Tina & Jamie
Photography by Damian Brandon
Venue
Tina the Bride: Jamie and I always knew an ornate country barn would be our perfect setting. Growing up in the Scottish Highlands, Jamie would feel perfectly at peace amid a picturesque vista and I’d get the rustic splendour I longed for growing up in London.
We looked at a lot of thatched roofs and original beams all across Cheshire but when we first set foot in Owen House Barn, we just knew, you know? Tingles down the spine. Butterflies. Big smiles. The lot. Character hangs off every square inch of the place and being an interior designer, I get a little-obsessed spotting all the details and design quirks. I felt that was really important; I wanted to retain that sense of excitement and discovery on the day – even when you have been to the venue incessantly during the build-up.
Dan & Vanessa from the venue knew that and could not have been more helpful in the preparation and making everything run so smoothly.
Decor and Theme
Tartan was the name of the game! Kilts are almost obligatory when your husband is a proud Scot. We took the chalky blues from the tartan and offset them with tonal greys and purples across the bridesmaid dresses and flowers.
We sourced all manner of whisky and gin bottles (with the gleefully enthusiastic help of our friends) to house the table candles. Help was less forthcoming when it came to handwriting the place cards on paper butterflies, which perched atop the wine glasses, but it was a worthwhile delicate little touch that really helped emphasise the natural beauty of the venue.
The Bride
I visited a lot of bridal shops, felt the pinch of a lot of corsets and sighed at a lot of veils. The pursuit of the perfect dress was a lengthy one. That walking-down-the-aisle moment is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence and, like most girls, I’d been thinking about it my whole life.
After a few months of looking, fate struck and my Maid of Honour and I happened on Joyce Young Bridal Boutique in Belsize Park, London. I fell in love with the Mattie dress, it delivered on all those daydreams. I asked for the trail to be extended and I was sold. I never wanted to take it off!
The Groom
We got Jamie’s kilt from The Kilt Company in Perth, Scotland. His Kilt was Holyrood Tartan and he wore a brown tweed blazer with beige socks, brown shoes and a beautiful silver-grey sporran. He looked very dapper indeed.
The Bridal Party
I had five beautiful bridesmaids; four of whom looked resplendent in dresses from David’s Bridal in Portobello & Pewter. One bridesmaid paired a gorgeous floral pewter shirt from Harvey Nichols with trousers and a blazer. Naturally, all the groomsmen wore their own kilts with grey tweed blazers and shoes.
The Ceremony
The ceremony was important to us. To share our whole hearts and future lives we needed to share our pasts. My Persian heritage was reflected in the huge, handcrafted Persian rug we stood on during our vows. My dad had purchased and shipped it all the way from Iran as a wedding present. One of Jamie’s best men read a traditional Celtic blessing, while my mother made sure everyone was reaching for the tissues by reading ‘This Marriage’ by my favourite Persian poet.
The Flowers
When your theme draws heavily on the raw beauty of the countryside, the florist needs to be good! Thankfully ours, Flowers in the Cobbles, immediately understood exactly what was required.
We created beautiful loose bouquets with flowing foliage and ribbons, while the centrepieces featured wildflowers spilling out of wooden crates. Ivy trailed over the long tables to give the wild look we needed.
My mother, mother-in-law and I created floral table numbers with oasis, decorating them with flowers and greenery.
The Photography
The amazing photography. Where do we begin? Well, Owen House Barn recommended we spoke to Damien Brandon and that early tip proved invaluable. We immediately loved his images and style and managed to book him while he still had availability.
He understood we wanted natural photos, with each unfolding moment – no matter how fleeting – captured for posterity. Not only did Damien do this, but he created the most beautiful cinematic photographs. A lot of our friends and family travelled a long way to attend the wedding – Scotland, London, USA and Shanghai – and he really instilled a sense of scale with his vision.
Life happens so fast and everyone is always so busy; this was the first time my brother & I had been together with all our cousins from America. It was also a reunion for a lot of Jamie’s Scottish friends and also my university friends. The photos of those memories are so important to us.
Damien was part of what made our day so special and our wedding guests adored him! We photos will be cherished forever.
The Entertainment
Jamie found the ideal folk/indie band, Founding Fathers. They were so talented and enthusiastic about us and our wedding plans. We highly recommend them; the dance floor was always full. A special mention must go to their custom cover version of Beyoncé’s ‘Love on Top’ which they performed at our request for our first dance.
The Food
I love my food and thankfully the canapés and the wedding breakfast were amazing. We hired Vanilla In All Season, who made the cutest little canapés out of classic pairings such as fish and chips, beef pie with a shot of Guinness and mozzarella and pesto croutons. We had a beautifully cooked beef main, followed by a pretty shameless desert trio of sticky toffee pudding, lemon posset & chocolate brownie. It was as heartwarmingly good as it sounds.
Our evening food was provided under starlight by Artisan Pizza Van, and honestly, it was the best pizza ever, my guests are still talking about it!
Jamie’s sister surprised us with a truly sweet, sweet table of childhood favourites.
Finally, the Wedding Cake was a three tiered-design which mirrored the flowers of the centrepiece, with purple, pink and grey iced flowers cascading down the tiers from Custom Cake Crewe
