Happy Monday Gorgeous People,

I hope you all had a lovely weekend in the sunshine.

We have a beautiful wedding to share with you today.

Tom and Katie wanted their wedding to be relaxed and informal and to reflect their personalities so, after holding their ceremony at St John's Church in Whitwell-on-the-Hill, they decided to hold their reception at home on their farm surrounded by the very countryside that has been the backdrop to their relationship for years. All of their decor was made up of bits and pieces they had lying around at the farm from old milk jugs to scraps of material that they used to make bunting. To add to the relaxed informal feel of their wedding, they also had no seating plan so their guests were free to sit where ever they liked.

Personally, what I love the most about Tom and Katie's wedding has to be their gorgeous photos by Shelley from Diamonds and Doodles. Shelley's unobtrusive soft vintage photography style works perfectly with the relaxed and informal vibe of Katie and Tom's wedding and the result are lovely photos that really capture the homely atmosphere.

Enjoy this wedding peeps - its a keeper!

Over to Katie and Tom.....

Katie asked Thomas first of all on the leap year, which he gladly accepted once he realised she was being serious. However Katie asking Thomas did not sit well with Tom, as he thought it was only right for the male to ask. Therefore Tom took Katie out with their dogs a few months down the line. When they reached their normal spot for the dogs to go for a swim, Katie noticed in sticks was written 'will you marry me?' and Thomas was standing there holding the box open!

We didn't really have a budget, we knew we didn't want to spend thousands and thousands as we just didn't have it but we also wanted it to be a memorable day. We simply looked around at what we wanted and what would fit in with both of our personalities, as it happened I found the perfect marquee company for us, and the bonus side was they were reasonable and after further investigation by far cheaper than most other marquee companies around our area.

The day was totally relaxed and there wasn't really any structure to the day its self. Upon arrival at the farm myself and Thomas had some pictures done whilst the guests made their way inside the marquee. When we arrived inside everyone was seated, in a seat of their own choice as there was no seating plan. We still had a top table for Katie, Thomas, Thomas' Father and Katie's Father. There were 2 tables reserved for the groom and brides parties, the rest was up to guests. I felt this was easier than trying to force people into a social situation that they may not be comfortable with. However it did turn out really nice as people did mingle and introduce themselves to one another.

All our guests have complimented on what a wonderful and unique wedding we had, they all felt really relaxed and welcomed, and most defiantly enjoyed all the food and drink. The guests were surprised and shocked at the gesture of Thomas' dad singing our first dance and I can confirm that he got a louder applause than the Bride and Groom after his singing. It was truly a remarkable day.

To go with the theme of having our wedding at our home farm we dressed the marquee with old farming things eg milk jugs, troughs and chalk boards. The bunting was made from old unused material that we found at the farm.

Don't panic, especially on the day, if something hasn't gone quite right, never mind its your big day too late now. No, no advice I simply went along with everything. There was a slight mix up on the day and my bridesmaids along with my hairdresser had a look of sheer panic across their faces whilst they all look at me, I simply said: "don't worry its fine, it isn't going spoil my day.

Photographer: Diamonds & Doodles
Ceremony Venue: St John's Church in Whitwell-on-the-Hill
Reception Venue: Bride & Groom's Farm
Bride's Dress:Justin Alexander from The Wedding Room
Bride's Shoes:Weddingtons
Bride's Hair & Make-Up:Dannie Lea Hair and Beauty
Canvas Marquee:Posh Frocks and Wellies
Flowers: Kymm Queen FromCastle Howard
Decor & Styling: DIY

Buffet Catering: Angie Miller
Hog Roast:Hog Roast Yorkshire

Big shout out to Tom and Katie for sharing your lovely wedding with us today and to Shelley from Diamonds and Doodles for their equally lovely wedding photos.

Tom and Katie's first dance will be on the blog later this afternoon and it is a golden oldie!

We will see you in a few hours.

Big Love

Festival Brides xx

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