It was third time lucky for Amy and James at The Normans, after their plans were thwarted by Covid. Not once, but twice. But brooding clouds couldn’t dampen spirits on the couple’s July wedding day…
First up, Amy’s wedding dress. We were obsessed-at-first-sight with this Alika gown - from its petal-inspired details to its sheer panels and full, flowing skirt. Designed by British bridal brand Savin London, Amy snapped it up from Wakefield’s Lace & Co boutique.
“I loved the flowers that covered the skirt,” says Amy. “I wanted something with texture that people might not have seen before, but I didn’t want to add any colour, so this was perfect … The matching Alika veil was just the cherry on top!”
The couple’s daughter, Matilda, was a flower girl on the day and couldn’t have looked cuter in a complimentary dress, from Chloé and Amelié . “It was called ‘In the Meadows’ and an almost perfect match to my gown,” says Amy. “It was totally by chance that I stumbled across it on Instagram.”
The girls readied themselves in The Norman’s Cottage, draped in floral silk robes - before the bridesmaids stepped into identical dusky pink dresses - Olympia in Smoked Orchid by TH & TH - in ‘floaty and flattering’ shapes.
All those dreamy mauve and pink hues tied in perfectly with the lavender to be seen in The Normans Courtyard, where guests gathered before being seated in the Ceremony Barn.
Wedding-white flora decorated the Barn, with full-bodied hydrangea parading on top of rustic barrels. Flower girl Matilda carried a basket of ‘Baby’s Breath’ (aka Gypsophila) as she stepped down the aisle with page boy Noah.
A single white rose made up the buttonhole of groom James, who - along with the father-of-the-bride and groomsmen - wore a blue tweed three-piece suit, Dion from Marc Darcy. “We were drawn to the suits as they felt fitting for the venue,” says James. “Smart but also casual with their tweed texture.”
The couple celebrated their newly-wed status in The Normans Courtyard, where guests were entertained by giant garden games, activity bags for little ones and soloist Steven Heath, who performed in the open air as guests tucked into fizz and canapes.
Meanwhile, Amy and James were snapped taking some couple’s time out in The Cow Stalls: “The Normans has so many lovely rustic areas,” explains Amy, “and lots of lovely mixes of old and new, which have all been designed so well.”
“We added lots of lovely greenery and fairy lights in places like The Cow Stalls and placed rustic wooden plant pots of greenery and lavender around the venue,” says Amy. “We also dressed spaces with white hydrangea plants and added bay trees at the entrance.” Plants that the pair later gave to guests as gifts, or planted in their garden in memory of the day.
“Our floral colour scheme ran through into the The Grain Shed, where the wooden tables were dressed with lots of different beautiful vases, tea-light holders and candles,” says Amy. “Greenery was added throughout and also above the top table to compliment the lighting already in situ.”
Gorgeous signage and table décor from Cherry Williams Party Hire completed the look. “I’m proud of how we stayed true to the venue’s style and uniqueness and pleased that we managed to compliment its lovely rustic areas, rather than try and change any parts of it,” says Amy.
“I loved the light-up LOVE letters and all of the white balloons on the stage – worth the pain of blowing them all up the night before!” says Amy. “They added to the atmosphere and created some fun, especially for the children who enjoyed playing with the balloons throughout the day.”
Beyond the décor was fine food, courtesy of The Hog & Apple Food Co. “People had a choice of starter – duck parfait, pesto arancini, or posh fish and chips,” says Amy. “For main it was seabass, flat iron steak or onion tarte and for dessert lemon posset or chocolate delice.” A ‘doughnut wall’ and sweet table finished things off a treat (and looked the part too.)
The adrenalin (and, no doubt, free-flowing cocktails) of the day ensured everyone had the energy to take to the dancefloor, throwing shapes to floor fillers from The Rebel Sounds - an epic end to a third-time-lucky event. Congratulations Amy and James!
“The Normans was the first wedding venue we looked around back in 2018 and I just fell in love with it straight away: the whole place is magical, and the team are just brilliant! ”
