“We are both Yorkshiremen born and bred,” says groom Chris. Which is why he and his betrothed, Dean, wanted a wedding day to reflect their roots. And where better to spend it then, than right here at The Normans?
For their suits, the duo had ‘country cool’ in mind - opting for matching designs from Barnsley-based Tweed & Groom.
“We felt [tweed] really captured the autumnal country style we were going for,” explains Chris.
Matching paisley-print dicky bow and necktie finished off the grooms’ look (and inspired the bridesmaids’ dresses - see below). Buttonholes, meanwhile, were seasonal and personal: Chris’s was adorned by mini crab apples - a nod to the apple trees back home - and Dean’s favourite colour is purple, thus the purple thistle.
In case you hadn’t guessed from all the gorgeous golds and burnt hues, ‘autumn’ was the inspiration for the day’s decor - with flowers courtesy of Campbell’s Flowers.
“The tree branch that hung over us during the ceremony was something we’d never even considered and the detail was unbelievable,” says Chris. “Not only did Tracey [of Campbell’s Flowers] use the things we discussed, but she found the most amazing extras too, such as mini chillies and thistles.”
Happily, the weather played ball, allowing the newlywed pair and their guests to make merry in The Normans Courtyard, supping champagne, devouring canapés and clinking glasses ‘til the sun went down…
“One of the big advantages of The Normans is that everything you need for the day is based around one courtyard,” says Chris. “The indoor and outdoor spaces are all perfect, so, if the weather had been bad, we knew it wouldn’t have mattered.”
With their guests busy mingling, Chris and Dean headed off for some alone time - making memories (of a photographic ilk) in the surrounding farmland, with photographer Nicola Thompson behind the lens.
Back inside The Normans, autumnal decor permeated the venue: hugging signage, decorating table tops, and finishing the wedding cake off a treat.
Inside the Grain Shed dining area, a travel vibe accompanied the autumn look - a testament to the couple’s love of globe-trotting.
“Every table was named after a city we had visited,” tells Chris. “Dean designed the seating plan around an old map of the world … and it had the names of the guests written on old luggage tags.”
“Feeding into the regional theme, we picked a Yorkshire sharing platter for our starter, which included a variety of local produce from cheese to pork pies,” says Chris. “Not only did it taste amazing, but the way it was laid out for everyone as they came into the Grain Shed was absolutely stunning.”
And we daresay that the couple’s Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey bar helped to get the party started…
… whiskey, and some seriously pumping party tunes from Something For the Weekend.
“I have never seen a dance floor so full from the moment they started to their very last song,” says Chris. “They knew exactly how to get everyone dancing: my 73-year-old mother didn’t leave the dance floor all night, neither did my 18-year-old niece!”
“From the moment we saw The Normans, we knew it was the one for us. You could tell that a lot of time, effort and thought had gone into making this the perfect wedding venue and on the day, it really was perfect. Oliver and the team were like a well-oiled machine: the day flowed so smoothly and the venue itself is designed so that everything appears effortless. ”
