To describe this wedding at a country fete inspired wedding is really to do it a disservice, because it is so much more than just that. The bride, Lizzy, told me that her photographers “truly captured the happiness and love felt”, a wish that I imagine most of us have for our wedding day. Lizzy has put into words so many of those feelings we have in the lead up to our wedding day, so if you are a bride-to-be then I encourage you to stop a while and read as well as soak up all the pretty details.

For an overview of this beautiful wedding this slideshow put together by photographers Bohemian Weddings gives you a little of the magic these two shared on their wedding day, and includes lots of extras captures. A lovely alternative to a wedding film, and I get all teary watching it despite not knowing these two…

As a quick aside, you might also notice that we’ve changed up the format of our real weddings a bit, we have crafted a new questionnaire for our couples which we hope gives them more freedom to tell us the story of their wedding in their own words. For this reason I imagine that the appearance of these features will change from wedding to wedding, but I’m sure you’ll agree that it will truly allow the stories to shine through.

Lizzy + Graeme, July 2015

So many of the real weddings I share have extra special meaning to me, and today’s wedding is no exception. I was contacted by Lizzy after her wedding photographer cancelled just 8 weeks before her wedding, asking if I could help. After I emailed all of the wonderful wedding photographers in our directory, Lizzy received over a dozen replies, and from those she fell in love with one couple – Michael and Andrea of Bohemian Weddings. I understand the four of them really connected and I am just so delighted to be now sharing Lizzy and Graeme’s wedding with you. Over to Lizzy…

We are one of “those” couples

Graeme and I met online. We are one of “those” couples. We instantly had a spark and really enjoyed each other’s company from the word go, we felt so content and comfortable with each other.

For our first date, Graeme took me bowling, then casually suggested we go for something to eat and afterwards we walked to our local pub and sat in the beer garden having ciders. It was easy, relaxed and fun. After our first date things moved pretty quickly and soon enough we were spending every day with each other.

We have the same outlook on life; always striving to make each other the best version of ourselves, to do our best in everything and to be passionate about life and each other. We communicate so well, we are best friends, we trust each other implicitly and have such a wonderful happy life together.

On Top Of The World

We got engaged on whilst on holiday in Taormina, Sicily. It was our first holiday abroad and also Graeme’s 29th birthday. I had booked a wonderful restaurant that was high in the mountains above Taormina and had wonderful views of the town and also Mount Etna. Graeme had decided that he was going to propose whilst we were away and decided that this was the right time.

Before we headed out for our meal, on the balcony outside our apartment, Graeme proposed. It was such a wonderful surprise. I was so excited I jumped up and down like I was on a pogo stick and it wasn’t until Graeme told me all about asking my dad if he could marry me that it then registered and I started crying with happiness (which didn’t stop pretty much for the rest of the evening.) We spent the rest of the evening drinking Prosecco, eating fabulous food, watching Mount Etna erupting and discussing our plans for the future. We literally were on top of the world.

The Main Focus Of The Day

Love, love for each other, love for our family, love for our friends, love for the country, love for flowers, love for cakes. Just love. That was the main focus of the day. For everyone to feel loved.

When I was 10 I was Maid of Honour for my cousin, Michelle’s, wedding. Her and her husband had a beautiful wedding in Armathwaite Hall in the Lake District. Being from Liverpool, it was a big adventure heading up there for all the family. It was effectively a little holiday with everyone we loved. staying over night and all getting ready on the morning of the wedding. Everyone was relaxed on the day because they were all staying in the hotel or in accommodation close by and it just had the most loving, energetic and wonderful vibe about the whole day.

I remember that day thinking, I want my wedding to be like this.

Celebrating With Family And Friends

When we came to booking our wedding, we knew we wanted a beautiful old house, somewhere in the countryside close to Liverpool, where all our wedding guests could stay overnight. We wanted to have all our loved ones together in one place for as long as possible, mingling with each other and creating new friendships and memories together.

As cheesy as it may sound I wanted us to say “Thank You” to all our loved ones. “Thank You for making us, us.” I really believe that each person that means something to you helps to create who you are. Therefore each and every person we invited to celebrate our wedding day played a part in bringing us together and I wanted for us to celebrate all of them as well as celebrating our marriage. When else do you have ALL the people you both love in the same place.

This was a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for us to give them all “something back.”

Happy And Cherished

Throughout the wedding planning, we always kept the feeling we wanted on the day at the forefront of our minds. I think that was the most important thing in ensuring the day felt right and seem coherent in its constituent parts. We wanted everyone to feel relaxed, feel loved, feel happy and feel cherished. We wanted them to be themselves, be with their loved ones and make amazing memories with each other and us that we could all treasure for the rest of our lives. We wanted everyone to feel special and feel valued, which is one of the reasons why we handmade all of our stationary. We wanted our guests to feel like they were each individually important in playing a part in the day.

The vibe was country fete, bunting, cakes, flowers, being outside and all things vintage. Ice cream van, guitarist, Pimms, sunshine, a marquee, relaxed feeling, dancing, smiling, laughing and just everyone feeling wonderfully happy all day! Not a lot to ask! A bit of a mish mash but it all came together so beautifully.

“I Am Going To Get Married Here”

We had looked at a few venues and had liked them but not been blown away, they just didn’t feel like “us.” We pulled into Nunsmere Hall’s long sweeping driveway, lined with trees and as soon as we saw the House we fell in love. As I walked in the front door I thought “I am going to get married here.” Graeme gave my hand a little squeeze and we just both knew that it was the place we needed to be.

The staff were phenomenal from the word go. They asked us what we wanted for our wedding, what our perfect day would be like, what our budget was. It was such a breath of fresh air, after being given package after package of what our wedding would be like if we got married in their venue, we were fed up of feeling like we would have to just conform and have our day according to someone else’s idea of what a good wedding day looks like.

The Extra 100 Miles

The staff who showed us round spoke of the venue with such a love and passion they made us so excited and they seemed so excited about us getting married there and the ideas we had about the venue. It was just such a wonderful experience. We provisionally booked our wedding before we even left.

The staff remained a massively integral part of the whole wedding. They were superb. Any thing we needed they did everything possible to make sure it was done, they answered copious amounts of questions, made the entire menu gluten free as I am gluten free and just generally went the extra 100 miles every step of the way.

His And Hers Wedding Mornings

On the morning of our wedding we couldn’t have had different mornings. I woke up and practised yoga and meditated with my little sister then had a relaxed breakfast and shower before my bridesmaids and hair and make up turned up. I spent the morning relaxing with my lovely ladies and enjoying their company. They were fantastic support throughout the planning process and it was so lovely to have them there with me whilst I was getting ready. They couldn’t believe how chilled I was, one of them had brought Kalms tablets for me, which really made me laugh. I just felt like I had planned everything and now I could just enjoy the day and couldn’t wait to walk up the aisle to Graeme.

Whereas Graeme spent the whole morning running around with the staff and one of my bridesmaids husbands putting up bunting, putting together some of the decorations in the marquee and driving the VW van around the venue. I think he started getting ready at about 1pm for the 2 o’clock ceremony.

A “Wildcard” Wedding Dress

I first went shopping for my dress with my mum and sister. I had booked two appointments at bridal shops in Liverpool but didn’t feel particularly inspired by either of them. The day before we were due to go shopping I was watching Don’t Tell the Bride and it was in Liverpool. The girls went to a boutique called Belle’s Bridal and I could see it was right up my street. It was very quirky, vintage and there was cake. I phoned up and booked an appointment for the next day.

It was the most wonderful shop and Geraldine the owner made me feel so comfortable and relaxed about the whole experience. Every time I came out in a new dress, she sat back with a cup of tea in her rocking chair and just let me wear it and see how I felt in it. I didn’t feel rushed or under any pressure. Geraldine made me pick a “wildcard” a dress I would never imagine myself wearing. I chose, a high neck, sleeveIess, satin dress with lace detailing over the bust and down the back called Bodicea…that was the dress I ended up choosing. Although that day, my mum and I weren’t so sure. My little sister was adamant that it was THE dress.

Wearing The Dress

I went back a month later with a group of my best girls including my mum, mother in law and one of my bridesmaids. They all chose dresses for me to try and I chose a few that I wanted to try on again, including my wildcard. I left Bodicea, my dress, until last. As I walked out of the dressing room, I knew that was the dress for me. I felt comfortable and relaxed in it. It wasn’t heavy or big and I knew it was very me. I would be able to walk properly and dance the night away comfortably in it. It was the only dress in which I felt like, I was wearing the dress rather than the dress was wearing me. I asked my mother in law “Should I marry your son in this dress?” After she said “yes,” I signed the order form and it was a done deal.

“You Can’t Try On All The Dresses”

I was panicking because I chose my dress so fast and didn’t spend months and months trying on dress after dress. I didn’t get an amazing, overwhelming feeling when I tried on the dress I chose. I just felt beautiful in it, I felt like me and I felt comfortable and that’s all that matters.

It was only after my fiance Graeme said to me, “Lizzy, have you been out with ALL the men in the world?” To which I laughed and said “No.” To which Graeme replied “So how do you know I am the right one to marry? You just do know, It’s the same as the dresses. You can’t try on ALL the dresses you just know it’s a nice dress and it’s the right one for you.” He’s very wise and he always knows how to bring me back down to earth. Don’t get bogged down with small stresses like that, the day is about each other and about all the people you love being around you both.

Cornflower Jimmy Choos

My dad wanted to buy my shoes so we went for a wonderful shopping day in Manchester, had a meal, drank Prosecco and he bought me a beautiful pair of violet coloured Jimmy Choos they were the same colour as the cornflowers in the wedding flowers. They were just beautiful.

Falling In Love With Our Photographers

Eight weeks before our wedding our photographer cancelled. We were devastated and couldn’t believe we were back to the drawing board with something we felt was a really important part to our day. We contacted Charlie from The Natural Wedding Company and literally begged for her help. She immediately came to our rescue and emailed all the photographers and videographers in her directory. About 13 wonderfully talented people got back to us and we were so grateful to Charlie for emailing them all for us.

We instantly fell in love with Michael and Andrea, from Bohemian Weddings’ photos as soon as we saw them. Their work was truly outstanding and after many emails and a long Skype call we fell in love with them too. In the end we were kind of glad that our original photographer cancelled because it brought these two wonderful souls into our lives and we couldn’t wait for them to be part of and capture our big day.

Happiness Captured

So many of our guests commented on how discreet they were and also how friendly they were. Everyone felt relaxed around them. The images we have of our wedding day and all the people who made it what it was are stunning. Every time we watch the slideshow I sob cry my eyes out in THE best way possible, it just makes us so happy and brings the whole day flooding back into our minds. They truly captured the happiness and love felt that day. They are the most magnificent photographers, storytellers and couple.  Michael and Andrea really did capture who we are, who the people we love are and what our wedding day was all about…love and loving life.. They are just perfect.

Flowers Remind Him Of Me

I love flowers and Graeme will always say flowers remind him of me because on our second date it was apparent just how much I loved flowers as I was wearing about 3 different florals and had sunflower earrings in. We wanted to show how much we love flowers by filling the venue with jars of wild flowers and our bouquets looking like we had been on a country walk and just collected flowers from the fields.

A Wildflower Country Garden Look

I will never forget the moment my florist showed me my bouquet. I literally burst into tears. It was like she had seen inside my mind and created an even better version of what I wanted. Loretta is exceptional. She is so talented. She listened to exactly what I wanted and always endeavoured to create the wildflower, country garden look I was after. The flowers were truly beautiful, they brought the whole day together.

The Proudest Moment Of My Life

Walking down the aisle was the proudest moment of my life. Walking hand in hand with my dad towards Graeme was amazing, I don’t think I have ever smiled as much in my life. I really enjoyed the ceremony and saying our vows, it was a really special moment. We were so relaxed and so happy to just be marrying each other.

Ice Cream And Pimms

We love VW camper vans and have wanted to do a tour of The Highlands in one for a while now, so when Graeme found a VW ice cream van he insisted on us having it. It was a lovely touch and we have great memories of eating our ice creams, drinking Pimms and watching our guests do the same on the sunny terrace, straight after the ceremony.

Sticking And Stamping On The Living Room Floor

The invites were all handmade, including little strings of mini bunting for the top of each one. They took a good couple of months to complete and towards the end I was wondering why I had insisted on making them ourselves. I really valued Graeme’s support and help through those long evenings of cutting, sticking and stamping whilst sitting on the living room floor of our new home due to the lack of sofas. It was all worth it. The end product was fantastic and exactly what I had imagined in my head and a fraction of the price they would have cost to buy too.

Crafty Jobs

My sister helped me to make all the place settings with little luggage tags, springs of dried lavender, twine and some letter stamps. Friends, family and my bridesmaids helped us to Decopage letters to decorate the venue (Graeme was very proud of his creation and even mentioned it in his speech), stamp guests names onto lollipop sticks for the table plan and various other crafty jobs. We put together activity packs for the children to keep them occupied too.

Extra Special Touches

My auntie Maureen made 110 metres of bunting to decorate the marquee and she did the most amazing job.

Hours and hours were put in by many people to create all our handmade details but the love that went into them really came through on the day and so many people commented on how special all the small touches were.

We loved putting the whole look together, sourcing things off ebay and from second hand shops. it was so satisfying seeing it all on the day, exactly how we had imagined it. Knowing it was the hard work of our loved ones and ourselves that made it come together made it extra special.

The Chelsea Flower Show Of Cakes

My very talented mum made our wedding cake, including two layers of gluten free cake, so that I could enjoy a slice. We had traditional fruit cake, Victoria sponge and chocolate cake for the various layers. She also made the table plan, which was a display of garden plants and lollipop sticks with guests names on telling them what table they were in. She said she felt like she was in The Chelsea Flower Show. Everyone was very impressed with the end result.

Remind Yourself What It Is Really All About

If you hit a point where you just aren’t enjoying planning or feel really stressed and overwhelmed by it all that’s completely normal. I think you can start to feel like you should be enjoying every moment of planning because you only get to do it once and you should enjoy it all. At the end of the day you are planning an event for everyone you love so of course it’s going to feel stressful at times. Just take a step back, do something nice with you fiancee. Go for a meal or have a day out together and just remind yourself of what it is really all about. After all, when the wedding day is over you will have a marriage and that is why you are having a wedding day in the first place.

{ Details }

Photography: Bohemian Weddings
Wedding Venue: Nunsmere Hall Hotel
Brides Dress: Charlotte Balbier from Belles Bridal Boutique
Brides Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Brides Accessories: The Bell Epoque
Grooms Outfit: Ted Baker
Bridesmaids Dresses: The Pretty Dress Company
Flowers: Loretta Farrish, Annetta Florist
VW Ice Cream Van: The Lovebus Wedding Company
Wedding Stationery: Handmade (designed and printed by Vicky Browne, Zebra Creations)
Wedding Cake: Brides mum
Decorations: Handmade
Venue Dressing: Tamaryn’s Treasures