With the River Cottage HQ now licensed for legal ceremonies we thought we’d relive the beautiful moment Lynn and Simon said ‘I do’ at one of the most charismatic venues around. You’re all going to agree this is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking weddings we have published in a long time. From the vintage style dress, to the garden ceremony and the welly wanging competition (a first for Confetti), this real wedding will make you want a River Cottage wedding of your own.
Bride and Groom… Lynn and Simon
Wedding date… Thursday 1st August 2013
How we met… On the Indonesian island of Sumatra. We’d both independently enjoyed a volunteer project with Orangutans at the same location the previous year and had returned for a further jungle expedition.
The proposal… Simon proposed the morning after his eldest brother’s wedding, where his mother had announced to the room of guests, during the speeches, that it was about time Simon asked Lynn to marry him. Perhaps the cheers and claps from the audience gave Simon that last ounce of confidence he needed.
We knew it was “the one”… It happened quite unexpectedly. We were all introduced to each other, 6 of us in total, each from a different part of the UK. I didn’t take much notice as I was really tired, not only from the long haul Heathrow to Medan journey, but from a rocky relationship I had thankfully left at home. It was a fleeting moment, but Simon took off his sunglasses and made a momentary glance in my direction. An image that would imprint itself on my soul. As I gazed into those large green hazel eyes framed by the longest eye lashes I had ever seen, all I could think was … uh oh, the last thing I need is a holiday romance!
Length of engagement… 2 years.
How did Confetti.co.uk help in your big day? It’s always good to see other people’s ideas and learn valuable advice from those practised.
My dress was… an Ian Stuart dress. I don’t suit strapless dresses which eliminated about 80% of all choices. I tried on a number of dresses, a few looked & felt really nice, some even went as far as lovely. But then I tried on this Ian Stuart design and my lovely rocketed to amazing. I felt like one of the fairytale princesses I had on my wallpaper as a little girl, ones I used to gaze at while falling into a dreamy sleep. I tried a few others, but went back to my Ian Stuart a month later. My friends came with me first time around, and then my sister – her eyes filled up for sure. My mum loved it too and garnished me with her Italian designer gold & diamond jewellery. My dad was so emotional when he first saw me in the dress he struggled to get the complimentary words out.
Our wedding reception andceremony was… At River Cottage HQ. We love and (try to) live by the principles of River Cottage, so once we realised they held weddings, nothing else compared.
The wedding ceremony was… We had two. A legal one at the Guild Hall in Lyme Regis and a humanist one at River Cottage vegetable garden with about 90 green finger envy guests. We were told that during the moment of designed silence butterflies were dancing above our heads. How very Disneyland?
Our bridesmaids were… my 4 nieces.
Did anything funny or unusual happen at your wedding? The welly wanging contest became quite competitive!
Our favourite part of the wedding was… It’s hard to single out an event, but the horse and carriage rides from Allhallows to River Cottage Park Farm was incredible. The surprises on the girls faces when they saw the horses was a picture I will always cherish. It had been a secret. Skilfully Andy captured the scene too. All day at River Cottage people were telling us what an amazing time they were having, what amazing food and venue – such treasured compliments.
Our wedding photographer was… Andy Green from Harrera Images
Our wedding theme was… Earth friendly. The bridesmaids wore earthy colours and we turned up in horse and carriages, the ceremony music was my nephew playing his guitar as we tried to keep to the River Cottage principles. We chose a wild theme for all the food; we had sustainable and local food. Even the cake was local cheeses and River Cottage made pork pies, which was then evening snacks.
Our first dance song was… Sand in my shoes by Dido. The words explain the choice.
What made your wedding unique and special? Aside from the guests, which always make these occasions what they are, it was the venue; it’s amazing food, wonderful staff and breathtaking setting. Getting married in a glamorous Ian Stuart dress in a vegetable garden was my idea of perfect yin yang harmony.
What is your advice for other brides? Our best choices were the venue and the photographer. In hindsight, the latter was also a super wedding coach – possibly not intentionally but certainly appreciated. We saw him a few times before the wedding and he taught us not to waste the day worrying about minor things. Each moment is precious and should be actively spent on enjoyable activities. Organise your boots off beforehand, so you can sit back & just go with the flow on the day. Our choice of venue certainly helped in achieving that goal. All budgets are important, so make sure you want to spend your pennies at the venue of your choice.
Our honeymoon was… a trip to South East Asia, Vietnam & Malaysia/Borneo. I would certainly recommend it. Orangutans had to feature of course, after all, that was where it all began.
Suppliers:
Wedding Dress: Ian Stuart | Wedding Shoes: Russell & Bromley | Wedding Suits: Jonathan Hawkes | Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy |Wedding Flowers: Busy Bees | Wedding Entertainment: DJ time machine | Wedding Photographer: Andy Green at Harrera Images | Wedding Cake: River Cottage HQ | Wedding Make-up: Eve Ashby | Wedding Hair: Rosanne Dyer and Dionne Windell | Wedding Stationery: Tomarty | Wedding Invites: Tomarty | Wedding Transport: Devon Country carriages | Wedding planner: Sushila Moles – River Cottage HQ | Wedding Catering: River Cottage HQ
Create the Look
If you love Lynn and Simon’s amazing garden wedding, then why not have a look at our Rustic themed mood board and get inspiration from the country themed mood board below!
Above, clockwise from top left: Personalised Burlap Aisle Runner with Equestrian Monogram | Just Married Cake Bunting | Western Boot Shaped Glasses | Vintage Rose Polka Dot Cotton Bunting
