Summer LOVIN’

Charlotte and Lewis had a rustic-style wedding at Norton Fields Images courtesy of Tom Beynon Photography

Charlotte and Lewis first met through mutual friends in year 10 as their friendship groups overlapped. It wasn’t until year 13 that the pair became closer and started messaging via Snapchat. She continues, “We spoke every night after school for a couple of weeks and realised we were both going out into town on a May bank holiday. We both remember being nervous before going out, but that faded away once we saw each other and were inseparable all night.”

Lewis proposed on January 1st 2019, during a trip to Innsbruck in Austria with Charlotte’s family. They headed up the mountains one day, and Lewis took Charlotte to a private area to take selfies. That’s when Lewis got down on one knee and popped the question in the most beautiful setting. To top it all off, Charlotte’s family watched everything from afar!

Setting The Scene

When searching for the perfect setting for their wedding, the couple fell in love with Norton Fields in Leicestershire. The bride says, “Located in the countryside, the working farm has an old cow barn surrounded by plenty of land – it felt like we were in our own little world! The on-site cottage accommodation was beautiful, and the whole venue had such a relaxed atmosphere.”

The couple got creative and transformed the blank canvas spaces to match their theme and colour scheme. The decoration was a massive part of the planning process, and the pair went for a rustic theme to match the venue’s exposed bricks and wooden flooring. They opted for a navy blue and sage green colour scheme to complement the day and match the bright flowers. The florist incorporated pink carnations with pops of yellows, purples, blues and oranges with lots of foliage to create a cottage garden feel. The boutiques and arrangements were a showstopping! The florist also made flower hoops hung above the guests during the ceremony and wedding breakfast.

The couple sat on a big rectangular table down the middle of the venue with their nearest and dearests for the reception, while other guests sat on round tables. This added a relaxed feel to the day and meant the couple could chat more easily with loved ones. Each round table had flowers in three small vases, gold candlesticks, sage green table runners and gold charger plates to add a touch of colour and luxury.

The couple were fortunate to get the opportunity to travel around Southeast Asia, so many of the tables were named after their favourite places. They also had Innsbruck, Austria as the top table name!

Lewis’s mum is an amazing baker and created the biscuit favours with green icing that matched the table runners perfectly! Another sweet treat was the incredible naked-style cake that was a true masterpiece and tasted just as good as it looked. Cakes by Mad Cake Maker created a vegan top tier so the bride could also enjoy some cake. The baker made cats out of icing and placed them at the bottom of the bake for the couple to keep forever.

Light letters on the dancefloor spelling the word love looked great in the photos – as did the fairylights on the back wall.

The couple hired a fantastic catering team who created a bespoke menu with some of the pair’s favourite meals. They had cauliflower fritters to start, mushroom ravioli in a creamy sauce for mains and lemon curd cheesecake for dessert – all vegan dishes. They did have a chicken supreme main option for meat eaters too! The lovebirds had hot dogs for evening food, with vegan options available.

Looking The Part

The bride wore an ivory dress called Pearl by Essense of Australia from Dress Me Pretty Bridal Room in Hinckley. The A-Line style looked stunning with spaghetti straps, a fitted waist, a flowy skirt, floral lace and sequins that added some sparkle. The bride says, “I wanted to feel sexy on the day, so the low cut neckline, sheer panels and split in the skirt lining was perfect!” To finish her look, Charlotte wore a artificial flower crown that her Mum wore on her wedding day, but with the addition of some yellow flowers to match the colour scheme.

The bride’s hairstylist was terrific and stayed until the last minute to ensure that Charlotte looked perfect before walking down the aisle!

Lewis wore the same suit as the groomsmen, the pair’s dads and his stepdad from Smart Grooms in Leicester. He went for navy tweed suits, which matched their colour theme and relaxed style. The groomsmen wore sage green ties and pocket squares to match the bridesmaids, while the groom wore a bespoke tie and pocket square made by Florence and She based in Coalville.

Time To Celebrate

The couple hired a Synergy Live Band to keep guests entertained, and they performed all day from when the guests arrived until the last dance – they were a massive hit with loved ones! The band are just fantastic singers and entertainers; they knew the right songs to get people up dancing and even sang in Spanish, which added a summery vibe to the day. They also let guests do a bit of karaoke at the end of the night; Lewis and his mum sang Bohemian Rhapsody with guests on the dancefloor like their fans! It was such a funny but special moment that they’ll always treasure.

The couple also had a photo booth with props, which was especially great for entertaining the children! The captured images were placed into a book, and guests could write messages for the lovebirds alongside. The bride says, “I find that at weddings I’ve been to before, it can be easy to forget to write in the guest book. But when it’s in the form of a photo booth, everyone is happy to spend time on it!

Memorable Moments

Charlotte woke up a lot earlier than her alarm on the big day as she tossed and turned all night, hoping everything would go perfectly on the day. She says, “I made a cup of tea and had some croissants for breakfast – it was so nice to have some time to myself.” She adds, “It’s such a strange feeling just before you walk down the aisle because you’re so excited to be married to your soulmate, but the nerves of walking down the aisle in front of everyone and the realisation of how big this moment is just hits you!”

Lewis was a bag of nerves all morning and went into panic mode as he just wanted everything to go right. The bride says, “When we saw each other for the first time, you can quite literally see the relieved, excited and happy looks on our faces in the photos! We both relaxed so much after the ceremony!”

A moment that stood out to Charlotte was the first look with her dad, which was unforgettable and emotional. It was even more special when they walked down the aisle to one of the pair’s favourite songs, which Charlotte also sang to her dad growing up. Her dad made their day extra special as he spent hours outside in his shed, no matter the weather, making props for the day. Charlotte says, “Anything we wanted, he made! Honestly, our wedding wouldn’t have been the same as he made it possible for us to create our dream wedding!”

The couple added some special touches to symbolise loved ones that are no longer with them. The bride had a bouquet charm on her flowers, which included pictures of her grandparents. They picked pink carnations for the flowers and buttonholes as this was her grandmother’s and Lewis’s grandfather’s favourite flower.

Mambo Bars were great and let the couple include a Singapore Sling to the cocktail menu in memory of the bride’s grandmother who went to Singapore and had the drink at the famous Raffles Hotel. The company let the pair name the drink after her, so they picked The Kathycabana as her name was Kathy and she loved Barry Manilow! There was also an area with photos of other loved ones so they could be there in spirit.

Honeymoon

After the wedding, Charlotte and Lewis travelled to Mauritius for their honeymoon – somewhere they’d always wanted to go. The couple planned the honeymoon together and had the most fantastic time! They’d always dreamt of going somewhere sunny by the beach with lots of cocktails and great food. The Sunrise Attitude Hotel was the perfect fit as it isn’t just a luxurious resort but is vegan-friendly too.

CHARLOTTE AND LEWIS’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

Venue, www.nortonfields.com | Photographer, www.tombeynonphotography.com | Bride’s dress, www.dressmepretty.co.uk | Hair, www.instagram.com/kelliestrawhairandbeauty | Make-up, www.instagram.com/chloesimonemakeup | Bridesmaids’ dresses, Lipsy at Next Groom’s suit, www.smartgrooms.co.uk | Wedding cake and biscuit favours, www.facebook.com/MadCakeMaker | Flowers, www.coalvilleflowergarden.com | Bespoke tie, pocket square, bow ties and scrunchies, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FlorenceAndShe | Stationery, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PaperAdventureCo | Entertainment, www.synergyliveband.com | Catering, www.saffronoutsidecatering.co.uk

Videographer, www.specularvisuals.co.uk | Mobile bar, https://mambomobilebars.co.uk | Photo booth, www.boothco.uk | Light up LOVE letters, www.lilbertseventhire.co.uk

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