GERI + SAM
Wet, windy and wild is how I would have to explain this day. Planned with such detail and beauty the only thing that didn’t turn up was the bloody sun but my god did these guys make up for it!
Read on, tune in and grab a cuppa folks.
The Venue: Cliff Top, Staithes (it was a friends private field)
Awesome Suppliers:
Band: The Quills www.alivenetwork.com Sound system: Esk Audio www.eskaudio.co.uk Favours: Whitby Brewery www.whitby-brewery.com @whitbybrewery and Whitby Gin www.whitbydistillery.com @whitbygin and John Bull www.john-bull.com
Marquee/Tipi: Totem Tipi, https://www.totemtipi.co.uk, @totemtipi1 / Then for the tipi village we used Northern Star Teepees, https://www.northernstartepees.co.uk @northernstarteepees
Videography: Wandering Film Co, https://www.wanderingfilmco.com @wanderingfilmco
Brides Dress Name/Designer: Dress: Woodrose. Designer: Willowby By Watters
Bridal Boutique: Marrime Bridalwear https://marrimebridalwear.co.uk @marrime_bridalwear
Bridesmaid Dress Details: Tops, skirts and dresses were all from ASOS, www.asos.com @asos Flowergirl: Bespoke tutu and ivory bodysuit from Mimosa https://www.mimosabridal.com
Groom Suit Details: Suit Direct, www.suitdirect.co.uk, @suitdirectuk Ring bearers suits from Matalan www.matalan.co.uk
Shoes Details: Bridal shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Cromwell Cutout Western Boot, www.nordstrom.com / Grooms shoes: Brogues www.baselondon.com
Food: Harrogate Food & Drink Co. www.hgfd.co.uk @hgfd.co.uk and on the Sunday we had The Pizza Van feed everyone www.thepizzavan.net @thepizzavanuk
Drink: Bar provided by Harrogate Food & Drink Co. But we supplied all the 'Boat Booze' and table wine bought from Sainsburys
Cake Details: Our friend Nicola Marsay made the cake, she can be contacted via email: nmarsay86@gmail.com
Flowers details: Ginger & Flynn www.gingerandflynn.co.uk @gingerandflynn / some flowers and provided to Sophie at Ginger & Flynn from Picked At Dawn www.pickedatdawn.co.uk @pickedatdawn / as well as some flowers and help for Sophie from @philipbeeforth at @moonwindflowers Velvet flower crown by The Shepherds Purse www.theshepherdspurse.com @shepherdspursewhitby
Hair details: My cousin who was bridesmaid did everyones hair: Sara Hartley Hairdressing www.facebook.com/sarahartleyhairdressing @sarahartleyhair
Beauty Details: My cousin and maid of honour Sophie did my make-up, a natural look and more dramatic eyeshadow and lipstick for the evening.
Stationery Details: Wedding invitations were collaboratively designed by www.curiouslinocuts.etsy.com @lynbailey54 and www.katybyrnedesign.co.uk, then printed onto tea towels by www.thecleverbaggers.co.uk @cleverbaggers Wooden Polaroid Guestbook was made by Fira Studio www.firastudio.com @firastudio Then we made all name places, table numbers, favour tags ourselves using paper from www.etsy.com/uk/shop/tornedgepaper @tornedgepaper
Planner Details: No planner used we did it all ourselves (god help us!)
Decor and hire details: We hired the dining tables, chairs, sofa and arm chairs through Totem Tipi. Brass candlesticks from www.treaureseventhire.uk @treasureseventhire Peacock chair, candlesticks, lanterns, cushions from Wild At Heart. Recycled Glasses from Pot Kettle White www.pkweventcrockeryhire.co.uk @potkettlewhite
Handmade signs by The Old Signmaker www.petewitneysigns.co.uk
Transport Details: No transport other than the local village mini bus (Cobble Courier) which dropped people off on the evening for us.
Celebrant Details: We asked our best friend James to lead the ceremony for us and we collated the script and vows ourselves.
Tell us what made your day unique (max 100 words): Coming from a creative background I had a vision of how things could look and fortunately Sam trusted in my crazy ideas even though it meant a lot of hard work. We did so much ourselves like hand dying the fabric for table runners to making signs from old pallets, friends and family chipped in drying flower petals for confetti and we even borrowed a little rowing boat which we filled with booze! Its these personal touches that tied the whole day together making it so unique.
How did you choose your suppliers?: We tried to work with local suppliers where possible, supporting independent makers and small businesses. We had a clear vision of what we wanted so a lot of time was spent researching and sourcing the right fit. Fortunately, there's a lot of talented folk in the area so we didn't have to go too far for the majority of things.
What was the vibe of your day?: We wanted the wedding to be relaxed and informal and we were keen not to have a cut off time, we love nothing more than a good party and we wanted to be able to do it close to home. We were fortunate to use a friends field on top of the cliff in the village I grew up in, we opted for three giant hat teepees and a midi as well as a tipi village so that we could party for the entire weekend, those who didn’t camp stayed in cottages in the village and we made the most of our time together.
In terms of decor we kept it very natural with a nod to the coast, without it becoming cliche nautical. We had lots of greenery foraged from local gardens, silvery eucalyptus and swaying pampas grass. Ginger & Flynn worked tirelessly adding statement explosions of flowers and foliage to the tipis and entranceway, Sophie completely understood what we were going for. Vintage glass bottles dotted the tables and we made a driftwood chandelier which had bottles dangling from it with flowers in. Although we were in a field for the weekend we wanted people to feel a sense of luxury so we used lots of brass candlesticks and statement furniture to blend indoor with outdoor.
Do you have a favourite moment of your day?: It's really hard to pick one favourite moment from the day as so much of it is epic, but I think seeing all of your friends and family in one place celebrating is truly something special. From laugh out loud moments during the speeches to dance floor moments where the whole village could hear us partying. We just wish we could do it all over again!
Do you have any advice for people planning their wedding?: Start chipping away at the little jobs as soon as you can and source the important things as early as possible too as decent suppliers get booked up fast! If you're planning on hosting a wedding that’s similar to us we really recommend booking a master of ceremony to keep the day running smoothly. We didn't and with hindsight, we should have, just so that you can fully switch off and hand over the running of things to someone else.
Anything else major that you just have to tell us? An epic DIY project? A particular supplier who stole the show? How you found your dress?*: I travelled all over the country to find my dress, I wanted something that really reflected my personality but at the same time felt bridal. I tried on some really beautiful dresses but non of them made me feel confident like this one.
The appointment was a last minute decision as me and my Mum happened to be in Newcastle, I really didn’t expect to find it that day and to be honest I was starting to panic a little that I might just have to settle on something. However the girls at Marrime were so lovely, they sat me down and asked what our plans were for the big day and got an idea of my style. Holly picked a dress out straight away, she said it had just come in that day and as soon as I saw it I fell in love! It had a classic shape but was so unusual with its fringing and lace detail. I could feel the sway of the tassels as I moved and I knew there and then that was it!
I completed my bridal look with a statement headdress made by Ginger & Flynn using fresh flowers and succulents and on the evening I changed it to a velvet flower crown by Tink at the Shepherds Purse. My lovely Mum made me a full-length veil with fringing to compliment my dress which I kept it on until we sat down for dinner and is something I will cherish forever.
How epic was your photographer? ;-): Nick did an amazing job at blending in with the wedding guests as well as putting us at ease when we went for some photos on our own together. Everything was very natural and informal which was exactly what we wanted, no staged awkwardness just us and our loved ones as we are. He captured the stupid faces being pulled and the tender moments between folk too, there was no shortage of images for us to go through after the wedding and more than one bottle of Prosecco was needed as we went through them all.
