Inspiration

Oh this wedding is dapper with a capital 'D' with a very generous dollop of romance thrown in for good measure. Tara's Sarah Janks' frock is beautiful; in fact she reminds me of Tatiana from a Midsummer Night's Dream all dressed in blush lace and tulle and frothy skirt and matching floral crown. Groom, Harvey, is clearly as proud as punch to be marrying his girl! The pair married at Chaucer Barn in Norfolk against a backdrop of rustic charm and hay bales. I'm also seriously loving the copper toned table names which is the perfect way to inject a bit of personality and sentimentality into the day.

The Bride's Fashion

Tara The Bride: After trying on several dresses, I tried on the ‘Briana’ Sarah Janks dress in Blackburn Bridal. I loved that it had such pretty detailing, but was still very light to wear and would allow me dance the night away! I had some adjustments made, such as lowering the back, by the amazing Galina Hnaticova. Jo Adams at The Hair and Make Up Atelier did my hair and make up on the day. She was so helpful throughout the whole wedding planning process and was amazing on the day. As for jewellery, I wore my Grandmother's engagement ring and rose stud earrings and a horseshoe necklace, both by Alex Monroe.

The Groom’s Fashion

The groom wore a Ben Sherman navy blue suit and shirt, floral tie from Ted Baker and some Paul Smith brogues.

The Venue

We knew that we wanted a venue that was relaxed and versatile. We had lots of family and friends coming from overseas and Chaucer Barn had enough space for everyone to stay in the same place. It had lots of space and allowed us to have the outdoor wedding that we wanted. All the staff there were amazingly kind and helpful from start to finish. We can't thank them enough!

Colour Scheme

The venue was so beautiful we didn’t need lots of décor. We tied brightly coloured ribbons to the chairs for the ceremony. We bought white lanterns from the Hanging Lantern Company to hang in the marquee. In the months leading up to the wedding my lovely, dedicated mum bought lots of succulents from Colombia Road Flower Market. She spray painted old tin cans copper and planted them. We then had them on the dinner tables alongside the flowers. We hired lots of things from the Little Lending Company, such as hand painted welcome signs, festoon lighting and giant Jenga- which was a hit!

Flowers

Libby Ferris Flowers created our flowers for the day. They were so fantastic and managed to incorporate silvery succulents and pink peonies into the bouquets! They made me a beautiful half flower crown too.

The Wedding Party Fashion

I wanted the bridesmaids to feel comfortable and wear a dress that suited them. So they all choose dresses (and one jumpsuit!) in shades of grey. They all have amazing taste and looked beautiful.

Ceremony

The ceremony was our absolute favourite part of the day. We wrote our vows together. The sun even came out just as we had our first kiss as husband and wife! As we walked out, the Joe Ringer Band played Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros ‘Home’. It was such a happy moment.

Entertainment

The Joe Ringer Band played for the ceremony and evening entertainment. They were brilliant and got everybody dancing!

Food

The excellent Alex Chef supplied our food. We had barbecued sirloin steak and a selection of salads. We chose an Eton Mess for dessert. A family friend lovingly made our delicious wedding cake. For our evening food we decided to have a ‘cheese’ cake. We bought all the cheese a few days before the wedding from Wildes Cheeses in London and decorated the cheese with berries and edible flowers on the day.

Photographer

The photographer was so important to us. After searching the Internet we found Rebecca Goddard Photography. She really understood the laid back atmosphere that we wanted for the day. She was so lovey throughout the whole process and her laid back aura made all our guests feel at ease. She is such a skilled photographer and her photos captured the day perfectly. We have already recommended her to several of our friends who are getting married!

Advice

Don’t worry about the small details, you will have an amazing day no matter what! Marrying the person you love whilst being surrounded by all your family and friends is the greatest feeling. Enjoy it!
Lauren Gautier-Ollerenshaw

Written by Lauren Gautier-Ollerenshaw

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