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RUSTIC CHIC ELEGANCE IN SHROPSHIRE

November 21, 2017

Nicola and Rick had their rustic chic wedding at The NEW Mill Barns wedding venue in Alveley, Shropshire in August.  A beautiful luxury oak framed barn surrounded by water and a photographer’s dream, especially with its natural surroundings, wooden gorgeousness and the coolest most stunning couple you could imagine.

The Mill Barns is part of Ensarb Estates with their other venues being The Ashes and Pendrell Hall.

FIRST CONTACT

Nicola first contacted me in September last year to ask for assistance in finding their dream wedding venue.  After a lovely phone conversation, we arranged to meet and after that their wedding venue search commenced and a shortlist put together.   They both had quite a ‘wish list’ which I loved.  They wanted to incorporate so many personal touches into their day which was just fantastic.  They visited 4 wedding venues in the end, but it was The Mill Barns that ticked most of their boxes.  The only downside was having to have a mid-week wedding – due to availability (which proved no problem at all in the end) as well as the venue not even being built, it was basically a mud site when they went to see it.  I reassured them that booking ‘off plan’ with it being part of the Ensarb group didn’t pose a problem as they are wedding venue specialists and the owners had done it twice before with one of their siblings also having a couple of other amazing wedding venues within the UK.

How did you both meet?
Rick and I met on Tinder whilst he was back in Grantham visiting friends and family one Easter.

How did Rick propose?
We were due to move into our new house and Rick got the keys early and set up a treasure hunt as a surprise.  It ended in the garage with him down on one knee, surrounded by candles.

Describe your style?
I would say our style is rustic chic with lots of personal touches that reflect both of our personalities.  We also wanted to add lots of fun elements to our wedding décor that we hope our guests enjoyed!

WEDDING PLANNING JOURNEY

I naturally assumed that Nicola and Rick’s wedding planning journey with me would end at this point as I had done my job and found their dream wedding venue for them.  I had found a wedding venue that had a wedding team already in place!   However, Nicola and Rick opted for further wedding assistance which was totally unexpected.  Over a gin and tonic with Nicola, she then booked me to help find some of their wedding suppliers and provide full wedding day management.

Why did you choose Amy as your wedding planner?
We originally hired Amy to find our dream venue and we were very impressed with how professional and knowledgeable she was.  Since we are both busy professionals and we chose a venue that was still being built, we decided to hire Amy to help us find suppliers and ensure the day ran smoothly.  She consistently went above and beyond to help make the day perfect and stress free.

What did you most enjoy about working with Amy?
Amy got to know us and understand what we like which meant that on the day we could relax as she knew how we wanted things to look and how we wanted the day to go.  She is so warm and friendly, we instantly got on well and she attended our evening reception (later on) as a friend, rather than our planner.

Being part of Nicola and Rick’s wedding journey was such a pleasure.  We became really good friends, constantly messaging each other with updates and generally putting the world to rights.

I visited The Mill Barns when it was almost complete with Nicola and Rick and it was here that we had our Day in Detail meeting to go through everything and meet the lovely Donna who was their Event Manager at The Mill Barns.  Such a stunning space

What memories will you always cherish about your wedding planning?
Making a new friend!

THE WEDDING DAY

On the wedding day itself, I went to see Nicola, her lovely bridesmaid Sarah and the mums to check all was OK at Hogarth Stone Manor just down the road from The Mill Barns.  Makeup by the lovely Ali had started and I arrived just in time to see Rick’s brother delivering a lovely gift to Nicola from Rick.  I was blown away when Nicola also presented a lovely card to me (with the most beautiful words) along with some beautiful ‘Thomas Sabo’ earrings and a superstar personalised mug.  Before leaving, I put Nicola’s wedding dress, Sarah’s bridesmaids dress and Mother of the Bride (the lovely Jenny’s) outfit in the car to take to The Mill Barns to ensure it was in the room ready for when they arrived.

On arriving at The Mill Barns, the fantastic Sara and Pete from Pixies in the Cellar were already on site and their lovely hairdresser and florist had just arrived.  So, it was all systems go.  Nicola had such a vision of how she wanted things, so I wanted to make sure it was exactly how she wanted it to be.

Flowers were rustic and gorgeous.  Mini milk churns filled with flowers with an array of props on each table which were all named after 90s computer games.   The handcrafted table names by Nicola were just gorgeous.   Their oval top table looked gorgeous with greenery and candles, with a backdrop of mini terrariums with sprigs of greenery in.

Their cake was out of this world, elegant and timeless from the front and a Star Wars theme on the back, as well as a stack of scrumptious chocolate brownies.

Nicola looked absolutely stunning, what can I say, she looked like a Grecian goddess which blew Rick away.

The ceremony was one of my favourites.  The room, the candles, the feel, the vows, just wonderful.  The music was definitely personal to Nicola and Rick and sounded fabulous being played on the piano by Tom.

Champagne, gin and craft beers were served with canapes to everyone after the ceremony whilst confetti and photos took place.

We moved the flowers from the ceremony room through to the wedding breakfast room, as these formed part of the table displays.  Napkins were rolled and everything checked.

Whilst Nicola and Rick and their guests ate, I got to sample the food and I have to say it was wonderful.  It was lovely to catch-up with Sara and Pete (their photographers) and Tom (ceremony musician) as well and talk about wedding season.   I went back in to the wedding breakfast barn ready for the speeches and they were just fabulous.  Nicola’s Dad (Keith aka Top) gave the best speech as did the groom himself and his best man / brother Chris.

Daytime celebrations went into more photos, clearing tables, saving keepsakes and moving furniture aside ready for their evening celebrations, cutting of the cake and the first dance by their band, The Vivas, which was unfortunately slightly delayed due to a glow stick bracelet incident – please everyone don’t use these as they can snap and cause a nasty sting!

What can I say such a fantastic, relaxed, fun and gorgeous wedding day with a great couple and group of family and friends.  Rustic and chic with a touch of elegance at the most gorgeous barn wedding venue.  It was a pleasure to be part of your wedding planning journey and day Nicola and Rick and thank you for letting me stay for a couple of hours as a wedding guest.  Looking forward to catching up very soon to reminisce about the day and get some dates in the diary.

What part of your wedding day did you enjoy the most?
Our entire day was perfect from start to finish and so it’s difficult to choose, but I really did love our ceremony.  It was the most important part of the day to us; making the commitment to one another in front of our friends and family.  We picked music and readings that mean a lot to us both and that reflect our personalities.  We also tried to make it enjoyable for our guests, as some ceremonies can be quite impersonal.  Our friends Charlotte and Joanna did beautiful readings and I really struggled to hold my emotions back!  Rick looked into my eyes throughout the ceremony and after signing the register, our registrar told us that of all the weddings she has done, she has never seen a groom look at his bride so much and that even she got a little emotional!!  It made me realise just how special our love for one another is.  It really was one of the most special moments in my life that I will remember forever.

What advice would you give to a bride (or groom) whilst planning her wedding?
Firstly, hire Amy to help!  Secondly, ensure that your wedding reflects both your personalities, rather than one persons’ idea of how a wedding should look and feel!

Five words to describe Amy?
Friendly | Professional | Knowledgeable | Organised | Calm

NICOLA AND RICK’S DREAM TEAM

Wedding Planner – Amy Thorne of Amaranthyne Weddings
Photographers – Sara and Pete of Pixies in the Cellar
Flowers – Brown Sugar Blooms
Cake – Sweet and Delicious Incredible Edibles
Hair – Tabitha MacCurrach-Paine
Makeup – Ali Gunn
Wedding Dress – Belle and Bouquet
Wedding Shoes – Christian Louboutin
Caterers – Jenkinsons Caterers
Ceremony Musician – Tom (musician with The Vivas)
Evening Band – The Vivas
Wooden LOVE Letters – Venue Styling and Flowers by Floyd

Wedding Venue – The Mill Barns

Amaranthyne Weddings
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