Holli & Richards Elegant and Rustic Real Wedding
Holli and Richard tied the knot in a relaxed but effortlessly elegant barn wedding on the 23rd of June 2017 at the Priory Cottage. A fresh feeling colour pallete of creams and rose gold perfectly created the classic but relaxed feel the coupe were after. We sat down to hear all about their love story...
How did you and your partner meet?
“We met working together at Ted Baker when Rich was at university and I was just out of school.”
How did he propose?
“We were on holiday in Costa Rica. He had set up with the hotel that we won a romantic meal for two on the beach so I didn’t suspect! It ended up raining so they moved in into a wine cellar in one of restaurants. He had chosen my favorite food and I thought it was strange how the hotel had known! Little did I know he was about to propose.”
Length of Engagement?
“2 years!”
How would you describe your wedding in one or two words?
“Perfect!”
Tell us about your wedding gown and how you chose it!
“It was the last dress I tried on at The Bridal Collection in Harrogate – it was the first time I had ever tried on dresses and I knew I wasn’t going to be one of those people who went from shop to shop! When I first put it on a wasn’t 100% but my bridesmaid said why don’t I try a belt and it completely changed the dress and I loved it! I felt so comfortable which is something I really wanted to make sure of and I felt amazing in it.”
Did you do a ‘first look’ before the ceremony?
“No - it was all a surprise!”
What sort of style did you envision for your wedding day?
“We didn’t want to make it too formal. We wanted everyone to feel as relaxed as possible so kept things quite simple but with a touch of elegance. I didn’t want it to become to country themed with it been in a barn so made sure the flowers and the decoration didn’t fall into that and brought out a little bit of glamour!”
How did you come to choose the location and venue?
“It was the first and only venue we looked at. I loved that we could all stay at the venue and has access to the whole site for 2 days and the amazing courtyard! This made the wedding as all our friends and family could enjoy the run up and be together to celebrate with us for as long as possible! The day ended up been really warm so our singer and string quartet ended up been outside in the courtyard and it was amazing. We are both very laid back so as soon as we went to look we knew it was the one so went for it!”
Did you have any readings?
“Yes we had both our sisters do a reading each.”
Were any of your guests involved in the ceremony in any way?
“No but my flower girl (my niece) decided half way through that she wanted to come up and hold my hand so we had a little guest stand with us for part, which was very cute!”
Tell us about the cake/cakes?!
“We had cupcakes and then just a small cake at the top! The small cake was made by Richs mum. They love fruit cake and this was a really nice touch for her to be involved with the making of the cake! The cupcakes where made by a family friend. I didn’t want a huge cake that no one would eat, so went for cupcakes and I didn’t even manage to get one as they all got eaten that quick! We had white chocolate and lemon flavor with a few different icing designs, it was really affective and looked amazing!"
What flowers did you use in the bouquet and at the venue?
“We opted for an all-white colour theme with touches of blush and ivory for contrast and to tie in with my dress and the bridesmaids. My bouquet was white roses, peonies and blush colored stocks with some tiny eucalyptus, we had two amazing floral columns at the ceremony made from white lisianthus, big white roses, white peonies, green bell and white hydrangea.”
How did you choose your table décor?
“We decide to go for half the tables decorated with an arrangement of candles which we did ourselves and the other half with big floral center pieces that where high and had floating candles to tie in with the other tables.”
What was the menu for the reception?
“We had an informal BBQ type menu. We didn’t have starters and we increased the number of canapés. For main we had the taste surf & turf grand skewer which included, smoked rib eye steak, Giant Szechuan king prawns and Butter grilled chicken with Chunky hand cut chips, Classic Caesar salad and garlic and tomato herb breads. For dessert, we had sticky toffee pudding and a cheese board.”
What were your favorite moments from the day?
“The speeches. They were all amazing and I don’t think these was a dry eye in the room!”
Name your wedding soundtrack!
● Aisle entrance: Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley (played on the string quartet)
● Exit: Think I Want To Marry You – Bruno Mars (played on the string quartet)
● First dance: Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran
Any DIY décor elements?
“We decorated part of the ceremony room ourselves. There was a large opening which we wanted to fill so thought what’s better than flowers. My mum loves flowers so we ordered from a wholesaler and got some vases and it looked amazing! We also did half the table decorations ourselves which were simple but affective!”
Any sentimental personal touches?
“My bridesmaids were my cousins who are my best friends. We have grown up together so for their gift we got them a picture of when we were younger and framed into a lovely frame with a nice message at the bottom.”
How did you save on costs?
“By doing some of the decoration ourselves. I have a very creative family which helps but where able to make it look like it was done by a professional by just keeping it simple and setting it all up at home until it looked perfect!”
In hindsight, anything you would have done differently?
“Absolutely nothing!”
Where did you go on honeymoon?
“Mexico – we spend the first week on our own and then family and friends came to join us for the second week to extend the celebrations!”
Any tips that you can give to future brides?
“Don’t overthink it! The little things that you stress about are not worth the stress! It was all work out perfectly.”
If you could sum up your wedding in one sentence, how would you describe it?
“Best day of our lives!”
The Team
Wedding feature thanks to: Adorn
Wedding Invitations: Dandelion Stationary
Dress: Badley Mischka
Veil: The Bridal Collection Harrogate
Makeup: Megan Bulmer
Hair: Laura Collett-Bradley
Shoes: Kurt Geiger
Bridesmaids Dresses: Ted Baker
Groom’s Suit: Paul Smith
Groomsmen Suit: Ted Baker
Cake: Made by a family friend!
Food: Taste Cuisine
Flowers: Leafy Couture
Photographer: Lumiere Photographic
Ceremony Venue: Priory Cottages
Reception Venue: Priory Cottages
Entertainment: Jonny Ross Music + Simply Strings + Marcus Songs
Celebrant: Harrogate registrars
Transport: None
Wedding Favours: Krispy Kerme Doughnuts
Any Other Vendors:Balloons by Funky Muppet
