Real Wedding | Kate & Lee | 05 Aug 2016

Photographer: Hannah McClune Photography Florist: Flowers by Tamsin Cake: Made by a lovely friend Band/DJ: The Daisy Cutters Other Suppliers: Videographer: Moving Picture Box; Love Lights: The Wedding House; Stationary: Plain Sage Designs

First things first, can you tell us about the proposal?

It was on Lee's Birthday.  I hadn't bought him a present (with his agreement) and he was being very high maintenance about it - suggesting I didn't love him because I hadn't bought him a present.  I felt very guilty and the breakfast in bed and the offer of lunch just didn't seem to cut it for him.  He then said there was one present I could give him... by saying yes... and pulled out the ring!  Of course I said yes (the diamond was huge, who wouldn't?!)

What made you choose Redhouse Barn for your wedding day?

It's a beautiful venue and catered for all of our requirements - amazing food, stunning venue (we got married in August but that doesn't guarantee sun!!) and spacious enough for our guests without losing them to too many rooms.  A key for me was that it was a gorgeous venue without having to do much decoration, as I knew that neither of us were very good at this creativity.  As it happened the team at Redhouse Barn were excellent in pulling this together for us on the day and it looked just like we hoped.

Was it love at first sight when dress shopping or did you have try a few on before finding the perfect one? And not forgetting the suits for the boys, how did they get on?

The dress.. Ah the dress.  I had a vision in my head of what I thought would suit me.  I now tell all my 'bride-to-be' friends to rip that idea up and just try on random styles!  I went for a dress that was different to what I imagined I would go for. It also had sparkle and lace, whereas I'm a bit of a plain Jane - the most colour in my wardrobe is a red scarf!  When you hear brides say "I went the total opposite of what I thought I'd go for", it's absolutely true.

The suits.  That was Lee's only job.  It was therefore sorted last minute, so lets not talk about that.  He looked very handsom though, I loved his colour co-ordination with the theme for the day.  He did a good job really, no supervision needed after all.

So, Venue booked, how was the rest of the planning process?

We both have to be so organised for work that sometimes our home life suffers.  We're THAT couple who have weeks of unopened post.  However, planning a wedding was better than I thought.  I had one tip from a very good family friend "do one thing for the wedding every week otherwise it can overwhelm you".  This was totally true.  Making a to do list and checking everything off made it easier to manage.  

The team at Redhouse Barn are experts at this too and we couldn't believe the amount of organising they helped us do for the big day - they literally had thought of everything and made sure that we could focus on our biggest job - enjoying ourselves.  

Fast forwarding through all the planning to the actual ceremony, how were the emotions for both of you during the ceremony?

We were both completely calm and just enjoyed the day for what we wanted it to be - a happy celebration with all of our family and friends.  It was so nice that the team at Redhouse felt like a part of the celebrations too.  They really do want you to have the best day of your life. 

Did you have a theme or colour scheme running through the day? Tell us a little bit about your flowers and any other personal touches.

We had a blush pink and grey theme, the flowers matched this perfectly. Tamsin, our florist, was excellent at pulling together the most stunning bouquets with minimal direction from us (as we are pretty clueless about flowers!)  The end result was perfect and even our most critical supporters commented on how beautiful they were :)

How would you describe the food and service throughout the day?

Incredible. I (Lee) am a bit of a foodie so this was my area.  When we asked our guests if they enjoyed the day, everyone commented on the food and how friendly and helpful the staff were. 

What kind of cake did you go for? Was it traditional/ modern/ flavoured/ cupcakes/ naked?

We wanted rustic, pretty and tasty - we got all three and we were eating it for days afterwards (which was a bonus because as the bride and groom, we didn't actually eat any on the day!)

How did your first dance go?

As planned, about 30 seconds of romantic swaying before we called our guests on to enjoy it with us, it was their day too in our eyes - they've all helped us to be who we are as a couple.

What do your guests mention most about your wedding day?

The food and friendly staff!  I honestly couldn't believe how supportive, friendly and truely 'rooting for you to have a good day' all of the staff at Redhouse Barn were, literally everyone.

Is there anything you would change if you were to do it all again?

Nothing at all.  Both Lee and I said that there was nothing we would change at all, we loved it all - apart from how quickly it flew by.

Do you have any hints or tips for couples looking to get married?

Enjoy the planning process, don't let it overwhelm you - speak to the venue for help and tips, they know a good wedding when they see one and will always be happy to help.

Finally, where did you go on your honeymoon?

We did a tour of South America, taking in Peru, Macchu Picchu, the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands.  Although the first night of our honeymoon was spent sleeping on the floor of Lima Airport.  If that doesn't make you as a couple...