It certainly feels as though Spring has sprung, and what better way to celebrate but with a gloriously sunny, cheerful and laid back village wedding.

Charli and Sam’s special day has an authentically wholesome vibe to it. Just looking at these beautiful photographs by Freckle Photography you get the sense that their day was true to them. While their ‘official’ nuptials  took place in the edifying surrounds of historical Bath, their outdoor ceremony and marquee celebrations were set in the village Charli grew up in.

The couple’s decisions typify the quintessential natural English wedding: hay bales, locally sourced wildflowers and homemade bunting, and it really is lovely. Emma of Freckle Photography, one of our recommended suppliers, has captured the happiness of their day perfectly. Let’s chat to bride Charli to find out more…

Planning for a laid back village wedding

“We both wanted a very relaxed and laid back day, just filled with family and friends and fun. I had always liked the idea of getting married in the village where I grew up and where Sam and I now live together, but neither of us wanted to get married in a church.

I did some research online and found that Bath Registry office offer a Dual Ceremony, meaning we could have a legal ceremony in the Guildhall in Bath, followed by a big outdoor ceremony back in Nempnett Thrubwell.”

A calm morning and an ivory princess dress

“The actual morning of the wedding I was uncharacteristically calm. Everything went very smoothly, I even gave everyone a pocket sized laminate of the day’s timeline so no one would bug me with questions!

“I wore a stunning Ivory Princess wedding dress with a lace trim, by Victoria Jane for Ronald Joyce. It was exactly the sort of dress I had in mind, big but simple. I found it on the first shopping trip I went on. It was on a mannequin in the boutique and the shop assistant insisted I should try it on; I was hesitant at first because of the size of the skirt, but the instant I had it on I never wanted to take it off!”

Small legal ceremony in Bath surrounded by closest family

“Sam grew up in Bath and we liked the idea of including that in our day, a bit of both our childhoods. The Guildhall was is a beautiful venue, and we had just our closest family – parents and siblings – for that ceremony. We also saved the exchanging of the rings and our readings for our ceremony in Nempnett, so this really felt like the ‘proper’ ceremony.”

Short and sweet ceremony

“Our legal ceremony in the Guildhall was very short and sweet, just the important bits,” But what a room – the oak panelled Guildhall is a stunning setting and the couple’s carefully selected guests make for a special and intimate moment for their families and closest friends.

“When I first saw Sam, to be honest I can’t really think of any others words than just feeling extremely happy. And relieved – the night before the wedding was the first time we’d spent the night apart in over 3 years: I missed him.”

Bridesmaids dresses in shades of green

“I had five bridesmaids, plus my Maid of Honour. My bridesmaids were my sisters and Sam’s sister and my best friend, Jess, was my amazingly supportive Maid of Honour. I also had my niece as a flower girl.

“All the bridesmaids were very different characters, so I asked them all to pick a dress they liked, and as long as it was a shade of green they could wear it. It meant they all felt comfortable and relaxed and I loved the mismatched shades of green, especially once in the field against the grass.”

Getting married outdoors

“We both loved the idea of getting married outdoors, and chose the field opposite our farm, which has a beautiful Ash tree which we used as an altar backdrop, which is also the view from our kitchen window. As a child I used to play and have picnics in the fields around our farm, as did my dad and grandad before me. It just felt so right to be married there.”

Rustic flowers picked from local fields

“I didn’t want the wedding flowers to look to formal, and wanted something with a meadow or hedgerow feel. A local florist grows all her flowers in Nempnett, and it was lovely to have bouquets and table arrangements that were grown a few fields away from where we married.”

Hay bale seating and an altar built from pallets

“For the ceremony in field, we had hay bale seating with white cotton cloths. We also built an altar from a wooden pallet and left over slate from the farm. The gateways into the field were levelled with gravel and then we had bunting made by Sam’s mum across the opening of them for the guests to walk under.

“Sam’s sister composed a piece of music for me to walk across the field and down the aisle to, with her and Sam’s mum playing violins; it was an incredibly special moment for both Sam and I.”

A simple heartfelt ceremony

“Neither of us wanted the main ceremony at the farm to be too ‘fussy’ or ‘gushy’ we kept it simple and just had two short readings.

Handcrafted details…with a chainsaw

“I made as many things as I could for the wedding. I used different patterned paper squares to make cones for the confetti, which was made from dried flowers.

“In the field we also had a bench, made from an oak tree that had fallen on the farm. With the help of a friend with a chainsaw we cut a seat out of it. It was a great backdrop for photos and it now sits in our garden.”

Reuse and recycle

“I tried to make as many things as possible – all the table names, place cards, table plan, signs were hand drawn and I also did all the calligraphy (having an art degree came in handy). I also made bunting with photos of Sam and I growing up and of us together.

“My sister made our favours. I made the card box for our reception and I managed to make most of the details in the marquee from recyclable or recycled materials and most things have now been reused in our home. We also had a cider bar in the marquee, with cider made on our farm, which was a big hit.”

Tea sets, wildflowers and fields

“The marquee was decorated with borrowed bunting and then the tables had flower arrangements in the centre. All of the table flowers were in different jugs that we collected from car boot sales. Because we had an afternoon tea we didn’t have any other kind of table décor, as they were full up with tea sets. All of the tables were named after the fields around our farm.”

Afternoon tea wedding

“We had an amazing afternoon tea, with sandwiches, quiches, cakes, brownies, and scones with jam and cream. In the evening, we had a hog roast, using a pig from our farm, with salads alongside. We also had a popcorn vendor during the day.”

Relaxed and natural photography

“Emma at Freckle Photography was everything we hoped for and more. Our photos are perfect, there are no other words. When looking for a photographer we both wanted someone whose photos were very relaxed and natural, and when I saw Emma’s work I knew straight away that I wanted her to photograph our day.”

Feeling relaxed in front of the camera

“Every single guest at our wedding commented on not only how amazing our photos are, but how amazing Emma is as a person. She made me feel incredibly relaxed in front of the camera, and it was a joy to have her as a part of our day. She was even game to get up in the cherry picker to take a group shot.”

We met in Amsterdam and fell in love at home

“We met at the opening night of a Dutch painting competition exhibition we had been selected for in Amsterdam; we were both studying towards a degree in Fine Art (at different universities in the UK). Upon getting to know each other over the week, it turned out we lived only half an hour from each other so we kept in touch when we got home and we’ve ended up speaking everyday since then.”

Marry me

“Sam proposed three years after we met. We were on a boat watching a band, and when they played ‘our song’, Sam whispered “Marry me” in my ear. Initially I misheard him and just said “I love you too” back…whoops!”

Homemade wedding cake to finish

“My older sister made our beautiful wedding cake. As we had an afternoon tea (which included a LOT of cake) I just wanted something simple and traditional, so we just went with a vanilla sponge with a thin butter cream frosting and fresh fruit.”

Entertainment throughout the evening

“In the evening we had a DJ and a dancefloor for everyone to dance to. The hay bales that formed the seating also became entertainment for all the children at the wedding, with all of them building a very impressive hay-fort throughout the evening.”

And finally, Charli leaves us with a piece of advice:

“Don’t fret about the weather. With our wedding being completely outdoors I was fanatically checking the weather reports every 5 minutes and it actually rained solidly the entire week before the wedding. But on the morning of our wedding it was blue skies and glorious sunshine. Even if it had rained, it still would have been the perfect day.”

And we have to agree – what a perfectly idyllic laid back village wedding day. Sending a huge congratulations and thank you to bride Charli, and as always thank you to the couple’s lovely photographer Freckle Photography.

{ Details }

Photographer: Freckle Photography
Official Ceremony: The Guildhall, Bath
Wedding Venue: Our Family Farm in Nempnett Thrubwell
Marquee: JG Marquees
Bride’s Dress: “Omette” by Victoria Jane for Ronald Joyce, from Krystle Brides, Bath
Bride’s Shoes: The Rainbow Club
Groom’s Accessories: Walnut watch from WE Wood
Bridesmaid’s Accessories: Jules Stenning
Flowers: Flowers from the Plot
Wedding Food: Mother Hen
Wedding Bar: Viking Bars
Cider Bar: The Nempnett Cider Company
Wedding Cake: Bride’s sister
Popcorn Machine & Vender: Love Candyfloss
Transport: De Gournay Motor Car Company
Decorations: Self made or borrowed