It makes me sad that I grew up in a city. It’s a shame that I don’t know anyone with a large back garden to take over for a couple of days.
Jay and Jules were married in East Yorkshire, England, with a DIY wedding that they described as English, handmade, and charming.
Held in the pretty garden of Jules’ parents’ home, they gave their backdrop a wedding makeover with a gorgeous marquee, reams of bunting, and lots of painstakingly created homemade details.
The fabulous Helen Cawte Photography captured it all, from the preparations at home to the confetti thrown outside the church. They also took pictures of the canapes and cocktails and rode in the red convertible.
Check out her stunning work and Jules’ tips on how to create the perfect DIY wedding.
Theme
Our reception was held in my parent’s garden in East Yorkshire. We wanted to keep the theme and style simple and soft to reflect the beauty of the surroundings.
We wanted as much nature indoors as possible, so we decorated the church and marquee in beautiful pinks, creams, and whites with flowers and foliage.
Dresses
On my wedding day, I wore a Pronoviasdress and Jimmy Choos. Pearls were also worn, as was the floral headpiece that belonged to my mother.
My bridesmaids all wore Reiss bespoke dresses.
The Ceremony
We used Song of Solomon, 8:6-7 and Blessing of the Hands for the ceremony.
We had the processional music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, and the Recessional, March from the Occasional Oratorio.
It’s a good thing I still have my order of service because I would have forgotten them!
Our first dance was Ella Fitzgerald’s The Very Thought of You.
Favorite Moments
We didn’t want the day to end.
I was surprised to see the car, even though we had walked past it on the way into the church. It was incredible to be able to speed down country lanes with a scream of “Oh my God” and a glass of champagne.
You can’t help but feel overwhelmed when you see how excited your family and close friends are to celebrate your wedding. It’s incredible.
The Refreshments
We made a signature cocktail, “Rhubarb on the Beach,” which was a mix of Rhubarb Cordial and Prosecco. We made a signature drink, “Rhubarb on the Beach,” a mixture of Rhubarb Cordial (which, by the way, took weeks and mountains of rhubarb to make three bottles worth!
The Photographer
We find that the best pictures of ourselves are those taken when we are relaxed, unaware, and laughing.
Helen captured our wedding perfectly. Her work was natural and candid.
Helen’s outdoor photography is excellent, and we wanted to capture the beauty of the location.
Decor & Details
We displayed miles and yards of beautiful handmade bunting in subtle pastels.
We displayed a variety of jam jars with beautiful wildflowers that we had hand-picked.
We created our place settings from luggage tags and lavender, and our menus were made out of MDF that we cut, sanded, and primed before painting with chalkboard paint. It was a labor of love.
We made our table plan from a random collection of plants. We added a tablecloth, plant naming sticks, and a bunting banner to jazz it up!
Budget but modest and quirky.
The Flowers
The bride’s bouquet consisted of cream peonies, roses, and lily-of-the-valley. The compliments for the bridesmaids also contained cream peonies.
For the buttonholes, cream roses were used for the bride, and a blue Thistle was used for the groom.
We arranged the jam jars as centerpieces, with flowers and cow parsley collected from roadside ditches.
Advice to other couples
You can find inspiration in blogs, particularly if you look for themes that are similar to those of your own.
Pinterest is a great way to find ideas.
Homemade touches can be a good way to save money and are very rewarding. The hours spent threading lavender into luggage tags, painting MDF menus, and wrapping ribbon around jam jars are all worth it when you see your guests’ reactions at the wedding breakfast.
The florals look amazing, and the seating chart with lavender escorts and herby cards is so simple and chic.
Thank you to Helen Cawte Photography and Jules and Jay for sharing their beautiful garden wedding with us.
