Newlyweds, Aimee and Tom, opted for a country wedding with a relaxed and fun feel to the day. If you’re planning a country wedding, here is your inspiration…
Aimee and Tom met for the first time at high school when they were just 12 years old. Their first date was pizza and cinema when they were 16, so when it came to the proposal, family and friends told them, “it’s about time, too!” After Tom popped the question – unexpectedly, while Aimee was sat on the sofa – the bride began the search for her dream dress. After trying on a fair few, she fell in love with her beautiful ivory gown, from Katherine Allen Bridal in Banbury. Before this moment, she had always thought, “a dress is a dress,” but wearing her chosen gown made her feel like a million dollars.
And so the big day arrived! A close friend of the couple is a Catholic priest so it seemed right to choose St Gregory’s RC Church in Cheltenham for the ceremony, with Father James Finan from Glastonbury officiating. Partly because Fr James knows them so well and it was such a relaxed affair, guests commented that it was the most enjoyable ceremony they had ever been to.
The reception at Brockworth Court Tithe Barn was all about food, with delicious unlimited wood fire oven pizzas and, later a homemade buffet that included wonderful local produce like strawberries, a selection of cheese and smoked salmon. The speeches were a particularly memorable part of the day, heartfelt and full of meaning and sentiment – each speech was rounded off with shots of Limoncello! Aimee and Tom kicked off the ceilidh that had everyone dancing all night. The best end to a fantastic day…
Brockworth provided the perfect setting for Aimee and Tom’s relaxed country-style wedding – the bride admits that she is not especially crafty, but threw herself into making things for the wedding, including hessian favour bags filled with summer flower seeds and hundreds of metres of bunting. Other family members and friends came up trumps, too! Tom and his father built a picture ‘privacy’ screen, wedding signs and used pallets to give height to the buffet table. Aimee’s dad built entrance signs and even added a hook to the tree in the back garden for photographer Marcus to take pictures of the dress!
The cake, which included lemon, chocolate and fruit layers was made by Aimee’s parents and, because her dad is a great artist he created all of the decorations for it. Aimee suggests giving friends jobs in advance so that everything is thought of, including the small things like opening the church doors and having someone to carry your hairbrush and lippy!
Aimee and Tom admit to being real foodies, so of course they offered a great selection throughout the day, making sure that nobody left hungry. A chocolate bar basket greeted guests as they left the church, a wood fire pizza oven provided a selection of unlimited pizza through the reception, and later a locally sourced buffet provided everything from smoked salmon to strawberries. A Café Bon Bon ice cream cart also provided sweet treats. Guests enjoyed music from Bespoke Acoustic Duo during the day and brilliant ceilidh band The Ship Band from Bristol throughout the evening. They also had garden games including Connect 4 and Jenga.
Suppliers
Dress: Maggie Sottero ‘Shalise’
Shoes: Office
Groom: Suit by Ted Baker
Bridesmaids: BHS
Flowers: Organic Blooms
Reception: Music by Bespoke Acoustic and Ship Band.
Honeymoon: El Dorado Suites, Mexico
Photographer: Big Eye Photography
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