I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions as such, but if I did one of them would be to share more of my beautiful weddings on my blog. It’s been a while, I know, and I have LOTS that I want to show you! I figured I would start this year by telling you about one of my all-time favourite weddings. The gorgeous Emily & Matt had me co-ordinate their day back in 2023 (yes I told you I was a little behind on my posting…), and this one really stuck with me. A beautiful lakeside wedding ceremony, followed by drinks and homemade garden games, and a fabulous reception at a local venue. Personalised, heartfelt and so much fun from start to finish. Here’s a few reasons why I loved this day so much… A beautiful couple, inside and out I MET EMILY AND HER PARENTS AHEAD OF THE WEDDING TO GO THROUGH THE PLANS AND THEY WERE SO ACCOMMODATING AND KIND TO ME. WITH THE AMBITION OF HOLDING THEIR CEREMONY AT HOME, IT MEANT THAT THERE WERE LOTS OF LOGISTICS TO RUN THROUGH, BUT IT ALSO MEANT THEY COULD RIP UP THE RULE BOOK AND CREATE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL. ON THE DAY ITSELF, BOTH EMILY & MATT WERE SO MUCH FUN TO BE AROUND - JUST WATCHING THEM INTERACTING WITH THEIR FAMILIES, TAKING SHOTS AND PLAYING DRINKING GAMES WITH THEIR FRIENDS, AND HEARING ALL THE LOVELY STORIES ABOUT THEIR LIVES TOGETHER MADE ME FEEL SO GRATEFUL TO GET TO MEET SUCH LOVELY HUMAN BEINGS! They prioritised what really mattered to them, and it totally paid off! HAVING CHOSEN TO HAVE THEIR CEREMONY NEAR THEIR PARENTS' HOME, THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS - WHY TRY TO RECREATE ALL THIS AT ANOTHER VENUE WHEN THIS BACKDROP IS RIGHT ON THEIR DOORSTEP?! OPTING FOR A CELEBRANT LED CEREMONY ALSO MEANT THAT THEY COULD MAKE THINGS MUCH MORE SENTIMENTAL. THEY CHOSE A VENUE FOR THEIR RECEPTION THAT THEY KNEW WELL, THAT TICKED ALL THE BOXES THEY NEEDED IT TO, AND THAT DIDN’T LEAVE A HUGE DENT IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT - PERFECT FOR THOSE WANTING A BIG WEDDING RECEPTION BUT ALSO FOR THOSE BUDGET-CONSCIOUS COUPLES! THEY DECIDED NOT TO SIT ON LONG WAITING LISTS FOR OTHER VENUES IN THE AREA AS IT MEANT MORE TO THEM TO CRACK ON AND GET MARRIED AND BE ABLE TO SHARE THE DAY WITH THOSE WHO MATTERED MOST TO THEM. THEIR HEART WAS ALWAYS IN THE RIGHT PLACE, SO I KNOW THESE ARE MY KIND OF PEOPLE! They chose fabulous wedding suppliers I GOT TO SPEND THE DAY WITH SARAH OF NELLIE PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THAT’S ALWAYS A DREAM! WHEN THERE ARE LOVELY PEOPLE ON BOARD AND THEY BRING THE GOOD VIBES, YOU JUST KNOW THE DAY IS GOING TO RUN WITHOUT A HITCH. FROM A WEDDING CO-ORDINATOR'S PERSPECTIVE, IT MAKES LIFE SO EASY WHEN YOUR SUPPLIERS ARE GREAT AT WHAT THEY DO AND ALSO BRING THE RIGHT ENERGY. AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, LOOK AT ALL THE STUNNING PHOTOS THEY GOT AS A RESULT! The perfect balance of sentiment and hilarity! I loved how the ceremony was so moving, and there were a lot of personal touches too - with Emily being so creative and happy to get stuck in and do a little DIYing, so much of the wedding had been hand-made bespoke by the bride & her family themselves. But as well as all of the personal touches, there was also a LOT of fun and laughter… games, drinks, Mr Whippy ice creams, tractor rides, and a banging dancefloor. It basically had it all! Did I mention it was totally gorgeous?! I think the pictures speak for themselves… So let me tell you all about the day… Emily & Matt spent the morning getting ready with their prospective parties, whilst I made my way over to their beautiful outdoor ceremony for final setup & checks. for them it was The usual morning of wedding prep with hair, makeup and time with the family… and can we also please take a moment for this incredible dress?! Matt and the lads came down to meet me at the waterfront for final checks and ticking off those last minute jobs before guests and the bridal party arrived. The one thing we had been most nervous about was what the weather might do, as we had the gorgeous lakeside ceremony spot and lots of plans for drinks and mingling outdoors, we were fearful the weather wouldn’t play ball! As it turned out there was nothing to worry about, but a beautiful stretch tent had been put up just in case and we were ready for all eventualities! The setting was perfect - just so pretty, and it was extra special knowing it was a place that meant a lot to them. The ceremony was beautiful; a few tears were shed but there was also a lot of laughter and they had personalised it beautifully with the help of Ruth, the celebrant. Having family members play their music and adding readings from their closest friends made it all the more memorable. Ceremony complete, we gathered the group for confetti photos before everyone grabbed a drink out on the lawns. Prosecco poured, beers in the beer bath, and an hour to mingle and soak up these beautiful surroundings. And there was plenty for everyone to do to entertain themselves! Being a crafty, creative person, Emily had made a whole host of awesome garden games for people to play - from beanbag throwing to giant connect four, noughts & crosses and hoopla, and everyone loved getting stuck in. I also particularly loved the netball bibs that made an appearance for Emily and her teammates. And thankfully, the sun was shining! On top of that, there were crisps and snacks for everyone to enjoy and then (my personal favourite) the ice cream van pulled in, tunes tinkling, for everyone to grab a 99 or two! If that wasn’t all exciting enough, given that we were just outside their parent’s home, their four-legged friends were able to join us for the drinks reception too! You probably all know how much I love to see dogs at weddings, and I love that they were able to sneak into so many photos too! Now when you have a ceremony in a location like this and almost 100 guests present, you might be wondering how on earth you transport everyone from here to your reception venue... Well, surely it’s obvious? you put them on a tractor! The reason I loved this so much was that the guests seemed to be having the time of their lives (I mean, it’s not every day you get to do this right?!), but it also meant that whilst most of their friends were being ferried over to the next venue, the bridal party could hang back and take a breather, and it also gave them chance to grab a few more photos. Cue some stunning couples photos, more pictures with the pooches, and this is also when the smoke bombs came out… and I just love how colourful it was! Once the bridesmaids had set off in their various cars and wedding vehicles, the tractor came back to take Matt & Emily on their own journey so that the two of them could spend a little time just the two of them too. Perfect! At the reception venue we had another drinks reception waiting, more games waiting to be played, and it wasn’t long before Emily and the netball girls were starting the drinking games and getting the celebrations going! The room looked so beautiful - lots more handmade pieces were laid on the tables, there was a gorgeous buttercream wedding cake featuring the doggos, and they had awesome touches like the guestbook globe, personalised seating plan, photos of the couple on each table name, and lots of nods to their love of travel that made it so personal. Once dinner had been served, it was onto what is always one of my favourite parts of the day… the speeches! I know why so many people find them scary, cringy or nerve-wracking, but personally I love getting to hear all your stories and finding out what all your favourite people have to say about you. And these ones did not disappoint! They made us all laugh, made most of us cry, but mostly I just loved hearing all about how these guys had met, all the adventures and travels they have been on together, and all the exciting plans they have for the future too. After a little downtime, once everyone had caught their breath, we cut the cake and opened the dancefloor - and let me tell you, it didn’t take much to get these guys going! Before the end of the first dance, Matt & Emily were on their friends shoulders being paraded around the dancefloor, it wasn’t long before all the props and costumes made an appearance either! The atmosphere was amazing - if you’ve got a great bunch of people and a pretty cool band, you can’t go far wrong. Add in a few butties served up by the venue for an evening snack and some Pick & Mix for the big kids, and we’d got ourselves a fab little party! This was exactly the kind of wedding that I didn’t want to leave, and I could barely tear myself away at the end of the evening! It was so lovely getting to meet these guys (and their families and friends!), AND work with some of my fave suppliers. I love looking back over these pics as they sum it all up perfectly: beautiful people, loads of fun, and focused on the things that really matter! Thanks so much Emily & Matt! CREDITS PHOTOGRAPHER: nellie photography florist: lisa flowers floral design celebrant: ruth graham Reception venue: whittington heath golf club Band: smoothie
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Hope you enjoy reading my blog. This is where I share all the gorgeous weddings I've been doing, as well as a few other tips and bits too! Previously...
January 2025
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