Relaxed Homemade Humanist Back Garden Wedding

Relaxed Homemade Humanist Back Garden Wedding

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James and Tora’s wedding day was a relaxed, colourful and handmade celebration. They decided to have a humanist ceremony in Tora’s parents back garden beneath an apple tree, followed by a marquee reception next door.

There were pretty DIY wedding flowers and bunting, a cake of cheese and mismatched bridesmaid dresses. Tora wore a pretty Maggie Sottero dress with vibrant pink heels and James looked dapper in a navy suit with purple tie.

Wonderful.

Thanks so much to Beth Moseley for sharing her brilliant photographs with us today.

 

The Proposal… In July 2012 on the beach at Waxham, Norfolk. It’s where we went on one of our first dates. It was a beautiful sunny day. James got down on one knee and proposed with his grandmothers very sparkly engagement ring which has an emerald snuggled between two diamonds

The Vision for the Day… Relaxed and fun with lots of colour and laughter.

The Planning Process… It was very relaxed, partly because we’d known for a long time how we wanted our wedding to be and we knew we could have it at my parents house. James and I did the bulk of the planning whilst my mum took care of the practical things like ordering the marquee, crockery etc. James friend Karim had already agreed to do the food and James and his dad went to France to choose the wine which was delivered via the restaurant James used to work at in London. The last few weeks were hectic getting all the small things done and making the favours, menus, table names etc. But it was really fun – so sad it’s now all over!

Budget…12K in total.

The Venue… My parents back garden for the ceremony and drinks reception. The marquee was in the next door neighbours garden but we can taken down part of the fence so you could walk through from our garden into the marquee. It made for a very intimate day.

The Dress + Accessories… A Maggie Sottero dress called Bronwyn. It had a light gold satin slip underneath with a tulle and lace overlay. It was slim line with, cap sleeves, V-neck with a scoop back and button detail down the back

Finding the Dress… I wanted a Jenny Packham dress but couldn’t afford one so I went for something in a similar style. I seen this Maggie Sottero dress in a magazine and loved in and then saw it on a cat walk show so I was really excited abut trying it on. I put it on and knew instantly that it was the one. I loved it!

I had purple shoes from Hobbs and wore a simple fresh water pearl necklace and earrings.

Groom’s Attire… A navy suit by Richard James, dark brown leather shows and burgundy braces. The shirt was white and tailored in Vietnam for the occasion during our trip last year. Dark purple tie to match the brides shoes.

The Readings + Music… We had a humanist ceremony so we chose readings that reflected our beliefs and values. We had 5 readings in total, all very different but meaningful to us and hopefully to our friends and family.

My friend Jess sang an acoustic version of Bruno Mars Marry Me as I walked in and we had a jazz band from the local school providing music whilst guests arrived and during the drinks reception.

Beautiful Bridesmaids… My sister Anna was my only bridesmaid. She wore a beautiful teal dress from Jigsaw. My friend Laurie jointly officiated the ceremony so was really an honorary bridesmaid. She wore a lovely teal dress from Coast so at least they were matching which wasn’t planned1

The Flowers… We did all the flowers ourselves after buying them from wholesalers. There were all sorts and lots of bright colours. A good family friend helped with some of the more formal arrangements but otherwise we shoved flowers in old food tins and jam jars. Bouquets were made with pink and purple Gerberas.

The Cake… It was a cheese tower made of four different chesses from Norfolk/Suffolk.

Your Photographer… Beth Moseley Photography. Beth was so patient and really took time to understand what we wanted and how everything would work. On the day she was so relaxed and made everyone feel at ease – a real professional. We are so happy with our photos – they were amazing and some really fab and quirky shots. It was so lovely to be able to relive the day  and have it captured so beautifully forever.

The Details + Decor… Colour! We made 50m of brightly coloured bunting and had matching purple fabric on the tables. The colour theme was loosely purple/dark pink. We had brightly coloured honeycomb paper balls hanging from the marquee ceiling. Lots of candle and lanterns outside and wicker hearts hanging from the apple tree under which we got married. It was very much a home made wedding!

The Honeymoon… One month travelling in Cambodia then lounging on a Thai island. Bliss.

Memorable Moments… Tora putting the ring on James wrong hand! All of the amazing food. Dancing at the end of the night to Marry Me by Bruno Mars surrounded by all our friends and then someone let off a giant confetti canon.

Advice for Other Couples… The day really does fly by in an instant so take time to step back together and just be in the moment.

Credit Where Credit is Due

Photography: Beth Moseley Photography 

Marquee: Bounceroo Marquees

Catering: Bedouin 

 

What a happy and touching wedding day.

Thanks so much to James and Tora for sharing their beautiful wedding with us today XOXO Lou

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