WED-FEST

Wed-festAlicia and Phil threw the ultimate festival-style celebration

Images courtesy of John Hope Photography

It was while Alicia was working behind the bar at The Royal Oak pub in Ripon that she and Phil caught each other’s eye. “She was friends with my younger brother,” Phil says. “I was first attracted to her looks, and we soon found out that we share the same sense of humour.” Looks also played a part for Alicia. “I thought he was the best-looking person I’d ever seen,” she says. “I have since seen Tom Hardy, so Phil has moved to a close second!”

A few years later, Phil was dreaming up the perfect way to pop the question. “I decided to do it in Barcelona – our favourite city,” he says. “Alicia had no idea I was going to propose; I think she had given up hope after being together for so long! She also didn’t know that 15 of our friends were coming to celebrate with us!” Back home, the pair got planning their perfect wedding: a summer festival-style tipi celebration. They set the date for 13th July, 2020, and chose Skipbridge Country Weddings as the perfect location. Alicia gives us the lowdown…

The venue has a relaxed vibe, with llamas and peacocks roaming free, beautiful grounds, a ‘hobbit’ hole, firepits and quirky accommodation. Nothing was too much trouble for the team; they worked quietly in the background to make sure everything went flawlessly. Our cake had three delicious tiers of raspberry Victoria sponge, lemon drizzle and chocolate orange.

To fit our festival theme, we chose whimsical, free-flowing florals. The centrepieces featured homemade rustic boxes, candles and log slices.

We created some elements ourselves for a personal touch. There were homemade sloe gin favours and décor made from pallet wood, including rustic P&A letters, a doughnut wall and signage.

I wore a beautiful boho gown called Charlene by Maggie Sottero. It went on to win wedding dress of the year! I accessorised it with a flower crown, red shoes and matching jewellery. Later on, I changed into a pair of Converse, which were personalised by my bridesmaids! We treated our loved ones to canapés before a festival-style buffet and hog roast, followed by dessert and a doughnut wall.

Phil wore a three-piece suit, thistle and wildflower buttonhole, and a burgundy tie to match the groomsmen’s colours. My best girls wore mid-grey dresses, each in a style to suit their own look, with wildflowers in their hair.

To entertain our guests we had lawn games, which included croquet, giant Connect 4 and an Austrian game that involves nails, a hammer and a tree trunk! We also had an awesome musician called Matt Stephens who everyone loved. Our guests loved the variety at the venue – there was so much going on. It has its own grain silo with a firepit and whisky bar, and we had a secondary firepit with cigars, sparklers and marshmallows. There was also all the animals on site to interact with.

The atmosphere and the look when everything came together was amazing, but our favourite part of the day was our ceremony under the willow tree.

END CREDITS

Venue | www.skipbridgecountryweddings.co.uk Photographer | www.johnhopephotography.com Bride’s dress | https://theharrogateweddinglounge.com Hair | www.lottiehaigh.com Make-up | www.louiselunn.co.uk Bridesmaids’ dresses | www.millybridal.org Menswear | www.moss.co.uk

Flowers | www.roseandspade.co.uk Cake | www.thebarnbakery.co.uk Stationery | www.rosepress.co.uk Catering | www.homegrownhospitality.co.uk Entertainment | https://matthewstephens.net Tipi | PapaKata

bold and fun wedding photography

I’m a fun and bold Yorkshire wedding photographer. I live in Harrogate, a quiet town in North Yorkshire and I can’t get enough of the Yorkshire Biscuit Brew tea. I’m into outdoorsy stuff, climbing, snowboarding, yoga and paddle boarding on a lake. I talk a lot and get excited at anything that involves trying new things and meeting new people.

My couples describe me as a natural and fun person who makes them surprisingly relaxed and brings out elements of their personality they have never seen on pictures.

I give back the feeling of the day with all its emotions.