Fresh Fun & Relaxed Blue & Green Wedding

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Shelley and Gareth tied the knot on Wednesday 28 ^th May 2014 and envisioned a fresh, fun and relaxed wedding day.

Shelley is a florist, so of course the blooms were totally out of this world. Beautiful Thistles, Hydrangeas, Peonies, Delphinium, Nigella, Astrantia and Freesias were used throughout the arrangements in blue, green and white hues.

There were also touches of DIY décor, with colourful pom poms decorating the reception venue, with CD case table names, ohh and there was ice cream!!

I love Shelley's lace Mori Lee gown and colour pop blue shoes and of course Gareth looked dapper in a sharp grey suit with tan shoes. Seriously gorgeous.

Thanks so much to the amazing Katherine Ashdown for sharing her photographs today.

THE PROPOSAL | Gareth got down on one knee on the landing at our home just before going out for a meal for Father's day, on 15 ^th July 2013. Apparently he'd had the ring ages but was so nervous!

THE VISION | Fresh, Fun and Relaxed.

THE PLANNING PROCESS | I was very much left to do the planning and organizing, I ok'd things with Gareth but to be honest he's very much a "if I'm happy he's happy man". My sister helped plan my hen, and came dress shopping with me. I got loads booked and purchased from September-December as I knew I'd be busy with the shop from Christmas to Mothers day so we booked the venue, Photographer, ordered my dress and got my shoes (the first thing I bought) picked Gareth's and the best mans suits, Mai's dress, sourced materials to make our own invites and booked the caterer. I went to one dress shop, one venue, one of everything, no shopping around as if I like or am happy with something why look elsewhere! The rest was planned from April-the day before! I finally relaxed at 6pm the night before the wedding! I can't say I enjoyed the planning process, I found it all very stressful but I didn't have any expectations or excitement about the big day! Which for me paid off, I was the most relaxed and chilled I have ever been, everyone commented on it. It was just amazing!

BUDGET | £13,500 (excluding Honeymoon)

THE VENUE | Marsh Farm, Ellough (Suffolk weddings)

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | Mori Lee lace Sweet heart dress from Catrina's bridal in Gorleston-On-Sea with a belt a got separately, as the belt to match my dress was too sparkle for me and I really want more pearls.

I had a handmade Side Tiara from Beretun designs in Brighton, I'd given up finding what I wanted, and was on my hen do in Brighton when I fell in love with it, they changed the rose colour to blue and posted it well in time for the wedding (I got butterflys and all chocked up when I put it on in the shop! I didn't do that with my dress!!)

My shoes were Petrol blue Nine West shoes.

FINDING THE DRESS | I'd already seen it at a bridal fayre I exhibited at the year before and had never seen a dress quite like it.

GROOM'S ATTIRE | Chester Barrie, Savile Row from House of Fraser. We both loved it so I said go on then!! I get an amazing dress so why shouldn't he have an awesome suite that fits just perfectly! With Ted Baker tanned shoes!

THE READINGS & MUSIC | We had a harpist play for the ceremony, during the food and in between the speeches. A friend of Gareths Dj'd and we had a local band, Georgia Falls, play 2x 1 hour slots.

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | My sister was Maid of Honor and my 5 year old niece was my Flower girl (or prize-maid as she put it).

THE FLOWERS | I've been a florist for 12 years now and own Violets Florist in Lowestoft so it was important to me that the flowers be different from all the wedding flowers I've done in the past. I had Thistles, Hydrangeas, Peonies, Delphinium, Nigella, Astrantia and Freesias in a tight compact hand tied design, with my bridesmaid having similar but with more white. My flower girl had a tiny version of my bouquet to walk down the aisle with, but she also wanted to throw petals too so we she walked in front of us after the ceremony and throw petals. The button holes were little boutineers with magnetic backs. Hydrangeas and tulle were wrapped around the chairs that lined the aisle. The flowers on the tables were hand tied bouquets in giant bake bean tins (my mums a school cook so saved them for me) I love coming up with new ideas so this was a first for me. I closed the shop the day before and me and my staff all went to work on making all the flower arrangements.

THE CAKE | I wanted a 3 tier round cake of Carrot, Chocolate and Victoria sponge with rough buttercream on the outside. Decorated lightly with flowers. Whenever my auntie visits she always makes us a big carrot cake which is always yummy, so I was thrilled when she asked if she could do the cake. And my friend Danielle, who I worked with at Harrods decorated it with flowers for me.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | Katherine Ashdown Photography. I'd seen Katherine exhibit at a wedding fayre I visited with a friend a couple of years before and hers really stood out. So much so that when it came to finding a photographer I went about finding her. All I could remember was a specific photo and the area she was from! But I found her!

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR | We made tissue Pom Poms in blue and green to hang from the marquee ceiling, my staff, family and friends helped make around 40 of them. I hired wooden tea light holders to help decorate the tables, and placed each table centre on a wooden slice. The place name settings were mini chalk hearts boards I got from a supplier. I really wanted a big part of the wedding to shout "Gareth" as the flowers were so me! So we came up with our idea for table names, Gareth loves Music and especially Dj's so we named the tables after our favourite Djs. We got CD cases, put the Djs name and Logo on the front with a little bit about when and where we'd seen the Dj with a photo or 2 of us at the Gig inside! The favours were homemade marshmallows and we made the table plan ourselves. My dad died 8 years ago, so I walked myself down the aisle, if my dad couldn't be there to do it, no one was going to stand in his place.

THE HONEYMOON | Due to work we had a couple of days away in a lodge and are going on our honeymoon in November, going to Jamacia for 2 weeks staying in the Thomson Sensatori resort.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS | ALL of it! Laughing, smiling everyone having fun and enjoying themselves, our little dog running around.

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | Remember it's YOUR wedding, do what you would like and not what other people would expect or think you should do/have! Be realistic, if you can't afford something find an alternative or cut back on something else so you can! Do some wedding Diy it personalises your wedding!

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |

Styling | La Belle Amour

Harpist | UK Harpists

Flowers | Violets Florist

Beautician | Rosie Beautician

Honeymoon | Fynn Valley Holidays

Photography | Katherine Ashdown

Bar | Prestige Bars

Dress Shop | Catrina's Bridal

Venue | Marsh Farm

Tiara | Beretun Designs

Marshmallows | Burgh Bakes