Frances & Grant’s Summer Meadow Wedding

Date of Wedding: Friday 26th July 2019
Photographer: Poppy Carter Portraits
Style or Theme: Rustic Summer Meadow

Grant and I met in July 2015 – we met online on a dating website called Inner Circle and had our first date in Café Boheme in London. I showed up to Grant already waiting with his Ray Ban sunglasses and his motorbike helmet and leather jacket! Very cool. We were both living in London at the time. 

Grant completely surprised me with the proposal, Grant asked me to marry him on the last day of an Eastern European road trip holiday when we were in Lake Bled in Slovenia, he got down on one knee in the snow at the side of the Lake this was in March 2018. Coincidently our wedding date of 26th July was exactly 4 years since our second date.

I always knew I wanted something different in my dress. I don’t like to have something that someone else has and I like to be unique. I went to Bespoke Wardrobe in Ingatestone, Essex. Reggie who owns Bespoke was wonderful! I went in there with a picture of a dress I had seen and an idea I had. She disappeared off to the back room where she had a dress that was now off the shop floor but was pretty much exactly what I wanted. We spoke about what I could do to change it to fit me (as it was a sample so too small) and to add the grey colour in. Debbie the alteration lady had 3 fittings with me where we worked on the dress. The whole experience was amazing and as the dress was a sample the whole thing only cost £1000. I hate having something that someone else has so having the chance to bespoke make a dress to fit me and suit my style was a dream come true.

We struggled with picking a first dance – our song is “Shut up and Dance” by walk the moon but as it’s very upbeat we thought we couldn’t have that. We wanted a song that meant something to us and eventually remembered that 2 new year’s eves ago we stayed in and watched hootenanny on the telly, Jessie Ware sang a song called “Alone” which we danced together to in our living room. We decided to go with this song and whilst it played on the iPad – the band had learnt “shut up and Dance” so could come in straight after our first dance with that song – it was great for keeping everyone on the dance floor and getting the night going!

Grants mum, Lynn, offered to do our flowers – we wanted a summer meadow theme, so she grew loads of Sweet Peas in her garden then she sourced anything else she needed from a local supplier. Lynn is a keen gardener and used to lecture in horticulture for years so she really knows her stuff – she did the most fantastic job and the bouquets and table decorations looked beautiful. Lynn also did the button holes and the band stand where we were married. She did a mixture of fresh and dried throughout the venue so she could prepare a lot of it before hand. I am so glad Lynn decided to do this for us as not only did it save us money but it meant there was such a personal touch on the day. I have always loved lavender, I love the smell and the colour so that was a big part of our flowers then we had sweet peas, pink roses, gypsophila and lots of green foliage.

Grant’s Aunt Cindy Osborn did our cake for us. I wanted a very simple butter icing cake with lavender and olive leaves around the outside. Cindy made the bottom layer chocolate orange and then the next two tiers were fake for the display, but she made a Red Velvet layer and a Lemon layer to serve out later. She also made a lactose and Gluten free chocolate one as we had a lot of allergies at the wedding. Everyone commented on the cake and how wonderful it tasted. 

For the cake toppers Grant and I decorated Champagne corks to look like us – I saw this on Pinterest and thought they were great, they were a nice little touch!

To keep in with the Lavender/Vintage theme we gave everyone a seed packet of lavender seeds that had our wedding date and names on it. And then a little hessian bag with name tags on, filled with hard boiled sweets sourced from Amazon. 

The barn wedding venue was so beautiful and because it was brand new it really didn’t need a lot – the flowers Lynn provided on the tables were enough to fill the barn. We then distributed other little pots of flowers around all in glass jars I decorated with hessian fabric, lace and hessian rope. It took nearly 6 months to make them all!

We walked down the Aisle to Tom Speight’s ‘Willow Tree’. Tom is an up and coming artist and when I first started dating Grant I went through his music collection, as you do, and found Willow Tree on there by Tom. What was funny is that Tom is my friend so I decide to take Grant to one of his gigs and introduced him. So we thought it very fitting to walk down the Aisle to that song. 

To keep in with our relaxed theme we wanted the food to be relaxed so had a Salmon Bruschetta Starter, BBQ platter to table main and then Chocolate Brownie with Bakewell Ice cream dessert! For the evening food we did pulled pork baps – which went down a treat! Although I didn’t manage to get any myself was far too busy on the dance floor! 

During our drinks reception we had an ice cream vintage bike – provided by Jenkinsons. Everyone said what a nice touch this was especially as it catered for all allergies too.

We both really loved the actually getting married bit – the sharing the vows and exchanging the rings. I loved having all my friends and family in one place together laughing and enjoying ourselves. 

I loved all the little captured moments Grant and I managed to get – which aren’t many but taking that time to do that was special.

Make sure you do what you want. This day is for you and the groom – no one else. Our wedding was so Grant and I, and people commented on the day how much it reflected us both. We put so much thought into every little detail of the day and we loved seeing everyone enjoy it. 

Don’t sweat the small stuff – no one will notice if something doesn’t happen on time or go to plan – only you know! 

And most of all enjoy it – enjoy it all, the planning, the build-up and the day. I most loved the last 3 months as it was getting closer and everything was done, I just enjoyed the ride. Take some time for you and the groom – even if it is just 5 mins here and there make sure you do it. And step back and take it all in – see all your favourite people in one room for you! I literally floated all day! It was the best day of my life so far and I would do it all again in a heartbeat! 

See more about Frances and Grant’s rustic barn wedding here