Homespun Relaxed Happy Yellow & Navy Blue Farm Wedding - Whimsical...

Homespun Relaxed Happy Yellow & Navy Blue Farm Wedding - Whimsical...

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WWW readers Chris and Sam had the sweetest of days. All quirky, colourful and happy... love it.

They chose to marry on the 11th October 2014 at Huntstile Organic Farm in Somerset. A relaxed day ensued with great food and a lot of dancing. How perfect? I adore the navy blue and yellow colour scheme complete with sunflowers, home made bunting and super stylish attire. Talking of the outfits, how gorgeous did these two look?

Sam wore a flowing gown by Temperley with a romantic veil while Chris wore a blue suit with polka dot yellow tie. I hope you enjoy viewing this images as much as I did.

Delia McDonagh Photography, thank you so much for sharing these wonderfully joyful shots with us.

THE PROPOSAL | Chris proposed in September 2013. He had carried the ring around for a week over the course of a music festival in North Wales and a long weekend exploring Edinburgh. Chris hadn't decided on the exact moment and somehow managed to hold on to it until we were back in my home town Manchester. We went for a leisurely walk in Dunham Massey and Chris brought along a picnic which we took up in a picturesque spot by the pond. I was satisfied with the bag of Percy Pigs but opening up a box with the most beautiful and dainty ring just blew me away! Shock, tears, laughter, gasps and squeaks followed and we were a truly happy pair. The proposal completely took me by surprise and I think came with a lot of relief for Chris. I said Yes and he didn't have to carry the secret around with him any longer.

THE VISION | We were really keen to get married within the year and after a few strong words of encouragement from the mothers we set about making plans after only 2/3 weeks. The main thing we had in mind was having a relaxed day with the most nearest and dearest around us. Smiles, good food and dancing were essentials.

THE PLANNING PROCESS | We found the planning process stress free overall and people still ask the question now! I discovered Whimsical Wonderland Weddings and similar sites which gave us our initial ideas about what venues we wanted to pursue. We really fancied a rural location surrounded by stunning scenery. Huntstile Farm ticked all our boxes and more! We fell head over heals for this venue instantly and after that it was about how we could make the budget work to get ourselves there. Church and Photographer were then top of the list.

THE VENUE | Huntstile Organic Farm. Huntstile Farm is a truly special place and had the rustic laid back charm that we were looking for. There are stunning views over the Quantock Hills and the farmhouse is filled with original features, providing the perfect back drop for a spot of vintage charm. With goats and hens greeting you on the way towards the farm house, what's not to love? We had friends and family take up residence in the B&B accommodation, including gypsy caravans and converted summer houses; providing a real intimate and fun feel. Huntstile provided all the food and drink and were very open to our plans for afternoon tea and wedding cake for desert. The staff blended in seamlessly and provided a warm welcome to our guests.

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | Luckily, I found my dress in the first shop I visited. I had an idea that I wanted a sleek and simple dress with some classic detailing. Agape Bridal Boutique were amazing and have a beautiful selection of dresses. The Kaitlyn dress by Alice Temperley was just the dress for me. I knew it was right without even looking in the mirror! A long veil provided a traditional bridal feel and I officially felt the part. Agape also have a selection of hair accessories, some of which are handmade, and I picked a delicate hair slide to add a little sparkle. I came across the shoes on an impromptu shopping trip in Bath and browsing the sale section found my bright blue sling-back heels; a steal at £17!

GROOM'S ATTIRE | Wanting a non-traditional look, Chris set out to find himself a bright blue tailored suit. Having hunted high and low he was happy to find a J Lindeberg suit and completed this with a pale blue tweed waistcoat from the highstreet and a sunshine yellow tie. Chris is a real lover of shoes and this seemed to be a bigger project than finding the suit! A pair of Grensons named Dylan were the chosen pair and were partnered with some fun bright pink stripy socks from Paul Smith.

THE READINGS & MUSIC | We chose 'The Wonders of Today' by Larry Chengges and Corinthians 13:1 for the readings. Close friends read them beautifully bringing the sentiment and words to life. The hymn choices of Come to a Wedding, Let Love be Real and One More Step provided a joyful structure to the ceremony. Back at Huntstile Farm we had the Schmoozenburgs play their irresistible gypsy swing providing a heart warming and hip swinging sound. For the evening Chris arranged for his friend to bring their 'Feel the Beat' disco to our dance floor. Providing us with top tunes in to the early hours and making it a very memorable party.

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | A friend and most talented Zoe Gibson was a star in bringing my ideas to life in the form of two beautiful 50's style dresses. With dark navy lace overlaying sleek sweetheart necklines and delicate capped sleeves, the girls looked wonderful (and very happy) in their big swishy skirts and bold bows!

THE FLOWERS | Keeping with a vintage and rustic feel we chose wild country flowers with lots of wheat and grasses. The bold sunflowers took centre stage in providing a vibrant display of colour and captured the bright and fun theme we wanted. Button holes took on the same theme and the boys looked dapper with their succulents and wheat in their breast pockets. Chris's mum set about drying lavender to decorate the church pews in good time before the day and they provided a lovely scent down the aisle.

THE CAKE | We went for a 'naked cake' taking up three different flavours. Chocolate, lemon and Victoria sponge were tiered and decorated with fresh fruit and flowers. This was made by Huntstile Farm who needed very little direction and produced a fine cake we were all able to enjoy for desert.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | Finding a photographer was one of the first tasks we took up after finding the venue. Capturing real moments from the day was very important to us and we wanted to find somebody with the ability to take those sneaky shots. Lengthy research led us to Delia McDonagh who had photographed weddings at Huntstile before and we were really taken by her style. We met with Delia and were put instantly at ease during a couple's shoot around our local area. We were so nervous and self-conscious to begin with but the whole experience quickly became fun and relaxed. Leading up to the day, Delia kept in touch and her advice and kind words were helpful in feeling prepared. On the day Delia was like one of the family, and floated around snapping away with her assistant. We are both so happy with the result and truly cherish the images that we have to take us through our wedding day moment by moment. Well done Delia!

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR | The main element of the décor has to be the 60 meters of blue and yellow bunting I made for the marquee! Not having made bunting before there was a certain wonkiness and homemade quality to it. Fairy lights and tea light candles added a fairytale twinkle in the evening.

We collected photo frames for the table plan to be displayed for the guests and used a few of our favourite images from our couples shoot with Delia. I asked my handy dad to make up some simple signs for us to guide the guests down the lanes and he produced some amazing signage which we dotted down the path to the farmhouse! We were so impressed and they really suited the vibe. He even made the jam favours with home made jam and labels with the help of his wife! Pine cones from the garden arranged on the slabs of tree trunk we had acquired for the table centre pieces looked fab. They were also a great (but sometimes wobbly) stand for the luggage tag place names.

Much of the décor was decided on the day and we had friends and family set on different tasks. It was such a busy morning that we just had to leave people to find their creative side and this worked surprisingly well.

For the wedding car, we had planned to use my little Fiat 500, but little did I know Chris had been planning a little surprise. At 7am on the day before the wedding Chris and his best man (Chris' brother Kevin) drove down to Devon to collect a 1962 split screen VW Campervan called Battenberg. It was great to see Battenberg decorated with ribbon, banners and tin cans for the drive from the church; the fosters cans were a hilarious addition!

THE HONEYMOON | Our main goal was having an adventure paired with time to relax and melt in the sunshine. The staff at Kuoni were very skilled in taking us through the endless options available to us. We excitedly booked a trip to Sri Lanka involving a tour of the country, sampling all it has to offer before heading to the Maldives. The combination of the two was perfect for us and truly was a once in a lifetime holiday.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS | The Church ceremony provided some magical moments. The walk down the aisle both arriving and going was really special. Then there was the swarm of bees in the Church ceiling and the heavens opening with rain whilst we were inside! All very surreal.

The drive together in the VW camper van after the marriage was really special. We were totally elated and overwhelmed with the whole experience and soaked up this moment before heading back to meet our guests sipping pimms and local cider in the sunshine.

We will never forget our first dance stepping onto the dance floor to T Rex 'We Love To Boogie' which set the mood for the rest of the evening and had our friends and family dance floor until 2am.

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | Soak up every moment, it's wonderful.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |

Venue | Huntstile Organic Farm

Photographer | Delia McDonagh Photography

Make up | Ami Szerences

Hair | Hair by Holly

Dress | Agape Bridal Boutique

Music | Schmoozenbergs, Feel the Beat Disco

Flowers | Beatrice Arnoux

Transport | O'Connor Campers

Simply amazing.

Many thanks to Chris and Sam for sharing their gorgeous Autumnal nuptials with us today xo Lou

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