Over to Jen…
Jen says…
The Granary Estates was the only venue we viewed together but we instantly knew it was for us. Planning our wedding in July meant that we were at the mercy of the British summertime so we wanted to have a venue that would have enough space inside if it were to rain. Another big plus point for us was that we could get legally married there so we didn’t need to arrange transport between venues.
My dress was by Jenny Packham at David’s Bridal. I first saw it online and couldn’t stop thinking about it after I tried it on in store. I bought it 18 months before the wedding and had a few worries about whether I made the right decision as the wedding drew closer but I absolutely loved wearing it on the day and am so glad I stuck with it.
As most of the detail on my dress was the beaded cap sleeves and back, I chose to wear my hair in a loose up do with flowers to match my bouquet. Although I had a trial with my hair stylist, Elly Jayne, my bridesmaids told her what they wanted on the day and she did an amazing job. My bridesmaids chose dusky lilac dresses from ASOS and my flower girl wore a white dress from Debenhams, which I sewed a long bow on to, to match the bridesmaids. My 2 year old nephew was also in the bridal party and wore a white linen shirt and blue shorts.
Mick chose a blue suit from Ted Baker, with a white shirt, navy tie and Liberty pocket square.
We didn’t really have a theme for the day, we just knew we wanted it to be as fun and relaxed as possible. The barns at The Granary Estates are beautiful as they are, so we didn’t need to add too much decoration. Our main touches were the festoon lights and greenery hung across the main barn and I made a flower curtain for the ceremony which was a real labour of love! Our florist, Clare Jones did an amazing job and the flowers were one of my favourite parts of the day – I cried when my bouquet arrived, I was so in love with it! Clare used a mixture of seasonal flowers and foliage, including Dahlias and David Austin roses and I loved the textures she created by adding in things like sprigs of blackberries.
The food was really important to us and our caterers Hall & Co. met our brief perfectly. We skipped starters and went straight to huge BBQ sharing platters on each table and chose to have a dessert table rather than a wedding cake. We had such good feedback from our guests on the food and the relaxed service was exactly what we wanted.
Our photographer was Sally Rose, a friend from my university days, and she was the first supplier I booked after we got engaged. As a couple who both generally avoid the camera, we were worried we’d look really awkward in all our photos but Sally put us at ease and managed to capture the most beautiful candid moments. Sally is an awesome person to have around and we made sure she partied the night away with us too.
Best part of the day
Walking back down the aisle as husband and wife was probably my favourite part of the day and I remember feeling so ridiculously happy to be surrounded by all our favourite people. Our band were a major highlight for both of us too, we had a live 7 piece Motown band called The Milestones and they were incredible. We pushed our budget majorly with the band but it was the best money we spent!
From one bride to another
My biggest piece of advice would be, don’t spend loads of money on things just because you think people expect it, spend your budget on the things that are important to you and don’t worry about anyone else. Also, do a speech! I was so nervous to get up and do it but I’m so glad I did.
Venue The Granary Estates
Photography Weddings by Sally Rose
Florist Clare Jones Floral Design
Catering Hall & Co Event Design
Hair Elly Jayne Hair & Makeup Artist
Band The Milestones Live
Based on a weekday wedding in August.