By Louise Baltruschat Hollis
These images today are just super lovely, full of happiness, pretty pastels and soft touches.
Dan and Leanne created a Love Hearts inspired wedding, set in a barn at Hunsbury Hill Centre in Northamptonshire on the 13th August 2015. The colours were dreamy, with fun bunting, balloons and mismatched maids all adding to the fun theme. The gents all wore braces and quirky ties while Dan went for a relaxed open collar look.
I really adore the “Dog of Honour”, cute hooray flags and butter cream cake made by Dan. Leanne is a real beauty, she wore a lace gown made by her mother-in-law and her hair was swept up into a chic do. Stunning.
Thanks so much to Ferri Photography for sharing these gorgeous images with us.
THE PROPOSAL | We went to Bulgaria on a ski trip in February 2012 with many of our close friends, and happened to be there on the 29th – I’d always joked I’d propose that day if he didn’t beat me to it, so he popped the question that day by writing ‘Marry Me’ in the snow under a chair lift.
THE VISION | We wanted something to fit the rustic, countryside feel of the venue so it was always going to be pastel – we also both really like Love Hearts, so they were the main inspiration and were used as part of our décor!
THE VENUE | We knew we wanted a barn, and saw loads before settling on Hunsbury. It ticked all the boxes for us, and unlike pretty much every other barn venue didn’t cost the earth which suited us as our budget was quite tight.
THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | The dress was made by my mother-in-law. I tried a few styles and fell in love with the ‘trumpet’ cut – I also decided on a champagne colour under the lace to compliment my pale skin and red hair. I always knew the back would be low to show off my tattoos!
GROOM’S ATTIRE | Daniel wanted a smart casual, blue suit and a waistcoat, and preferred a casual look without a tie. My first reaction to the overall look was ‘Phwoar!’, which pleased him!
THE READINGS & MUSIC | One of my favourite memories of the day is walking in to a string quartet version of Sweet Child of Mine by Guns ‘n’ Roses. Dan is a big rock and roll fan and he had no idea that was coming – his face was a picture! We walked out to All You Need Is Love which my hens and I recorded on my hen do to use at that moment, so that was another little surprise for him on the day!
BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | I knew my bridesmaids would be mismatched – I chose each of them for a different reason, so I wanted their dresses to reflect that. I also had a bridesman in the mix and wanted him to stand out from the ushers, so had him in a bow tie rather than the tie each of the other boys wore. The boys were kept as casual as possible, with ties that matched up with the girls.
THE FLOWERS | We didn’t plan to have flowers but my aunt is a florist and was really keen to do something for us – I’m so glad we went for it as they were perfect and really completed the look we were going for! I went for pink roses, lavender as it’s my favourite flower and baby’s breath for good luck. The girls had baby’s breath posies, and some of the boys had buttonholes – our ushers didn’t wear jackets, so they went without! The buttonholes also had sweet pea as a nod to my dad – his childhood name for me is Peapod.
THE CAKE & FOOD | We knew we wanted a BBQ, and part of the reason we chose Hunsbury was that they offered it as part of their package. We also had a picnic in the evening, and everyone raved about the food throughout the day. Daniel is a pastry chef so he made our cake and a LOT of cupcakes! The cake was layered with red velvet, carrot cake and vanilla sponge, and the cupcakes were a mixture of the same – all equally delicious.
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | We had a really specific idea of what we wanted from our photos, and one glance at Daniela’s website was enough to seal the deal. She was so excited and passionate from the very start, and many of our guests commented that they clocked her capturing some really sweet moments so discreetly the subjects seemed oblivious – exactly what we were after.
ENTERTAINMENT | We did have a bouncy castle, but sadly the weather didn’t allow us to get much use from it! My brother, who is an acoustic guitarist and singer, provided some music after dinner and we sang All You Need Is Love together, which will always be a gorgeous memory. My maid-of-honour’s dad has an incredible function band who played in the evening – they went down an absolute storm!
THE HONEYMOON | We had a lovely mini-moon the week after the wedding, just doing little things we never get to do together – we went to the zoo, to the theatre and even went clay pigeon shooting, as you do! We’re now saving up for a trip for New York in 2016.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS | What made our day so special was how much was contributed by our friends and family. The dresses, the flowers, the cakes… We had a gorgeous photobooth which was organised and created by my brother’s girlfriend, the images she got are so much fun! Also, our little dog was a big part of the day and had her very own ‘Dog of Honour’ collar…
ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | The best advice I was given (and I hear it a LOT) was to stop and absorb everything as often as you can on the day. You should do so in the lead up as well – these are some of the most exciting times you’ll have spent with your partner, and the stress is much easier to handle as a team! Also, don’t let family politics affect your planning – it’s your day, do it your way.
I should have shared some of the work with my bridesmaids and fiancé, rather than taking it all on myself and getting overly stressed. Also, don’t buy anything until you’re sure you need it – I have a loft full of stuff I never touched in the end!
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |
Photography | Ferri Photography
Brides Gown | Jaki Green, mother-in-law!
Fabric | Broadwick Silks, Soho
Earrings | Pandora
Shoes | Charity Shop!
Hair | Medusa Touch
Veil/Headpiece | Flower crown from Flashfloozy c/o Etsy
Florist | Celine Deng
Venue | Hunsbury Hill Centre
Decor/styling | Bunting made by Jaki Green and hung by Style Events. Everything else done by the bridal party!
Cake Maker | Daniel Freeth aka Groom!
Caterer | Impressions Caterers
Bridesmaids Dresses | Jaki again!
Groom/Groomsmen | Provided their own shirts and trousers, ties made by Jaki. Braces from Ebay.
Stationery | Made by us, featuring photo c/o Natalie Ayris Photography
Entertainment | Anton White and The Bicycle Thieves
Transport | Fifties Chic
Rings | Smooch
Accommodation | Bay Tree Cottages (we stayed in Littlecourt Yard)
Bouncy Castle | Northampton Bouncy Castles
Absolutely stunning.
Thanks so much to Dan and Leanne for sharing their fabulous wedding story xo Lou
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John
Love the pastel colors, especially with the rustic look of the barn. I always like to see a more casual wedding theme done really well, and the mismatched bridesmaid dresses look really great. Thanks for sharing!
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