This festival wedding was a real break from tradition – full of alternative ideas for couples to get inspiration for their big day. It showcased an abundance of hanging greenery and was really tactile using different materials such as denim, macramé, paper, wood and terracotta details.
It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we have showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.
Thanks to all these wonderful suppliers #keepitlocal
Cogges Manor Farm is nestled in the lovely market town of Witney and offers two stunning seventeenth century barns for weddings. They are a perfect blank canvas where you can add loads of personalised details to make your special day complete. Your wedding can be as individual as you are with your own choice of catering, furniture and decoration.
The magnificent and spacious Wheat Barn can seat up to 200 guests, with refurbished stone floor, and portable heating included in the cost of hire. The more intimate and adjacent Barley Barn can seat about 60 guests or is an ideal choice to use as a dance or ceremony area. Each barn can be hired separately, or as a combined hire. Cogges offers a civil ceremony license and is next door to Cogges Parish Church.
In addition to any indoor space you hire, you and your guests can use the charming outdoor space to wander and enjoy (and after 5pm you will have exclusive use of the site). Cogges has many perfect locations for your wedding photographs, such as the Manor House lawn, the walled garden or the orchard and you can even include the farm animals in your photos.
We are a retail nursery in Bampton, West Oxfordshire. We have a passion for plants and our friendly and knowledgeable staff are always happy to help you find the plants or give you the advice that you require. We pride ourselves on having a fantastic range of plants small and large including beautiful home grown summer and winter bedding.
We also boast a fabulous café serving hot lunches everyday. The shop offers further products including hand tools, furniture, pots and planters and gardeners supplies area as well as gifts and our food shop, stocked with local produce.
At The Event Flag Hire Company we design, manufacture, hire and install beautiful handmade flags, bunting and banners, perfect for your festival wedding. Our lightweight self-install telescopic poles and flags were designed to be a visually stunning but simple and cost effective way to decorate any venue. We also offer a full bespoke service which allows flags, banners or bunting to be made to a particular specification.
Our stunning flags and bunting will make your festival wedding stand out from the rest, plus we offer a 10% discount for weddings. All styles are available in hues of white and made specifically with weddings in mind. Alternatively our bright colourful silk flags will equally compliment a festival-themed wedding. We use over 70 colours of silk so can match any colour scheme.
Our flags and bunting hire represent a quick, effective and environmentally friendly way of creating a festive atmosphere. We have created simple wedding packages to make it cost effective for you to decorate your venue yourselves using our self-install flags and bunting. Prices include flags (style and colour of your choice), 6m telescopic poles and ground fixings, bunting and return next-day courier service direct to your door. All these packages are portable and will fit in a standard car.
We have been making flags for 15 years and keep coming up with unique designs to keep up with demand. Each flag is a unique work of art hand crafted to an extremely high standard in our Bristol Studio. We cover the entire of the UK and abroad so please get in touch where ever you are!
Specialists in Bespoke Wedding Venue Decoration From Centrepieces to Flower Walls, Candy Carts to Starlit Backdrops, Garlands, Fairylight Canopies, Giant LOVE letters, Disco’s Grand Floral Arch and much, much more.
A Complimentary Design Consultation to transform your chosen venue into something magical for your big day. Working with you we can create the theme of your dreams, all installed & removed with the minimum disruption to your big event.
We can supply Starlit Backdrops, Table Decorations & Centrepieces, Chair Covers, Fairylight Canopies, Garlands, Grand Floral arches, Candy Carts, Sweet/ Dessert Dressers Flower Walls, Giant LOVE Letters and much, much more.
Karen, with many years experience as a fashion designer in London, combined with Phil, with a career in the Graphic Design, Signwriting and Event Industry will deliver a bespoke wedding, leaving you to concentrate on having the Best Day of your life.
Goujon Monkey are an Oxfordshire based gourmet street food caterer offering traditional favourites with a modern twist.
They pride themselves on serving the finest quality street food available, using only the freshest ingredients. All of their food is cooked from scratch and served from a lovingly restored vintage Citroen H van.
With menus to suit different tastes including their hand prepared Beer Battered Cod, Goujon Monkey offer a unique addition to your big day.
Our prices start from £750 for private event catering for 75 guests. Contact details Tim 07469710373 or Matt 07917284944.
We provide a stress free vintage hire service for all occasions. If you are organising an event with a vintage flare we can supply furniture, crockery and a range of props and accessories to give your event that much loved nostalgic vintage feel.
We work with theatres, corporations, event and wedding planners, caterers, photographers and festivals to mention but a few.
So if you’re planning your vintage event whether it’s afternoon tea, the wedding of your dreams, a magazine shoot or creating something inspirational for a large festival there is no end to what can be achieved with the help of Linda’s Vintage Hire. We can deliver up and down the country so just give us a call on 07532 184174 for a quote.
Little Cherry are an online supplier of natural biodegradable tableware and a wide range of ethical and stylish party supplies for weddings, street food, festivals and events throughout the UK.
Our aim is to make food look fabulous on our environmentally-friendly tableware. Ranges include the ever-popular Palm Leaf plates (made from naturally fallen palm leaves in India), compostable Sugar Cane and the largest selection of Wheat Fibre tableware in the UK, including a new takeaway range.
We cater for any size of event and offer discounts to caterers for bulk orders. We also have a dedicated Trade Site, can offer next day delivery and offer a sample pack service allowing customers to “try before they buy”.
Our fantastic selection of cups, cutlery, napkins, picks and skewers are the perfect accompaniment to any of our ranges of tableware.
Nicola from Hanami Dream approached us to provide wedding accessories that she had imagined, but never seen made before – that’s our ideal brief!
We love a challenge, and love making unusual items that no-one has ever produced before. The wedding items we produced were around a denim theme, so we embroidered guests names onto handmade denim bottle sleeves, and made individual hanging name labels for the table plan along with napkins embroidered with the menu.
Really unique and personalised, just as it would be for any couple planning their own special day with their own ideas and themes that they wish to use. Sometimes these unique items aren’t ordinarily available from traditional wedding suppliers and that’s where we come in – creating special unique items tailored specifically to our clients requirements.
Mabel & Rose has a lovely array of original vintage and rustic props available to hire. Our large range includes old apple crates, oak barrels, chalkboards, vintage suitcases, rustic wheelbarrows, an old delivery bicycle plus lots of smaller items like vintage bottles, jars, jugs and pots. So whether it’s large milk churns filled with flowers or a selection of vintage tin baths to keep your drinks cool we would love to help you enhance your venue and create the perfect look and feel for your wedding. Styling and on the day venue dressing services are also available.
Oakwood Events supplies stunning lighting for stylish couples. We design and install lighting schemes for barn weddings using fairy lights, festoon lights, bare bulbs, paper lanterns, chandeliers, drapes, uplighting, bunting and dance floor lighting.
Lighting is a unique addition to your wedding and can be used to highlight features like beams or stone walls, change the atmosphere between day and night or make a colour or design statement to match your theme. We pride ourselves on top quality design, professional installation and amazing features; explore our Pinterest boards for inspiration and to see how our lighting adds wow factor to barn weddings.
Our self-assembly kits let you create stunning giant paper flowers. Why settle for factory made sameness when you can create a totally unique display at a fraction of the cost?
We’ve taken the guess work out of self-assembly – even a crafting beginner can get professional and consistent results.
Paper flowers add a touch of feminine glamour to lots of situations. Enjoy creating your own decorative accents with our giant paper flower self-assembly kits for a wall at home, a stunning backdrop for wedding photos or an eye catching motif for an important event. And of course you can take the credit because the flair you add is all your own (we’ve just made it effortless!)
We are a successful duo of husband and wife working together to produce a really superior product.
Any size and any design, we love making wedding cakes. We offer a variety of delicious flavours and fillings. We use the best ingredients and passion to create a beautiful and delicious wedding cakes, making your special extra special.
We are committed to quality and excellent customer service. Our cakes are fleshly baked to order and crafted by hand.
Witney Blanket Hall was built in 1721 by the Company of Blanket Makers. For over 120 years, every blanket woven in the town came to the Hall to be weighed and measured, and upstairs in the Great Room the Company set the Rules for the Trade. After 1845 the New Mills established their own measuring, and the redundant Blanket Hall became variously a Brewery, a Lemonade Factory, Engineering Shop, Office of births marriages and deaths, Dancing School, and latterly, a distinctive gentleman’s house. During most of its history, the Hall is also where many of the town’s Public Meetings took place, the death of Kings solemnly commemorated and the birth of Princes celebrated with great feasts. In the 18th Century, the Hall housed the town’s Fire Pump. In 2015, the Hall reopened its doors to reveal this illustrious past and offer woollen blankets and throws, coffee pies and assemblies, both commercial and cultural. Visitors are always welcome and are invited to come and find out more about the infamous Witney Blankets.
The Pie Shop offers its famous pies and platters, as well as tea, coffee and cakes. We are licenced so wine and Blanket Hall Beer are always available. The Hall can also be open outside hours by arrangement and is often available for hire by Companies and Societies.
Take a look at a behind the scenes look at the briefs that were given to these fabulous suppliers and how the Festival theme came to life with their designs and products.
A real break from tradition, this festival wedding showcased an abundance of hanging greenery, dream catcher favours, festoon and ribbon drape lighting, oversized letter lighting, paper flowers, food van, chill out area and fire bowl, using different materials such as denim, macrame, paper, wood and terracotta details.
See more images in our gallery and the amazing local suppliers who came together to make this shoot possible in this blog post.
Hanami Dream are looking for ‘the boy and girl next door’ type models for a winter hygge styled wedding shoot with a literary theme. The shoot will take place at a beautiful venue near Lechlade, Gloucestershire this October half term.
Female – think Tess Daly or Margot Robbie (from the Will Smith film Focus) approximately 20-30 years old, 170 cms tall or less, size 10-14
Male – think Chris Hemsworth (though not with the hair extensions in the film Thor), approximately 25-35 years old, around 175 cms tall, 40” chest, 32” waist
The shoot will be approximately 2-3 hours in the afternoon of Wednesday 25th October (weather permitting) and will provide some fantastic lifestyle shots for your portfolio (it’s also great as an engagement shoot or brilliant practice being in front of a camera before your big day).
One fitting prior to the date may be necessary. Own transport is required to GL7 3RB.
This project is supporting and showcasing local, independent wedding businesses – everyone provides their services and products for free and in return gets some wonderful lifestyle shots to use at a later date. This is a collaboration of like minded people that create great things together though don’t have the budgets to produce this kind of work if they all worked independently. See the images from Hanami Dream’s last styled bridal shoot.
If you’re available and would like to be involved in this fantastic styled bridal shoot then please email Hanami Dream on info@www.hanamidream.co.uk including
a quick intro
your stats
a contact number and
2 images of yourself (1 x face shoot, 1 x full length)
Cogges Manor Farm is nestled in the lovely market town of Witney and offers two stunning seventeenth century barns which provide a wonderful setting for celebrations.
I may be a little bias, as this venue has a special place in my heart – not only is it a beautiful local licensed wedding venue in my home town, but it is also a haven and wonderful place to escape with the children.
More than just a farm museum and set location for Downton Abbey, it also offers two rustic and untouched barns as a wedding venue. They are a perfect blank canvas where you can add your own personalised details to make your special day complete.
More and more couples are shying away from the cookie cutter approach to weddings and demanding a more unique and individual wedding.
Photography by Squib Photography
Photography by Ric Mellis
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Neil Hanson pink and cream bunting with fairy lights dressing beautiful rustic wedding barn set for reception
Photography by Neil Hanson straw bales covered in pink and cream covers set for wedding ceremony complete with aisle, bunting and fairy lights in rustic barn
This venue certainly helps couples who want to fulfil this ‘diy’ desire as there are hardly any restrictions or prescriptions. You have the freedom to use the suppliers of your choice, you can choose your own room layout and your own decoration to suit your theme for the day. Therefore, you have the option of taking this venue in a variety of different directions. It’s a really versatile space.
Don’t be under any illusions – it may take a little extra work than a ready made venue but you can make this place fit your theme perfectly.
And embrace the fact that it’s rustic – you’ll need to think about your catering options cleverly. For example it would lend itself very nicely for a hog roast, bbq, picnic or food vans.
It feels like the location is really rural but you’re actually right by the centre of town. And this is more than a shell of a building in the middle of a field – there are facilities (although you’ll need to bear in mind it is still rustic and a short walk to the toilets), accessible and ample parking, plus it’s close to bus routes and hotels.
What you do get is a lot of space (both inside and outside of the barns). And the beauty of Cogges is that it is more than just a wedding venue. Your guests can benefit from all the other facilities and attractions around the site in between the formalities of the day. And after 5pm, as well as the barns, the rest of the site is exclusively yours to enjoy too.
There’s a lovely laid back and friendly atmosphere at Cogges Manor Farm and loads of charming locations for photographs, such as the Manor House lawn, the walled garden or orchard and you can even include the farm animals in your photos!
They have a limited number of wedding slots per year and there is only one wedding per weekend.
I will be styling the venue for their Wedding Open Day on Sunday 17th September 11am-3pm. Come and see the barns dressed for wedding planning inspiration.
WEDDING VENUE FACTS Type of venue: barn Find out more:www.cogges.org.uk Location: Church Lane, Witney, OX28 3LA Wedding season: March-October Guests: 200 in Wheat Barn: 60 in Barley Barn Marquee option: weighted marquee permitted Ceremony: Licensed inside from £300 Venue hire: from £3050 Nearest church: St Mary’s Cogges, Church Lane, Witney, OX28 3LA (0.0 miles) Wedding breakfast: bring in own catering suppliers Accommodation: local b&bs Wedding fairs: Open Day in Autumn Other things worth a mention: so much more than just a wedding venue and very family friendly
I’m gettin’ married in the morning Ding-dong the bells are gonna chime We’ll have a whopper, pull out the stopper Get me to the church on time
I’ve got to get there in the morning Spruced up and lookin’ in my prime Pull out your compass, kick up a rompass Get me to the church on time
As the old Frank Sinatra song says, it’s important to know where and when you’re getting married so you can get there in plenty of time. It’s worth thinking about how far away you live from the venue/s as well as the distance in between the ceremony and reception locations too. Think about how far the venues are not only in terms of miles but also timings. Depending on what time of day you’re getting married it may conflict with rush hour or school runs that could affect traffic and people travelling between locations. (See more about when and where in my Holy Trinity of Wedding Planning series.)
Traditionally, couples used to walk to the church together (and then on to the reception too) or splash out on a horse and carriage (just like in the famous Daisy Daisy song below). Then before people owned cars the ushers were responsible for organising transport for all guests.
Nowadays, here are some of the wedding party that you need to consider transport for:
From home to ceremony
bride and giver-away
bride’s mother & bridesmaids
groom & best man
To reception
bride & groom
bride’s parents & bridesmaids
best man & other guests
From reception
bride’s parents
bride & groom
best man
Another tradition of tying cans or shoes to the back of the going away car stems from the old tradition of throwing boots at the newly weds. It was considered lucky if you managed to hit the carriage as they rode off. Before then, shoes were given to the groom by the bride’s family to symbolise handing over the responsibility of the bride.
Nowadays couples choose to have at least one special mode of transport to make a statement for the bride’s entrance (and again for after the ceremony). Whether that is horse drawn carriage, an old fashioned car, a limousine, a vespa, a big red bus for your guests or something a little more unusual.
Here’s my pick of some brilliant local suppliers in and around Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds that can help get you to the church on time:
If you are looking for something truly unique for your wedding day then look no further than our 3 beautiful Citroen 2CVs.
Established in 2011 and having just celebrated our 5th Anniversary, we are a family run business with bases in Hereford and Leicester supplying our iconic Citroen 2CVs to weddings across England and Wales.
These chauffeur driven cars are available for hire exclusively to yourselves for the day, we do not book more than one wedding per car a day.
They are decorated with Ivory ribbons and bows as standard but can be requested in any colour to match your theme, just married sign in the back window following the ceremony and vintage style bunting in the car if requested.
So whether your wedding be classic, vintage, French themed or something completely different we will be happy to discuss all details and options with yourselves.
Bainton Bikes is an independently owned cycle hire and tours company with a shop in Oxford and self-service hire hubs throughout the Cotswolds & Cheltenham. We have been operating since 2009 and we specialise in offering cycle hire, tours and holidays for all ages and abilities providing a safe, fun and memorable experience for everyone. Take a look at our reviews onTrip Advisor.
From a life full of motorsport and petrol-headism, and a love of classic cars, British Classic Car Hire was born. Angela, your chauffeuse, is owner-operator and see’s to it that every bride and groom get to enjoy the ride and feel extra special for their first wedded journey.
Angela’s “girls” are stunning examples from a different age… true vintage beauties, and having been built in Coventry are true British Classic cars. “Hester” the 1935 Humber 16/60 is gorgeous in her Black and Old English White Art Deco styled splendidness! (and also featured in my Wind in the Willows shoot as seen above) “Dolly” the 1938 EL24 Daimler is resplendent in French Navy and Old English White. The young lady of the bunch is “Ruby” the pictured Classic 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I. Travel in classic style with Angela and her “girls”.
We attend a lot of weddings but not in the capacity of transport. We provide a unique and fun entertainment for guests to take tethered rides and to go inside and explore what makes balloons work. We find what we provide works best in between the end of the wedding breakfast / speeches and the start of the evening phase. Most guests appreciate a chance to stretch their legs, get a bit of fresh air and the staff also enjoy being able to clear away and re organise the room ready for the evening’s events.
Cotswold Tuk Tuk was launched in 2017 by Chris Webb as an alternative form of wedding transport. The brand new Thai style tuk tuk is stunning blue with beautiful ivory seating. It can seat up to 6 passengers so is ideal for a range of options including bride and bridesmaids; groom, best man and ushers; or shuttle runs for guests between a ceremony and reception venue.
Chris can decorate the tuk tuk with different bunting and ribbon, or anything else you want to make your day bespoke. He takes great care to make sure it is looking on point, and if the weather does turn it has fitted rain covers. Discover the rustic charm of the tuk tuk for your big day.
Getting married in and around the Cotswolds? Looking for a totally unique way to get to your wedding? Well, you’ve just found our fabulous and ever so kitsch Indian Ambassador wedding car. Kushi means happiness in Hindi, and with our vintage Ambassador, our mission is to make you even happier on your wedding day. Reminiscent of a Morris Minor on the outside, our Kushi Car has bumpers festooned with exotic flowers and an interior decorated in rich fabrics of red and gold.
Established in 2010, we have been hired for weddings at venues all over the Cotswolds and beyond, including Cripps Barn, Kingscote Barn, Stone Barn and Pitville Pump Rooms to name a few. Previously a London Karma Kar, we changed our name to Kushi Cars in 2013.
Based in the regency town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, we travel throughout the Cotswolds. We also drive to Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, The West Midlands, Bristol and Bath. Further afield is possible on request.
Rusty and Roses is a vintage events and hire company. They have two restored classic camper vans, a campervan photo booth, ice cream hire and venue decorations services. Located in Thatcham Berkshire. Hiring unique split screen camper called “Rusty” and a VW Bay window “Roses”. Covering all areas and love to assist your wedding in any ways we can.
Looking for something really special for your wedding day? Do you love everything vintage, and the classic English countryside? If so, meet Quirky Gertie!
Gertie is a 1968 Carlight Cassetta caravan, beautifully restored, and ready to be the part of your special day.
She will make a beautiful setting for your informal, behind the scenes photos. Pre-wedding or post wedding family and friends photo shots.
New for 2017, we can provide a photo booth option, with a photographer, and on site printing. Producing quality post card photos for your guests to take away on the day.
We can also provide bespoke catering with anything from a cream to one of our ‘Proper Hampers’ for sharing. All our food is locally sourced and home- made to order.
If it’s unusual transport to and from your wedding venue that you need, we have just added another 1960’s classic to our stable. Molly the Morris Minor, who can be hired with a driver for your special day.
If you are interested in hiring Gertie, or Molly please have a look at our website or any of our social media, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch….we are here to help make your day how you see it.
Award-winning wedding chauffeur car hire in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Royal Forest of Dean, Worcestershire, Wye Valley.
1960s design British carriages of distinction including Rolls-Royce & rare 7-seater limousine
Tip – Dooooo book a car (or two or three), fabulous added value for memorable photographs (especially dare it rain) & that priceless time straight after being married, just the two of you.
Tradition – getting it right, being just so … alike the Butler in Downton, it is the expert chauffeur who ensures that the Bride, the priceless gem of the day, arrives suitably & appropriately late.
Trend – For quite a time now the in thing has been to choose something whacky, a Beauford, a Camper Van, a red London bus, a helicopter or a parachute, so the classic white Rolls has become the cool rarity, the head-turning wow-factor.
Tastefully done, The Wedding Chauffeur takes pride in being the quintessential English gentleman, immaculately turned out in tweeds, cravat, sober suit, your choice, The Wedding Chauffeur devotes time and attention to every detail, from brushing the sheepskin over-rugs to providing emergency needle & thread & confetti, ‘you name It’, getting it right for you is the rewarding challenge on your very special day.
It is not just driving a car that won The Wedding Chauffeur the ‘Best Transport’ Three Counties Supplier Award 2016.
Daisy, Daisy, Give me your answer, do! I’m half crazy, All for the love of you. It won’t be a stylish marriage I can’t afford a carriage But you’ll look sweet Upon the seat Of a bicycle made for two.
Based on The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (published in 1911), this modern Edwardian styled wedding shoot is a perfect harmony of traditional and contemporary elements brought together with sheer glamour and sophistication. Planned and designed by Hanami Dream and wonderfully captured by Squib Photography.
This elegant and delicate wedding is set in the grounds of a local English Manor House in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds of the UK (also used in the filming of another 1910s drama, Downtown Abbey). The lush greenery of a walled garden is discovered behind a secret locked door and its unseen natural beauty is unearthed after being concealed for many years.
Complete with an intimate ceremony on the croquet lawn, drinks in a secluded corner of the garden, followed by a celebration in a stunning Cotswold stone barn, this wedding features modern twists on traditional wedding styles with a real sense of rejuvenation.
With clear acrylic ‘stationery’ and signage with white brush lettering (where the greenery of the garden can be seen through), a hoop bouquet, a fresh take on the time-honoured wedding dessert of a croquembouche, vintage pearl details, antique keys and a friendly robin redbreast motif. Mary and Colin would be proud to attend this stylish wedding.
The colour palette is soft and understated so nothing distracts from the abundance of sumptuous cascading foliage. White is accented with hints of pink Pale Dogwood and plenty of the Colour of the Year of Greenery. There’s a definite nod to the Pantone® Spring/Summer 2017 colours with some subtle inclusion of blues (a navy Lapis for the groom’s suit and a denim Niagara of the manor house internal doors), Hazelnut and more greenery in the form of Kale.
Cogges Manor Farm was the ideal location for this wedding with its very essence in this era. It is nestled in the lovely market town of Witney and offers two stunning seventeenth century barns as well as a beautiful walled garden, stunning grounds and an impressive Manor House as a remarkable backdrop.
The couple got ready in the peaceful setting of the Manor House, strolled romantically through the walled garden, encouraged their families to ‘choose a seat not a side’ on vintage chairs (from Linda’s Vintage Hire) on the croquet lawn, and enjoyed the perfect blank canvas of the Barley Barn where modern, personalised details make this wedding complete.
Hanging from one of the impressive beams is a large rustic wooden cartwheel from Oakwood Events, adorned with greenery along with stylish bulb cages around Edison type filaments, plus some added alliums (from Lark Rise Flowers).
The top table is awash with greenery running down the whole of the table and spilling off the ends to the floor, courtesy of Lark Rise Flowers. Plus, the fragrance of the foliage was a delight to the senses with hosta, hedera, honeysuckle, laurel and hebe. Along with gentle inclusion of white flowers in the form of campanula, astilbe, lady’s mantle, sweet william, viburnum, rambling rose, helleborus seedheads and valeriana.
The sturdy wooden table, along with vintage chairs from Linda’s Vintage Hire, is set simply with white crockery and silver cutlery, plus clear acrylic menus sit on green moss. Alongside each setting is a clear acrylic place name (with guest names paying homage to the character names from the book) attached to vintage keys, along with favours of charming wooden robins by Muffat Prague.
Guests are directed around the farm with stylish clear acrylic signage and find their places by referring to the reclaimed window pane table plan with white brush lettering thanks to The Paper Hare, completing the stationery suite of clear acrylic invitations and clear acrylic table number tubes.
In the garden, the couple relax and enjoy a smooth glass of brandy whilst listening to the gramophone and admiring the remarkable cake by Cotswold Baking, a reintroduction of a traditional wedding dessert. This impressive croquembouche plays on the trend of wedding cake alternatives and sits on top of a plain white cake. The choux balls are decorated with edible pearl balls of varying sizes.
The bride chicly carries a hoop bouquet by Lark Rise Flowers leaving a beautiful scent of jasmine wherever she sashays. She has strong smoky eyes, pinched cheek blush and barely-there pale lipstick reminiscent of the times and beautifully recreated by Blushing Brides.
Her hair is ornamented with a delicate pearl hair vine by Designed to Sparkle and gathered up to reveal the breathtaking backless dress.
She perfectly fits the glamourous, champagne coloured bridal gown, made from Lux Charmeuse, featuring a high neckline, flutter sleeves, low back, attached silver beaded waistline and godet train by Justin Alexander, provided by Proposals of Witney. This 1910s styling is teamed with a multi-strand bracelet and necklace by Designed to Sparkle, made with navette set Swarovski crystal stones and pearls, in creamrose light shade.
The suave, slicked-back groom suited the era with a blue three-piece suit made from a British fabric 100% wool, cut in a traditional style but more modern in shape from The Cotswold Tailor.
It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we have showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.
Hanami Dream are looking for ‘the boy and girl next door’ type models for a modern Edwardian styled wedding shoot with a literature theme. The shoot will take place at a beautiful venue in Witney, Oxfordshire this May half term.
Female – think Lady Mary Crawley in Downtown Abbey, approximately 20-30 years old, 170 cms tall or less, size 10-14
Male – think Harry Styles with his new short hair in the Dunkirk movie, approximately 25-35 years old, around 175 cms tall, 40” chest, 32” waist
The shoot will be approximately 2-3 hours in the afternoon of Wednesday 31st May (weather permitting) and will provide some fantastic lifestyle shots for your portfolio (it’s also great as an engagement shoot or brilliant practice being in front of a camera before your big day).
One fitting prior to the date may be necessary. Own transport is required to Witney, OX28 3LA.
This project is supporting and showcasing local, independent wedding businesses – everyone provides their services and products for free and in return gets some wonderful lifestyle shots to use at a later date. This is a collaboration of like minded people that create great things together though don’t have the budgets to produce this kind of work if they all worked independently. See the images from Hanami Dream’s last styled bridal shoot.
If you’re available and would like to be involved in this fantastic styled bridal shoot then please email Hanami Dream
Last October, Cogges Manor Farm hosted their first Wedding Open Day to showcase their wonderful barns and garden along with some highly talented, local suppliers who specialise in offering unique, bespoke and professional wedding services.
Photography by Ric Mellis
Photography by Ric Mellis
Photography by Ric Mellis
Photography by Ric Mellis
Photography by Ric Mellis
Photography by Ric Mellis
Cogges Manor Farm is nestled in the lovely market town of Witney and offers two stunning seventeenth century barns for weddings. They are a perfect blank canvas where you can add loads of personalised details to make your special day complete.
At their Open Day, the Wheat Barn was dressed for an English country garden wedding, complete with beautiful pale pink accents and bird details, a hay bale aisle and framed ceremony focal point.
Photography by Hanami Dream
The barn was adorned with swashes of fairy lights (from Oakwood Events) across the beams giving the barn a warm romantic atmosphere.
Photography by Ric Mellis
The highly talented Paper Tree Design hung an impressive flower decorated heart (made from Tyvek) under the huge gilded frame, acting as a ceremony alter for the day. Wild rose paper garlands (printed with a pink gradient and threaded on to organza ribbon) hung behind the frame and were highlighted against the huge pink barn doors.
Photography by Paper Tree Design
A bird cage inspired seating plan was proudly displayed on a mirror, which reflected the soft light and guided people further in to the barn.
Photography by Paper Tree Design
Tables were decorated by Larkrise Flowers with an abundance of delicate and charming flowers, some sourced from the venue’s own walled garden, along with wheat (providing a nod to the venue’s wheat barn heritage).
Flowers on the top table (displayed in a terracotta urn) included:
Rosa “Pink Avalanche”
Rosa “Lazise”
Eustoma “Arena Pink”
Astrantia roma
Sedum spectabile
Eucalyptus nicholii – foliage
Euonymus – foliage
Asparagus fern – foliage
There were also English hydrangea heads in aged terracotta pots and echeveria secunda glauca in white pots, as well as plants of mixed herbs (rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme) and bellis perennis (daisies) in more terracotta pots.
The addition of succulents brought this tablescape bang up to date with mixed sempervivens under glass domes, plus mixed baby gourds, birch slices, glass storm lanterns and glass tea light holders making the table feel extremely plentiful.
In front of the top table ran a stunning floor display of pink cactus dahlias, verbena bonariensis, hedera foliage, wheat, sedum spectabile, and 3 types of grasses (lagurus ovatus, panicum, and setaria).
Photography by Ric Mellis
Stationery from Paper Tree Design complimented the stunning floral displays. From their Tree of Hearts wedding stationery range, this included:
Robin name card – tent cards with pop out robins
Menu card – individual menus printed on Harvest Colorplan card-stock
Wild roses with tie on name cards – hand made paper wild roses with luggage tag style name cards tied on with natural bakers twine
Wild rose heads – small handmade paper wild rose heads used to decorate the tablescape
Robin & Wildflower table numbers – made from off white card and mounted on to sticks and decorated with bakers twine (these numbers can also be made for use with number stands or freestanding)
Robin & Wild Flower top table sign – made from off white card and mounted on to a stick and decorated with bakers twine (this can also be made for use with number stands or freestanding)
Photography by Hanami Dream
Vintage props were provided by Mabel and Rose including old suitcases, ladders, milk churns and barrels.
The whole effect gave an example of one direction you could take to make this venue your own – a real abundance of local, natural products with a feeling of bringing the outside inside.
By the way – get Sunday 17th September in your diary. It is this year’s Wedding Open Day at Cogges. So go along to see this venue in all it’s glory or contact them in the meantime for an earlier look round.
A beautiful Saturday in April 2015 saw the wedding of Erica and Ruby at Cogges Manor Farm.
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Robin Smith
Cogges Manor Farm is nestled in the lovely market town of Witney and offers two stunning seventeenth century barns for weddings. They were a perfect blank canvas to add loads of personalised details to the day with vintage books, afternoon tea, lots of handmade touches and accents of yellow. This wonderful vintage literary wedding was captured by a number of professional photographers (who are also close friends of the couple) who each had a different section to cover throughout the day.
The couple hadn’t heard about this wonderful venue until Erica’s sister sent them a link to Cogges’s website. They instantly fell in love with the barns when they went to see them and booked their wedding date on the spot! And from there, they produced a beautiful, creative, DIY budget rustic barn wedding. It came complete with hay bales, bunting (kindly loaned from friends & family) and the Cogges chickens running around.
Most things were either handmade, collected or sourced by the couple or their family and friends. They even held a craft session at a local pub and invited their friends and family to stamp out thousands of cat and tea pot shaped confetti from old books. They hand made photo bunting from photographs of themselves over the 5 years they’d been together, as well as hand made centrepieces of brown ale bottles (with brown string wrapped around the necks adorned with buttons), and beautiful handmade paper flowers (again from old book pages) that they held as alternative bouquets too.
The brides both made a great entrance in to the barn. Not only were their outfits stunning, with Erica’s wedding outfit (of trousers & waistcoat) handmade from design to finished garment by the amazing local Oxfordshire wedding dressmaker, Geraldine Jarell of Oxford Frocks. But they also both walked into the barn from opposite large barn doors. They were escorted by their respective fathers and walked a mesmerising figure of 8 around their 100 guests seated on hay bales. The couple met in the middle of the barn, surrounded by all their friends and family, and had an enchanting ceremony complete with the lighting of a candle.
There were lots of personal touches to decorate the barn, such as a stack of Beatrix Potter books that Erica was given as a child by her aunt (who sadly couldn’t make it from Canada on the day). There was also an old gramophone that belongs to Ruby’s dad which played records of Eva Cassidy and the like during the reception drinks in the walled garden.
Photography by Tom Weller
Afterwards, the guests were treated with a ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ themed wedding favour. As they came back in to the barn, they helped themselves to a surprise book. These were a job lot of paperback books bought from eBay and each wrapped in a brown paper parcel and stacked on a table. This gave people something to chat about at their tables before and during their afternoon tea. Many people told the couple after the wedding that the book they chose was perfect for them!
Afternoon tea has featured in this couple’s story for a while as Erica proposed to Ruby at Jane’s Enchanted Tea Garden in Oxfordshire on 29th March 2014 (the day that gay marriage was legalised). So it is fitting that afternoon tea was also the theme of their wedding day, utilising vintage mismatched china that they had collected over a year. They visited numerous charity shops and car boot sales accumulating enough tea sets to host afternoon tea for 100 guests. The afternoon tea was served inside the Wheat Barn on rustic picnic benches (Ruby wanted to avoid white table cloths at all costs!) And now all of this china is used to serve loose leaf teas and hot chocolate in their own pottery cafe, Busy Brush Café in Wallingford. Delicious sandwiches, scones and cakes accompanied their afternoon tea.
Guests were encouraged to leave a finger print on an alternative guest book tree picture, plus write a personal message to the couple on vintage postcards left in a vintage suitcase.
A beautiful ‘Thank You Tree’ was displayed in the barn with luggage tags carrying messages to thank family & friends that had helped them – from solo singing during the ceremony, to loaning fairy lights that made the barns twinkle, to taking photos at the wedding, the endless search for China teapots etc. They borrowed the tree itself from their friend Anita who owns Country Collections shop in Wheatley.
In the evening, the guests were spoilt with some of the ‘best jacket potatoes you’ve ever tasted’, cooked in an old Victorian Oven out on the veranda. Plus, the wedding cake was actually a 1.5m high cake stand stacked full of jars of retro sweets that people could nibble on throughout the evening.
Then came a brilliant spectacle as the couple’s first dance was a flash mob dance where Erica and Ruby started dancing alone to Happy by Pharrel Williams. Then 5 friends, one by one, jumped into a well learnt dance routine. Mid way through the song lots of other guests got up and joined in too. What a wonderful way to take the pressure off everyone looking at the couple and so much fun!
After this the happy couple didn’t leave the dance floor and enjoyed the songs of a local Witney band, Vinyl Daze, well into the night.
This vintage literary afternoon tea wedding proves that with some personal touches, great friends, time and creativity, a beautiful barn wedding can be produced without breaking the bank.
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Robin Smith
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Robin Smith
Photography by Nick Bradbury
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Nick Bradbury
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Nick Bradbury
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Nick Bradbury
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Robin Smith
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Mark Carroll
Photography by Tom Weller
Photography by Alan Glasspool
Photography by Alan Glasspool
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Photography by Thomas Phillips
Venue | Cogges Manor Farm | Witney, Oxfordshire | www.cogges.org.uk Photography | Nick Bradbury | Mark Carroll | Alan Glasspool | Thomas Phillips | Robin Smith | Tom Weller Bride’s outfit | trousers & waistcoat | made by Geraldine Jarell | Oxford Frocks Flowers | handmade Hay bales | provided by venue Thank you tree | Country Collections , Wheatley | https://www.facebook.com/Country-Collections-762549283781067 Band | Vinyl Daze | www.vinyldaze.co.uk
This place definitely has curb appeal. From first impressions you’d be forgiven in thinking it is a quaint looking pub set in an idyllic and remote Oxfordshire village. The traditional Cotswold stone buildings don’t disappoint but make sure you don’t judge a book solely by its cover, as this place is like a tardis and is expansive behind that initial beautiful façade.
What sprawls behind is a maze of wonder and great possibilities. A 5 star country inn set on the River Windrush surrounded by 65 acres of Cotswold wildflower meadows and riverside gardens. This is a destination to get away from the hectic, crowded city to a stunning and tranquil setting.
The river meanders effortlessly through the extensive grounds passing peaceful locations to trek to and discover: a disused boat house, bridges, tree swings and deckchairs along the riverbank. With fields to hold a festival style wedding , space to put up a marquee and a renovated barn for your evening reception.
You’d not be surprised to find Mole or Ratty scurrying along as the setting conjures up scenes from the Wind in the Willows with ease. You could relax in a riverside room with an outdoor fire pit on a private terrace. Plus there’s plenty of nooks and crannies for people to explore and retreat.
There’s an abundance of ways to enjoy the surroundings including rods to fish, tennis courts, a croquet lawn and even quirky duck races between bridges that people often incorporate in to their wedding day here. And some couples have sentimentally planted trees or roses in the grounds to mark their big day.
The river culminates alongside the beautiful Temple Garden, one of many places you can choose to hold your wedding ceremony. Complete with love seats and an amazing backdrop of a splendid willow tree draping it’s branches in to the river, flowing on it’s way to join the River Thames.
Inside doesn’t disappoint either with it’s grand, original Cotswold stone fireplaces dark wood, rich red upholstery and warm open fireplaces.
But this place isn’t stuck in the past, it is bang up to date with it’s eco outlook on recycling and even has it’s own turbo screw to power part of the venue. It also has a brand spanking new spa where you and your guests can unwind and get pampered. Plus there’s superb fresh local food and outstanding service. Which makes this a brilliant place to get married as it can be all encompassing – you can stay all weekend with your guests if you like!
It won’t appeal to all budgets nor all sizes of guest lists as this is an intimate wedding venue where you’ll be spoilt and can celebrate in style and luxury.
It’s versatile, tranquil, peaceful, relaxing, and so personal. There’s lots of options and locations within this venue to consider: restored barn, outside temple, marquee in magical gardens, inside historic reception rooms. It’s no wonder you’d want to stay the whole weekend to make sure you have time to enjoy the whole site!
WEDDING VENUE FACTS Type of venue: hotel Find out more:http://www.oldswanminstermill.co.uk/ Location: Minster Lovell, near Witney, OX29 0RN Wedding season: all year (except Christmas Day) Guests (ceremony): 50 Guests (sit down meal): 50 in Minster Room Guests (evening): 80 in Malthouse Marquee option: 120-150 Ceremony: Licensed inside and outside £750 Nearest church: St Kenelm’s, Minster Lovell (0.4 miles) Wedding breakfast: packages from £110pp to £225pp Accommodation: 52 rooms & cottage from £185pp to £450pp Wedding fairs: Open Evenings throughout the year | Wedding Fairs in spring and winter Other things worth a mention: their delicious home made fudge, honey made by Minster bees and it has some dog friendly rooms
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