Laid-back Shropshire Tipi Wedding

We kept the vibe really relaxed and informal. Food was served from vans and our guests took whatever they wanted back to their tables, instead of serving a formal meal.

How did you guys meet?

My best friend Stacey fancied Josh, (don’t worry we are still best friends, in fact she was one of my bridesmaids!) She introduced us at a nightclub and we started chatting and ended up kissing. As clichéd as it sounds we felt a spark and the rest is history as they say. We were both 17 (about to turn 18).

Tell us about your proposal…

Josh proposed to me on NYE in Dorset, just before we went out for a romantic 5-course dinner in a restaurant right on the beach – The Noisy Lobster. I was getting stressed because we didn’t have much time left before we needed to leave, and Josh was flapping, as men do. I started telling him to hurry up and ask him what was taking so long and he just went “wait there I need to…” and then got down on one knee and proposed to me! We celebrated with champagne and lobster and little did I know I was actually pregnant with our beautiful son Leo.

Where did you get married and why did you choose your venue?

We got married in a lovely church in Shropshire, then we walked down the road to Josh’s brother’s stables where we created our mini festival site. This is a beautiful spot on the top of a hill that overlooked stunning views of the Shropshire countryside.

Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?

Our Photographer was Charlie Flounders. We couldn’t have been happier with the way our photos turned out.

Everyone loved Charlie, it was like she was a part of the bridal party or one of our guests. She was helpful and loads of fun before, during and after the day. She guided us through the planning process and came up with great ideas to get all of the awesome photos she had in mind but not be too intrusive on our day.

Everyone loved her and we love the fun, colourful and natural images she’s given us. She really captured the essence and story of our super personal day.

What did you DIY?

My sister (who is an amazing calligrapher/stationary maker) made all of our stationary, signage and table plan.

Tell me about your cake…

We didn’t have one, we had Krispy Kreme donuts instead!

Who did your gorgeous flowers?

My flowers were beautiful & supplied by Eloquent Flowers in Stourton, Stourbridge.

wedding flowers pale pink light blue trailing foliage

Did you have live music?

Our afternoon music was 2 guys barefoot playing acoustic guitar – such an amazing set!

Tell me about your catering

Food was served from vans and our guests took whatever they wanted back to their tables, instead of serving a formal meal. We had a wood-fired pizza van from Toad’s Mill Kitchen, a loaded Chips lady from Little Devils and a hog roast arranged by Dad & his wife. Drinks were served from a really cool horsebox van – the Drawing Board.

What was your first dance?

Blowers Daughter by Damien Rice. We both love the track, and it’s a song we have listened to over and over again in our kitchen with a bottle of wine.

How did you get everyone up on the dancefloor?

My dad got everyone up to do the Macarena as part of his speech (in ode to me having made everyone in my house do it over and over again when I was a teenager). And made my sisters and I play silly games in front of everyone.

How did you choose to decorate your venue?

There wasn’t loads of décor on top of the flowers and stationary.

Our tipi’s were hired from Helsby Tents and they provided the tables and my friend made a macramé wall.

We worked with an Audio Visual company to provide generators for power, sound inside the tipi and all of the super cool outdoor festoon lighting.

What’s with the bathtub?

We had a bottle of champagne, given to us by Josh’s Dad & wife which was bigger than we’ve ever seen. We had to get a bathtub filled with ice to keep it cold as it was so big it wouldn’t fit in any fridges!

Would you do anything differently?

Nothing.

REAL moments

Our vows – because it made us officially a family
Having our little boy Leo there – for obvious reasons
The speeches – all amazing, very well delivered and interactive (the Macarena)
All of it! The whole day flew by in such a blur but sharing it with all our closest friends and family.

DID YOU ENJOY THIS LAID BACK TIPI WEDDING?

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BUDGET: £12K