Inspiration

Neave and Patrick had a beautiful outdoor humanist ceremony as Rivington Hall Barn complete with beautiful blooms, sunshine and rustic flourishes, all captured perfectly byThe List member Jessica Reeve. The portraits are so romantic...and the bouquet? You will probably all want one. I know I do. I must also mention the immense braiding that is happening across the board, you will all probably want one of those hair-dos to go with the bouquet. Enjoy!

The Dress

Neave The Bride: I found my dress on the 1st day of looking which was a shock. It was actually fate. I had gone shopping with my Mum and Nanny and had been pretty underwhelmed and disappointed with the whole experience I didn’t have a clue what I wanted. I'd remembered my friend recommending a bridal shop that made bespoke one of kind dresses and that night I found the number to ring and make an appointment. To my surprise they were having a closing down sale and were closing that day. I arrived at the shop 10 minutes before it closed, I told them what I was looking for and about the woodland theme and they pulled out a dress for me to try. I was blown away, it was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It had the most beautiful lace at the top embellished rhinestone and pearl detailing in the middle, buttons down the back and was floaty tulle at the bottom. I wore it with a cathedral floaty veil which brought the ethereal feel I had wanted. My jewellery was simple Pandora leaf earrings and the matching sparkling leaf ring which my best friend had bought me for delivering her beautiful baby; it meant a lot to me. My hair was more beautiful than I had ever imagined it was done by the amazing Katy Corcoran, I had a braided crown and then it was intricately braided at the back. My makeup was by Lois Pickup she created a stunning smokey eye, dewey glowing skin with a plum tint to my cheeks. I felt like a Disney princess bride!!

Grooms Attire

Patrick chose a 3 piece blue Ted Baker suits from Moss Bros for him and the Groomsmen. He teamed it with a silk blue paisley tie and pocket square for the lads and an ivory/Gold one for himself. We also had ordered custom made cufflinks with the Groomsman initials on them but unfortunately they did not arrive in time. The suit jackets had a silk peacock lining which fitted in quite nicely as there were peacocks roaming around the grounds of the barn.

The Venue

I can’t put into words how incredible everything about the venue was. Rivington Hall Barn was the only place we went to see and instantly knew it was perfect for us. It is in the most beautiful setting with amazing trees and plants and you really feel like you’ve stepped into the countryside. We love being outdoors, walking and exploring nature and we felt that the venue really encompassed who we are as a couple. Although the barn had never held an outdoor wedding we could just picture how it was going to look and where were going to have it. We had the evening reception in the barn and it was breathtaking. With its high ceiling and old rustic beams wrapped in fairy lights it truly is a unique magical place. The barn is huge although it feels so quaint and cosy, it is set out so you can see all of your guests and the atmosphere was indescribable. It is a family run venue and the staff are a credit to them, the time, love and care they put into the wedding makes it feel as though your wedding is so important to them.

Colour Scheme/Decor

Our theme for the wedding was Woodland/Ethereal. I wanted the barn to feel as though you had stepped into a Woodland Wonderland. Everything had been collected or made. Luckily a tree had been chopped down outside my Mum’s house a few months before the wedding so a friend spent hour’s chain sawing us different sizes of bark and stumps. Each table had a tree stump in the centre with jars of flowers on them, and the room and top table were filled with different sized bark topped with candles. The guests names were made with pinecones and the tables were named after trees. The table plan was made with an old mirror that had been covered in moss and then illustrated by a friend. The ceremony was simple it was all about the surroundings. We hired chairs and used burlap sashes on the aisle seats along with hanging jars of flowers on the chairs. I can’t thank my Mum enough for helping me make things, inspire me and for listening to me endlessly talk about ‘My Woodland Theme’

Florist

Our flowers and bouquets were exquisite. They were arranged by my friend and fellow midwife Briony Cadwallader and her talented mother Ann Cadwallader. Ann naturally has a green thumb and works endlessly in her garden she has a passion for flowers and an eye for detail. They created beautiful Romantic wildflower bouquet’s, button holes, an amazing top table centrepiece and flowers for the 50 jars that decorated the tables.

The Wedding Party Fashion

I knew I didn’t want the Bridesmaids to look uniform and chose two different colours for their dresses, their dresses were from Ted Baker. My Maid of Honour Laura and Patricks Sister Martha were in a pastel green and my Sister Laila was in a pastel pink. Their dresses were altered along with mine at Boutique Alterations. I love how their dresses were floaty and pleated at the bottom and along with their beautifully braided hair added to that ethereal look.

Ceremony

The ceremony for me and Patrick was the most special part of the day. We chose to have a humanist ceremony. The weather was so hit and miss that I didn’t find out the ceremony was outside until I got there. It was lead by celebrant Hannah Wroe Gill who built our beautiful, bespoke ceremony. She helped us write our vows and create something which we will cherish forever. Our ceremony was US, it was about our 13 years together so far, how we have grown and how much we love eachother. She made our family and friends laugh and cry not least me and Patrick. We had ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ read by Patricks brother Owen and Friendship ready by my friend Laura both were special moments during the ceremony. We also did Hand-fasting, a binding of our two hands with ribbons a literal expression of the phrase ‘tying the knot’ the binding of our hands was accompanied by a beautiful reading from my brother Liam called ‘These are the hands’.

Entertainment

We had a violinist playing when guests arrived and for our drinks reception to create a lovely atmosphere. She played Des’ree ‘Im Kissing you’ when I walked down the aisle, a song which reminds me and Patrick of being in school together. We had a band for the evening entertainment and they were amazing. They aren’t your typical cheesy wedding band, they created a fantastic atmosphere and got everyone on the dance floor. They are an indie cover band, with an outgoing temperament and their experience and passion for music shone. When the band had finished Patrick had created an epic playlist and we danced the night away. We even had a surprise song from Tom Blishen one of the Groomsmen who sang/rapped a rendition of ‘Sittin on the dock of the bay’ it was unforgettable.

Food

Both Patrick and I love food, we knew we wanted something fun and relaxed and that would fit in with our theme. We went for a hog roast which was accompanied with other BBQ delights it was delicious and very well received. For pudding we had a classic English strawberry tart with clotted cream, it was nice and light after the beastly hog. We had an Italian buffet in the evening which was fitting as we would be spending the next 2 weeks on our honeymoon in Sicily. This was followed by a range of Luxury ice creams served from an Ice Cream Bike. Our amazing wedding cake was made by the wonderful Martha Hobbs, Patricks Sister and one of my Bridesmaids. It was a beautiful 3 tiered cake sat on a huge tree stump. The 3 tiers were Carrot, Lemon Drizzle and Red Velvet decorated with homemade flowers, they literally were the best cakes we’ve ever tasted and I want to thank her for all the love and hard work she put into it.

Photographer

I can’t praise our wonderful photographer Jessica Reeve enough. I found her online when I was searching for fine art photography and it turns out we actually went to school together for 2 years. Jess instantly makes you feel happy and comfortable in front of the camera and she has such a kind and lovely personality. As soon as she arrived on the day I knew I could relax as she would capture those special moments. Our memories, all of them have been captured with the most beautiful photography I have ever seen. So many guests have commented how much they love the relaxed and natural feel of the pictures. Thank you Jess we will cherish the stunning photographs forever.

Advice

Most Brides after their wedding will say I wish I could do it all over again. It’s true! It literally is the best day of your life and it goes so quickly. Cherish every moment, enjoy planning and make everything about you and your Husband. Really look around at everyone from time to time and think about how much they mean to you. It’s probably the one and only time in your life that all of your family and friends will be there together celebrating your love and lives together so just enjoy it. I really wish I would have nominated someone to video the ceremony and speeches, someone recorded our 1st dance and it was so lovely to watch after. Really think about who you want to make sure you have some photographs with and tell your photographer beforehand. I really wish I would have had a photograph of just me and my Mum, she is the most amazing person and would have loved one of the two of us.
Charlotte O'Shea

Written by Charlotte O'Shea

Bridal Boutique: Melanie James in Chorlton Manchester, | Dress Alterations: Boutique Alterations | Jewellery: Pandora | Bridal Shoes: Rainbow club Nigella satin sandals | Bridesmaid Dresses: Ted Baker | Groomswear: Ted Baker at Moss Bros | Venue: Rivington Hall Barn | Decor: Creative Cover Hire | Stationery: Alice Brazier | Entertainment: Violin by Claire Stranger-Ford | Band We Have You Covered | Transport: The Campervan Barney | Hair & Makeup: Katys Hair Up Dos

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