Two Childhood Sweethearts and their Elegant Norfolk Barn Wedding

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It’s time to take a break, lovely ones, and hear about the delightful tale of childhood sweethearts Bella and Adam and their simply stunning summer wedding.

Bella is a paintings conservator and Adam is an environmental consultant and they held their ceremony on the 2nd of July 2016 at Morston Church on the North Norfolk coast, followed by a reception at Godwick Great Barn in Norfolk. It was a natural choice to get married there as they both have family ties to Norfolk – and the Elizabethan barn venue was a rustic blank canvas they were able to put their stamp on to make the day as personal as possible.

“We have known each other since we were 12. We went to school together and had been together for 9 years before we got married. We got engaged on Boxing Day 2014, whilst on holiday in Kenya (where Adam grew up). We wanted a very relaxed and low-key day, nothing too flashy! We were also keen on using natural materials and keeping a rustic aesthetic.”

Images by Benjamin Mathers Photography

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The couple loved the informal and natural style of their photographer, Ben of Benjamin Mathers Photography.

“We didn’t want a photographer who would produce quirky, over-saturated images that wouldn’t stand the test of time. Ben’s images are modern and compositionally creative, but retain a timeless quality.”I adore the look of a groom in a morning suit and Adam went with a traditional 1930s morning suit from Victory Vintage, paired with a grey double-breasted waistcoat from Pakeman Catto & Carter. Very stylish indeed!

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“The stationery was all designed by us. The invitations were printed using a traditional letterpress technique by Cherry Press and we then mounted them by hand onto thin pieces of walnut veneer. David at Cherry Press also made our envelopes for us, which were lined with an image from an old vintage map of the North Norfolk coastline. Bella’s aunt made the table plan from three wooden planks!”

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Five of the couple’s best friends rounded out the groomsmen element of the bridal party and Bella’s two beautiful bridesmaids wore ASOS gowns in pastel blue and pink shades with their own shoes.

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Bella and the bridesmaids arrived in style at the church in an old VW campervan called Blanche, who belongs to the best man, whilst the newlyweds left the church in an old MG called Busby that belongs to the best man’s mother. Quite handy to have groovy car-loving friends and family!

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The beautiful bride did her own make-up and hair, adding antique gold leaf hairpins from Etsy. Her shoes were from John Lewis, pretty pearl drop earrings from Etsy and her antique gold bracelet was a piece inherited from her grandmother.

Bella finished off her elegant look with a spray of ‘Boss Woman’ by Hugo Boss.

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I just love hearing stories about the couples we feature here on Love My Dress getting help from their loved ones with the wedding preparations. Running around doing jobs like flower arranging last minute can be a huge task for the couple, so it’s a great idea to get help and really is a wonderful, heartfelt way to involve your family and friends. I simply adore the meaning, too, behind the choice of the beautiful florals.

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“The flowers were a bit of a family team effort! Bella’s mother made the bouquets and buttonholes and her grandmother and aunts, along with Adam’s mother and sister did the rest of the flowers in the church and the barn. We chose ivory-coloured Kenyan roses from a flower farm near where Adam’s parents live (brought over to the UK by Adam’s father a few days before the wedding), with British wildflowers and lots of greenery (much of which was foraged from friends and family’s gardens).”

“The buttonholes were a single Kenyan rose with a sprig of Norfolk sea lavender. The flowers at the barn were an eclectic mixture arranged in old antique buckets and enamel jugs.”

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Morston Church, adorned with the incredible floral displays crafted by the family, was such a pretty setting for the couple’s ceremony. Just look at this heartfelt image of Bella on her father’s arm as she walks towards her groom (INSERT IMAGE 33 HERE!) to the tune of ‘Prelude to Te Deum’ by Charpentier.

“We had traditional vows from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and two readings – an old testament passage from the Song of Solomon and a reading taken from Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Just So Stories’, which was a reference to Adam’s African upbringing. For our rings, Adam chose a plain titanium band and mine is a plain white gold band.”

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“We loved the rustic look of our venue, so we didn’t feel that we needed to go over the top with decorating. We decorated the tables with wooden place name holders and tea lights.”

“We had a bit of a rustic vibe going on, with massive Kilner jars for dispensing drinks.”

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“We had already had afternoon tea with homemade cakes upon arrival at the reception, so we decided to go for a different kind of cake later on … a five-tier cheese stack from West Country Cheese. The caterers provided an amazing selection of pickled figs, quince jelly and chutneys to accompany it. My aunt decorated the stack with herbs and raffia, along with embossed copper tags identifying the different cheeses. She even snuck an extra tier on top as a joke … a Babybel!”

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“The catering was by Andy Parle, who prepared an amazing middle-eastern inspired BBQ feast, followed by lots of puddings for sharing.”

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“We had live acoustic music during the afternoon, followed by late night dancing to local seven-piece folk band Addison’s Uncle. There were firepits outside the barn to sit around late into the night. For the first dance, we actually just danced to what the band happened to be playing at that moment. Getting onto the dance floor with our friends and letting our hair down was our favourite moment!”

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Words of Wedded Wisdom

“Don’t get too carried away! It is easy to be enticed into throwing lots of money at everything, but it is the personal touches that make the day special.”

“Try and think about what makes a wedding enjoyable for the guests – great food, lots of booze and good music – and don’t forget it is supposed to be fun!”

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I’d like to send Ben a very big thank you for sharing these natural and light-filled images of the happy couple. Thanks also to Bella and Adam – I’ve loved bringing you their love story and enchanting details of their big day; it’s the essence of what I love about the weddings we feature on this beautiful blog.

If you’ve been inspired by this delightful handmade wedding and is something you and your other half are thinking about, then take a peek at these DIY weddings for even more ideas, tips and tricks.

Love Jo -xo-

Credits & Thanks

Jo Singletary

Jo Singletary View all Jo's articles

Jo hails from and lives in sunny Australia, is currently working towards her dream of being a career coach and a few of her favourite things are watching the sunrise over the ocean, morning walks on the beach, butterflies, and supporting the guide dogs charity.

One thought on “Two Childhood Sweethearts and their Elegant Norfolk Barn Wedding

  1. Wow what a stunning wedding. The vintage english country theme works perfectly with this couple. Everything complements each other. Beautiful photos! Congratulations to the couple!

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