"We absolutely LOVE the preview, so many gems in there! We just wanted to say a massive thank you to you both, for helping to make our day so magical! It wouldn't have been the same without you."It was just a few weeks ago that Amy and Joe last featured on our blog,
for their wedding pre-shoot. We met at The Cowshed, a rustic blank canvas of a space that nevertheless was packed with character. Outside there was lots of lovely green space, and even a little island for outdoor ceremonies.
Fast-forward to the wedding day itself! While Phil was with Amy at The Mount Hotel, Wolverhampton to photograph her getting ready, I arrived at The Cowshed to capture my establishing shots and pre-wedding excitement.
The transformation inside was incredible. Amy, Joe, and their families had done s spectacular, mostly DIY, job. There were flowers, grown in the families’ own allotments, everywhere, and the room was suffused with the smell of sweet peas. These were complemented by the floral designs of the vintage china tea services and cake stands covering the celebration tables. The adjoining Dance Barn stood by for the party later on…
Outside there was a super-shiny Airstream trailer bar, which was great fun for taking photos of reflections in its polished aluminium. I found Joe nearby, looking super-smart in his tweed suit, as he practiced his throwing arm with the beanbag-tossing game he’d laid on. This was very popular during the day, and well worth the risk of getting struck by a bag of beans while getting low and close to the targets for some dramatic shots!
A trail of white lanterns showed the way to the beautiful woodland spot for the ceremony itself: Grandma’s Island, with a little gazebo, and wooden benches for the guests. Because Amy and Joe had done their legal wedding a few weeks before, their celebratory ceremony was to be led by an old friend of theirs, Andy. Andy joined Phil and me on the “mainland” to make sure he knew when Amy had arrived, and I’ll never forget his immortal words as we saw a white dress coming towards us through through the trees:
“Oh f*ck, the bride’s here!”
I think he was a little bit nervous!
He needn’t have been: he led a fantastic ceremony, with plenty of humour and warmth, a great reading from a guest, and a really clever idea: switched-around vows! Rather than the bride and groom making promises, we ALL promised to support them as they continued in their married life together.
Rings exchanged, confetti thrown, we all made our way back across to The Cowshed for celebrations in the sunshine. Amy and Joe’s clever idea of ditching wedding favours in lieu of tokens for the bar, and the street food vans later on went down extremely well. Even Phil and I had an envelope with tokens for the two of us - thank you Amy and Joe!
A delicious afternoon tea was served, followed by just two short but very funny speeches, starting with Amy herself (smash the patriarchy!), then best man Dan - Joe’s brother. It was certainly refreshing to see the trend of speeches going on for ages being bucked!
Afterwards we all headed back outside to enjoy more of the sunshine this lovely day had to offer. Phil took Amy and Joe away for some very quick informal portraits - a Dignum speciality is making this happen quickly and easily, so our couples can get back to the fun! The late afternoon light gave way to a stunning sunset that looked spectacular reflected in the Airstream trailer, and in our silhouette shots.
By this time the Dance Barn had been set up with Joe’s brother Dan expertly DJing, with some great music choices and excellent mixing. This was followed with a fantastic live band, Choker, who had friends of the family as its members. Both of these helped to power an energetic and packed dance floor, with Amy doing some amazing twirls in her dress!
Outside, under the light of the almost-full moon, there was street food to be had! Nana Mexico were serving delicious burritos, while a tiny vintage truck, Little Camion, were offering French crepes for dessert.
Special shout-out to the two a-ma-zing mums, Jackie and Lyn, who did a fantastic job of growing and arranging all the flowers. Jackie threw some fantastic shapes on the dance floor!
What an amazing, fun, beautiful, sunny day! Thank you, Amy and Joe, for making us part of it. Here’s a little selection from your pictures!
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CREDITS
Venue: The Cowshed At Woodhall Farm - http://www.woodhall-farm.co.uk
Hair: Lynsey Le Keux at Le Keux salon in Birmingham - https://lekeux.com
Dress: "Jeannie" by LouLou Bridal - http://louloubridal.co.uk
Suit: SuitSupply -https://eu.suitsupply.com
Bridesmaids: Monsoon, and Collectif Vintage - https://www.collectif.co.uk
Flowers: Lyn, Jackie, Nicky, and Annie
Cake: Eleanor Grindley & Gemma Lowe
Celebrant: Andy B
Hire suppliers: Event Hire UK - https://eventhireuk.com
Hire suppliers: Event Hire Company - https://eventhirecompany.co.uk
Drinks: Airstream Bar - https://www.airstream.bar/
Catering: Nana Mexico - https://www.nannamexico.com
Catering: The Little Camion Creperie - http://thelittlecamion.co.uk/
Entertainment: DJ Dan Wrong
Entertainment: Choker - https://www.facebook.com/chokeruk/
Sound and lighting: Aled Lewis
If you were another of the great suppliers that helped Amy and Joe have an amazing day, please get in touch, we'd love to credit you. If you'd like to use photos to promote your business and services, it's super important you get in touch with us before using any photos. Have a read go our
wedding supplier page.
Tags: The Cowshed at Woodhall Farm, Outdoor ceremony
