#26 Farmhouse Frolics
Our Brides – Lauren
It was always a pleasure to see Lauren at the boutique – we would always end up running over just chatting!
As two clearly very creative people, Lauren and Alex really went to town down on the farm. From the farmhouse setting at Gratton Grange here in the Derbyshire Dales to the scavenged decor and the bridesmaids’ Busted music video (!), this is truly one deluxe DIY wedding day.
A naturally beautiful bride in a naturally beautiful setting. With a giant paella and a big brass band. Perfect.
And the Annie dress by Eliza Jane Howell was just so her. It was instantaneous. Lauren was initially after something with an open back, so we lowered the back on the dress slightly to make everything just right.
Congrats Lauren and Alex!
Jess x
THE LOW-DOWN
How would you sum up the style of your wedding?
Boho rustic farmhouse wedding.
Where and when did you tie the knot?
We got married on 20th July 2019 at Gratton Grange Farm, a beautiful barn in the Peak District.
We fell in love with this venue because, unlike some of the other venues we had visited, it really was a blank canvas and I had always loved the idea of completely dressing our wedding ourselves.
We collected everything from the mish-mash crystal cut glasses and brass candlesticks to the peacock chairs and rugs that were scattered around.
The barn had such a romantic, whimsical feel and the farm is surrounded by a beautiful backdrop of rolling hills. The animals roaming around make it a truly unique venue.
And what was your wedding dress?
I wore the Eliza Jane Howell Annie dress. It fit the style of our wedding perfectly!
THE LEAD-UP
How did you two first meet?
Childhood sweethearts, me and Alex met at school at the age of 13. At the age of 15, Alex plucked up the courage to ask me out, and the rest is history!
What about the proposal? When, where, how?
Alex proposed to me on Christmas Day 2016. Our families had decided that, instead of buying presents that year, we were all going to make them. Alex had painted portraits for each of our family members and when I opened mine he had painted ‘Will you marry me?’ It was so lovely!
THE DRESS
Did you have an idea of what you wanted when you first started looking for your wedding dress? And did you stick to it?
I knew I wanted something boho, but I thought I was going to go for something much simpler and less embellished. But when I tried my Eliza Jane Howell dress on I had the best reaction from all of my friends!
The dress felt so me and although it wasn’t what I imagined I felt amazing in it!
How did you find the whole experience of searching for the right dress?
I visited two other bridal shops but Alexandra Anne was by far the most amazing experience! Having the whole shop to ourselves made it feel so special and I will always remember the first time I tried on the Annie dress.
I had found other dresses I liked previously, but it was so nice to have that moment when you feel like you have found the one. The atmosphere of the shop really made it!
What was it about your dress that made it ‘the one’?
I felt so floaty and boho in it. Although it wasn’t what I had imagined, it was so me! It had elements that I would wear in my usual style, which made me feel really comfortable.
The reaction from everyone that saw me in it too of course!
How did you feel once you’d made the big decision?
Me and my friends went straight out to celebrate after I had made the decision, but as soon as I got home I began to have doubts. I think because it wasn’t what I had always imagined. So I went back to Alexandra Anne (this time with my mum) and tried on more dresses, some of which I really liked, but none of them gave me that same feeling. I saved the Annie gown until last and fell in love again! My mum couldn’t believe how me it was and it gave me the reassurance that I had made the right decision!
I would say I had on-and-off doubts right up until the day, but on the wedding day I felt amazing and the dress reminded me why I had chosen it!
Do you have any top tips for other brides out there shopping for their bridal gown?
I would say try to be open-minded and try some dresses that you didn’t imagine you would go for. You never know, you might be pleasantly surprised!
I would also say that it’s natural to have doubts, but if you loved it when you first tried it on you are sure to fall back in love on the day!
THE BIG DAY
Tell us more about your outfit on the day. How did you complete your look?
My dress was such a statement I decided to wear simple shoes and jewellery.
My hammered gold earrings were from Oliver Bonas and my blue velvet heels were from Whistles.
I also wore a silk barely-there veil from Britten Weddings.
In the evening I changed into a Ghost slip dress so I could bust out some moves without feeling at all restricted. I liked that it looked like it was just the under-layer of the Annie dress.
And your bridesmaids?
My bridesmaids all wore different dresses and shoes: I wanted them to feel comfortable and themselves. The dresses they chose looked beautiful together, all shades of blues and greys. The dresses were from Ghost, Oasis, ASOS and Monsoon.
What do you remember about the morning?
It was so lovely to spend the morning with all my best friends/bridesmaids and my mum, who were all helping prepare platters which we were serving later on in the day. I felt so lucky and loved that they were all there for me, helping us with our day.
They had made me a lovely box of gifts for me to wear with something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Followed by gifts and a card from my husband-to-be.
It was absolutely perfect, but I was a nervous wreck!
Who did your hair and makeup?
Saskia Borra from Sass & Co and her assistant Harriet, who were lovely company on the morning of the wedding! They were great at the boho bridal look and each of the bridesmaids had different hair and makeup, with different hair flowers too! Each of them looked individual but all had a boho feel which made them look perfect together!
Who took your wedding photos?
Hannah Millard – aka Camera Hannah. Hannah and her assistant Sally were amazing! Their documentary-style photography meant they really captured the essence of the day and so many special moments of all the people we love.
We also had a video made which was the best wedding decision we made! It really is like reliving the day every time we watch it!!
Did you follow any traditions? Or was there anything unusual about the ceremony?
Rather than a church wedding we had a celebrant (Jo from My Perfect Ceremony) come to the farm to do a lovely personalised ceremony. Jo was so good at capturing us as a couple and telling our story!
We also decided not to have a sit-down 3-course meal and had paella cooking outside in the courtyard for people to help themselves to.
Although we followed a few traditions we wanted the day to be casual and relaxed. We always said we just wanted our wedding to be a big party with all the people we love – one of the only chances you get to have your ultimate guest list! Both sides of our family and all of our friends together + music, wine and cake = the perfect day!
How did your dress feel when you were walking down the aisle?
It felt magical! The lighting in the barn was so romantic and all my worries about everyone seeing my dress went away as soon as I walked through the door. The dress just suited the style of the wedding perfectly.
Apparently there was even a butterfly flying around us throughout the ceremony!
THE MEMORIES
What are your favourite memories of your wedding day?
I have so many, it’s hard to choose which to mention.
The first dance was one of the things we both dreaded, but it was actually one of our favourite memories! We had a lovely moment to ourselves, and then all of our family and friends got up to join us. The confetti cannons went off and the brass band started to play ‘Never Too Much’ by Luther Vandross. It was such a perfect moment!!
We have so many amazing memories on the dance-floor, my Nanna still being the life of the party in her 80s!
Another favourite moment was walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing Alex for the first time. It was overwhelming seeing all of our family and friends but so amazing to know they were all there for us!
What gave you the biggest laugh?
The speeches were great! Alex’s brother’s speech in particular. He spilled embarrassing stories about the both of us and had everyone in stitches.
The bridesmaids had also made their own music video to the Busted song ‘Crashed the Wedding’. They had really gone to town. It was hilarious!!
What got the tears flowing?
The ceremony was very emotional. It was so overwhelming to walk through the door and see everyone’s faces! People said that the vows we had written for each other got the tears flowing.
If there was one piece of advice you could give to a new bride-to-be, what would it be?
Prioritise the things that you love! Me and Alex knew we wanted to have lots of music and lots of flowers.
We decided to do more casual eating so that we could have 4 different musicians throughout the day and we are so glad that we did!
We were also apprehensive about how the day would flow as you don’t get all of your suppliers together until the day, but we had no reason to stress. They are all very experienced in the wedding industry and they know what they are doing.
We were so happy with all of our suppliers and had an extra hand from Sarah Tugwell from Sprinkle of Magic (our on-the-day coordinator) and a small team from Blank Canvas Tents and Events who we couldn’t recommend enough! On-the-day coordinators are a great idea if you want to do the majority of planning on your own, but just need a hand on the day making sure everything is flowing as it should be!
And last but not least, where is your wedding dress now?
My mother-in-law assured me she would get it “as clean as the day I bought it”… She had a challenge after it had been dragged and danced around a farm all day, but she is the queen of dry clean!
I now have it hung in our spare room and I’m wondering when it’s acceptable to put it on again!
THE RECAP
Dress
Annie by Eliza Jane Howell
Accessories
Earrings from Oliver Bonas
Shoes from Whistles
Veil from Britten Weddings
Venue
Gratton Grange Farm, Derbyshire Dales
Photography/Videography
Hannah Millard – Camera Hannah
Hair + Makeup
Saskia Borra from Sass & Co
Decor
DIY
Flowers
Marianne Slater from Frances and Rose (Derbyshire)
Stationery
DIY
Table plan theme
Place we have visited
Caterers
The Giant Paella + The Wood Fired Pizza Company
Entertainment
Emma Buckley (singer)
Jamie Joseph (singer)
Brasswerk (band)
Tom Rodgers (DJ)
First dance song
Tom Odell – Grow Old with Me
Loving Lauren’s look?