Happy Monday Party People!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

We have a very special wedding to share with you today.

By now I think most of you are aware that back in April we ran a competition for 1 lucky couple to win their wedding at Latitude Festival 2013 and that lucky couple were Neil and Nadine Smith. Their quirky and colourful ideas, obvious love for each other, and their amazing video featuring their 3 children made their entry stand out from the crowd so it wasn’t surprising that they were the favourites when it came to choosing a winner (see their winning entry here!)

Nadine and Neil had fantastic vision and loads of inspirational ideas. After 3 months of intensive planning (and a hell of a lot of fun), Festival Brides along with Festival Republic and the help of some of the best wedding suppliers in the industry, got to work with two aims………..to make Neil and Nadine’s ideas a reality and create the ultimate festival wedding!

We posted about all the amazing suppliers that were involved a few weeks ago…. See the post featuring them here.

So here it is, without further ado, captured in all it’s glory by the incredible Chris Barber…….Neil and Nadine’s Wedding at Latitude Festival 2013 Part 1.

Words are by the lovely Mrs Nadine Smith……

Eek!

A Proposal, a Grand Bazaar and a Kebab…

“Last year, Neil asked me to marry him on a mini-break in Istanbul. Knowing I wasn’t a fan of fancy engagement rings, he ran around the Grand Bazaar that morning for hours, trying to find someone to make a plain gold band!! With a brand new, shiny ring in his hand, he popped the question when we were sat on a rocky outcrop by the water looking out at the point where Asia and Europe meet. It was tres romantic! To celebrate, we went out that evening for the world’s best kebab and beer. It was amazing! (…the proposal AND the kebab!)

Ever since then our kids – Ruby, Ruari & Marcus – have been desperate for us to get married.

Frida Kahlo, amazing flowers and pork pies…..

Our vision for the day was ‘what if Frida Kahlo arranged a summer wedding picnic!?’ …….It would be something very colourful and bold with a lot of flair.

We wanted to capture this flair and also keep our wedding informal, outside and inclusive. Good simple food and music and no formality. It was a bonus to get the camping in there because most of our friends don’t camp, even though we love it. Afterwards everyone said how fantastic the whole camping thing was. So we hope to have converted everyone.

Our competition entry says it all really. And in the end it seemed that we got exactly what we pitched to Festival Brides. Right down to the Frida Kahlo inspired headpiece, amazing flowers, hay bales and pork pies!

From tent to tent to tent….

We loved the getting ready part of this wedding as the whole party were in the same area having already been at the festival for a day or two already!! The excitement was electric as people went from tent to tent with anticipation.

A Colourful Ceremony Full of Love….

The ceremony was really amazing and we both said how much we loved looking out and seeing all of our smashing guest sat together in a big semi circle on bales of hay, in their festival fineries, smiling back at us. We had given everyone bubbles instead of confetti to save the ground and at one point everyone just started blowing them. I really don’t know why. I think the kids must have started it. And the air was full of bubbles while Matt was playing a song. It was a fantastic sight.

My friends gave me a last minute garter to wear just before I set out down the ‘aisle’. It was too big and slipped down around my ankle as I was approaching Neil. I managed to (not very subtly) kick it off into a hay bale and save my modesty. But not the most elegant start to the ceremony!

Nerves, Laughter and Tears….

Neil thought all the way through the planning process that he would be the one who would bawl it when it came to the vows. But he did really well. I had been planning everything so much that I hadn’t really had time to think much about the ceremony or vows we had written (months before) and when it came to that moment, I lost it and couldn’t get the words out. I could feel everyone staring at me sympathetically, which only made it worse! There is a really lovely picture of Neil holding on to my shoulders and encouraging me. Even then I only manage to half sob them out. Thankfully he heard me, even if no one else did. 

It meant a great deal to us to involve friends and family in our ceremony. We had three readings and our friend Matthew played all of the music during the ceremony. Everyone ‘went’ during all of the readings. Even the hardcore non-criers. Especially when Neil’s sister read something she had based on what our children had told her our marriage and family meant to them. It was all much more emotional than we had all expected it to be. And everyone absolutely loved it when Matt played and sang (all three songs had a great deal of meaning to Neil and I). We loved having breaks in the ceremony for awesome music and rounds of applause and we loved that it was all so personal to us and to our friends. 

The Line Up Photography:  Chris Barber Photography Ceremony Venue: Latitude Festival (Guest Area) Ceremony Details: Ceremony - One Life Ceremonies / Music  – Mathew Simpkins Bride’s Dress: Vintage – Remodelled by a friend from Neil’s grandmother’s dress Bride’s Headpiece : Rebel Rebel Groom’s Outfit: Waistcoat by Cordings Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Monsoon Bridesmaid’s Accessories: Headdresses by Heather from Etsy  Flowers: Rebel Rebel (Includes floral archway) Make-up and Hair: Rebecca Fay – Reveal Make up Stationery: Homemade by couple  

So there you have it – Part 1 in all it’s glory! How amazing is that Mr Chris Barber!? He’s definitely handy with that camera of his! And those flower headpieces……………wow…………..I need to be getting myself one of those!

Part 2 will be on the blog tomorrow lovely people – it’s epic so you don’t want to miss it!

Make sure you check back this afternoon for Independent Love Song where we will be featuring Neil and Nadine’s first dance……it’s a golden oldie.

Until then….

Big Love

Festival Brides xx