London-based couple Jaimie and Jez knew exactly how to bring the best out of The Normans. Their vision riffed on the venue’s rustic features, and took advantage of its more contemporary elements.
The result?
A wedding that not only looked great, but was imbued with enough heartfelt personal touches to make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
With so many amazing photos from the day (thank you, Laura Calderwood!), it was difficult to know where to begin this blog. But, after a prolonged bout of choice anxiety, we plumped with this shot of bride Jaimie stepping out of a classic 1954 Bentley R-Type E (aka The Yorkshire Wedding Car), dazzling all and sundry in her Maggie Sottero dress and sheer Justin Alexander jacket from Abigail's Bridal Boutique, Leeds.
Just. Wow.
“I fell in love with the champagne dress, which was actually a slip dress from underneath of a completely different dress!” explains Jaimie. “I tried a few jackets, but was instantly drawn towards the mandarin collar. I liked having a combination that felt unique - and to be able to take the jacket off on the night and have a second look without having to buy a second dress!”
Jaimie embellished her jaw-dropping look with something blue(ish) - a pair of Alexandre Birman shoes.
Bravo, Jaimie. Bravo.
Jaimie’s bridesmaids were dressed in Maids to Measure dresses - shout out to Claire at The White Yard. The lovely trio’s look was finished off with bouquets by Kate Mell.
Groom Jez, no slouch in the style department himself, kept up appearances with a tailor-made suit from Rhodes Wood of Harrogate, who he couldn’t recommend more. His supporting cast of groomsmen were decked out in suits from Slaters Menswear.
As is true of his bride, Jez has an eye for detail, and sartorially minded gentlemen will doubtless appreciate this watch-cuff link combo.
The cuff links belong to the groom’s father, while the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetual timepiece is a family heirloom once belonging to Jez’s grandfather and now his uncle. “When I told him I was wearing it for the wedding, he laughed,” says Jez. “He joked: ‘You’ve had your eyes on it for sometime!’”
We don’t blame him.
And, below, a closer look at some of the floral embellishments of the day: the individually designed buttonholes and the flower girl’s gorgeous ‘wand’ and floral crown, all the handiwork of Kate Mell.
The weather, happily, received the memo re. Jaimie & Jez’s picture-perfect day, meaning that guests could take full advantage of the sunshine in The Normans Courtyard.
Once all their guests had congregated in The Courtyard, Jaimie and Jez rolled into The Normans. We love how the regal Bentley falls in line with the couple’s colour scheme. No accident, that.
And here are the couple, making their entrance into The Normans Courtyard, accompanied by a soundtrack of raucous applause…
… and the sweet warbling of the fantastic Wandering Hands.
Guests’ thirst was quenched at the ‘spruce your juice' station, and appetites were sated with some truly original (and oh-so-tasty) canapes.
“Our guests are still talking about the chicken katsu baozi buns and the ‘Big Mac’ sauce spring rolls,” says Jaimie of the Hog & Apple’s culinary creations.
Meanwhile, we couldn’t help but admire the bride’s commitment to the cause: the card box, a miniature Ikea greenhouse, was painted gold by her own fair hand.
And, since Jaimie and Jez married in a church, rather than onsite, The Normans Ceremony Barn made for the perfect backdrop for the obligatory group photo.
We love this shot of The Normans Grain Shed, lined with our rustic banqueting tables - the gantries adorned with olive leaves and dangling tealights. In fact, the gantries bear special significance to this wedding, since they were conceived soon after chatting through ideas when Jez and Jaimie visited the venue last year.
“We remember showing images on our Pinterest board as a bit of a pipe dream but the reality was even better!” says Jaimie.
We’re also big fans of Jaimie and Jez’s table plan - a simple yet striking guide for guests to find their seat…
… and then, the little touches… such as the place settings…
… which were quickly filled by sumptuous sharing platters for that informal feel.
As guests made merry, Jez and Jaimie escaped to the hidden corners of The Normans for a moment’s peace (not to mention some fantastic photo opportunities).
And so, to the first dance. (Note Jaimie’s subtle outfit change - a perfect look to kick start the evening’s revelries.)
Admittedly, the some of the dancing that followed wasn’t quite up to the standard of Jaimie and Jez’s graceful display - but it was nonetheless fun to watch…
Too fun for some, it would seem…
“The Normans is a really special place... The service and communication is second to none - nothing was too much trouble. And all our guests raved about how unique the venue was - we just cannot speak highly enough of this place!”
