June may have been a washout, but summer’s threatening to make a comeback this month. To celebrate, we hark back to the happy day when a lady called Emily married a man called James, right here at The Normans.
Emily and James’s wedding epitomised summer chic and style, and featured a distinct floral theme throughout…
But before we get to the bride and groom, the music and the food, and all the other important details that are of interest to soon-to-be-wed couples, we begin this blog (like all good blogs) with a cat. Not just any cat, mind, but The Normans’ feline-in-chief: Toilet Cat (long story behind the name). Here she is, enjoying the sun in The Normans Courtyard, basking in the sunshine, waiting for an unsuspecting guest to drop a canape.
Speaking of guests: here they are, mingling and making merry in The Normans Courtyard (Toilet Cat out of shot). The welcome sign is one of the many nice personal touches that punctuated James and Emily’s big day.
And so, to Emily’s partners in crime: the bridesmaids. Here they are, below, approaching the venue, wedding ready. Emily let her girls pick their own dresses, and the result is fantastic: a mixture of styles from Issa at House of Fraser, Asos, Oasis (the high-street retailer, not the band), and Shona Joy. We love the deep blues, rich reds and dark greens.
But all eyes were on the lady in white. Here’s Emily loitering with intent outside The Normans Ceremony Barn. Her simple, sleek and oh-so-stunning dress was designed Emma Beaumont, who's studio is based in Cheshire. “I knew I wanted something minimalist but with some ‘bridally’ touches,” explains Emily. “And also something I could dance in and eat lots of chips! Emma and her whole team are so lovely and so talented.”
And here’s a closer look at Emily’s bouquet - a celebration of summer colour by Claire Lewis. As for the rest of the fantastic florals… “Most of the potted plants were raided from my dad's garden - he put in so much hard work growing them, he's such a hero!” says Emily. “The cut flowers were provided by Sally Pickering from Flowers from the Farm, so everything was from just down the road with zero air miles! Everything was arranged by Claire Lewis at who also provided all the props.”
We adore this shot of Emily and her girls - the colours, the composition… credit to photographer Jules Barron for capturing it- and everything else on the day. What a star!
“But what of the groom?!” we hear you cry. Don’t worry - here he is, hiding in the Cow Stalls contemplating love and life (and thinking of all the future social engagements he could wear his amazing jacket to. Note the floral pattern. We love it. Bravo to Manchester tailor Richard Smith.)
Luckily, we were able to extract James from the Cow Stalls and deposit him at the end of the aisle, before Emily and her Dad, made their entrance into the Ceremony Barn…
And below is a photo that gets us every time: happiness personified!
(PS That jacket!)
It doesn’t matter how many ceremonies we host here at The Normans, we can never quite get over how beautiful the Barn looks when it’s full of guests, the bride and groom, and lots of love.
Vows were exchanged, and James and Emily returned down the aisle as man and wife. Behold the joyous throwing of confetti - once again captured on camera by Jules Barron, perched on the Ceremony Barn’s mezzanine level.
And… more confetti!
Once the petal pelting had finished, James and Emily arrived in The Courtyard amid much fanfare - said fanfare provided by the scallywags of New York Brass Band.
NYBB have since performed at Glastonbury. We haven’t heard from them since, but assume/hope they’re alive and still taking bookings.
Hog & Apple were on hand to provide sustenance - food being a very important part of Emily’s day…
“We picked food that would keep things casual,” says Emily. “I really loved Hog & Apple’s sharing boards. We were both big fans of the taco canapes - and it’s a running joke that we only ever eat kebabs, so obviously had to have shawarmas for the evening food, which were a big hit!”
The weather turned, and while bruised, brooding skies weren’t enough to dampen spirits (the rain held off, happily), they did encourage guests to move inside…
… where long rustic banqueting tables awaited, lined with pot plants (straight out of Emily’s Dad’s garden!), shining glassware and contemporary tableware.
Wedding favours? Sorted. Old-school Panini football stickers, of course.
“I was very sceptical at first,” explains Emily, “but James's vintage football sticker collection is infamous amongst friends, and people seemed to really enjoy them!”
For all the pomp and ceremony of weddings, we love the quiet moments - here are James and Emily, away from the madding crowd, enjoying a minute together before being welcomed in for the wedding breakfast…
… and here’s a shot of the lovely couple, shining brighter than the cascading fairy lights behind them…
… relaxing in The Cow Stalls…
… strolling down a country lane (as you do)…
… and having a heart to heart in a massive shed.
But James and Emily weren’t ones to stay away from the fray, and were soon back in action by way of a full-blooded first dance…
… a first dance that set the tone for quite a party…
“We knew the Normans was the place for us the moment we walked in. Everything from the beautiful ceremony barn to the secret little seating areas is perfect. Not only is the venue beautiful but the team are fantastic - everything leading up to the wedding was handled so smoothly and really put us ease, and Oliver was amazing on the day helping with anything and everything!”
