Cat & Caolan

If you read RMW regularly, then you'll know that the lovely Pen and Cam from McKinley Rodgers and Story Catchers are two of our favourite people in the industry. Not only are they super talented, capturing your big day as it unfolds in such a natural way, but they are absolutely lovely and good fun too. I can't think of two nicer people to have at your wedding day. Cat & Caolan clearly agree, as I've never seen a couple look more happy and free in front of the camera. Their whole wedding day is just so relaxed and stylish, it's a real treat to share it with you all. Enjoy lovely ones!

{Watch The Film}

The Bride

Cat the Bride: I didn’t want a meringue dress or anything too “wedding-esque”. I loved the relaxed and informal style of Charlie Brear and they have lots of separate mix n match pieces so you can choose a really personal dress that suits the day and your style. Loretta and Cher who did my hair and make up are two of the loveliest people you could meet and completely understood my vision and what I hoped for. They were total pros on the day and it was so nice to have them be part of the day.

The Decor

We didn’t have a particular style in mind, but felt quite strongly that we didn’t want to do things just because it was expected or “should” happen on a wedding day. We met in London and have lived and worked here as a couple so wanted our day to reflect that. We also wanted everyone to have lots of fun, and we appreciate that family and friends put lots of effort into going to weddings and we didn’t want anything too “stuffy” but it was important to celebrate getting married and have lots of fun. We didn’t provide wedding favours but for everyone’s table place we had a picture of them and attached a personal thank you on the back. We used festoon lights for the ground floor and saved lots of beer bottles to use as vases.

The Flowers

I had seen pictures on a blog of JamJar Flowers and really liked the style. I met with the florist for a cuppa and she really understood what I wanted and she had great ideas for how to incorporate autumn colours into the bouquets. We did our own flowers at the venue!

The Ceremony

Caolan’s sister played the violin to Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley for me to walk down the aisle. Readings: “What Goes with What” Nigel Slater and “The Team” Arsene Wenger.

The Entertainment

Band - Shine On. We couldn’t have asked for a better band. We love music and they got everyone on the dancefloor. We had a singalong around the piano of two songs (Brown Eyed Girl and Hey Jude) Our first dance was Chaka Khan, Ain’t Nobody.

The Food

I made all the cakes. I love baking and often bake for Caolan so it seemed only natural to bake for the wedding. It was a fun thing to do in the build up - if slightly crazy! We had picnic-esque food after the ceremony. Picnics are my favourite things. And it meant we could keep costs down by supplying the food ourselves. At the reception we had Brushetta boards as canapés and pizzas by Mobile Pizzeria. For desserts I made millionaires shortbread and we served with berries.

The Images & Film

For us the photography was a really easy choice, we were just so glad that Pen & Cam were available. I had seen their website before we got engaged and loved their unique photography style and the way they capture the emotion of a day. We couldn’t have been happier with the pictures.

Special Moments

We loved the whole day, in particular there was something amazing about all our friends singing around the piano and having lot’s of fun. I always love the speeches at a wedding, and listening to everyone talk and seeing everyone roar with laughter (particularly in the best man’s speech) was a great highlight. Embrace the planning, it’s lots of fun and don’t worry about all the wedding “should” that are out there. Just plan a day that is important to you as a couple.