The Venue
Cady the Bride: We looked at a few venues but knew that
Ever After was exactly what we were looking for as soon as we walked through the gate. The venue is gorgeous, set in a valley near Dartmoor national park with a river running along the bottom of the garden, and has the relaxed feel that was so important to us. It also has Nicola and Steven which was key!
Nicola provided all the support and advice we needed and more - our brilliant florist, photographer, caterer and cake maker were all local suppliers that Nicola recommended - and Steven made the venue even more beautiful than it was when we first saw it, adding a river walk and a new pond surrounded by flowers. Steven also built a fire for us next to the river when all our guests had left so we could sit down there under a blanket and talk about our fabulous day – such a special moment.
Planning
We were so lucky to have great friends and family to help us plan our wedding. From incredible, moving and hilarious speeches, to hours of input on whatever was on my Pinterest that week, to turning up in fine feather and filling the day with love from start to finish. That, together with all of our brilliant suppliers, made our day the best ever day for me and Sam.
The Food
Canapes included tiny smoked fish cakes and crispy fried duck with chilli sauce. We had a wedding breakfast of summer herb and edible flower salads with courgette blossoms, avocado and pancetta followed by duck with warm asparagus and finished off with almond frangipani, blueberries and Devon clotted cream. Evening food of tiny fish & chips in paper cones, pulled pork with ciabatta followed by the gorgeous naked wedding cake, washed down with local cider served in glass dispensers.
Our Suppliers
We chose suppliers that we felt appreciated what was important to us and that we really liked as individuals.
Emma our photographer knew that we didn't want hours of photos to take up our time with our guests after the ceremony and came up with a quick-fire plan that suited us perfectly.
Deborah our florist came up with beautiful ideas and really cared about details, down to the shade of the ribbon on the bouquets and the swag of the ceiling garland. Our caterers,
Outside Inn, set up a delicious tasting for us and a menu that was tailored to exactly what we wanted (as well as a great evening tasting all their food in advance!) Jennifer at
Edible Essence produced a gorgeous sketch of the cake in my mind even as I was talking at our first meeting and baked a delicious as well as a stunning tiered cake. Everyone was incredible and made all the planning as stress-free as possible because we knew they were all so great! We could not have chosen a better venue or suppliers - thank you all!
Advice
In terms of top tips - enjoy it! Sam and I smiled and laughed so much our faces hurt. Thank you to everyone that helped make our wedding day so filled with joy!