Philip & Anneli chose to have a stunning creative wedding that reflected their personalities. They went all-out DIY & the result of all the time & effort they put into their special day is just absolutely awesome. Have a look at all Anneli’s creative ideas – I love the ‘YAY’ flags in the bouquets! Photography by We Love Pictures
Describe the style of your wedding:
The concept was a modern wedding full of bright colours and fun. We thought about how to make the event enjoyable for all the guests, and let the décor and atmosphere reflect our excitement at getting married.
The ceremony and reception were at the same venue, Forest44. We started things with Philip welcoming the guests, reminding everyone of the role they played in our relationship up until that point. Then I walked in with my father to a trumpet fanfare. We kept the formalities quite simple, but got the audience involved by having the marriage officer, after the obligatory check for objections, ask who supports us – and the guests responded with cheering and waving of flags. Each programme (which was also a fan) came with a flag saying “YAY!” and a couple of tissues “in case of weeping”. Afterwards everyone could have their photo taken in the love booth, for which we made some fun props, including hearts on sticks and speech bubbles.
For the decorations inside, we made a whole lot of pompoms and discs out of tissue paper, which were hung from the ceiling along with white paper lanterns. Strings of tiny felt pompoms were hung along the end walls. The stripes on the tables were ribbons stuck down with double sided tape, and each table had a row of small jars and vases with lots of different kinds of flowers.
We did all the design and planning ourselves, with LOTS of support from friends and family who were willing to get their craft on! Philip’s mom and aunt did all the flowers, and my sister baked the wedding cakes (in 3 different flavours), with help from the man of honour. We also included elements specific to each of us: Philip is a fly-fisherman, so he tied giant flies (debarbed of course!) as pins for himself and the bridal party. I like drawing cartoon characters, so we used one on the invitation and made a cardboard cutout of it for the photo booth.
The most memorable moment of your wedding day:
Highlights for me were: Managing to say my vows without breaking down into uncontrollable weeping as I had anticipated I would. The lovely speeches by my father, my sister and Philip’s brother. Having an awesome party with all our friends and family, and staying right to the end for a special surprise tune from the DJ. Feeling on a high of LUUURVE all day and feeling so happy to be celebrating our marriage! What’s also memorable is the preparation process and the amazing generosity of everyone who helped us make it all come together perfectly.
Highlights for Philip were: “everything! from the cable theft induced power failure and how everyone helped to get everything done in spite of the lack of electricity, the speeches, the dancing and partying, how much fun everyone had, the ceremony itself, doing things slightly unconventionally in the ceremony, the food… it was all super fun!” Notwithstanding anything that happened at the actual wedding, however, the main highlight for him came afterwards: breaking the guest house bed with a too-enthusiastic leap! I wasn’t even in the room at the time, but I realize that no-one will EVER believe that!!
Advice for other brides planning their weddings:
We both have the same number-one tip: Do what YOU want! We were lucky not to have to deal with a lot of outside expectations, but I would advise anyone beginning to plan, to figure out first of all what’s important to them. It doesn’t have to mean doing things all that differently, but don’t be constrained by tradition either. Include things that will be meaningful and memorable to both of you.
My practical advice is for the wedding-naïve (as I was!) Don’t underestimate how much there is to co-ordinate. Initially I thought “it’s essentially a big party… how bad can it be?” but it turned out there were so many more elements that had to be in place on the day than at any other event, and sometimes it seemed a bit overwhelming. However, if I could get there without a major nervous breakdown, you can too!
If anyone is interested in specific details of things they made, send an email to kirsten{at}thebridewithablog.com & we’ll put you in touch.
A list of the awesome vendors at your wedding:
Venue: Forest44, who also did the delicious food
We chose it because it allows for a lot of personalization, and has a lovely outside lawn area with views over the farmlands. Also, the food is really great!
Dress: Laceblossom
Shoes are from Irregular Choice, which I ordered online at www.schuh.co.uk. The fascinator is from Accessorize, but it was not explosive enough, so I augmented it with a whole lot of additional feathers.
Makeup: Helga Bridal
Confetti: Scatterlings
DJ: Thomas de Moyencourt
Trumpet Fanfare: Haubrich Music
Rings: Emma Anne Aesign
Marriage Officer: Troy Goldie
Photographers: WeLovePictures
Printing: Paperjet Print
Craft materials: Merrypak , Super Floral
Ribbons: Weavewell
About Kirsten
I'm a pilot's wife on an African adventure with the most amazing man ever. I love people's stories, their smiles & creative ideas. Weddings warm my heart. I'm a hopeless romantic with a passion for beautiful design.
