Bride in fitted wedding dress has confetti exit with groom in a blue suit in a wheelchair.

Henley Brewery Wedding With DIY Decor

Hillary & Ciaran's wedding at Henley Brewery was a long time in the making, but absolutely worth the wait! They were engaged in December 2019 and after postponing twice, the first due to Covid and the second because of Ciaran's accident that left him without feeling from the waist down, the couple were unsure their wedding would even happen. The couple chose Recommended supplier, Cat Stephens Photography to capture their day on June 23rd as it coincided with the Selkie Henley Classic (a 2.2km swim in the Thames), which Hillary was participating in a few days later to raise money for the spinal cord injury charity, Aspire. They also chose Recommended supplier, Minnie Field Cake Design for their epic wedding cake.

Henley Brewery wedding with a boat ride

There were so many incredible moments throughout our day, but one of our favourites was the first look we had before our ceremony. Ciaran and I knew we wanted to have this moment between us, and it ended up being so special. We could also sneak away for a private photoshoot before the ceremony with our incredible photographer, Cat Stephens, and videographer, Paul, from Harvey Films. They captured our last moments before becoming husband and wife and it turned out amazing. We highly recommend this!

Hillary & Ciaran

Groom wears a checkered su8it jacket and gold tie with a gold and white buttonhole for hotel wedding

Father of the bride walks the bride in a boho lace wedding dress down the aisle

Bride in boho lace off the shoulder wedding dress with gold hair piece holding hands with the groom in a dark blue suit and gold tie as they have their confetti moment

Bride wearing a gold hair piece gets her makeup done for her wedding day

Bridesmaids in sunglasses and matching khaki playsuits and cardigans

Bride and groom exit their wedding ceremony to confetti for their Henley Brewery wedding

Pink and pale green welcome wedding sign with dried grasses

Bride and groom go back down the aisle as a married couple

Pink, purple and red wedding flower bouquet

Groom with the groomsmen and wedding guests all in blue or grey wedding suits

Bride in an off the shoulder boho lace wedding dress

Rainbow Club white wedding shoes with gold headband, pearl earrings, diamond engagement ring, and pearl bracelet

Mother of the bride helps zip the bride into her fitted lace wedding dress

Father of the bride in a blue suit gets a first look at the bride in her off the shoulder lace wedding dress

Bride with bridesmaids in a variety of shades of green and bride in a boho style wedding look with gold headband and fitted lace dress

Bride and groom laugh during their wedding ceremony

Bride and groom hold hands for their wedding ceremony

Bride in lace wedding dress putting on her white wedding heels

White wedding heels from Rainbow Club with the bride's brilliant round engagement ring

Bride looks adoringly at the groom in a blue suit as they hold hands for their wedding ceremony

Henley Brewery & DIY Decorations

Hillary has always been a non-traditional bride and really liked the idea of a subtle boho vibe with some modern touches. The boho vibes made sense with the venue in Henley, the Hotel Du Vin, with its amazing brickwork and wood beams. One of the couple's fave memories ever was when they originally visited Henley and took a boat ride down the Thames. So they incorporated this for guests during the cocktail hour with a beautiful boat that took them down the Thames for an hour with champagne and canapés. Hillary's bridal look was made up of a variety of different Recommended suppliers. Her shoes were from Rainbow Club, the veil from Britten Weddings, and the dress from Lovely Bride.

Smart Wristband Wedding Favours

DIY is wonderful and really adds a personal touch to your wedding. Hillary wanted to DIY almost every element of the wedding and we have to say all that time was absolutely worth it! It looks so gorgeous! For their first dance, Hillary & Ciaran always knew "We're All We Need" by Above & Beyond would be their song. One of the first things Hillary purchased for the wedding were Bluetooth-controlled light-up wristbands, which they added to the seating chart and instructed everyone to wear for dancing. In the middle of the first dance, the music started to build and everyone came onto the dance floor. The wristbands all lit up in unison, which sounds like such a perfect moment.

Groom in a blue suit in a wheelchair with 'Just Married' sign attached and colourful painted cans on string

Bride in a boho lace wedding dress with bridesmaids in different shades of green dresses with small pink, red and purple flower bouquets

Bride laughs and socialises with wedding guests on a boat

Bride in a boho lace wedding dress from Lovely Bride with a veil from Britten Weddings as she does the Titanic pose on the boat

Bride and groom share an intimate kiss as they sit on a sofa together

Groom in a blue suit with a gold tie with the bride sitting on his lap wearing an off the shoulder boho lace fitted wedding dress and gold head piece

Bride sits with wedding guests at the wedding reception with a boho and rustic style with the wooden screen and dried flowers

Bride and the wedding guests get to enjoy cocktail hour on a boat ride

Black wedding table plan signage with wristband wedding favours for the guests that light up

Bride in off the shoulder boho lace wedding dress with a pretty gold headband

Plain black and white wedding menu stationery

Bride sits on the groom's lap and rests her forehead against the groom's head

Fairy light wedding reception at Henley Brewery

Bride and groom look lovingly into each other's eyes

Colourful candles inna gold candle holder with a drinks menu sign and pretty florals

Bride and groom cut their geometric black and white patterned wedding cake

Everyone dances at the wedding reception with their light up wristband wedding favours

Bride and groom sit relaxed together on a sofa

Henley Brewery wedding venue decorated with Union Jack flags

Bride and groom reach for each other ready for their hotel wedding

Groom with the groomsmen in blue suits and gold ties for the Henley Brewery wedding

The best way to make your wedding feel personal is with DIY decor!

As soon as we locked in our venue, I started searching for suppliers close to our location. I knew our cake needed to be close by for easy transport and I was also lucky enough to find The Henley Florist, which was right around the corner. Since I'm from California and unfamiliar with UK suppliers, I desperately needed some help. I did some research for an on-the-day coordinator and found the incredible Occasion Queens! Nina and I had an inspiration session and she recommended so many fabulous people. I loved all of our suppliers!

Hillary

Want to travel in style on your big day? Why not go on a boat ride too? Love Henley Brewery? It's a perfect boho and rustic wedding venue. We have an article all about choosing an accessible wedding venue.