The eclectic wedding of Laura and Hayden on today’s blog, with a mixture of rustic styling, a classic wedding dress, a Gothic wedding cake and a french bulldog as a bridesmaid it has lots of inspirational details. Set at Bassmead Manor Barns, Staploe, Cambridgeshire on 28th December 2018, it boasts tons of personality and has some festive details too! Here we catch up with Laura who tells us all about how they created their eclectic wedding day!
How You And Hayden Meet?
“We met through mutual friends on a night out in Hitchin back in 2009. I was wearing a red wig at the time! He was friends with my friend’s boyfriend and we bumped into them on a night out. He was out with his then-girlfriend at the time. Needless to say that he didn’t stay with her for very long afterwards! The following weekend we went out on a date and the rest is history.”
The Proposal
“It was completely out of the blue one Saturday morning in December (the 10th to be exact). I thought he’d gone out to play golf so I leisurely starting putting up the Christmas tree in my PJs. He unexpectedly waltzed through the front door, marched over to me, sent the Christmas tree flying and got down on one knee. We’d been together for 7.5 years at this point so it was a long time coming.”
Planning The Wedding
“We didn’t have a specific theme. Despite it being a winter wedding in December I didn’t want it to be Christmassy or winter wonderland. I had an idea of the colour scheme, which our wedding stationer classed as jewelled opulence. Rich reds, purples and green with accents of gold and rose gold. In the end we referred to the theme as ‘go big or go home’. Budget wasn’t a word in my vocabulary!”
The Location
“Bassmead Manor Barns was the sixth wedding venue that I’d been to see and I fell in love at first sight. The age of the Rickety Barn offset by the modern dining barn was gorgeous and ticked all the right boxes. It created the perfect ambience and we loved that there were two separate rooms for the service and the wedding breakfast.”
The Dress
“I chose dress number 27! To say that the experience was hugely overwhelming is an understatement. But as soon as the Justin Alexander Signature gown touched my body I just knew it was the one. People say that you’ll just know, and I did….albeit the 27th that I’d tried on! The girls at Fleur de Lys bridal in Saffron Waldon were so incredibly patient with me. Looking back, I feel like I said no to everything that I tried on, but my bridal consultant, who also happened to be the owner of the shop told me that only I could choose the right dress. That’s when I realised that I needed to get a grip and choose which silhouette I wanted.”
The Suit
Hayden’s suit was handmade by HRH Holmes in Hitchin. At 6’5 tall we always knew that he’d need a custom made suit. The experience was exceptional all the way through, from choosing the fabric, the lining, the shoes, the socks and even the alterations. The fabric of the suit was a gorgeous merino wool and the pinstripe was purple, which tied in beautifully with the colour of the invites and wedding stationery. Totally unplanned but beautifully executed.
The Bridesmaids
“I had five bridesmaids and one brides dog! It was really important to us that our three French Bulldogs were involved in the day, which is another reason why we chose to get married at Bassmead Manor Barns. I found the bridesmaid dresses before I’d even chosen my own gown, and completely out of the blue too. I hadn’t purposefully gone out shopping for their dresses, but as soon as I saw them I just knew. They were emerald green maxi dresses that I knew would suit the size and shape of all five bridesmaids. Dolly wore a flower corsage around her collar.”
The Details
“I absolutely adore flowers so we spent at least 10% of our overall costs on flowers, which were lovingly made by Carole Smith. I met her at a wedding fayre that I hadn’t planned to attend. But luckily I did as she had the most amazing centrepiece on display that I absolutely fell in love with, so that sealed the deal! Funnily enough the centrepiece was featured at the wedding of the lady who showed us around Bassmead initially. It was fate!”
“The cake was a bespoke design by Choccywoccydoodah. The plan was to have a bride and groom Colin the Caterpillar cake from M&S, but they stop making novelty cakes mid-December. That caused some panic, but then I remembered a Choccywoccydoodah creation that I’d saved a picture of two years earlier, so it all came together in the end!”
The Best Part Of The Day
“Celebrating our big day with our friends, family and loved ones. It went without a hitch from start to finish and people still comment that it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to.”
Words of Wisdom
“Don’t sweat the small stuff! It’s really insignificant and the only person who knows if anything goes wrong is you. Your guests have no idea as they’re too busy enjoying themselves.”
The Suppliers – Eclectic Wedding With Gothic Cake And A French Bulldog Bridesmaid
Dress – Justin Alexander @justinalexander from Fluer de Lys Bridal @fluerdelysbridal
Shoes: Hariet Wilde @harrietwildeshoes
Accessories: Hair piece – Ivory and Co @ivoryandco
Florist – Carole Smith
Make up/Hair – Francesca Fonzarelli @francescafonzarelli
Grooms suit – HRH Holmes @hrhholmesandson
Bridesmaid dresses – Quiz @quizclothing
Venue – Bassmead Manor Barns @basmeadmanorbarns
Photographer – Rafe Abrook @Rafeabrook
Caterers/Bars – Galloping Gourmet @gallopinggourmetuk
Live music & Band – Adam Chandler @jameanadam
Magician – Dapper Magic @lemottee
Cake – choccywoccydoodah @choccywoccyshop
Doughnut wall – Scrumdiddlyyumptious @scrumdiddlyyumptious
Stationery – Wedding Beautifuls @weddingbeautifuls
Love this eclectic wedding and want more inspiration for your big day? Check out our online magazine BOND BRIDE
