What perfect timing! When I first saw Caroline and Lee’s wedding on Samantha J‘s website I loved it, but had no idea their story began on Valentine’s Day… Then when I read Caroline’s wedding report I couldn’t believe the coincidence! Amazing that an anonymous Valentine’s card in the internal post can end so beautifully:
So to all the non-believers out there, think again! Valentine’s Day is what you make it, and somehow I think Caroline and Lee will always remember Valentine’s Day for all the right reasons. I’m so very pleased to be able to share their pretty and rustic barn wedding with you all today. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Enjoy!
Caroline and Lee’s beautiful English rustic barn wedding
Our wedding report: Caroline and Lee
Wedding photographer’s website:
Were you pleased with your wedding photographer?
Absolutely over the moon! She captured the day perfectly!
Wedding venue:
Packington Moor, Lichfield
Can you describe your wedding in a single sentence?
Relaxed, informal and fun!
What was your reaction to seeing your wedding photos for the first time?
We couldn’t believe how amazing they were! I still can’t stop looking at them and all our guests have commented on how brilliant they are.
Your wedding style and theme:
Country winter wedding with a lot of home-made touches, and we chose a neutral colour scheme.
Any happy tears on the day?
Yes, during the speeches : )
How did the two of you meet?
We met at work. On Valentines Day 6 years ago, I got an anonymous Valentines Card in the internal post and worked out that it was from Lee! We had never spoken before then 
How long did you spend planning your wedding?
We booked it in January 2013 so just under a year which I think was perfect to keep the excitement going.
Best bit of budget advice?
I blew ours a little bit so don’t think I can offer any advice! The best thing to do is remember to include all the little bits such as decorative bits, shoes etc as the little bits all add up.
Wedding invitations and on the day stationery:
We bought Save the Date Cards and Invitations from cheap stationery shop ‘The Works’ and printed them all ourselves. I printed the menus myself and hand stamped all the name places with a rubber stamp and ink pad. Also printed the table plan and name places and displayed them in Ikea photo frames.
Did you fall in love with your wedding dress?
As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try it on! I absolutely loved it and felt like a princess in it. I think it fitted the theme perfectly as well.
Wedding dress designer and bridal boutique:
Phil Collins from Lisa’s Bridalwear, Solihull, West Midlands
Glitz and sparkle: the bride’s accessories:
I wore a lovely hairpiece from Glitzy Secrets, a brooch from my late Gran on my fur jacket and a bracelet that is my mum’s.
The groom wore:
Tweed 3 piece suit, as did his two best men, from J A Moore in Kenilworth
Beautiful bridesmaids: what did your best girls wear?
They wore dresses from Debenhams and fur stoles I bought from eBay to keep them warm in case it snowed! My sister customised the stoles by adding ribbon onto the front.
Hair and make-up – did you DIY or hire a professional?
Professional for all 3 of us and I’m so glad I did, the results were amazing. Hairdresser was Sally from Natalie Bartram Bridal Hair Specialist and Make up was Chloe McCall. Absolute miracle workers, both of them.
Wedding flowers:
Simple bouquets of gerbera and gerbera heads within the centrepieces done by Elizabeth’s flowers http://www.elizabethflowers.co.uk/
The ceremony:
A civil ceremony within Packington Moor.
Wedding readings?
The Wonders of Today by Larry Chengges read by Lee’s brother Neil
General styling – did your venue need much decoration?
Not at all! As it’s a barn, it already had exposed beams and bricks which we love and being Christmas, it had a lot of fairy lights up and Christmas trees and garlands. We added to it with some wickers hearts and about 100 jam jars with candles in which looked lovely as it got dark.
The wedding cake: traditional or quirky?
It was a traditional 3 tier fruit cake made and decorated by my amazing sister Stephanie. She also made two sponge cakes that we served in the evening with cornish pasties, sausage rolls and a cheese tower with home made chilli jam.
Entertainment:
We had a DJ for the evening reception who also took pictures while everyone was dancing so we have some brilliant pictures of that!
On the day tips and advice:
Take your time to look around you and take everything in because it honestly goes in a flash. And don’t worry if you think anything is going wrong because it really doesn’t matter – it is honestly the best day of your lives.
What’s the best thing about being married?
Feeling so settled and excited about our future together!
Quick supplier list for other brides and grooms:
Venue: Packington Moor, Lichfield http://www.packingtonmoor-events.co.uk/
Hair: Sally at Natalie Bartram Bridal Hair Specialists http://www.bridalhairspecialist.co.uk/
Make-up: Chloe McCall http://chloemccall.com/
Flowers: Elizabeth’s Flowers http://www.elizabethflowers.co.uk/
DJ: Nik Andrews http://aweddingdj.co.uk/
Men’s suits: J A Moore, Kenilworth
Dress: Phil Collins, Lisa’s Bridalwear http://www.lisasbridalwear.co.uk/
Bridesmaids Dresses: Debenhams
The post From an anonymous Valentine’s Day card in the post at work to this wonderful barn wedding – Samantha J Photography appeared first on The English Wedding Blog & Calligraphy for Weddings.
