Woodland Wedding With A Botanical Greenhouse Reception

Having a woodland wedding is always a little bit risky, but luckily for lovely Sarah and Jamie the sun shone down on them all day long, meaning they could enjoy their G&Ts in the warmth. Sarah looks like a mystical woodland fairy in her embellished Needle & Thread gown, which Jo from Enchanted Brides has captured beautifully. The dappled light under the trees is just gorgeous...

Woodland Wedding With A Botanical Greenhouse Reception

Sarah & Jamie: We got engaged in Decemeber 2017 and married April 2018. We both wanted a small intimate wedding and didn't want to spend more than a few months planning it. Jo from Enchanted Brides Photography captured the day perfectly. We had an engagement shoot a month before and this was so helpful as we got to know Jo who made us feel a little more comfortable in front of the camera.

Needle & Thread Wedding Dress

I always loved the idea of backless, long sleeved dresses. I did go to a traditional wedding dress shop but I soon realised that it wasn't for me. At one point I was put in a corset! I fell in love with the brand Needle and Thread and I managed to find a new dress being sold on preloved at a bargain price! I then got it altered to fit. For the shoes I decided to wear a pair I already owned that I knew went well with the dress and were comfortable.

Botanical Greenhouse Reception

Jamie came up with Potager Gardens in Cornwall as our venue and after that we couldn't imagine our wedding being anywhere else. Potager Gardens is close to our home and we love it there. We love that they grow their own vegetables on site and the relaxed vibe it has. The bonus was the woodland attached to it which is what I always wanted as a ceremony setting.

Woodland Wedding Vibe

We wanted a relaxed bohemian, woodland vibe. Pinterest was great for inspiration. Jamie made the signs out of wooden pallets we got for free and I painted the calligraphy. We made home made candles using old jars. Jamie also made the framework for the ceremony arch which was later decorated with wild flowers by Jamie's brother. My sister made dream catchers which were hung around the woods and smaller ones which we gave as favours. We then used bunting and fairy lights to decorate. Our friends and family helped set up the day (and night!) before, we couldn't have done it without them! We decorated the tables ourselves with gypsophila and lavender in different sized jars. The bouquet, flower crown and buttonholes were made by Roamer Rose who was also my seamstress. I loved that she personalised the bouquet which included different flowers for different purposes such as she put lavender in it to soothe any anxiety when walking down the aisle!

Woodland Wedding Ceremony

We really wanted it to be in the woods and were crossing our fingers for a dry day. luckily we had sunshine streaming through the trees and it felt like a dream. The guests walked up through the woods were they found a tray of shots half way up. Our dog Luna was the ring bearer. The ceremony was short and sweet and then we all made our way together for a glass of bubbly and canapés.

Vegan Wedding Food

Food is a big part of our lives. It was important that it was plant based and delicious! Started off with little eats - spiced green pea dip with mini pittas and crispy spinach triangles. Then we had a sit down lunch. We set three long tables and had food in the middle which everyone could help themselves too. We wanted it to feel like a big family sharing food. Our main dish was a Maqloubeh which means upside down. It's a Palestinian dish with a great story behind it of people sharing food. This was accompanied by Tahini sauce, roasted almonds, cucumber in coconut yoghurt, watercress salad with pomegranate, pomegranate molasses, homemade chutney and seeded flatbreads. Our cake was 3 tier made of pistachio & lemon, chai latte and raspberry & vanilla. It was delicious! Later we had s'mores and whiskey by the bonfire.

The Entertainment

After lunch, we enjoyed acoustic guitar playing in the green house while our sets helped themselves to the gin bar. Dancing continued later in the cafe to a playlist we had created together for the wedding. There were hammocks around to lounge in. We used our polaroid camera as part of our guest book and it was so such a hit.

Advice

- Meet your photographer for an engagement shoot beforehand if possible. - Don't feel like you have to conform to all traditional things especially ones that aren't of value to you. One example for us was keeping it small and intimate. - Although it can be stressful (especially when done on such a short timescale) enjoy the little moments. I have fond memories of making DIY candles, choosing songs for our wedding playlist and practising our first dance. - We discovered Noel the singer at our wedding by going out and listening to him live in a local cafe. Great idea and an excuse to have a date night in the midst of wedding planning.