Rutic Farm Wedding in Somerset by Christine Wehrmeier

We head down to the farm for today’s wedding, Huntstile Organic Farm in Somerset to be exact! Sarah and Tom were looking for a quirky wedding full of character for their wedding, as well as a venue that could accommodate a proportion of their guests and that is just what they got. With a relaxed and chilled out feeling to it, this wedding is not only full of super cute farm animals but even cuter is that Sarah is 6 months pregnant, the baby even kicked just as they were saying their vows…ahh!! Thanks to Christine Wehrmeier for the lovely photos.

‘A magical day full of warmth, laughter and love in which fun, family & fantastic friends took priority over formality!’

Sarah & Tom were married on the 28th September at St Edward Church, followed by the reception at Huntstile Organic Farm, Goathurst, Somerset. ‘We wanted a quirky outdoor setting full of character & with onsite accommodation as we had guests coming all the way from New Zealand, Hawaii and Scotland. It was just like out of a story book; a historic farm house nestled in organic flower-filled gardens complete with happy goats, chickens, a pig called Rosie & a tiny 14th century church just down the lane. We had 75 guests and took 6 months to plan’.

How they met
Tom was my rather bouncy, good-natured flatmate. After a year or so I left the flatshare to travel around South America for 8 months on my own. On my return I needed help moving and Tom was the closest person I knew in London with a car. He helped me move and things gradually developed from there. We’ve now been together 3 years.

The Proposal
Last Christmas Tom presented me with a handmade card detailing in pictures clues to a magical mystery trip as my gift. I was taken by train to the international ferry terminal where Tom had booked the Captain’s suite for a romantic night cruise, arriving in Holland at dawn. We spent the day exploring Rotterdam & Amsterdam. The next day we caught the ferry back to England. Tom proposed on deck as the sun set on the first day of 2013 and I said yes!

How did you allocate your budget?
We found out I was pregnant 4 months after our engagement which was hugely exciting but also helped us to prioritise spending, keeping only those elements of a wedding most important to us: The venue, church ceremony, band, food & booze. Being a girl I also spent a fair bit on the dress & shoes!

How did you choose your photographer?
Tom knew Christine from a dive club they both belong to. We loved Christine’s relaxed approach and her incredible eye for capturing personality and those quirky special moments that made the day so much fun. Despite being 6 months pregnant Christine managed to make me feel utterly at ease and as a result we have incredible photos that we will treasure forever and our guests can’t stop raving about!

The dress
The dress was by Charlie Brear (formally the vintage wedding dress company) and shoes were retro style pink suede heels from Hobbs. To accessorize I wore a simple white gold & pearl bracelet which had been a gift from my brother on my 30th birthday. My earrings were a wedding gift also designed by my brother & his wife using diamonds from my late mother’s engagement ring.

The suit and bridesmaids
The suit was from Paul Smith, and the maid of honor’s dress was from Ted Baker.

Theme or colour scheme
The venue itself was beautiful enough so we kept things simple, rustic and effortless to save more time for the important things in life!

Flowers
Simple rose & gypsophila bouquets, white rose button holes for the boys and a few fresh blooms that we wired into my hair.

Personal and handmade touches
It was the personal touches that really made our wedding feel special. Tom’s family donated hand-made bunting to decorate the marquee. Guests were asked to bring a small bunch of blue or white flowers for the tables which family & friends arranged in jam jars decorated in ribbon or in vintage-style jugs. A good friend lent us candles for the tables and my cousin designed table labels based on single malt whisky brands favoured by both sides of the family

Food
Cider-baked ham, warm roast beef, poached salmon with a watercress sauce and a range of salads straight from the farm garden complete with edible flowers. For dessert we ate cheese-cake and apple & blackberry crumble and later in the evening served Lizzie’s famous cheese platter which went down a treat.

Wedding cake
Neither tom nor I wanted a traditional wedding cake. Instead Tom’s amazing sister-in-law made us a 3-tier stack of insanely delicious chocolate & walnut brownies decorated with white & dark chocolate flowers. We are still getting requests for her recipe!

Entertainment
The children loved playing with the hungry goats, baby chickens and puppy. The adults occupied themselves with giant Jenga & lawn games. As a nod to Tom’s Scottish heritage we hired a ceilidh band which got everyone dancing from toddlers to the heavily pregnant bride! This was definitely a highlight of the night. Later in the evening we moved indoors for old school tunes on an ipad playlist.

Stationery
We decided to save some trees by emailing save the date / wedding invites. The orders of service we designed & printed ourselves.

Biggest Surprise
The kindness of the local Goathurst community who made us feel truly welcome in their village & our fantastic photographer who has given us photos we will cherish for a lifetime!

Special Moments
Transporting our guests to the church by tractor, walking down the aisle with my dad, laughing with Tom when our baby kicked inside my belly as we said our vows and being surrounded by happy children, family & friends as we danced until the wee hours– it was a truly happy day & surpassed all we had hoped for.

Advice to other couples
We left everything to the last minute and it all turned out better than we ever could have hoped so don’t worry!