You can always tell when I’m obsessed with a wedding by how long it takes me to build my boards. I go through image after image a thousand times, making sure I choose the very best of the most amazing shots. I don’t want to miss the perfect shot of a smile, a detail, a handhold, but when Marianne Taylor Photography is behind the stills, it’s impossible to share them all. I spent a very, very long time curating the images for this post because the wedding (and the bride, and the groom, and the energy) is absolute perfection. At least in my book. So pretty please, pinky promise me you’ll spend your afternoon in the gallery pouring over all the images I had to leave out of this gorgeous post. It will make you so happy.
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Click here to see the full image gallery!
I always knew planning my own wedding would be a slightly strange experience, having run my own wedding photography business for six and a half years I have seen all sorts of weddings. I have always known its a great opportunity to make a statement about yourself, and plan a day that really resembles you as a couple.
Myself and Daz met back in 2006 when Daz rented off a mutual friend. We spent many evenings in together watching films, eating take always and putting the world to rights. It was quite a while until our romance blossomed but within 18 months we lived together.
We have always loved music, going to Glastonbury every year and attending gigs whenever we could.
In April 2010 I had the opportunity to go to New York for a shoot and decided to take Daz along. It was here a surprise proposal came and we returned with a sparkly ring bought from the diamond district.
We didn’t start the planning straight away as work was busy and we knew we wanted a relaxed ‘festival’ style wedding. Haven’t had some of the best times of our life at Glastonbury we figured this represented us well. When we came across Edworth Manor Farm we knew it was perfect. On a working farm, very rustic (so in our eyes unspoilt) and very old. After this was confirmed a lot else managed to fall into place. The church was booked, my dress was bought and the florist was sorted.
There was a lot of pressure surrounding our day, as we were the last in our group of friends to get married. Also friends kept saying that it would be amazing as I was in the industry. At times if became a little overwhelming and almost like a pressure we felt we had to look up to.
I chose not to wear a wedding dress and opted for a Grecian Matthew Williamson gown. I really wanted to wear a flower garland/crown as felt this reflected Glastonbury and the festival style. It was important that my dress was slightly understated as to carry off the flowers in my hair.
I opted for peach colour themes (which was a slight nightmare for the florist as all the autumn colours were prominent). The florist totally got me though and my incessant Pinterest flower pinning.
I wanted Daz in something also light in colour and away from any traditional like tails or a suit. Whilst in Brighton getting our rings we managed to find his trousers from ‘jump the gun’ and pick up a vintage waistcoat. We had polka dot bow ties made in the states and shipped over.
With the ushers and bridesmaids we decided to go non matching. I think everyone is unique in their own right and we wanted our close friends to reflect themselves in what they wore. I gave the girls a peach colour swatch and told them to find whatever they liked that was close to that colour. We gave the boys polka dot bow ties in blue whilst Daz and the dog Vince wore peach.
We had Irish folk music playing (to reflect Daz’s routes), twinkling lights, a kids tipi, drinks in jam jars, a coconut shy and a tiny peach coloured retro car.
We put so much work into decorating our venue with herb plant favours, hearts on sticks as escort cards, handkerchief bunting, homemade food stalls, retro bikes from eBay…..the list goes on.
My cousin Rob gave me away in replace of my Dad who passed away some years back. We were incredibly close but having Rob (as good as my brother) give me away was lovely. So many friends and family played a little part in the wedding. Help with making things, baking things to good friends doing make up and filming the day. It was a labor of love but everything paid off. We wouldn’t change a single thing. To share such a wonderful day with the people we love (and our pooch of course) is the most special thing of all.
Photography: Marianne Taylor Photography / Cinematography: Kissing Gate Films / Flowers: The Flower Fairies / Catering: Zest Caterers / Cake: A Little Piece of Cupcake / Ceremony Location: St Marys Church, Clophill / Reception Location: Edworth Manor Farm, Edworth / Invitations: Something Kinda Cute / Shoes: Prada & River Island / Dress: Matthew Williamson / DJ: Wedding Smashers / Hair: Vanity Hair