Kathryn and Andrew’s Colourful Ribbon Filled Festival Vibe Glamping Wedding in Norfolk by Andy Kahumbu

Well hello everyone, while I’m enjoying my week away I have another fabulous wedding to share with you. Kathryn and Andrew chose to get married in Norfolk as this is where they are both from, as high school sweethearts. They wanted a relaxed day so chose Rookery Meadow to hold their outdoor ceremony and marquee reception. Kathryn collected vintage items and brick a brac for over a year to reach her desired ‘look’ for the wedding, and then coupled these with lots of colourful flowing ribbon. The results are this gorgeous rustic, chilled wedding filled with so many smiles and much love. Thanks to Andy Kahumbu for the images.

Pure love and joy in the meadow as family and friends come together under canvas to celebrate a lifelong love.

Kathryn and Andrew were married on Saturday 25 May 2019 at Rookery Meadow, St Margaret South Elmham, Norfolk. ‘We both grew up in Norfolk and it’s always felt like home. We were looking for an outdoor venue amongst the fields but also a blank canvas where we could showcase our shared passions and interests. As soon as we saw the meadow and the lake at Rookery Meadow we knew it was perfect for us, w had 110 guests. We got engaged in December 2017 and even though Kathryn promised Andy she wouldn’t start planning it straight away we had booked a venue by February 2018! So the wedding was about 18 months in the planning.’

How they met
We have known each other since childhood and were high school sweethearts. After a brief time apart we got together again aged 18 and have been together 13 years!

The proposal
We’re big Norwich City FC fans. In December 2017 we went to see an away game against Burton. We stayed overnight at the Hilton in St George’s Park, which is the England training ground. Kathryn was made up when she saw her favourite Norwich City player, Alex Tettey, at the hotel and said it was the best day of her life! After dinner we went back to our room and when Kathryn turned round after closing the door Andy was down on one knee. He simply said “marry me” and then it really was the best day of Kathryn’s life!

How did you allocate your budget?
Our biggest expenditure was on the venue fee, marquee and furniture, and food. There are some hidden costs to the DIY approach; you have to think of everything, including toilets, fridges and lighting!

Where did you splurge and where did you save?
We saved money wherever we could by making decorations, sourcing things second hand or using family connections to local suppliers. For example, Kathryn spent a year collecting vintage china tea cups from charity shops and instead of a traditional dessert we had a homemade cake table stocked by the guests.
We knew from the start that a free bar was very important as a way to say thank you to our guests so our biggest splurge was probably Myhill’s Bar. It was very well stocked with pimms, wine, beer and a selection of flavoured gins made by one of the bridesmaids!

How did you choose your photographer?
Andy Kahumbu was recommended to us by the owners of Rookery Meadow. We were looking for a relaxed documentary style and someone with whom we would feel relaxed. We met Andy for a drink and hit it off immediately. The first thing we noticed and loved about his photography was his talent for using natural light, which was important with an outdoor venue and unknown weather conditions! He was so passionate about our vision for the day and worked hard to capture all of the little details that we had spent so long planning.

The dress 
Kathryn’s dress from the Pure range from Romantica of Devon, bought from White Rose Bridal Rooms in Thatcham, Berkshire. She wore gold Swedish Hasbeens and a handmade tulle veil from Blossom and Bluebird. Her flower crown was made by Ragged Robin florist in Wymondham and she wore blue moon earrings from Girls Crew. In the evening she wore face jewels from Gypsy Shrine and a denim jacket embroidered by her mum.

The suit and bridesmaids
The groom and groomsmen all wore the same mismatched suit from Moss Bros. Kathryn made their buttonholes from old photography film that belonged to Andy’s father Michael, who had passed away in 2016. The groomswoman wore a blue dress to match the suits and the bridesmaids all wore a white dress of their choice.

Theme or colour scheme
We didn’t have one particular colour but wanted everything to be very bright and festival-like. We used a lot of bright ribbons and flowers.

Flowers 
To complement the meadow setting, we choose seasonal wildflowers including delphinium, daisy, cornflower, sunflower, thistle, snapdragon, rose and a variety of grasses.

Decoration 
We got married under a 400-year old oak tree with bright ribbons hanging from its branches. The aisle was lined with ribbon hoops that the bride’s friends had made on her hen do. The tables were decorated simply with hessian runners, tea lights and mismatched jugs filled loosely with flowers. The centrepiece of the marquee was a fireplace complete with armchairs and family photos. This was where we had our guest book and photo props. Outside in the meadow there were tealights dotted amongst the grass and bunting hanging from the gate posts and tents. And as a special nod to Norwich City FC we hired a bright yellow post box for cards.

Food 
Hog roast with all the trimmings and served with a range of salads to share on the tables. Followed by the homemade cake and vintage tea service we mentioned earlier.

Wedding cake
A cheese and pork cake which we cut just after dinner and which was served at about 9pm complete with crackers, chutneys and fruit.

Entertainment
We set up lots of different “stations” in the marquee including a glitter bar, beer pong and shut the box (a favourite game of our family). Outside we had a limbo pole and croquet. The evening entertainment was the excellent Turntable band who kept us dancing all night long and finished with a rendition of New York, New York.

Who supplied the stationery?
Kathryn designed and printed all of the stationery. There was an astrological theme, with tables named after favourite constellations. The bride’s sister did a painting of the venue which was used for the invitation.

Personal touches
So many of the things we’ve already mentioned, but our favourite personal touch was the table place names. We printed a polaroid-style photo of every guest and wrote a personal message on the back. It doubled up as both a place name and a favour that people could take away as a memento.

Special moments
Sitting under the oak tree, listening to the wonderful words of our celebrant, and watching the ribbons swaying in the breeze. Waking up in our bridal bell tent the next morning.

Advice for other couples 

• Don’t feel like you have to do all of the traditional things – we didn’t have a first dance, throw the bouquet or have a wedding car.
• If you can find a way to pay for a videographer, do it – moving images from the day are so precious.
• Look for decorations and other wedding bits and bobs on ebay and Facebook. In addition to Facebook Marketplace, almost every county has a “wedding items for sale” group where you can pick up some bargains.
• On the day, find 10 minutes where you can go somewhere and watch your guests enjoy the incredible celebration you have created together.

Biggest surprise 
The number of people who glamped and used the outdoor shower shack!

Supplier Shout Outs

• Venue: www.rookerymeadow.co.uk
• Marquee: www.countymarqueeseastanglia.com
• Celebrant: www.theceremonypeople.co.uk
• Hog roast: wwwwthecracklinghogguysofnorfolk.co.uk
• Photographer: www.kahumbu.co.uk
• Videographer: www.portandthestorm.com/weddings & www.shoot-it-yourself.co.uk
• Bell tent hire: www.norfolkbells.co.uk
• Florist: www.raggedrobinflorist.co.uk
• Band: www.turntableband.co.uk
• Wedding dress: www.whiterosebridalroom.co.uk
• Suits: www.moss.co.uk
• Hairdresser: www.hairbyfrancesca.com

For more information on Kahumbu Photography go to

www.kahumbu.co.uk / www.kahumbu.co.uk/latest-work / [email protected] / 07815867549 / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM 

Hi I’m Andy and I run Andrew Kahumbu Photography in the Fine City of Norwich in Norfolk, UK. I’ve been documenting weddings all over the UK and Kenya for the past 4 years. Primarily a documentary wedding photographer I approach each wedding in a very relaxed and candid manner, letting the day unfold without much intrusion. I love to shoot all day right till the band stops, documenting the couple’s entire wedding day.