Hello to Thursday morning, and a big welcome to all you gorgeous babes! If you’re planning an outdoor festival-style wedding, then you’re at the ONLY place to be for the sweetest inspiration here on the blog today. Most couples share the same anxiety when it comes to a wedding outdoors in the UK….rain! However, today’s real wedding (kindly shared by Ufniak Photography) will hopefully provide the reassurance you need, as it poured down on Lauren and Nathaniel’s day! And as you will see from these beautiful images, the rain didn’t spoil a thing!
Lauren and Nathaniel were married at Fishlake Mill in Doncaster in the most idyllic rural setting. They went for rustic and relaxed, nontraditional (as in no speeches, no set timings and free-flowing informal vibes) and boho hay bale seating. The Mill at Fishlake is a newly restored 18th Century Corn Mill set in stunning countryside with an abundance of wildlife and animals. There’s tons we love about this wedding, and one of them is that this couple knew exactly where they stood in terms of budget, and they made sensible styling and catering decisions to reflect the cash they had to splash on the day….
We always knew that we didn’t want a massive wedding – both of us hate being the centre of attention. We decided early on that we didn’t want to spend too much money.
They made lots of the decor themselves and pulled in help from the fam and friends to make cakes, wedding favours and all the little things that can sometimes end up costing a bomb!
Our wedding wasn’t extravagant and didn’t cost a fortune – and it was AWESOME! It also rained whilst we were saying our vows outside – quite heavily – and our guests just went with it and laughed along with us!
This pair have the sweetest love story to tell, and they played it out beautifully on a rainy Doncaster day in the countryside. Here’s pretty Lauren to tell you all about it….
Laid Back Wedding at Beautiful Fishlake Mill
One of our close friends had been to a wedding at Fishlake Mill, in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and they recommended it to us. We went to see it and knew instantly that it was where we wanted to get married. It was so chilled out and just really beautiful. Graham, the owner of the venue, was really laid back – just like the both of us!
Dried Flowers to Last a Lifetime
All of the flowers used on the day were dried in the hope that we could keep them and that they would hopefully last forever. We used the wonderful Artisan Dried Flowers.
DIY Decor and Relaxed Rustic Vibes
We incorporated our own style by making the decorations ourselves. The order of service, menus, table plan, place cards and table numbers were made by Nathaniel’s Grandma Anita We’re both very laid back, and so we made the wedding more like a party, really which suited us both! We got rid of all the traditional things (like speeches) because we didn’t
want to make anyone feel uncomfortable by asking them to make a speech in front of so many people. Neither of us would want to do it!
Homemade Cake and Miniature Gin Bottles
Nathaniel’s Mum Joanne and Grandma Anita made our cake, and we made so much for the wedding ourselves. Our wedding favours were little bottles of Fox Denton Estate Gin from Miniature Glass Bottles.
Maggie Sottero Gown and Jenny Packham Shoes
I wore the stunning Maggie Sottero Amal dress from Angel Brides. I knew that I wanted a wedding dress that wasn’t the usual strapless affair, so when I tried on the Amal dress, I knew it was the one. It was the very first dress that I tried on! I wore it with a pair of Jenny Packham shoes.
Pretty Hair Vine and Vintage Family Jewels
I wore a hair vine from Phase Eight and a necklace from Clogau. I wore the earrings that my late Grandma wore on her wedding day more than 50 years ago, along with a sapphire ring on my right hand that also belonged to her. Kym Hurst did my hair and make up.
Nathaniel’s suit was from Moss Bros, his shirt from DKNY and his cuff links from House of Fraser. The bridesmaid dresses were bought from Lipsy.
The Best DJ….
We had arranged for a live band to perform who let us down ONE HOUR prior to their performance! Thankfully we had an amazing DJ, so nobody noticed!
Any Advice?
Don’t sweat the small stuff! It all works out in the end and people have a great time no matter what!
The Line Up
Photography: Ufniak Photography; Venue: Fishlake Mill; Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero | Angel Brides; Bride’s Shoes: Jenny Packham; Hair and Make Up: Kym Hurst; Hair Vine: Phase Eight; Necklace: Clogau; Groom’s Outfit: Moss Bros | DKNY; Cufflinks: House of Fraser; Bridesmaid Dresses: Lipsy; Florist: Artisan Dried Flowers; Wedding Favours: Miniature Glass Bottles
Thank you so much guys! Feels great to be featured on such an awesome blog! It was a beautiful day, beautiful couple, amazing suppliers to work with and everything was super duper awesome!
You’re so welcome! Gorgeous wedding and great work! X
Indeed something different. Very beautiful and pictures, greetings!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂