Photography Credit: Made U Look Photography (being shot in New York – more on the blog soon!)

I’m not calling today’s interview an Inspirations interview because just the thought of me doing that make me die a little inside (!) However on returning from The States on Monday I realised I didn’t have an interview lined up this week (whoops!) and on such a short lead time the only person I could turn to to get the answers back to me on time was…well…me. Thank you to everyone on twitter & facebook who helped this be a less cringe-worthy experience by submitting questions. If you have a burning question that I haven’t covered then leave it in the comments and if I get enough I’ll do another round of them soon!

How did you get started? When did you realise it was a full-time-oh-my-God-this-is-a-massive-success jobby?? (Giddy Weddings via twitter)

My story isn’t that remarkable or different to that of many people who get into the wedding industry. I started my blog when I was planning my own wedding to Gareth in 2007. At the time I didn’t even consider this could become a career, I simply wanted a place to collate all my wedding ideas and inspiration. Throughout my planning I discovered American wedding blogs. I loved the instant nature of blogging – how you could comment and feel part of a community and I wanted to join in!

After our wedding was over I didn’t want to give up weddings or blogging so I decided to morph my blog into a place for alternative wedding inspiration – i.e sharing other people’s weddings and not just my own. Although I loved the wedding blogs I’d found throughout my plans, none of them catered to the specific kind of bride or style of wedding that I had really wanted to find – the alternative, the offbeat and the Rock n Roll. I also noticed that none of these blogs I was reading were from the UK and so that probably meant that most UK brides were only having wedding magazines as their point of inspiration. I loved reading magazines throughout my planning (although in all honestly probably just because I felt like I was finally ‘allowed’ too!) but although gorgeous and beautiful, they were not showing the kinds of weddings I found inspiring at all. I think if a blog like mine had been around in 2007/2008 our wedding would have turned out very differently indeed!

It still blows my mind to think about where my blog has got me today. Every day (literally!) I’m shocked, surprised and honoured by the things I’m able to do because of it. I guess the very first event that made me think “oh crap maybe this could actually be a thing” would have been back in the summer of 2008 when I was still working as a producer of a shopping channel. I’d been running the blog as a secret hobby since late 2007 and one of my managers at work somehow found it and called me into his office. I thought I was in trouble for sure! However he told me that he loved the concept and the idea and that he was sure I could make something more of it. He took me to a few meetings and the like, and although nothing really came of them, his confidence in me and the brand really gave me a kick in the right direction. More solidly, it felt pretty good when I was finally earning enough to quit my job to blog full time!

I always recognize you by your hair! I was wondering if you feel that it’s a part of your brand and if you’d ever change it up? (Catherine Guidry via facebook)

Hum…yes…no…maybe. This is actually a really hard question and something I have thought about a lot recently! I love having pink hair, it feels very natural to me like it was the colour I was supposed to always have. As a teenager I flirted with every colour under the sun but I always came back to pink. These days I do like how it makes me stand out in a crowd (attention whore, me?!) and that when people see me at events or whatever they always know it’s me… but sometimes I do think that maybe it defines me too much you know? It’s kinda scary to think that without the pink hair people might not know who I was.

It actually makes me feel quite vulnerable thinking I might one day be without it. I definitely think my hair is very strongly associated with my brand and so I do wonder, would I fade into the background without it?! Who knows…I don’t think I’d ever go back to having ‘normal’ hair but maybe I will change up the shade one day. Let’s put it this way, I’m looking forward to being a granny with a purple rinse!

Photography Credit: Joanna Brown Photography (‘Desperate Housewife’ editorial

How do you decide what weddings or shoots to feature? (Lucy Carter via facebook)

It’s basically all down to my own personal taste. I started the blog with no other agenda than to share the kinds of weddings I loved but didn’t see represented in the wedding media. Even though the blog has grown exponentially that hasn’t changed at all. The most important things I look out for are:

♥ A unique idea or theme. I want to share weddings to inspire my readers and make them think “wow, I would have never thought of that.” I do not want to share weddings that you’d see on every other wedding blog. I admire what many of the other blogs do and feature but it’s just not for me. I want to show new, different and exciting ideas.

♥ Details. First and foremost a wedding is all about a couple in love and dedicating their lives to each other. However a wedding blog is primarily there to inspire other brides and grooms for their own weddings and so generally I want them to be full of lots of cool ‘stuff’ and ideas. Clear and clean photographs of things like stationery, clothing, accessories, flowers, cakes, props etc are really important.

However I have featured many weddings that could be described as detail-light. Sometimes the most simple wedding can be really inspiring, just in a different way. Maybe the vibe or the couple and their love really stands out, or maybe the photographs are truly epic. My readers tend to have very similar tastes to me so if I love something often my readers will too!

♥ Great Photography. It makes me really sad when I’m submitted an awesome looking wedding but the photography is naff or just darn right awful and doesn’t show the wedding in the best way. Sure, I understand not everyone has the budget for a wedding photographer, but if getting your wedding featured on my blog is something you’d like to be able to do then professional photography is nearly always a requirement. I have featured weddings where their was no pro photographer but these are few and far between.

A professional photographer will shoot things in a way to show them clearly to people that weren’t at the wedding and that’s the kind of stuff I need to be sharing.

Photography Credit: Devlin Photos (‘Rock n Rainbow‘ editorial)

What made you decide to make the change from working and writing a blog to writing a blog full-time and what lessons did you learn about that transition? (SixteenEighteen via twitter)

I didn’t start my blog in order for it to become a business. However when I was earning enough money to supplement a portion of my income from my full-time job I decided to go part-time. I set myself (monetary) targets to reach before I did this and I certainly didn’t recklessly decide to just quit and see what happened (I probably would have done but Gareth was very strict!) Then, when I was earning as much from the blog as I was from my job we decided that it was time for me to quit completely. I was very lucky because my previous employer offered me the option of working for them on a freelance basis if I ever wanted or needed to, so I always had that added bit of security. Luckily I’ve never had to go back!

I think the most important thing I did was that I planned and I set myself monetary targets before I handed in my notice. It takes longer yes, but quitting a full-time job is risky enough as it is, and if I’d done so without the financials to back myself up it could have been a disaster! I’d seen too many people quit without other jobs to go to and they’d pretty much all come back with their tail between their legs (as freelancers) and I didn’t want to do that!

How do you stay motivated to come up with new posts, especially in the beginning when you’re the one chasing the weddings and not getting submissions? (Katie Tassone via facebook)

I used Flickr a lot to find new weddings. I scoured photographer forums and groups where people could add their wedding images and through sheer obsession I was able to stumble onto a few communities of people who were sharing the kind of weddings I wanted to feature. I made connections with these people, asked them permission to feature their work (or if they were brides, their weddings) and I was off! I was polite and excited in my emails and people just seemed to connect with me I guess. Of course some emails went unanswered but I carried on regardless and moved onto the next wedding I’d found.

I actually had the opposite problem to not having enough content in that I had loads! I guess word spread to a few wedding photographers that I was publishing alternative weddings and so people then started to send me their work. I think my obsession/determination played a huge part in it as well as me having a niche that no one else was covering.

You should immerse yourself if your subject and want to see and know everything about it. If you do then finding content should be easy.

Photography Credit: David McNeil Photography (‘Rock n Revolution’ editorial)

I’d love to know about your time management. How do you fit it all in with an equal balance of working from home and spending time with loved ones? (Love Bus Weddings via twitter)

My obsessive nature helps with this one too! When I say I love what I do I really mean it, and because of this fact I want to be working all. the. time! In fact I love it so much that most of it doesn’t even feel like work (except maybe emails…emails are hard and relentless!)

On a usual day (i.e. one where I’m in the office and not out at meetings/shoots etc) I start work about 10am and don’t stop until 7pm, except maybe 20 minutes for breakfast or lunch. The first thing I usually do is tackle my inbox. You can read all about how I do that here and then I write my blog content a few days in advance of when it needs to be published. I usually write about 3 or 4 posts a day.

I always write in advance and I pre-schedule every blog post. If I didn’t I’d go mad and feel like I was chasing my tail all the time to get articles published. I usually work 2 days ahead, so on Monday I’m writing Wednesday’s posts and on Tuesday I’m writing Thursday’s…This isn’t an exact science by any means as some days I’ll be on fire and bang out a few days worth of blog content whereas others I’ll have complete writer’s block. Working in advance means this is OK though and I’ll always have something going up. It also means that if I have to be out of the office one day there’s still content going up. The rest of the day (I usually do most of my blog writing before 2 or 3pm) is dedicated to admin, brainstorming with Gareth, writing magazine articles, more emails and anything else I have going on!

I guess keeping on top of it all really comes down to being super organised and having a schedule. With Gareth working on the business too it can be hard to have ‘off time’ especially as, unlike me, he prefers to work in the evenings. There isn’t really a magic formula…we just make it work. We always make sure we eat breakfast or lunch (we usually only eat one in our house) and dinner together and in the evenings we try to watch a bit of TV together. Even if it’s only half an hour sat on the sofa, it makes a difference. Although I do work a little at the weekends it is easier to take these off to spend time with my friends and family. It’s slower online at the weekends, the submissions and emails don’t come in as thick & fast and twitter is quieter!

Don’t be under any illusion, it is hard work. But being successful isn’t just about luck or a good idea, it’s a tough grind, it’s sacrifice and it’s making sure you’re working smarter, harder and better than everyone else. In fact there’s an industry gathering taking place tonight that I really wanted to go to but I’ve had to cancel as I’ve got so much work to catch up on since being away (and before I go away again in 2 weeks!) It’s rubbish to miss out on fun things like that, but work always comes first. Building my business and making my blog better for my readers (who are the most important thing to me by FAR) is much more important to me.

Photography Credit: Tinywater Photography (shot while in LA. More here)

I find it difficult to write words to go with blog posts. To me, it seems you draw in the reader with great ease. Any tips please? (Eve Shepherd via twitter)

Confession: I’ve had no professional writing training and I can’t spell for toffee! I think as with most things though, practice really does make perfect. I studied Film at Uni, which consisted of writing a lot of essays and so although I don’t actually use the knowledge I picked up (although if you wanted to I could wax lyrical about the suspension of disbelief theory) it did allow me to practice writing a lot!

♥ Write as you speak. This is said a lot and while I don’t agree that writing should be too colloquial, starting off by putting together sentences that come naturally to you is always the best option. Being yourself and being honest will always draw readers in more than trying to be someone you’re not or writing in a way that tries to impress people!

♥ Be short and concise. Short and well formed sentences read really well. Long and ambling sentences, paragraphs and blog posts read like word vomit. Edit edit edit and if you can cut something out but still get the same meaning across, then do it!

♥ Sleep on it. I hardly ever publish something as soon as I’ve written it. Re-reading something with fresh eyes is hugely beneficial to see where you’re going wrong or if something doesn’t flow well.

♥ Read. Read other people’s writing in an analytical way. What is it that you like about it? Is it the phrasing? Particular words? Sentence structure? Taking inspiration from people you admire is a great way to learn and progress.

♥ Change it up. I use an online thesaurus a lot so I don’t end up using the same words and phrases over and over again! Simple but effective.

I’m thinking about starting a beauty blog. What advice can you give me as far as structuring my blog? (Marissa De Lory via facebook)

I think the most important thing is to have a schedule - for you and for your blog. You need to be strict with yourself, particularly in the beginning, otherwise it’s just too easy to put things off. Never think “oh it’s not that important, I’ll do it tomorrow…” If it’s not that important then why are you doing it at all?! If you know you have to, for example, write one blog post a day, you’re much more likely to actually do it!

Having a schedule with your blog content is also a great way to keep yourself and your blog readers on track. My regular posts (on the main area of the blog) are Thursday Treats and A Sunday Kind of Love. Knowing that I have to have these blog posts go up on these specific days (I think having the day of the week within the post title helps) makes damn sure that I always do it! This is also great for your blog readers as they’ll know that a new feature will be up on a specific day each week.

What is your dream shoot to be in? (Natasha Jane via twitter)

I’m not going to deny it, I’d love to work with Vivienne Westwood. I love her work and her attitude. She’s a massive inspiration to me. If I can be half as cool as her when I’m 71 I’ll be happy! I’d also love to be shot by Jonas Peterson, Matt Miller or David LaChapelle. Go big or go home huh?!

Photography Credit: Steve Gerrard Photography (‘Rock n Riot’ editorial)

Did you have editorial shoots especially done to promote your blog and yourself as a blogger/writer? How did you get into photo shoots? (Helen Grounds via twitter)

Nothing was every handed to me on a plate and in the beginning all the shoots I was involved in I organised myself. You have to show people what you want to do, people are never going to suddenly think “Oh I’ll ask Helen to do a shoot” if they’ve never seen you do them!

My first shoots took place around the time of my own wedding and shot by my good friend David McNeil. He was just starting to photograph weddings and he used me as his guinea pig to practice on! It was literally us, my wedding dress and his camera. How very glam! It was then just obvious to me that I’d share them on my site. I didn’t realise at the time how much they made me stand out from other wedding bloggers but they did I suppose. Everyone knew what I looked like and that enabled my readers to connect with me quickly and easily. Over time David & I met other people within the industry and brought them in to work with us too as we figured it was all positive exposure for everyone involved. I also started shooting with other photographers and everyone seemed to benefit from being able to showcase their work and ideas through my site.

I’m not going to lie, I love having my picture taken! You may not think it but I’m not the most naturally confident person, but seeing myself all made up, in a beautiful dress and photographed by an amazing photographer is a great way to feel better about yourself. If that makes me vain then so be it!

So my advice is simple really, if you want to get into modelling/organising shoots/shooting editorial then just go out and do it! These days you also have the added advantage that blogs and magazines love to feature the results, so if you’re good at what you do there are a number of avenues for you to pursue to getting your work published and promoted. I didn’t have that, I just had my own little blog with hardly any readers, but it worked out. If I can do it then you certainly can!

If you could do any other job in the wedding industry what would it be? (Natasha Jane via twitter)

I’d probably be a wedding photographer although I wouldn’t like all the travel! Photography makes me so happy…and wedding photography in particular! Just seeing the ideas people come up with, and the huge variation in talent and style is so exciting to me. I think photographers are some of the hardest working and creative people in this little industry of ours right now. They’re doing some incredible things.

Photography Credit: David McNeil Photography (‘Las Vegas Lovers‘ editorial)

You are really good at hooking up with your influences and heroes. Is there anyone who you would still like to meet? (Lisa Devlin via facebook)

I guess all that internet stalking as paid off! I’d still love to meet Kirsty Mitchell, Vivienne Westwood, La Carmina (well we’re actually hooking up in 2 weeks – I’m off to hang out with her in Prague!), Jonas Peterson, Matt Miller…and well if we’re dreaming for a second then Kiefer Sutherland…although that would be a strictly non-business meeting!

The Green Room rocks! What was your inspiration behind it? (Neil Thomas Douglas via facebook)

Thank you! In the latter part of last year I started writing a regular feature which I called ‘Post-It Notes’. The idea behind it was to share two short snippets of advice each week – one for wedding planning and the other about running your own business. Each week the ‘business notes’ seemed to be getting longer and more detailed and they were getting some great responses in the comments. I had also attended and helped to organise a lot of workshops last year and I was loving learning about how these inspirational people were running their businesses.

I decided I wanted to make more of this as I realised pretty quickly that this was an area that wasn’t being covered by anyone else, but I was concerned as to what effect it might have on the bride readers of this blog – after all this stuff wasn’t relevant to them at all. So Gareth came up with the idea of splitting the blog in two and the slide function to get from side to side. Genius!

 Photography Credit: Devlin Photos (‘Las Vegas Lovers‘ editorial)

What are your plans for the Rock n Roll Bride brand in the future? (Katie Tassone via facebook)

Well I’m traveling a lot more this year which is really exciting. I have a few trips around the world planned for 2012 and 2013! I actually find going to new places and meeting new people quite scary but being scared is a surefire way to grow I think! I always knew how important it was for me to get out of the office and my comfort zone and to meet people in real life, but I guess now I’m doing it to the extreme! The UK wedding industry is tiny and can, in all honesty, be kinda stifling sometimes. I want to keep spreading my wings please!

The blogging workshops are also going well and we’ll be announcing the next date and location on the 28th May so keep your eyes peeled for that. It’s been incredible how well these have been going down so far. I’m so grateful that people want to come and hear me speak. It’s scary but awesome.

Oh and the print magazine! You guys have been so patient waiting for issue 2 but believe me when I say it will be worth it. We’ve completely redesigned it, it’s more than double the size of issue 1 and (squeee!) I’m just so excited that it’s nearly finished! It’s been a lot more work than any of us anticipated I think but the extra effort will pay off I’m sure!

Joseph & Fabiana had a low-key and intimate wedding at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. They decided against an expensive or extravagant wedding, instead favouring a simple and touching ceremony with their nearest and dearest.

The couple met online and discovered a mutual love of photography and travel. After spending years admiring each other’s work through flickr, they finally met in South Korea and ended up travelling to Japan together where they fell in love. The bride wore a multi-coloured dress from Marimekko which set the tone for the day. Fittingly with the Japanese feel (the ceremony was even held on the ‘Japanese Hill’ within the gardens, under the cherry blossoms) she also carried a bouquet made of origami flowers.

“We wanted a non-traditional small wedding that would reflect both of our personalities and be colourful.” the bride wrote. “We originally wanted to get married in Japan, but it was too far away from our home countries (the UK and Mexico) for guests to travel to. Therefore, we searched for Japanese Gardens in closer locations. We found one in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens which was perfect because New York was a city we had both loved and a location almost half way between the UK and Mexico. We chose April to coincide with the bloom of the cherry blossoms.”

I love this! Thank you so much to Joseph & Fabiana and their photographer Leila for sharing this gorgeous wedding and story with us today.

Supporting Cast:

Photography Credit: L&L Style Photography
Venue: Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
Bride’s Dress: Marimekko
Bride’s Shoes: Free People 
Bride’s Headpiece: Zara
Bride’s Bouquet: DIY (groom)
Band: La Belle Musique

When you set your wedding around a vintage carousel it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a fun-filled and awesome day right? That’s exactly what Lucy & Mini had when they found Preston Court in Kent, and even the rain couldn’t stop them having the time of their lives! “Lucy & Mini chose an outdoor wedding and were married under a pretty little gazebo on Juliana’s Island which their guests sat across a little stream to watch,” wedding photographer Jennifer West told me.

“All was well until there was a huge downpour which soaked all the guests. Luckily everyone saw the funny side. Lucy & Mini walked down the aisle (well, the path) as husband and wife to ‘Lucy in the sky with diamonds’. The torrential rain lasted most of the day until the end when the sun came out and lots of fun photos were taken on the carousel while the sun was setting.”

The day was relaxed and fun with homemade touches everywhere. These included the flowers, the centrepieces, the stationery…and even the brides dress which her mother had made!

Gorgeous. Thank you to Jennifer and the lovely Lucy & Mini for sharing their beautiful wedding with us today.

Supporting Cast:

Photography Credit: Jennifer West Photography
Venue: Preston Court, Kent
Bride’s Dress: DIY
Bride’s Shoes: Vivienne Westwood/Melissa
Bride’s Headpiece: DIY
Bride’s Jewellery: Vintage
Flowers: DIY
Stationery: DIY

Fancy something different for your bridal bouquet and something you can keep forever? If you would prefer to carry something with more options for customisation or something that doesn’t have the potential to wilt then be sure to  check out Innstyches on etsy.

“I make wedding bouquets from all sorts of fabric but my favourites are cotton and chiffon. I just love the results I can get with these materials,” says designer Jo.  ”Fabric bouquets are a modern and quirky alternative to the traditional bridal bouquet which is why I think my designs are perfect for Rock n Roll Brides!”

“Whether your wedding style is vintage inspired, rustic chic or modern contemporary, they a make a charming and unique addition to your wedding. You can theme your bouquet around your wedding and make it really personal to you. You can jazz the bouquet up with stripes and polka dots or bold colours like fuchsia and black. You can even tone it down with rustic natural colours and rich vintage creams. I can use special materials like lace from your mum’s wedding dress or buttons you’ve collected yourself in order to make each bouquet really personal and unique.”

Innstyches prices start from just £10 for boutonnières and from £80-£150 for bouquets, making it not only a unique option but an affordable one.

Photography Credit: Annamarie Stepney Photography

Reader Discount

Jo would like to offer all readers of Rock n Roll Bride 10% off any order placed before 30th June 2012. To qualify, simply quote ‘Rock n Roll Bride’ when you enquire.

For more info or to see some of Jo’s previous designs, check out her etsy store today. She can also be emailed directly on innstyches@gmail.com.

All Photography Credit (except where stated): Mocco

* Sponsored Post

Photography Credit: Made U Look Photography (more on the blog soon!)

I started smoking for the stupidest and most predictable of reasons, the reason I would assume most teenage girls do in fact…in order to look cool. All the anti-smoking adverts and scary warnings about blackened lungs and throat cancer didn’t deter me from lighting up alongside my school friends as we walked through the park to school. My addiction raged for 13 years but 20 days ago I decided enough was enough and I quit. Just like that. No patches, no nicotine replacements. Screw the softly softly approach I thought…I went cold turkey and just stopped.

In all honestly I actually wasn’t enjoying puffing away any more. Sure, I enjoyed the initial rush of those first few inhales, but after that it was just getting to be a pain in the arse. It was anti social (the majorty of my friends have now quit), it was expensive and it made me feel like crap. I’d wake up in the morning after a big night out and feel like my lungs were burning. Gareth hated it more than anything and I knew how much it would mean to him if I was no longer sneaking out to the back garden after a few glasses of wine.

I was very lucky that while in New York I was surrounded by non-smokers. It’s been difficult but not as hard as I’d imagined, the only really tricky time being after a few cocktails/glasses of wine in the evenings. Calling myself a non-smoker now feels good, not weird, and I’m pretty excited about all the extra money I’m now going to have for shoes (sorry Gareth!)

So apart from wanting to share my excitement, you’re probably wondering what the point of this entry is. Well, thinking about quitting something that, in a strange way I felt defined me, was hard. Impossible even. However deep down I knew it was the right thing to do. I think we can probably all apply this same reasoning to running our own businesses. I’ve been thinking recently about what it means to quit things we do as part of our businesses that, for whatever reason, we’re not enjoying any more and why that is certainly no bad thing. We’ve spoken about outsourcing, about how to avoid burn-out and ideas to speed up our workflow but how do we feel about giving things up all together? If you’re anything like me, the idea of quitting things completely is slightly terrifying (“What? You mean I can never have another cigarette ever again?!”) but sometimes it really is the best way to go about things. I guess I’ve always been an ‘all or nothing’ kinda gal.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the greatest thing about running your own business is that it’s yours to do with as you wish. Sure, we have to worry about taxes, overheads, margins and profits, but at the end of the day if something is no longer working we can make our own decisions to quit them!

I’ve spoken to wedding photographers who no longer enjoy engagement shoots so they simply took them out of their packages, and others who hate running photo booths so they’ve sold their kit. I’ve pondered with stationers who hate embellishing their suites so now favour only printed items and jewellery designers who’ve stopped making cheaper mass market (but high earning) items in order to take a risk and focus on more luxury items…And you know what? Every single person is ecstatic about their decision. Sure, the things they’ve quit might work for others or be seen as ‘the norm’ but if they’re making them unhappy why would they want to carry on with them?

I often wonder, if I could go back and relive my tumultuous teenage years would I still make the same ill-advised decisions? Would I have continued to light up while walking across the park to school?

Yes…probably.

But in actual fact I can now look back on that memory with a weird fondness, because without that moment I wouldn’t now be able to proudly say “I’m am ex-smoker and I quit to make my life better.”

I don’t feature a while load of engagement sessions on my blog, but I simply couldn’t resist Jeni & Manny’s urban beach session. “When Boston make up artist/hair stylist extraordinaire, Jeni Teran, contacted me regarding engagement photos with her fiancé, I immediately started brainstorming!” wedding photographer Shannon Grant told me. “How would I do justice to such a sweet and (ahem) gorgeous couple?”

“Keeping the background more neutral by using the beach really helped set off her unique style and the couple’s down to earth personalities. Sometimes less is more and with lots of color going on, a nice simple location really allows for people to shine! Just an outfit change, a blanket and their love was all we needed to create this fun loving, beautiful engagement session.”

Agreed! Totally beautiful. Thank you to Jeni & Manny and Shannon for sharing these today.

Supporting Cast:

Photography Credit: Shannon Grant Photography

Vivien of Holloway dresses are so beautiful, and many of the lucky bridesmaids in the weddings that I feature get to wear them…however when Abby got married she thought “why should they have all the fun?” and so she opted for a pink floral 50s inspired dress from their collection for her wedding dress! Pairing it with awesome cowboy boots and a faux fur jacket, she looked incredible.

The rainy wedding (it certainly didn’t dampen their spirits - like it could with the bride in a dress like this!) was held at Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, and after a horse drawn carriage ride, the reception took place at East Dean Village Hall, East Dean.

“We really wanted to avoid anything too stereotypically weddingy,” Abby told me, “we just wanted the day to be a reflection of how we think about each other – just lots of fun! Neither of us feel particularly comfortable with formality and stuffiness – laughing, messing about and being childish are much more important! We wanted it to be something which could be enjoyed by everyone – from toddlers to our older relatives. We decided to give the some of the more traditional elements such as speeches, cutting of the cake and first dance a miss. However, we did do a spot of jiving to get me spinning and twirling around in my dress…it was too hard to resist!!”

The couple injected DIY elements wherever they they could, “Not only were we lucky to get a lot of helping hands setting up, but so many people helped in the run up to the wedding. My mum really is the star DIY pupil though as she made so much cool stuff – including all the cakes, the vinyl record cake stands and bowls, the bridesmaids dresses, the windmills and felt hearts! She even planted spring flowers in troughs (that she made herself nonetheless!) to stand outside the village hall. We made ribbon flowers to add to the tables as we thought these would be an interesting and unusual decoration. Ian decided that, having made some ties in a high school project many years ago, that he would hand make the ties for him, the bestman, the ushers and his dad – it turned out to be more time consuming than expected (and he wonders if any of them managed to still have them by the next morning….)”

The wedding had a really relaxed vibe and the ‘hoedown’ theme really got the party started! “I guess our theme was country and bluegrass,” the bride concluded, “from the Johnny Cash inspired ceremony music and readings, mixed with the rustic and rural charm of the US deep south – gingham, jam jars, JD bottles, banjos, barbequed meat and wild west lettering and signs. And of course, some cowboy boots thrown in there for good measure!”

Awesome! Thank you to Abby & Ian and their wedding photographer Nicki for sharing with us today.

Supporting Cast:

Photography Credit: Nicola Feltham Photography
Ceremony Venue: Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Nr Chichester
Reception Venue: East Dean Village Hall, East Dean, Nr Chichester
Bride’s Dress: Vivien of Holloway (dress and petticoat)
Bride’s Boots: Sheplers, USA
Groom’s Outfit: eBay (suit), Sheplers (boots) & DIY (ties)
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: DIY
Cake: DIY
Cake Topper: Simon Cheadle & Tim King
Flowers: DIY
Band: The Biggin Hillbillies
Stationery: DIY
Caterers: Forest Hogs (hog roast)