Writing a list each of your wedding vision and then combining them is a great way to start your wedding planning and Katy and Ben did just that.

Great food and drink was a priority for Katy and Ben, with locally sourced, organic and seasonal ingredients used. There was also a fun nod to their love of real ale, with Ben’s quirky hop buttonhole and gerberas in ale bottles.

The chose Beechenhill Farm, Peak District as the backdrop for their day, and i just love the stone barn filled with pretty decor and lighting.

Thanks so much to the amazing S6 Photography for sharing their photographs with us today.

 

 

The Proposal… December 28 2011. Ben surprised me with an overnight stay at Fischers in Baslow and a meal in their Michelin-starred restaurant. He had commissioned bespoke designs of my engagement ring, which he presented to me in a gift box. When I opened it, the top card said “Will you marry me?”!

The Vision for the Day… A relaxed, fun and intimate celebration with our most favourite people. Nothing too traditional and with a big focus on good food, wine and real ale.

The Planning Process… We both made a list of how we envisaged our special day and then combined them! We took each traditional element of a wedding and asked ourselves if we needed or wanted it in our day. Then it was a case of getting a notebook, making lots of lists and hitting the Internet!

Budget… No budget as such – we didn’t spend on unnecessary traditions but didn’t skimp on the important stuff.

The Venue… Beechenhill Farm, a working organic farm in one of the most beautiful parts of the Peak District. They only hold several weddings there each year and it made me cry when we first visited – always a good sign! The whole day takes place in the Haybarn and friends and family can stay on site for the whole weekend.

The Dress + Accessories… I visited many bridal shops and realised that my dream dress was actually a combination of several that I had tried on. So I decided to design it myself and a local dressmaker brought it to life! The tiara she suggested was the influence for the beading on the dress and I decided upon a bespoke birdcage veil that would complement my short hair.

Groom’s Attire… Getting Ben to even agree to wearing a suit was a massive undertaking but in the end, he loved the first one he tried one – it was Ben Sherman from Debenhams. We even managed to find a matching waistcoat months later that was the last one in the company – it was in the sale and the right size! As a surprise to me, Ben designed and commissioned the buttonholes made from a Brakspear real ale bottle top, a golf tee peg and some hops!

The Readings + Music… We had a pianist who played from when the guests arrived through to the wedding breakfast. We didn’t want anything modern and I walked down the aisle to Nina Simone – Someone To Watch Over Me. One of Ben’s best friends who had flown in from Abu Dhabi read a beautiful poem called “The One”.

Beautiful Bridesmaids… I decided not to have bridesmaids as I would find it too hard to pick from my wonderful group of friends. However, I had three amazing Allen’s Angels as I nicknamed them and used their individual talents to help me with the invites, venue design and hen do (or Feather Festival as I called it!).

The Flowers… I wanted bright, colourful and informal flowers so I chose gerberminis for the barn. My late Grandma’s favourite flowers were freesias and I wanted her to be part of the day so my bouquet was a mixture of the two.

The Cake… My mother-in-law offered to make our cake and it was the most delicious Victoria Sponge with a hint of coconut – it looked amazing too!

Your Photographer… I knew as soon as I found Jon’s website that he was the photographer for us – his incredible photos actually made me cry! He has captured some amazing memories and the day we had hoped for our friends and family.

The Details + Decor… Our wedding breakfast was a Champagne afternoon tea where everyone sat on trestle tables – it was an intimate layout so everyone could relax, chat and get to know their fellow guests. We hired all the vintage china, made personalised hessian table runners and the place names were luggage tags. Our table plan was a huge vintage frame with photo fridge magnets and we decorated the barn with bunting, lots of lights and real ale bottles as vases. We worked closely with our fantastic caterer to design a menu that emphasised locally sourced, organic and seasonal ingredients. We sourced all our own wine and beer and produced menus for the tables so we could explain the provenance and thought behind all our choices. The evening meal was a hog roast with all the trimmings and a selection of local cheeses from the famous local Hartington cheese shop!

The Honeymoon… We set up a Honeyfund and the incredible generosity of our guests has meant we can make our dream trip across America a reality. We are taking three weeks in November and heading to New York, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Zion/Bryce/Grand Canyons and ending up supping wine in the California vineyards!

Memorable Moments… Just seeing everyone smiling, having fun and enjoying the food & drink. We didn’t have a band or a DJ – my brother had mixed all our choices together in one big playlist and the dancing was absolutely legendary!

Advice for Other Couples… Make it your day – don’t do anything just because you think you should! Keep it personal and fun – and enjoy every minute!

Credit Where Credit is Due…

Beechenhill Farm – www.beechenhill.co.uk

Jon Dennis, S6 Photography – www. s6photography.co.uk

Col Rich, Love Food and The Pastry Room – www.thepastryroom.co.uk

Rachel Blood, One Day Wedding Styling – 07909 513251

Absolutely Fabulous florist, Ashbourne – 01335 346111

Eden Hair & Beauty – www.edenofashbourne.co.uk

Village Bridge – www.villagebride.co.uk

Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design – www.hkjewellery.co.uk

David Matthews – www.pianomusicman.co.uk

Buttonholes – www.essentiallyhops.co.uk

 

 

Such a fun day. Thanks so much to Katy and Ben for sharing their gorgeous wedding with us today, i hope you have the best honeymoon, it sounds like it is going to be amazing XOXO Lou