All the fun of the fair! A real-life summer wedding

With all this glorious sunshine in this summer’s heatwave, we have some very happy brides, securing some gorgeous, summery photographs. It got me reminiscing to an incredible wedding last June, which epitomises the essence of summer. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding and praying that Summer 2019 delivers another heatwave, then take a look at Katy and Chris’ beautiful celebration for inspiration.

We first met Chris when he approached us to help him fill a room with flowers as part of his very romantic proposal to Katy, so it was an absolute delight when they came back to us and asked us to do their wedding flowers as well. Katy’s brief was ‘bright and seasonal’ where anything and everything goes, and the result was vivid, jovial and fun.

Following an exquisite ceremony at their local church, Katy and Chris opted for a reception on the edge of picturesque Cherry Orchard Lake in Delamere.  Guests were greeted with quite a sight; their very own fairground party for the afternoon before the newly married couple arrived in their VW campervan from The Love Bus Company.

Katy and Chris erected a Sperry Tent from PapaKata as a beautifully cool focus to the wedding celebrations, delicately adding festoon lighting and birch trees alongside an incredible central bar which we decorated with an enormous hoop of glorious foliage. The tables were then littered with mis-match jars, vases and bottles with delicate stems of garden flowers such as stocks, nigella and achillea in shades of vivid orange, deep purple and sunshine yellow, most of which we sourced from Carol’s Garden in Cheshire, our go-to supplier of pretty, seasonal and British blooms. The effect was mesmerizingly pretty with the bright, intense colours keeping everything lively and fun.

But then surrounding the marquee was a dream of fairground entertainment, complete with carousel, hook a duck, coconut shy, strongman game and more ice-cream than you can imagine.  Katy and Chris’ vision was always about making their day maximum fun for their guests and this was delivered in spades! A highlight for me was when Mark and I were allowed a go on the carousel before the guests arrived! Katy herself said the carousel was an absolute hit and some of her most treasured moments and conversations came from whizzing around with friends and family – she even threw the bouquet from there!

Katy’s bouquet echoed the style from inside the Sperry tent, tying colourful stems of mint, alchemilla and astrantia loosely together for a relaxed, ‘just-picked’ vibe. Mini versions were created for the bridesmaids and Chris wore a button hole of thistle and bupleurum.  All of Katy’s stationery from Eagle Eyed Bride followed suit, with delicate floral illustrations forming the border of the table names and seating plan and background to the place name tags tied around sticks of traditional rock.  All of which looked so pretty next to the vintage tea cups and plates collected by relatives and friends.

The floral theme continued with a cake from the uber talented Amy Swann Cakes; a simple three-tiered fruit cake decorated with THE most delicate, ornate icing blooms, in keeping with the quintessential summer meadow feel. You would definitely be forgiven for thinking they were the real thing!

Their photographers, The Crawley’s, captured some awesome shots of the day, blessed by glorious weather, an uber cool theme and an ‘up for it’ couple. Which sums up Katy and Chris really; full of fun, happiness and energy. Their wedding day was always about everyone else as much as them!

All the fun of the fair! A real-life summer wedding