A Humanist Wedding in a Field Inspired by Folklore and The Forest…

Morning gorgeous readers, how was your weekend? I can't tell you what an amazing few days I've had – I've spent time in the beautiful Lake District carving out pumpkins, surprising one of our best friends in a massive Georgian house in Northumberland with birthday treats and enjoying fireworks in a secret garden – I think I'm going to start blogging about my weekend adventures!

I'm kick starting this week with the wedding of Jo and Stu, who tied the knot on 25th August 2012 in a field in Hampshire.  Jo is a very talented artist who paints the most dreamy images via her business Deer Little Forest – an eco-friendly greeting card company based in the New Forest. Her background in greeting cards began whilst she was studying costume design at the London College of Fashion – I love how her experience as an artist and illustrator has come to end up inspiring her beautiful wedding day so much too…

"My little stall in Camden market grew into a small publishing company, selling designs to boutiques, galleries and major stores Nationwide, including Liberties, Harrods, Selfridges and John lewis.

My most recent Deer Little Forest designs are inspired by the beauty of the world around me, my Scandinavian family links and my travels further afield. I spend my days in my studio or out wandering and foraging for inspiration and items of beauty, enchantment and home grown loveliness…"

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Stu Cooper

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"We met through mutual friends then got engaged on Venice beach in
L.A during a road trip through California. Coffee in hand, feet in the
sand and dolphins playing in the sea. We were engaged for two years.

We
wanted a humanist ceremony as we wanted to be married outdoors. We were
influenced by our Californian road trip and by the art and music we
love. The forest, nature and ancient folklore and the Scandinavian and
Native American culture that influences us."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"The Oak trees were wrapped in fairy lights, festoon lights and
hanging, glass t-lights and our marquee decorated with paper lanterns,
fairy lights and pheasant feathers."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"My dress was brought online via the Grace Loves Lace
Etsy shop – based in Australia.  I fell in love with my dress
immediately. It was the most beautiful, delicate dresses, combining
vintage and boho perfectly!

My dress was handmade to fit me perfectly
and there isn’t another one in this country so I knew it was completely
unique to me."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"I made my flower crown the night before the Wedding! I had an idea
of how I would make It and luckily enough it worked and looked totally
fantastic! I wove vintage lace with ‘babies breath’ flowers and roses
and my hairdresser ‘
Lady B’ helped me to curl the pheasant feathers I
had and place them into the crown on the morning of the Wedding."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"The Bridesmaids chose their own dresses and the different styles and shades of  yellow together looked stunning.

I made all of the bouquets myself, combining babies breath, roses
and pheasant feathers, wrapped in vintage lace. My mum Linda made all
of the gorgeous, yellow rose and olive leaf buttonholes."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

Jo illustrated the couple's wedding invites herself.  She also hand
painted black hearts onto rustic trestle tables and then wrote the
guests name on top in chalk. Jo’s Dad hand made the hanging chalkboard
table plans which Jo decorated with dried flowers…

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding


"Our rings are matching, handmade, thumb rings. 17th century, silver
spoon rings. The history of vintage spoon rings is very romantic."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"We wrote our own vows and our Humanist wrote our ceremony after
meeting with us and finding out about us and our thoughts on love,
marriage and life. I have included the whole ceremony including our vows
but in particular, love the handfasting and blessing part of the
service. Feel free to include any other snippets you feel may also be
inspiring."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"Our friends Matt and Emily chose the readings. They chose readings
they felt represented us and our love.

We
had three readings which included ‘Love Monkey’ by Edward
Monkton.
"

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"Stu’s Mum, Liz made the yummiest wedding cake ever. The
classic Victoria sponge cake, layered with cream and strawberries…"

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

"We danced to ’Fade
into You’ by Mazzy Star because it is one of our favourite songs and
during our first dates we kept hearing it everywhere we went. It seemed
to follow us around."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

feather flower crown, humanist wedding 

Words of Wedded Wisdom…

"Create a day true to your
heart and soul. Enjoy the whole planning of your day and have lots of
fun being creative, as the best bits of the day don’t always need lots
of money thrown at them.

The loveliest things are sometimes the ones
that are hand made and unique to you."

feather flower crown, humanist wedding

How absolutely gorgeous is all of this?!  I just love Jo's laid back, bohemian style – there is something so dreamy and this beautiful day.

If you love these photographs as much as I do, you may like to look up the photographer Stu Cooper who comes highly recommended in my books.

Big love to you Jo and Stu, thank you so much for sharing your absolutely beautiful day – and Jo, I will be in touch about something lovely to hang on the walls of my children's room – I just adore your paintings!

Annabel

Heart

Photographer – Stu Cooper
Venue – A field in Hampshire
Wedding Planner/Stylist –
Bride's dress – Grace Loves Lace
Wedding Veil – handmade (by the bride) feather and flower crown
Brides Shoes – Dune
Brides accessories – handmade (by the bride) flower crown
Grooms Suit – Jacket by Designer John Varvatos as seen on Iggy Po + black silk, paisley bow tie and vintage braces
Bridesmaids – own choice dresses
Florist – The Bride
Cake Designer – The Groom's Mum
Entertainment – Threpenny Bit – a folk and Ceilidh band
Hair Stylist – Lady B

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

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