An outdoor ceremony at Bawdon Lodge Farm, Leicestershire

As we are about to head full on into the outdoor ceremony season, I so happy to be sharing with you some beautiful pictures, of an outdoor ceremony we had the pleasure of writing and conducting at Bawdon Lodge Farm in North Leicestershire.

From my initial meeting with Leanne and Rich, I knew it was going to be a super-chilled out day and very stylish. They were SO relaxed about things in the best way.

It was really important to both Leanne and Rich that the ceremony was quite short and sweet, but also allowed their personalities to shine through... check out the smiles on their faces at the end:)

 

Styling

Leanne's friends Candice and Laura made the arch, which was a labour of love, but definitely worth it! 

 Leanne made all of the table flowers and bouquets herself, whilst Maid of Honour Roxy made the floral headdress. I know !!  Some seriously talented people at this celebration.

I asked Leanne what she liked best about their day ....

'How relaxed and stress-free it was - everybody said how much fun it was and that's exactly what we wanted from the day, our closest people having an absolute blast and celebrating with us ! '

What did you like best about Bawdon Lodge Farm ?

The freedom to do whatever we imagined and the great amount of help that Lynn and Richard gave in every aspect of the day ! '

Thank you Leanne for not only sharing your day with us but also these great pictures taken by  Sarah Brittain Edwards, which truly capture what a fantastic day it was x  

A traditional wedding with an American twist at the beautiful Belvoir Castle

The planning to Justin and Emily's ceremony started very early on, as Justin and Emily both live in America and it was actually Emily's mum who first made contact !

Justin and his family flew over to meet with me, as it was really important to Justin, that his parents were involved. There were lots of questions to answer about the ceremony and how things work in England. 

Quite a few cups of tea later and lots of questions answered, I became very excited at how things were coming together. The couple wanted to have the American tradition of having the Bridesmaids and Ushers stand at the front facing the guests.

I particularly love the photo that show the guests celebrating. The English guests clapping hands, whilst there were enthusiastic fist pumps and cheering from the Americans !! A completely natural photo, with beaming smiles all round x

A traditional wedding with an American twist at the beautiful Belvoir Castle

Lisa and Fliss's rustic wedding at Cattow's Farm

It was on a sunny and windy day in July, that I had the pleasure of finally conducting Lisa and Fliss's wedding ceremony. I say finally, because this super-organised pair booked me at the very beginning of their plans, which seems such a long time ago now.

I loved hearing about how their plans were progressing, from the room full of hand-made, multi coloured pom poms to the old-fashioned singer sewing machine, which would decorate the tipi's by Sami Tipi. We did divert on the odd occasion to discussing all the other wonderful finds, such as the green chesterfield chair,  and talks about family outings to Bradgate Park, but most of the time we tried to keep on track.  Without a shadow of a doubt, this wedding was going to be fun !

Everything included in the wedding was either made, included  or purchased with great thought and love. We went back and forth over the vows together, over a lovely cup of tea at Cattows Farm, until they were absolutely right.

Sometimes you just have to sit with a couple and watch the way that they look at each other says it all. Matt Brown Photography has captured this perfectly. So sit back, with a cup of something warm and enjoy a little look at their day.

 

Jo xx

Rob and Alex's colour spectacular !

I knew from the very first time I met with Rob and Alex that the styling of their tipi wedding would be something special; especially with Alex's creative flair,but I had no idea how spectacular it would be.

From the aisle scattered with flowers to the Bollywood inspired tables, to the reams of colourful ribbon, I am still not sure which bit is my favourite. Here is a sneak peek at a few photos of their colour spectacular.

Bradgate Park

I am so excited to announce that I am lucky enough to have been chosen  to work alongside The Bradgate Park Trust to write and conduct ceremonies at the gorgeous Bradgate Park in Leicestershire from July 2016.

I have been going to Bradgate Park all of my life, having been taken there by my Grandparents and parents. I now take my children there and am able to take them to the same areas I would visit as a child, paddling in the same streams, climbing the same hills and rocks. The wonderful thing about Bradgate Park is that it is a natural unspoilt beauty spot, that does not change ( in a good way ! )

I know that so many people would love to be able to have a ceremony at the park and now you can !

There are 2 key areas of the park that can be used for a ceremony, the first being The Woodlands, featured in our shoot below

Lots of talented local suppliers from the wedding industry helped to showcase what a Woodland Wedding at Bradgate Park could look like and slowly but surely it all came together.

Once Bradgate Park Trust had laid the logs and bark chipping down to create an aisle and seating area, Tara from Tickety Boo Events sprinkled her magic styling dust on the ceremony area along with Clemency from The Beau Flower Company who provided the beautiful table centre piece, bouquets and button holes.

The stylish suits for both Grooms, provided by Christopher Scotney's in Leicester and the white bridal gown provided by Brides of Ibstock gave a sophisticated edge to the natural surroundings.

Our second location within the park, is The Ruins, which was the home of Lady Jane Grey, before she became Queen. With the deer ambling slowly in the background and the stunning backdrop of the ruins themselves and the grounds within them, we were spoilt for choice as to where to start. The black dress, gave an alternative edgy feel. The confetti used were simple hand dried flowers, which was a key factor when deciding what to use, as they will cause no harm to the deer if eaten !

Suppliers :

Celebrant : My Perfect Ceremony

Photographer : Yvonne Lishman Photography

Menswear wedding suites : Christopher Scotney

Bridal gowns and hair accessories : Brides of Ibstock

Florist : The beau Flower Company

Stylist : Tickety Boo Events

Chair hire : Bradgate Events Furniture Hire

Canapés and Champagne  : Thomas the Caterer

Confetti : Natural Favours

Hair : Kayleigh King

Source: www.myperfectceremony.co.uk

A snapshot of 2015

Well, what a year ! I cannot believe how quickly it has gone and how much has happened. Here is just a quick snapshot of what has been going on.....

Spring Open Event

We started the year off at the Sami Tipi Open Event, which was held at the beautiful Bawdon Lodge Farm in Leicestershire. Whilst the weather was a little chilly, the atmosphere was warm and friendly , full of talented hand-picked suppliers and lots of excited Brides and Grooms.

I was a little nervous to start with, but within minutes Val from Benessamy Wedding and Events, Jodie from Sami Tipi and Lynn from Bawdon Lodge Farm took me under their wing to make sure I knew where I would be, if there was anything I needed and where the refreshments were ( I love tea and probably drink far too much of it ! )

I guess this must be how some new Brides- to- be might have felt. A little nervous about stepping into the unknown ( you don't get married everyday ! ), but very soon in their element as it was such a fun and relaxed event, with great food, drinks and music to enjoy - everyone was smiling . I know there is another one planned for 2016, so watch this space !

This picture was taken at the end of the day with some lovely suppliers -Allie, Lisa, Karen, Lara and Kerry

This picture was taken at the end of the day with some lovely suppliers -Allie, Lisa, Karen, Lara and Kerry

Branding

I was very lucky to meet the super-talented Mirlah from Best Day Ever, who as well as designing this website, designed all of our branding. I am so happy with it all, as it is exactly what I wanted, embracing a soft, romantic feel - I hope you like it too.

Weddings

How lucky do I feel to have written and conducted such a wide variety of weddings this year ? Very lucky, I can tell you ! I love how creative people can be, once they are given free reign to include whatever they want. So many times I met with couples who would ask " Is it ok if we include this ? " Of course it is ! has always been the answer. From indoor to outdoor, marquee to tipi, candle ceremony to hand-fasting and even boom-whacking, 2015 has covered it all.  Here are just a few photos I would like to share..

Styled shoot and Open Weekend

I was delighted to be asked to be involved in the styled shoot at Swarkestone Farm, Derbyshire that is exclusive to Sami Tipi. I knew the photos would be great as they were being taken byYvonne Lishman photography, who I have been lucky enough to work with before.

The ceremony area, designed by Ticketyboo Events went down extremely well with Bride and Grooms- to- be and is sure to be a popular venue. It was great to chat with couples about their plans, whilst enjoying the sunshine and meeting a few family pets ! ( we are absolutely fine with having pets at the ceremony if that is what a couple wants ).

Swarkestone Farm, Derbyshire. A Sami Tipi exclusive venue

Swarkestone Farm, Derbyshire. A Sami Tipi exclusive venue

The Wedding Industry Awards

Oh my goodness ! I only went and won Best Newcomer 2016 in the East Midlands at The Wedding Industry Awards !! I am absolutely thrilled and so proud to have received this ward. I am really thankful to all the Brides and Grooms who took the time to vote for me and the suppliers who I have worked with along the way this year who inspire me to keep improving and growing.

I think it is only fitting that along with the one of me holding my much-loved award, that I am pictured celebrating with Jodie and Craig from Sami Tipi, and Lynn and Richard from Bawdon Lodge Farm, who were there to support me at the beginning of the year when I started, and of course the lovely Thomas from Thomas the Caterer who won a well deserved award too.

So next week I am off to London, to The National Finals of The 2016 Wedding Industry Awards. The National Finals. That is not a typing error, I just had to type it twice as I still cannot quite believe it. I am keeping everything crossed !

I will keep you posted :-)

Jo xx