Inspiration

The weather is set to be bright for the bank holiday weekend, so we think it's only right we follow suit and share this vibrant wedding at Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens in Northamptonshire with you all. It'll lift your spirits further with its gorgeous use of colour, not to mention delicious details and fabulous fashion. There's ribbon backdrops, drip wedding cakes and garden games galore. Everyone is absolutely beaming, and if it doesn't make you want to pop to a beer garden with your favourites immediately I'll be shocked. As always talented Hannah from Casey Avenue brings the best out in her couples, making them feel totally relaxed and utterly at ease in front of her lens. Can I also just mention bride Frederike's exquisite Needle and Thread skirt - woah - I want one. Such a stylish bride.

Dress

Frederike the Bride: Fred the bride: From the word “Yes!” I started trawling wedding blogs (especially Rock my Wedding) and was instantly besotted by the idea of a two-piece wedding dress. As I started my research I immediately fell in love with this skirt from Needle and Thread but couldn’t quite find the perfect top. This is when my guardian seamstress of a mother in law came to my rescue and offered her services. After a few sample sessions and fittings, the outfit was complete. I finished my look with an alternative of flat form sandals from ASOS, glowing makeup by Lucy Macdonald, and floral crown arranged by Hair by Dempsey. But my favourite item was my locket which enclosed a picture from my parents wedding day gifted to me by my Godmother Val.

The Groom

Will the Groom: I really didn’t want a stereotypical wedding suit; the kind that you can hire from most generic wedding hire shops. This just wasn’t for me. I found lots of cool boutique shops and lots of tailor made shops, but his being said the suit I really just fell in love with was from Slaters of Birmingham where the staff where fantastic from start to finish. It was an inexpensive three-piece number finished off with some beautiful custom cuff links engraved with the wedding venues coordinates given to me on the day by Fred. As for my hair, (because it was on point ;) this was cut and styled by paulie_the_barber The Wedding Party Frederike the Bride: For the bridesmaids I wanted something simple and summery and was adamant to find it for the right price! When she stumbled onto this dress from ASOS it was the perfect number to follow suit of the pleats in my skirt, and create a contrast between the grey of the dresses and the bright colours of the bouquets. We then gave to each of our beautiful bridesmaids an individual accessory and free range on their hair! (with the help from Dempsey!) For the groomsmen Will wanted to keep it simple with the same suit as himself from Slaters of Birmingham and finish each groomsman off with their own choice of tie and brown shoes oh… and of course a fun pair of socks!

The Venue

Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens holds a special place in our hearts being only five miles from home and the site of our favourite music festival, Shambala. Not only that, it is a stunning house and beautiful grounds. It was the best of both worlds with the orangery overlooking green fields, a perfect setting for our small and intimate ceremony followed by drinks and games on the lawn and lunch in the house. The house itself then suited a big party reception for 150 with a brilliant electric atmosphere. We were thoroughly looked after by the Kelmarsh team to celebrate in the most fun and relaxed style.

The Ceremony

We always wanted a small ceremony and when we saw the orangery we instantly knew we had to have it in there, it was perfect. Decorated with flourishes of flowers, our colourful DIY backdrop and our beautiful friends and family we didn’t even need sunshine. But luckily enough the sun certainly shone on our day! With a reading of “The lovely love story” by Edward Monkton, a relaxed ceremony and a good helping of selfies it was done in perfect style.

Décor

The aim was to bring in our sense of style and fun to the day. And with ribbons, balloons, vibrant colours and awesome floral arrangements we were in love with how out it turned out! But our key ingredient of the day was all things glitter from glitter table numbers, glitter favours and glitter on faces!

Flowers

I can’t even explain the excitement I got about selecting our flowers and from the moment I met Tracey from Once Upon a Time I knew we’d picked the perfect supplier. From our brief of bold, bright and bohemian she created the most impressive bouquets and buttonholes and went on to transform Kelmarsh into a blooming beautiful setting! I love it so much I cried!

Food

To suit our laid-back wedding, we went for a family style BBQ with sharing platters and a help yourself attitude. Portfolio Events got it from the word go and they really nailed it! Our stunning cake was baked and decorated perfectly by our friend along with a very popular cake station!

Entertainment

During the day our guests enjoyed lawn games, giant deck chairs, ice cream and candy floss which all added to the fun filled day. Later, the entertainment was taken care of by Big Bopper Entertainment with the disco and lighting. And of course, there was a photo booth from Pick Me Photo Booths backed with our own handmade colourful ribbon backdrop. There were some corkers when we looked back through the photos!

Photographer

We wouldn’t have all these amazing photos if it wasn’t for Hannah of Casey Avenue Photography. From our first meeting with Hannah we knew she was the one for us, we just felt so comfortable and loved her vibe which was very important. On the big day she was fantastic, getting involved in all elements of the day in order to not miss a moment. She was fun and professional and all our guests loved having her there. We couldn’t have asked for more and the pictures speak for themselves.

Advice

Don’t be afraid to make the day your own, add some sparkle, and take the time to enjoy your day to its fullest!
Lorna Shaw

Written by Lorna Shaw

Bridal Skirt: Needle & Thread | Bridal Shoes: ASOS | Bridal Hair: Hair by Dempsey | Bridal Makeup: Lucy McDonald Makeup | Groomsmen Suits: Slaters | Bridesmaid Dresses: ASOS | Venue: Kelmarsh Hall | Catering: Portfolio Events | Florist: Once Upon a Time | DJ: Big Bopper Entertainment | Photo Booth: Pic Me Photo Booth Hire | Lawn Games / Deck Chairs: Little Wisheshire | Ice-Cream : Ice-cream Bike

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