BOHEMIAN VIBES

vibesBOHEMIAN

Amber and Aaron created an unforgettable rustic-styled wedding

Images courtesy of Sarita White Photography

After an introduction through mutual friends, it wasn’t until nine years ago that Amber and Aaron really got to know each other at a local music festival. Amber says, “We were glued together all day; I loved how kind, caring and funny he was – we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

Back in June 2015, Aaron proposed during a trip away in Newcastle to celebrate Amber’s birthday. She says, “I had no idea it was coming; he was nervous all day and then brought out a scrapbook with pictures from over the last few years. There was a photo on the last page of our, at the time, 10-month-old baby in a babygrow saying ‘mummy – will you marry daddy?’ It melted my heart and I immediately said yes!”

The couple’s wedding was set for February 23rd 2020, and the pair planned their perfect day.

SETTING THE SCENE

When it came to finding the perfect wedding venue, what location could be better to hold such a special day than Swancar Farm Country House? The bride says, “I spent my childhood growing up near the venue and would pass it every day on the way to school, college and then work – I had always dreamt of getting married there.”

The decorations on the day looked marvellous and Pinterest provided the nearlyweds with plenty of inspiration! A copper stand was used for the table plan with a macrame backdrop and ‘floating’ names and table numbers placed on fishing wire. This was switched with a personalised ‘The Launders’ sign in the evening with the addition of an instant camera and a suitcase full of fancy dress items for guests to take fun photos.

The centrepieces included luscious greenery and tealights, which looked beautiful! Each place setting had sprigs of greenery and grey sashes on the backs of chairs to bring the whole look together.

The bride chose a green bouquet filled with ruscus, eucalyptus, thistles and other rustic-styled greenery in keeping with the theme – the bridesmaids all had mini versions of this.

For favours, guests had little tubes of flavoured gin that went down a treat! Little jars of pick ‘n’ mix were given to nondrinkers, and children had colouring books and pens to keep them occupied.

The venue was in charge of catering and did a fantastic job; there was roasted pepper tomato and mozzarella bruschetta for starters, chicken and leek pie with mustard mash, broccoli and carrots for main and sticky toffee pudding with a butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream for dessert. The bride says, “The food was to die for, we thought it couldn’t be beaten until we had a selection of stonebaked pizzas from the venue’s new pizza oven. Myself, the groom, best man and our parents sat down at the end of the night in The Orangery munching on leftover pizzas and taking in the whole day – it was a highlight of the evening!”

LOOKING THE PART

The bride wore the Verdelle 2.0 dress by Grace Loves Lace; it was everything she had dreamt of since a young girl. The bride says, “I knew it was the one as soon as I tried it on; I couldn’t get it out of my mind despite trying on many other gowns. Every woman has things they’re self-conscious about, but I felt so beautiful on the day and couldn’t wait for Aaron to see the dress I’d been banging on about all year!” A flowercrown and a personalised ‘Mrs Launder’ white and gold clutch bag finished off her look perfectly.

The groom and groomsmen all wore brown/grey tweed suits with waistcoats, but Aaron wore a paisley tie to stand out from the others. Their son, Harrison, wore a suit with similar material and colours to match his dad as an exact match couldn’t be found. He looked adorable and had a top mission to keep the rings safe before the ceremony!

The bridesmaids wore gorgeous, pleated dresses with plunge necklines and lace trim on the backs. Amber says, “It complemented everyone’s figures beautifully; I couldn’t believe how gorgeous they all looked! Our daughter and flowergirl Piper wore a white dress similar to mine with lace detailing – she looked like a princess.”

TIME TO CELEBRATE

A fantastic live acoustic act called Richard Jenkins played while the bride walked down the aisle and entertained guests during the reception. Amber comments, “I went to school with him and he’s so talented! His laid-back music was one of the highlights of our day.”

IB Disco performed in the evening with strobe lighting and played ’80s classics to ’90s dance anthems and even a few song requests – guests were up on the dancefloor dancing the night away. “Luckily, we had a box of flip flops for guests; I’d be feeling sorry for their feet the next day otherwise,” says the bride.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

After creating the perfect life together, the couple loved having their nearest and dearest together in one space. Amber says, “I still can’t believe we managed to have a wedding despite COVID-19; it was the last time we spent time with all our friends and family – so that’s magical in itself. My mum’s speech was really special, I never knew my dad and was so proud of her getting up and doing it in front of everyone.”

The day was full of funny moments such as drunken antics from the bridal party to the groom pulling out a canvas picture of their stag party in Benidorm during the speeches. Overall, the day was a rememberable one, and their photographer did a fantastic job of capturing special moments without anyone noticing!

HONEYMOON

The couple jetted off to Dubai for three nights followed by four nights in the Maldives on Kuramathi Island. Amber says, “It was the best holiday we’ve ever been on and we’ll definitely be going back! The week we arrived home from our honeymoon, the island went into quarantine because of a confirmed COVID-19 case – so we were pretty gutted that we didn’t get to quarantine in the Maldives for two weeks!”

AMBER AND AARON’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

Venue and catering, www.swancarfarmcountryhouse.com | Photographer, https://saritawhitephotography.com | Bride’s dress, https://graceloveslace.com | Bride’s accessories, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LovedonLane?ref=yr_purchases | Make-up, https://instagram.com/lauras_beautybar_?igshid=1wumlc066jq3q | Hair, www.hairven-salon.co.uk | Bridesmaids’ dresses, www.asos.com | Flowergirl dress, www.monsoon.co.uk | Groom’s suit, www.slaters.co.uk | Flowers, www.thevandavase.co.uk Stationery, www.peartreeyard.co.uk/shop | Entertainment, www.ibsdisco.co.uk, https://encoremusicians.com/Richard-Jenkins Pick ‘n’ mix, www.hancocks.co.uk | Place names and sign, www.woodencraftedgifts.co.uk