We now accept Real Weddings and excited to share our very first one with Kathryn & Andy by Bridal Hair by Natasha. Kathryn shares her experience planning their wedding and her top tips and advice for future Brides to Be.
How did you begin planning your wedding and what were your first steps? Our first step was to pick our perfect venue, we knew we wanted something a bit different, we adore the Scottish Highlands and nature so decided to go for a woodland venue which was just magical. Next was the all important food choice! We wanted something casual and relaxed so decided on a BBQ buffet, which went down very well on the beautiful summer day we had!
Where did you find inspiration for your overall style and theme? We always wanted a “whimsical” style wedding, I probably got the inspiration from my husbands proposal, we went for a new years eve walk in the snow and it felt like I was in Narnia! I knew then that an outdoor whimsical theme is what I wanted to go for.
How did you choose your suppliers? Were you focused on local talent or did you look further afield? We asked our venue supplier for any recommendations as we are not local to the area and they kindly gave us a list of some that they were aware of or had previosuly used themselves, this was really useful, we then did some research on their social media pages / websites and chose what best suited us.
Who were your key suppliers, and what made you pick them? Wildwoodz weddings was our wedding venue, we were blown away by the beauty of the venue, particulary the coppice area where we said our vows. We loved the wildwest theme for the reception with an actual saloon bar as the bar, it was just fantastic! We chose matthias photography as our photographer, we loved his work on previous weddings and the way he captured the “natural, in the moment” photos. Ashley Duncan was our DJ and he came recommended by our venue.
How did you decide on your bridal hair and makeup look? Bridal hair by Natasha done myself and my bridal party’s hair, I was really inspired by styles she had done on previous brides. I had a lose half up half down with some volume on the top and romantic curls, it was just perfect. Madaleine Hewitt done my makeup, I wanted a natural bridal glow and she done just that! It was beautiful.
Did you do a trial, and how did that shape your final style? I done a hair and make up trial, I strongly advise future brides doing this, you can have an image in your head and then when put together change your mind. I had 2 completely different styles in mind and discussed with my hair stylist who asked me questions about my dress, theme etc and she was able to advise what might work better which really helped! I also found it really important to see my make up before the actual day so the make up artist can adjust accordingly.
How did your hair and makeup team make you feel on the day? They were amazing! We had such a giggle, I honestly think the “getting ready” part was one of my favourite parts of the day.
What did you love most about your venue? I loved that we had a place for the ceremony and a place for the reception but all at the same venue. We had a beautiful woodland floral area where we said our vows and and a western style setting for our reception. The barn was all lit up in the evening, we had a “kids area” and we especiaily appreciated that it was dog friendly so my parents golden retriever Hudson was able to join us on our special day!
How did you make the day feel personal to you both? We kept the guest list to no more than 50 which was full of family and very close friends, it felt intimate and I was able to get around and ensure I spoke to everybody. We also named our tables after our favourite places in the Scottish highlands which made it personal to us.
What advice would you give to other couples when it comes to planning and finding the right suppliers? Give yourself plenty of time! Once you get engaged you run on adrenaline and just want to get planning and book a date because of all the excitment! But I gave myself 2 years which I felt ensured I enjoyed the planning process without too much deadline and stress. Try not to take on too many opinions, this is your special day make sure you do what you want and go with your own vision. For example I went simple with my wedding cake, we had a colin and connie the caterpillar from M&S which the guests thought was brilliant!
Images – Matthias Photography
Hair – Bridal Hair by Natasha
Makeup – Madeleine Hewitt
DJ – Ashley Duncan
Venue – Wildwoodz Weddings
Cakes – M&S
