This day was a slightly different one for me, but what a day it ended up being. I'd originally booked a wedding with G&N that looked drastically different that what ended up happening, and like many people nowadays part way through the planning process everything changed.
There comes a certain point where you're planning a wedding where everything starts to feel a bit more real and maybe a bit too much. All of your initial ideas and plans are in the works, and you're finally faced with the final price of that big wedding and it's scary! And that moment can really make or break your plans. For G&N it gave them the opportunity to really rethink what they're priorities were, and it wasn't that big wedding at a manor house like they thought. So off to Nashville they went with their nearest and dearest for a wonderful elopement that was perfectly them.
And then it became time for my job. Although the elopement was exactly what they wanted, they did also really want the chance to celebrate with extended family and friends and an opportunity to honour family traditions. So a second day was planned with a church blessing and a big party, which I was honoured to be asked to cover.
Getting Ready
Without having to worry about tradition, G&N decided to get ready together in their home surrounded by their bridal party and a few close family members. This created such a chill, calm environment where nobody felt rushed and left plenty of time for giving bridal party gifts and taking a few extra group photos in the garden with a glass of prosecco.
Marriage Blessing at St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas Church in Moreton was a very special place for the Bride's family, with her grandparents having been married there many years before, so it was a clear, very perfect choice for their Marriage Blessing. Although they'd already exchanged rings and been legally married, this blessing gave them a chance to honour their family and carry on traditions.
Formal Photos at St. Nicholas, Moreton
The steps outside St. Nicholas are the perfect spot for taking your family photos! A beautiful green backdrop and enough space of even the biggest of family groups.
They also allowed us to recreate the family groups and staging from the Bride's Grandparents wedding.
Moreton Village Hall & Country/ Western Details
Moreton Village Hall is a lovely venue out in the Dorset countryside. Tucked away from the main road and surrounded by trees, it feels like such a secluded and exclusive space for you and your guests. The hall itself is bright and modern, with a wall of glass doors that allows for a seamless flow between indoors and outdoors. It has a large car park for your guests to use, and a large green out the front which is perfect for lawn games, keeping young children entertained and for any food or drink trucks you decided to bring in.
G&N decided to use all this space to bring a touch of Nashville and country music to their guests. Inside, there were fairy lights everywhere and wooden décor bringing a slight rustic, country vibe. And outside, guests sat on hay bales whilst drinking a nice, cold cocktail from the Cheeky Tipple caravan.
Lawn Games
This is definitely your sign to set up lawn games for your guests on your wedding day (as long as the space allows it of course!). G&N had a mix of giant jenga, connect 4, beer pong and a cornhole set (bean bag toss) out on the grass outside the venue. And I've never seen a group of guests so invested and so competitive with each other, it really created some incredible moments.
Following Traditions
Even though G&N had had their full legal wedding abroad a month before, it was still really important to them that they followed some traditions during their celebration to make sure they got to share them with all the guests that couldn't make it to Nashville. They had speeches from the Bride's Dad and the Groom's Best Man, and then they donned their Cowboy Hats ready for a cake cutting.
A Busy Dancefloor
The sign of a good wedding or party is definitely a full, busy dancefloor. And that's exactly what happened for G&N. They opted out of hiring a DJ and instead put together a playlist for the evening with the help of some of their bridal party. It ended up creating the best atmosphere! The music choices were so personal to them, and to their friend group, that they had no choice but to stay on the dancefloor.
I think this shows that you don't always have to spend the money and hire somebody in, and that it's okay to make more personal choices that suit both you and your guests.
Fellow Suppliers -
Photographer - Rebecca Vallard Photography
(www.rebeccavallardphotography.co.uk)
Ceremony Venue - St. Nicholas Church, Moreton
(https://www.stnicholasmoreton.org.uk/)
Reception Venue - Moreton Village Hall
( https://www.moretonvillagehalldorset.uk/)
Wedding Dress - Chameleon Bride
(https://chameleonbride.co.uk/)
Groom & Groomsmen Suit's - Wedding Time
(https://wedding-time.com/)
Cake - Kerry's Cakes
(https://www.kerryscakes.co.uk/)
Styling - Mary Jane's Styling
(https://www.instagram.com/maryjanesweddingstyling/)
Cocktails - The Cheeky Tipple
(https://www.thecheekytippleuk.com/)