfect flowers, and managed to include some lily of the valley that my Mum and Grandma both had in their wedding bouquets.

Cake

Our wedding cake was a homemade cake made by my friend Seetal Jheeta. It consisted of Earl Grey, Lemon and Chocolate Velvet cakes, that all tasted and looked amazing!

Photographer

Mike & Tom were our photographers, who were amazing and captured the day perfectly.

Decor

We loved the barn and didn’t want to hide some of the great features like the corrugated walls and beams. Toby loves tea so we started with a teacup and teapot idea, so sent all our family out on the hunt in charity shops. In the end we hired some extra teacups from a company in Sheffield as well. Then the rest of the décor grew around that – we bought some vintage books from ebay for table decorations, then also bought some rolls of muslin from ebay that we used to drape from the roof. We then had the idea to get some family wedding photos (going back to great great grandparents) and bought some frames from charity shops. Toby had the idea to make personalised lego figures for each guest as wedding favours so we spent a few evenings in the Lego shop playing! Then we hired hay bales and borrowed lots of bunting and fairy lights. We hired tables and chairs, lights and a small marquee from Ascot Marquees.

Special Moments

Seeing each other in church on the wedding day, going for photos on the moors and then driving to Townfield Barn in Mick’s Morris Minor, the speeches and the ceilidh by the Rhythm Chaps

Advice

Enjoy every minute of the day, DIY weddings are lots of hard work but so worth it on the day.
Lorna Shaw

Written by Lorna Shaw

Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero | Bridal Boutique: Angel Brides | Bridal Shoes: Rainbow Club | Hair Accessory: Etsy | Groom Suit: Jeff Banks at Debenhams | Trousers: Austin Reed | Groomsmen Jackets: Slaters | Bow Ties & Pocket Squares: Amy Stubbs | Bridesmaid Dresses: True Bridesmaid | Bridal Hair: Wigs and War Paint | Venue: Townfield Barn | Caterer: PJ Taste | Bar: Yorkshire Bar Hire | Tables/Chairs/Marquee Hire: Ascot Marquees | Vintage Teacup Hire: The Vintage Tableware Company | Florist: Plantology | Stationery: Eldon Design | Ceildh Band: Rhythm Chaps | Sound System PA: Sheffield PA Hire

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