Senior Account Manager at Cirkle PR, Clare Wildman got married in August this year. She reflects on her wedding and tells us about the five things that made her big day so perfect.
Clare Wildman and her husband
Venue
We loved the idea of having a marquee, especially in the summer, but we couldn't find the ideal location. After lots of research and help from our catering company, Seasons, we found Hastoe Village Hall - it was the perfect solution - it was so light and airy (like a marquee) and it offered a blank canvas for us to decorate with our own touches. We knew it was perfect as soon as we walked in. The drive through the countryside to get there was also just breath-taking.
Style
We have always liked the shabby chic, rustic look - you should see our house! - so we always knew that this would be the style of our wedding. The pastel colours, white roses and lavender, as well as the venue, bridesmaid dresses and church all tied together to make it the most beautiful, rustic day.
Touches
Having been to plenty of beautiful weddings, we really wanted ours to be different and to incorporate touches that people may not have necessarily seen before. Having spent most nights on Pinterest, Rock My Wedding etc., we went about sourcing items to upcycle. We purchased an old ladder from eBay and upcycled it into a table plan and we made a sign directing people to the hall using the same floral motif as we used on the save the dates. My parents also painted some old wooden crates to create a box for gifts/ cards and a crate to hold the children's games. We also stripped our house bare of trinkets and we made our own name places, menus and orders of service using Kraft paper.
Dual celebration
My parents also celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary a couple of days after the wedding, so we wanted to have something that acknowledged this. We therefore tracked down the same printers that created their wedding invitations 30 years ago and re-created them for our wedding. We really loved this touch!
Hints and tips
Our recommendation would be to get on eBay, people are selling items that have only been used for one day so they are in perfect condition! There are also items that you can upcycle for very little money and you feel so proud to see them dotted around the wedding on the day. We would also say that getting friends and family involved as much as possible is lovely, so on the day you can see the look of pride on everyone's faces.
Tagged in Wedding