Small But Mighty Fun Boho Woodland Wedding

Hold on tight, it’s time to share Will and Rebecca’s incredible small woodland wedding at The Dreys in Kent.

Their day was true to them, complete with a mosh pit, fun times and scrumptious food! That’s not even mentioning the sensational outfits, the glorious white wedding flowers and the boho vibes all around. Yes!

Be sure to check out the magical woodland portraits, the hoop wedding backdrop of dreams and all the bright, happy smiles from beginning to end.

Joanna Nicole Photography, thank you ever so much for sharing with us these mesmerising images of such a special celebration in the woods.

Small Woodland Wedding

The Proposal

We got engaged on our 6-year anniversary up in Liverpool. I went to university there so love the city and Will proposed in my favourite building, The Bombed Out Church (St Luke’s Church).

We were looking round the church and I turned round and he was on one knee looking so nervous and asked me to marry him and I said yes!

The Vision

We wanted something informal and non-religious with a big focus on food and music. We wanted our wedding to reflect who we are and what we like rather than fitting into a stereotypical wedding style and venue. We wanted to celebrate with all our friends and family. This wasn’t entirely possible due to Covid and rearranging the wedding three times but we had the best day ever.

Budget

We didn’t have a set budget because let’s be honest who has money sat aside for a wedding anymore? We did our homework around the average cost of venues, caterers etc based on the type of wedding we wanted but we spent money where we felt it was most valuable and for us that was on food and music.

Our families also contributed towards things like flowers and drinks which was lovely and made everyone feel involved in the run-up to the day.

The Venue

The Dreys

The best venue ever! We knew when we drove into The Dreys that it was the place for us.

Jackie, Dave and the team couldn’t of been any more amazing and helpful through what turned out to be a longer wedding process than we planned for. The venue keeps getting better and better as they add more amazing features to the site. They did everything they could to accommodate our day and make it so special.

We’ve been back a few times now and it’s like seeing old friends. If you want an amazing venue owned by even more amazing people, book The Dreys.

Your Outfits

Will found the Vintage Suit Hire Company as soon as we started wedding planning and loved their designs so it was an easy decision. Tweed worked really well with the relaxed vibe of the venue and the unpredictable weather.

The only thing I knew my dress would have was sleeves, everything else just fell into place after going to few different dress shops. I knew Will would love this dress plus all my bridesmaids cried when they saw it so I knew it was the one.

The Ceremony & Music

The ceremony was short and sweet, we didn’t want anything too mushy, no mention of journeys and life beginning etc. Music was really important to us so we created multiple playlists on Spotify (7 playlists for each part of the day excluding when the band was playing).

It took us quite a while but it’s so nice to put the playlists on now and remember different parts of the day. Worth doing if you want specific songs to be played on the day rather than a generic playlist (no Grease megamix here thanks).

Your Photographer & Filmmaker

Joanna Nicole Photography

Jo’s style was just what we were looking for, she was so lovely and an absolute trooper (I think she was 7 months pregnant on the day) with all the date changes. It sounds strange to say but most of the time I didn’t even know she was there. The photos are beyond our expectations and we love looking back at them. Worth every penny!

The Styling & Decor

Sue Davies Flowers and Garden

Sue and Jo are the best! Exceptional taste and skills to bring to life my basic ideas of wildflowers and a neutral palette. They were always happy to advise when things had to change and were so flexible on decorations as trends changed and they thought of new ideas. Everything was perfect and that’s all down to the care they take in their work.

The Honeymoon

Due to travel still being restricted and us not wanting all the hassle of isolating and different rules in different countries we decided to stay in the UK.

We went up to Scotland for 5 days with our dog Winnie and stayed at the Glen Dye Estate in the Showman’s caravan. It was great to just relax after the craziness of the wedding, I’d definitely recommend a mini-moon straight after the wedding. We haven’t managed to go on a full-blown honeymoon yet as we’re due to have a baby in November 2022 so that’ll be our next adventure.

Memorable Moments

The registrar getting Will’s name wrong was just one moment. Will was so nervous that he just repeated what she said and I corrected her when it came to me repeating the vows. In all honesty, I don’t think Will actually remembers any of the ceremony because of his nerves. After waiting so long to get married because of Covid I was so ready and didn’t have any nerves.

The band playing the song that Will hates the most (The Killers, Mr Brightside. Controversial I know!), everyone knowing this and cheering. The band stopped playing and we told them why everyone was screaming and laughing at Will. The band then played Killing in the name of (Rage against the machine) and everyone getting involved in a mosh pit on the deck.

Everyone singing, dancing and eating giant marshmallows round the fire pit until the early hours of the morning.

Advice For Other Couples

Make sure that the venue is right for you and you have a good relationship with them because it is so important. We were so lucky that Jackie, Dave and the whole Dreys team were amazing and genuinely wanted us to have the best day possible. It wasn’t just a wedding conveyor belt like so many other venues.

Choose bridesmaids and groomsmen carefully, you want people around you that will help and support you in the run-up and on the day. Who those people are might surprise you.

Spend money on what’s important to you, it’s your day!