What do you love most about real wedding features on b.loved? Is seeing the bride’s dress, or her excited smile?  The bridesmaid’s outfits, or their rushing around for their friend making her day perfect?  Is it the beautiful grounds of the ceremony venue, or the grooms nervous anticipation at the top of the aisle?  Maybe it’s the reception décor with every last personalised detail considered, or friends and family having fun and celebrating the love?  The thing is, it’s all those things, isn’t it? You want to see the pretty details to inspire you for your own wedding, but seeing the smiling faces of other excited brides and grooms celebrating with their nearest & dearest is a reminder of why all the planning stress is so worth it.  It’s not about one or the other, it’s about the balance, and a wedding planned with love will always have love at it’s heart!

Tess & Daniel’s wedding is a perfect example.  From high-school sweethearts to celebrating with their loved ones on their family farm, their day is packed full of delicious and heartfelt details, fun, family and love.  All photographed beautifully by our very own Anneli Marinovich.

Daniel and I met at school, he was my first ever proper kiss! He proposed outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London…asked me to meet him for a drink after a ‘meeting’ with his boss which was a white lie!

The ceremony was at Cranleigh Church, Surrey, and our reception was on my Aunty and Uncles farm, Knowle Lane in Cranleigh. I grew up spending weekends here with my family – and I love it there. So it was really special to be able to celebrate our wedding there.

My dress was Lorie by Maggie Sottero at Miss Bush Bridalwear, I loved the lace sleeves that I could pop on and off as I chose.  The veil was my friends which was my ‘something borrowed’, and my shoes were just cheap ones from John Lewis which I didn’t actually wear for most of the day – heels and a farm don’t mix! I did have some Blue Suede shoes to go with the Elvis impersonator in the evening – but I think I danced bare foot all night!  I had my Grandparents wedding rings sewn into my dress, and I wore earrings from Links of London.  I very rarely do much with my hair, and I wanted my make-up to look as natural as possible – I let them do what they saw best!

The bridesmaids/maid of honour all wore blue – Maid of Honour wearing a slightly darker shade of blue which the bridesmaids matched with a belt around their lighter shade!  Our groomsmen all had blue ties to match.

We tried to keep the flowers looking very natural (just picked rather than tight bouquets), with country/vintage style jugs and simple jam jars with other very natural flowers for a country farm-style.  We used a combination of Blue Gentiana, Blue Delph, Daisy, Hydrangea (blue and green), Tanacetum Parthenium, Eucalyptus.

I knew Anneli Marinovich’s photography through work, so followed her blog and I loved it! I had already recommended her to a friend and the result was brilliant – so had no doubt over who I wanted as my photographer!

 

favourite moment

When the sun was setting, the music was playing, and Daniel and I could really start to relax.

 

 

first dance

Robbie Williams’ “She’s The One”.  It stems from our college days – Daniel used to love this song and play it all the time in his dodgy Vauxhall Astra!

 

advice

I don’t think I’d do anything differently now actually, the day was such a blur – everyone always says to stop and enjoy it, and appreciate it – so I don’t want to sound like a broken record – but I didn’t do it on the day and it was so quick. I didn’t have any of my evening buffet – that’s what I’d change! The Hog Roast smelt amazing – I just never made it there!

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Suppliers: Photographer: Anneli Marinovich Photography // Dress: Lorie by Maggie Sottero at Miss Bush Bridalwear // Earrings: Links of London // Veil: borrowed // Shoes: John Lewis & Jasper Conran // Bridesmaids dresses: Warehouse // Groomswear: John Goodridge // Florist: Flowers done by Claire Vernon (friend of bride) // Cake: M&S // Stationery: Designed by the Groom // Hair: Elise Hair // Makeup: Jayne Hooper Make-Up // Venue: Family Farm – Ivelle Farm, Cranleigh //  Marquee & Catering: Super Event // Music: Elvis Impersonator