20

May

2015

Emily and John’s Homemade Spring Wedding by Benjamin Stuart Photography

I do love a spring wedding and todays wedding is just perfect. It took place last month so is full of spring freshness and beautiful blooms. Emily and John created a homemade wedding that was personal to them and full of little DIY touches. I just love the table plan and table decorations and that cake made by Emily’s’ mum is something else. By focusing on the things that were important to each of them, Emily and John really created a wedding that reflected their personality and they managed to utilise their budget wisely. Big thanks to Benjamin from Benjamin Stuart Photography for the images.

‘A relaxed, fun, and happy family event, with the bonus of good weather.’

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Emily and John were married on Saturday April 11th 2015 at St Johns Church in Northington and the reception was held at The Wellington Arms Hotel. ‘We got married where we did because it was able to accommodate amount of guests and was reasonably priced. We did not have extra evening guests, therefore invited more people to the church and gave out cupcakes at the church. Church guests approx 200 and the reception approx 140. We were engaged for 10 months, so spread the planning over this time.’

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4 Spring Wedding by Benjamin Stuart Photography

How they met
Emily’s best friend set us up on a blind date in an attempt to keep Emily living locally…it worked. We’ve been together for 2 ½ years

The Proposal
On holiday in the lake district, walking and got half way around Lake Windermere, John gave Emily a locket, which when opened the words “Will you marry me?” were written.

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How did you allocate your budget
We discussed the things that were most important to us (being able to have all our guests there was the main thing, then John’s was photographer, Emily’s was flowers), and made sure we allocated enough money to these items first. We wrote a list of all possible costs and worked out what we could make, and ask family and friends to help with making.

How did you choose your photographer
Word of mouth, and then his website. Really liked his style of photos, and when meeting him felt like he really understood our ideas and way of thinking.

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The Dress
Emily’s veil was made by her mum, with broaches attached borrowed from her nan. Emily’s shoes Debenhams, John’s shoes Matalan. Dress was an ex-sample dress, Mori Lee by Madeline Gardner

The Suit and Bridesmaids
The suits where navy, hired from Slaters. Bow ties from ASOS.
The bridesmaids were in pale pink dresses from House of Fraser, with our male bridesmaid wearing the same suit as the ushers, with a pale pink tie.

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Theme or Colour Scheme
Spring, rustic, homemade, with a subtle hint of lego.

Flowers
Spring, seasonal (mainly) flowers

Decoration
For the church pews we had jars filled with gypsophila.
At the reception we had an old bike with a basket of flowers from Emily’s parents garden. Table decorations varied between tables, consisted of stacks of old books, jugs, old tea tins, teapots, old kitchen scales, mostly purchased from car boot sales or borrowed from friends. All filled with flowers, which we did ourselves.
Dried lavender and wheat.
Pillar candle sticks made by Emily’s grandfather out of wooden fence post stakes.

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Food
Starters: Pate and toast, Mains: Lasagne, salad and garlic bread, Dessert: Apple and blackberry crumble and custard

Wedding Cake
Vanilla cupcakes at the church, and a 6 tier wedding cake at the reception, ½ lemon sponge, and ½ fruit cake. Made by Emily’s mum who is a professional wedding cake maker.

Entertainment
A barn dance

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Buy or DIY your Stationery
DIY – designed invites (with help from Emily’s sister who designs her on cards), order of service and table plan on our laptop and printed them on a home printer. Name settings were brown tags which we hand wrote peoples names on, with a personal message to each person.

Personal or Handmade Touches
-Invites
-Order of service
-Veil
-Flowers in church
-Family friend videoing
-Cupcakes in church, individually packaged in box made out of wedding invite
-Our friend playing acoustic guitar in church as entrance music.
-Table plan – garden trellis, with tin cans hanging from. Blackboard paint painted onto tins and a white pen used to write table number on. Each tin was filled with gypsophilia.
-Place settings
-Postcards on tables for people to write on which we will make into a guest book.

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Special Moments
Having our granddads as our witnesses
First dance with the wedding party
Seeing all our family and friends altogether

Advice to other couples
When planning your wedding always remember why you’re getting married, and talk to each other about different things other than the wedding. Enjoy planning it, and let it be a representation of you both. Brief your wedding party on the plan for the day, so they know what they need to help with. You will have the best day, no one will concern you with any queries on the day, so don’t worry about anything.

Biggest surprise
A video played at the reception made by Emily’s parents, with lots of embarrassing photos.
Two very good friends from Australia who had said they weren’t able to come, but were there on the day as a surprise (with John’s help)

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Supplier Shout Outs

 

For more information on Benjamin’s work please go to:

www.benjaminstuart.co.uk
www.benwheeler.vsco.co
[email protected]
Tel: 07738083385
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM

I am a documentary style-wedding photographer. I only use natural light when available and the story is the most important thing. Weddings are beautiful but they are also emotional, nervous and joyful. I want to show every emotion of the day. I always try and blend in as a guest and become good friends with my clients. That connection is super important

 

 

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Comments

    Earcandy

    What a very unique wedding; love the lego looking hand cuff pins! The castle is absolutely stunning, and a barn dance as the form of entertainment sounds like it would be a lot of fun for everyone. Love the fact that the flowers and the cake have matching colors!

    Reply
    Joe Doak

    Beautifully personal. Life is a collection of stories and this one is holistically woven!

    Reply

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