The grey skies of late don’t exactly scream ‘Summer!’, but we can’t escape the fact that we’re only a few weeks away from basking in glorious sunshine. (This is definitely going to happen.)
So, while we dream of warmer climes, let’s cast our minds back to a balmy Tuesday in August last year, when Anna married Matt at The Normans…
Although there was a smattering of rain on this summer day, this couple still sizzled with style.
Case in point: bride Anna in her stunning gown by Zavana Bridal (pictured here by Dominic Wright). Anna found her dress in Chloë Jane Bridalwear, although, somewhat amazingly, it wasn’t her first choice…
“When my mum and I were walking around the bridal shop choosing dresses for me to try, I said I didn’t like the dress in the window at all,” laughs Anna. “Three dresses later - and a minor meltdown about not liking any - and the girls from Chloe Jane brought me ‘that dress in the window’! I tried it on and instantly knew it was my dress. It was love at second sight! They really do know their stuff!”
Anna’s hair was styled by Amy Lopez from Westrow Street Lane in Leeds.
“She was fabulous, she helped me with me pre-wedding hair care and colour too!” says Anna.
Make-up was the remit of Naomi Stone: “Naomi was great and got the perfect balance of ‘natural glam’ for the Big Day! She even chose and matched my bridesmaids with their wedding day lipsticks, from a photograph!”
Anna’s beautiful bridesmaids, meanwhile, wore dresses from Joy’s Bella Bridesmaids.
“Hannah made the whole experience so easy and fun,” recounts Anna. “They have such a range of different styles!”
We’re sure groom Matt won’t mind us saying that Anna stole the show, but he still made quite the impression in his fitted three-piece suit, complete with chequered waistcoat and bespoke lining. He also rocked up in a stretched Hummer (which is still stuck on a tight corner just up the road from the venue).
(It’s not really, don’t worry.)
Anna eschewed the Hummer but still made quite the arrival, sparkling brighter than the plenitude of fairy lights in The Normans iconic Ceremony Barn.
She met her groom at the top of the aisle, and there began a heart-warming ceremony.
“We loved our ceremony reading,” says Anna. “We had our maid of honour and grooms man stand at the front and read their own interpretations of love. This was followed by eight people from the congregation standing in turn to read what love meant to them! It was beautiful to hear each persons thoughts and feelings, many of who shared their wisdom and wise words for a happy marriage!”
We couldn’t agree more!
After the readings, the vows, and the giddy excitement of the ‘I dos’, Anna and Matt walked back down the aisle, through storm clouds of confetti, as man and wife.
The weather behaved itself enough for the doors of the Ceremony Barn to be flung open and for guests to enjoy the drinks reception in The Courtyard. The burble of chatter and laughter was accompanied by a relaxed soundtrack courtesy of the most excellent The Rebel Sounds.
While music may be the food of the soul, food for the belly was provided by out trusty catering partners, The Hog & Apple, who were on hand to distribute flutes of bubbly and a range of creatively constructed canapés.
When Anna first started planning her day, all those years ago before various Covid lockdowns, she started with a few Pinterest posts, which quickly escalated into a full-on passion project…
“One of our biggest visions was having the lights strung across the courtyard,” says Anna. “It was something that hadn’t been done before, but Oliver worked with the guys at AV Matrix - it really gave us that ‘courtyard party vibe’ in the evening!”
“I made a scrap book and spent weeks printing and sticking pictures to create a vision for each part of the day,” continues Anna. “Having an extra year to plan the wedding [because of Covid] I could have changed my mind hundreds of times... luckily for Kirsti and the team at Rose and Spade, I was set on a colour scheme: a gorgeous mix of deep pink, apricot and blush to add pops of colour. I knew I didn’t want every inch of the wedding to be ‘colour themed’ so it was great fun deciding how we could introduce bursts of colour without overdoing it. From the big flower arrangements to the delicate ones on the tables, the ribbons around the place names to the button holes… everything looked perfect!”
We were particularly impressed by the makeshift hat hooks the couple constructed in the entrance of The Grain Shed - a first!
Anna and Matt’s guests were seated along four rows of rustic banqueting tables, which were punctuated with bunches of flowers and tall, elegant candles. The Grain Shed dining area looked breath-taking.
The food matched the aesthetics, thanks to the culinary endeavours of The Hog & Apple.
“Everyone who knows us, knows that we love food,” explains Anna. “So, the food for the Big Day was very important to us. Our menu was based on our love for the outdoors in the summer - especially barbecuing with friends and family. So, there were plenty of fresh salads and sweet potato fries! Our dessert was something more refined and beautifully plated. I nearly forgot what we had chosen at the tasting, 18 months previously, so it was a lovely surprise on the day!”
Three courses were bookmarked by speeches, and, once dessert was cleared, guests took the opportunity to steal outside to enjoy The Courtyard in the evening sun.
There was even time for Anna to toss the bouquet (a wedding tradition we don’t see much of these days, sadly)…
… as well as some impromptu dancing under the festoon lights…
But, before long, guests were called back into the Grain Shed for the cutting of a cake - almost a pity given how splendid the cake was. Hats off to Where The Ribbon Ends for crafting this three-tiered beauty.
It was then straight onto the dance floor for Anna and Matt’s first dance as a married couple under Grain Shed’s fairy-light canopy.
The Rebel Sounds had relocated from the Courtyard to the main stage to give one of their trademark high-octane, wildly original performances. Suffice to say, the dance floor was packed - a fitting finale to a quite tremendous summer scorcher of a wedding.
“We had the most perfect, stunning, amazing wedding day! Every single stage of the process was so easy - from booking all the way up to collecting our things the day after the wedding. Matt and I cannot thank The Normans team enough for making what was the hardest 18 months we could have imagined, end in such an incredible way!”
