After the dizzying success of our 2019 wedding season, The Normans team went into bear-like hibernation for the first half of January.
You’ll be pleased to know we’re back. Back with a bear-like vengeance. Wide awake and hungry for berries, unwitting hikers and, most of all: weddings. Hosting weddings. Writing about weddings. All things weddings.
But enough of these tenuous and, quite frankly, ridiculous bear analogies, and on to more important matters: namely, starting 2020 with a bang. Not just the bang of celebratory fireworks, but a bangin’ blog post recalling Amy & Thomas’s wedding here at The Normans at the tail end of 2019 (remember the twenteens?).
You’d be forgiven thinking that the above image (captured by man-of-many-talents Joe Stenson) was from New Year’s Eve. Well, it’s not. It’s from Bonfire Night. Sorry to deceive, but it takes wedding photographers a month or so to sift through and edit the thousands of snaps they take on a night, so we figured November 5, and all the fireworks that come with it, was the perfect place to start our blogging season.
Despite November not being the first month on everyone’s list when it comes to booking a wedding date, this particular November day encapsulated the joys of British Autumn - and, we’re pleased to report, the venue did look rather gorgeous, despite the rain making a brief cameo mid-afternoon.
Special shout out for Amy & Thomas’s beautiful bespoke signage, which helped guests find their way to venue (take that, Google Maps!) and, indeed, find their way around the venue. Functional and pretty. Well done.
The Normans Ceremony Barn, pictured below awaiting its guests, glowed courtesy of its iconic cascading fairy lights, which in turn were complemented by the fantastic floral arrangements of Jade’s Secret Garden.
“I’m quite particular and I knew I wanted to keep the decor quite minimal - the venue is so stunning as it is, and I didn’t want to take away from that by having over-the-top decorations,” says Amy. “Although it was a winter wedding, I loved the colours blush pink and grey. I wanted more greenery in my flowers, punctuated with the occasional rose. My florist Jade did this so beautifully.”
All was quiet on the morning of the wedding, but The Normans Cottage was a hive of excited hubbub - chattering, the pop of champagne corks, and the roar of hairdryers.
Amy and her bridesmaids made the most of the (relatively) new dressing room to ready themselves for the Big Day, helped along the way by makeup artist Sarah Plews.
“Sarah is an eyebrow and makeup specialist who I have been using for a number of years,” says bride Amy. “There was never going to be anyone else when it came to my wedding makeup - she is amazing at what she does and each time she does it, it gets better and better!”
Bed-hair, bobs and bowl-cuts, meanwhile, were dealt with by hairstylist Hannah Taylor.
“I had been looking for a hairstylist for a while and no one had really caught my eye until I stumbled across Hannah’s Instagram page,” recalls Amy. “I messaged her straight away and, luckily, she was available. I wanted something simple but with texture, and Hannah knew exactly what I wanted. She created the most simple but beautiful up do for my day.”
It should be noted that none of the bridesmaids were sporting bowl-cuts. That’s just us being silly.
But the best was yet to come: the moment Amy donned her dress for the first time.
“My beautiful dress was by Enzoani and I purchased it from the Harrogate Wedding Lounge,” explains Amy. “Harrogate Wedding Lounge was the third wedding dress store I visited, and this was the first dress I tried on there.”
“By visiting the previous stores I knew I was looking for a more fitted silhouette,” continues Amy. “[My dress] looked quite simple on the hanger, [but] the detail on it was incredible, and I couldn’t believe how stunning it was. I added the detachable off-the-shoulder sleeves, which the seamstress matched beautifully to the lace detail on my dress. I also added a delicate thin belt, which was sewn onto my dress. I was so glad I could add these finishing touches - I couldn’t of been happier with my dress.”
And here’s Amy, looking stunning in Enzoani, flanked by her bridesmaids, all looking stunning in soft-grey dresses from Oasis.
“When I saw the dresses I immediately fell in love with them,” says Amy. “I had been looking for a soft grey colour but I had been really struggling finding anything I liked in this shade. The dresses were exactly what I was looking for in terms of colour and style. Luckily the bridesmaids loved them too!”
Meanwhile, man-of-the-moment Thomas, was inside the venue, welcoming guests with the help of his Dad. Thomas is decked in a snappy three-piece-suit by Marc Darcy.
“I’m a bit out there with my dress sense,” says Tom. “ So, I felt that I needed to stand out from my groomsmen as our original plan was to be all in the same suit. After looking at all the usual suit brands, I stumbled by chance on this suit online and knew it was the one for me.”
Guests were seated, and the scene was set, but grey clouds and rain decided to crash the wedding, just before the ceremony. Happily, The Normans Cottage is located a stone’s throw from the Ceremony Barn, so bride, bridesmaids and the brother of the bride (who was giving the Amy away) didn’t have far to go. This said, the male contingent of the party didn’t manage to master use of the umbrellas quite as well as the ladies…
Soon enough, Amy, arm in arm with her brother, was making her way down the aisle to meet her groom.
Vows were made, rings exchanged, the register signed, and Amy and Thomas walked back up the aisle as man and wife.
The rule at The Normans is that guests have a drink in their hand within 0.7 seconds of the ceremony finishing (or thereabouts). The good people of Hog & Apple were on hand to oblige, armed with bubbly…
… and delectable canapes.
With the weather still misbehaving outside, guests took refuge in the cosy Cow Stalls…
… which were adorned with personalised Polaroid-style bunting - simple, yet so effective.
The soundtrack for the drinks reception was provided by the wonderful Daisy Kate.
And it was great to see bride Amy relax with her guests, glass in hand, as well as pay some special attention to her pooch who made a guest appearance for the drinks reception.
As guests made merry in the Cow Stalls, Team Hog (& Apple) were bust titivating the Grain Shed, ready for guests to take their seats for the wedding breakfast.
Again, we love the understated. personalised decorative items and floral displays adorning tables in the Grain Shed.
“I opted for gold decorative items as I felt this would work beautifully with greenery,” explains Amy. “We had garlands scattered along the long rustic banquets tables, along with gold candlestick holders and glass tea lights with a gold rim.”
Hog & Apple played their part, by placing their iconic Yorkshire sharing boards on tables before guests took their seats. A feast for the eyes and, indeed, the stomach.
Bride and groom were announced in…
… and eating was followed by speaking…
… specifically the speeches, which suitably entertained guests… and embarrassed the groom.
And, as is customary at any good wedding a (slightly) drunk bride and groom were handed a sharp knife in order to hack apart a rather lovely cake (this cake in particular was made by Leisa of Cakes by Leisa fame).
The DIY bespoke photo booth went down well…
… and distracted guests long enough bride and groom could head out into the dark, cold, November night to have their photo taken in a drafty shed. The results, you’ll agree, are rather lovely.
But Amy and Thomas couldn’t admire the agricultural for long - they were soon called back to the Grain Shed for the first dance…
… and their guests needed little invitation to mob bride and groom soon after.
The fireworks to celebrate this red-hot Bonfire Night wedding were a total surprise for Amy and Thomas’s guests and a sparkling way in which to conclude the most wonderful of weddings. A big thank you to Ardent Fireworks for the stunning display!
(A note from the Normans to any couples wanting fireworks for their Big Day - we only really allow them on Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve. However, we always try to be as accommodating as possible, so if you have any pyrotechnic questions, just shoot us an email!)
“The Normans will always hold a special place in our hearts and we feel incredibly lucky to have had our special day here. All of our guests keep telling us how amazing the venue is and everyone was blown away by how well the day went. We hope that one day we get the pleasure of attending a wedding here! ”
