Feeling smothered by the soggy, grey blanket that is the month of November, we retreat once more to our happy place. Our happy place, in this instance, is a sunshine-filled day in July - the day Kat and Garylee brought their bright and beautiful wedding to The Normans.
We begin this nostalgic amble down memory lane with one half of our wonderful couple - bride Kat.
Kat opted to get ready at her nearby family home. Here she is in her jaw-dropping ‘Cooper’ dress by Rime Arodaky, procured from The Mews Bridal in Notting Hill, London.
“I was originally drawn to another of the boutique’s designers, who I’d found on Pinterest but went in with an open mind,” recalls Kat. “The staff were very attentive - far from pushy - and I instantly felt comfortable. I didn’t initially shortlist the ‘Cooper’ dress, but when they suggested I try it, I thought why not?! As soon as I put it on, it immediately felt right. I’d tried a number of beautiful dresses but this one kept coming back to me. I love its understated, elegant shape.”
We couldn’t agree more, Kat.
Kat’s good friend Rebecca Parker took charge of make-up.
“Her attention to detail is spot on,” says Kat. “She managed to create the natural look I wanted, whilst adding a touch of something special.”
Meanwhile, Garylee, the southern half of our power couple, suited up in The Normans Cottage.
This gregarious groom was decked out in a deep-blue made-to-measure suit from the Moss Bros Tailor Me service.
“The colour looked vibrant in the pictures and went really well with the coral knitted ties, pocket squares and cuff links, which I was always planning to get,” explains Kat. “The groomsmen’s suits were also from Moss Bros and part of their current range.”
Bright, bold colours were a running theme throughout the day, imbuing everything from floral details to the bridesmaids’ dresses - each of Kat’s special ladies donned a vibrant primary colour with a bouquet to match.
“All the Bridesmaid’s dresses were from Whistles,” says Kat. “My sister found them online and I liked the way their soft gathered trims, wrap-over and backless details complemented the features of my dress. I was also chuffed that I could get each of them in a different colour, which matched our colour scheme. So many Bridesmaid’s dresses are the same, so to have a common theme and a point of difference was great!”
There was delicious detail at every turn. Take this gorgeous moon arch, for instance, which stood at the top of the aisle, in front of cascading fairy lights.
The moon arch (as with all the day’s floral displays) was the handiwork of Normans regular Clock Dandelion (more on flowers, later).
And, we’ll take this opportunity to laud the personalised stationery designed by Kat.
“Gary and I are big music fans and have a mutual love of ‘80s and ‘90s Synth, Indie, and Britpop. It’s the kind of stuff we grew up with and we have a particular love of The Stone Roses. I used their (Jackson Pollock) album covers as a starting point for inspiration - our colour palette arose from these album covers, as did our take on their paint splatters by using spray painted ‘blobs’ with drips running down,” explains Kat.
“I designed the ‘spray’ pattern, which featured on the invitations, bunting, cake, favours, place name badges… I also used Gary’s last name to create a ‘Hudson Records Inc’ logo, which featured pretty heavily.”
But even the natty stationery didn’t distract when Kat rocked the aisle…
The ceremony was sealed with a kiss, captured by the marvellous Marni V Photography (the lady responsible for all these fantastic photos!)
Once the ceremony was done, celebrations spilled outside into The Normans Courtyard…
… though some guests preferred the cosy confines of The Cow Stalls…
… where yet more floral artistry could be found. We adored Kat’s colour scheme and the assorted floral designs curated by Clock Dandelion.
Kat and Garylee soon escaped their friends, fans and followers. First stop: a photo-op alongside their awesome wedding transport: a classic VW Camper and Herbie, no less.
Talk about arriving in style…
And then onto the farm sheds, for a dance. As you do.
Happily, the couple survived the passing farm traffic and came away with some quite lovely photos.
Before long, it was time for Kat and Garylee to return to the venue…
… where Hog & Apple’s Doug announced the wedding breakfast and promptly flung open the Grain Shed doors…
Once the balloons had dispersed, guests were greeted by this stunning floral display in the entrance of The Grain Shed dining area.
“I was blown away by Jo from Clock Dandelion,” exudes Kat. “We loved that she sources flowers seasonally. The floral feature in the entrance to the grain shed was stunning; and we also asked Jo to create some ‘natural’ table runners from green foliage and a ‘Moon Ring’, which looked amazing in the ceremony barn and later behind the cake.”
Kat and Garylee’s seating plan took the form of ‘tickets’ to see the ‘band’ that each table took its name from.
“We hoped the alphabetical layout would make it easier for guests to find their names,” says Kat, who was thrilled to see that most guests were wearing their name badges (place names) throughout the evening.
Yet more inflatable fun awaited guests in The Grain Shed - this time, striking gold and polka dot balloons.
And our music-loving couple didn’t miss the opportunity to name the tables after their favourite bands. Our favourite? York’s finest musical export, Shed 7.
Check out the below mouthwatering menu, courtesy of The Hog & Apple.
“The Hog & Apple blew us away with their food and service,” says Kat. “We loved their unconventional style and they managed to deliver quality on a grand scale. We chose their ‘Bacon and Egg’ Crispy Ham Hock to start, which came with various chutneys and dressings and a ’64 degree egg’ that was cracked over the ham hock to serve. It was delicious as well as unique. The main course ‘chicken and chorizo supreme’ came with rosti, charred hispi cabbage, carrot and paprika puree, and a pea-shoot dressing. The flavours were absolutely cracking and all the staff went out of their way to make sure our requests were delivered from the off!”
But before guests tucked in, the bride and groom made their entrance to rapturous applause. We love Marni’s shot of Garylee taking a moment before being announced.
And here they are, in all their glory…
And here’s the moon arch, again - relocated by florist Jo Drake with the help of The Normans team. A great way to maximise the impact of such a stunning feature. And the cake? This beauty was the handiwork of Beth from Torte Cakes.
As night fell, the party kicked off in earnest.
And, with the Slinky Band in place, Kat and Garylee began the evening’s events with the first dance.
Well-oiled guests were quick to join bride and groom, and all and sundry saw through the night by way of colourful interpretive (drunk) dance routines.
A splendid party, befitting of a cracking couple.
“We wanted a less traditional, more relaxed venue to match our character - The Normans is beautiful and the staff are wonderful. Also, the venue’s links with great suppliers meant that everything ran like clockwork. The whole day was fantastic!”
