We first met Jackie and Dan over coffee in the M5 Gloucester services! Not the most glamorous of settings, but they were en route to Exeter, we were heading up the M5 North, so it was practical – and the coffee and cake were good!
We instantly loved Jackie and Dan’s relaxed attitude to their wedding day plans; they were keen to give their big day a fun informal feeling for their families and guests. They chose a team of suppliers whom they felt they could really trust and left some of the details, like their cheese cake, as a surprise for the day!
They added a really personal touch to their wedding day by having Jackie’s childhood home as the venue, by making the confetti from flowers from her parents garden, the favours from sloe berries from the local fields and the table centre pieces from wood from trees which had fallen in the garden.
The proof is in the pudding as the saying goes, and their wedding day was full of fun, laughter and atmosphere. It’s not every wedding that a couple celebrates their nuptials with a high five, or has a duck race along the river after dinner with the groomsmen jumping in for a swim!
Below is their story, in their words….
Why did you choose your venue?
Dan: The venue was Jackie’s family home, so it gave us a personal connection and the flexibility to make the day exactly how we wanted. Now we can also visit our wedding venue whenever we want!!
What about the styling for the day….?
We wanted the day to be relaxed. We chose ‘Wild about Flowers’ as they shared our vision to have natural flowers that complimented the rural setting and decorated the garden and marquee beautifully. We left them to choose the flowers and settings and weren’t disappointed!
A local farm delivered straw bales for the seating in the garden for the ceremony to give it a rustic feel. The confetti was home made from the plants in mum & dad’s garden. We had wooden centre pieces on the tables in the marquee, which were cut from trees that had fallen in the garden. Our wedding favours were sloe gin that we made from sloes in the adjacent fields.
Our polaroid seating plan which we only just finished in time for the wedding…!!
The wedding dress & the bridesmaids!
Jackie: My dress was ‘Kelsey’, by Maggie Sottero designs at Krystle Brides in Bath.
I wanted a dress that I felt comfy in. I liked the detail of the beading and train without it being too extravagant. The girls in Krystle Brides were always helpful and made sure you had plenty of time to make sure it was exactly what I wanted.
My girls wore a Ghost, Salma satin maxi dress in Emerald green, which came from John Lewis.
The Groomsmen….
Dan wore a Royal blue suit, tailored by Moss Bros. The best man and ushers were in Royal blue suits by French connection and Michael wore a kilt in his university tartan.
What were the most important elements of your wedding day for you?
To be able to relax and enjoy the day as much as possible. We didn’t want to spend the day worrying that things weren’t going exactly to plan.
We let Andy (The Full Spoon) to choose the cheeses and construct the wedding cake so we still had some surprises on the day. We wanted our guests to relax and be provided with great food and music!
What were the most memorable moments for you? Did anything unexpected happen?
The ‘high five’ when we eventually managed to exchange our rings was great, followed by the ‘confetti corridor’ back to the mill house, which was brilliant!
It was so great to see Dan’s relief after his speech! This was followed by a 5-set tennis themed speech by our best man which was amazing! We met on the tennis court at our local club, Victoria Park, so this was fitting!
How did you entertain your family & guests?
Leading up to the ceremony, we had a String quartet in the garden, followed by a champagne and canape reception.
After the wedding feast we had a surprise duck race for Jackie’s dad along the river with the groomsmen having an unexpected swim in the river to collect the ducks.
In the evening, we had music and dancing in the evening with a ceilidh and DJ set!
Do you have any top tips or planning suggestions for brides and grooms to be?
Look at around at different suppliers and make sure you’re comfortable with the ones you choose! This allowed us to trust them without us worrying so we were able to relax and enjoy the day. Keep it as personal to you as possible. If the food and drink is good your guests will be happy….
Brilliant advice Jackie and Dan – it definitely worked!
Jackie & Dan’s wedding day dream team:
Catering: Andy Spooner of The Full Spoon Catering
Bouquets and flowers: Wild about Flowers
Jackie’s dress by Maggie Sottero, Krystle Brides
Hair & Makeup: Emma Dawson
Marquee by Archers Marquees
Mother of the bride outfit: Phase 8
Groom’s suit: Moss Bros
String quartet: Sulis String QuartetCeilidh: ‘Spill the whisky’ Ceilidh Band
Wedding Rings: Beaverbrooks
Sloe gin favours – home made
Straw Bales – Stowey Farm
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