
Photos by Amy Faith Photography
Woodland Inspired Bohemian Nature Reserve Wedding
Wow…do we have a ‘pretty as a picture’ wedding to share with all of you today!
Kate and Gary became husband and wife on the lake of Brockholes Nature Reserve in Preston, Merseyside surrounded by wildlife, marshes and clear skies. One of the things that we absolutely love the most about this eco, bohemian wedding is its organic setting! This gorgeous couple said ‘I do’ in a celebration totally unique and personal to them; the pair absolutely love nature, which is clear when you look at their bespoke woodland artwork centrepieces (LOVE the Fantastic Mr Fox references!).
So beautiful, so rustic and all captured by the uber talented Amy Faith Photography. Let’s hand over to her and bride Kate to tell us more….
Amy Faith Photography
What was your favourite part of the day?
One of my favourite parts of the day was when I took Kate and Gary around the nature reserve for some additional couple portraits at sunset. Kate always said she hated PDA’s but you would never be able to tell – she just couldn’t stop smiling! My other favourite part was the evening celebrations. It all started when Gary bit the head off his gingerbread groom cake topper! Following this everyone got on the dancefloor and partied hard – I captured some hilarious shots of everyone singing to the live band. There is nothing I like to photograph more than people in the midst of living their very best lives and not caring about tomorrow.
What is your favourite shot of the day?
I have two – one where Kate is cuddled into Gary with the blue water of the lake behind her and one (that I absolutely love) where Kate flips her middle finger up at the groomsmen who were heckling their portrait time!
Kate and Gary
How did you meet?
We met at Bangor university in 2003. We were in one of the ONLY two clubs in Bangor which has since been knocked down. I’d been looking for my friends Rhiannon and Jo and when I found them, Gary was at the bar buying them a drink. Rhiannon introduced us and then ran away with Jo, leaving me with Gary and two Pina Coladas. Funny thing is, I don’t really like Pina Coladas! I’m much more a Cosmo type of gal.
How did you get engaged?
Gary was under a lot of pressure from my family to propose. My nan even gave him her engagement ring because she thought he couldn’t afford one – haha! Gary took me to London for my 30th birthday and we went to all the places we love including the Natural History Museum and the poppy exhibition at The Tower. He even arranged a surprise visit from our uni friends. All weekend he was being funny about me looking in the camera bag but I thought nothing of it. He waited until we got all the way back home from the trip where we were sat on the couch…then he got down on one knee! He said he was going to do it in London but all the places we went to were packed and he knows how much I hate PDA’s!
How would you describe your day?
Our overall theme was “nature”. Gaz has a degree in biology and it’s an interest we share – it’s the main reason why we picked our venue. The day was what I always hoped it would be; family and friends coming together for one big celebration. Before the wedding we had a few things go wrong such as the Parish had no priest until a week before the wedding. This priest then couldn’t find our band of rights! At my last dress fitting I knocked a little cut on my foot and bled all over my dress. But, on the day, everything went to plan. The weather was lovely and our family made it over from New Zealand. It was just one big party from start to finish.
How was your day unique to you?
I think our day was very unique to me and Gary because everything from start to finish reflected our personalities and who we are as a couple. We managed to mix a traditional ceremony with a brilliant party atmosphere. We also love live music and this was a big theme of our day.
How did you find your suppliers and what made you choose them?
My sister helped me find a lot of my suppliers. She had Papertwin at her own wedding and I loved the film they made for her, especially the preview trailer. She also went to University with Rachel who provided the wood artwork; once I saw her work I knew that they would make unique centrepieces. Her best friend Jenny had recommended Flowerworx as she had them design the flowers at her wedding. The band played at another wedding we had been to and were amazing; they got all of our guests up dancing. My brother even ended up rapping with them! I did my own research for a photographer and found Amy Faith. Her work stood out to us. There were no forced poses…everything seemed to be captured in the moment. And when we met Amy we knew she was the perfect photographer for us.
Tell us about your wedding outfits and why you picked them
I ended up getting my dress from Browns Brides in London where Lihi Hod was having a trunk show. We had an amazing day from start to finish. Lihi and Donna from Browns Brides were amazing! They selected the perfect dress for me and it was everything I wanted; detailed and beaded with lace. It was also incredibly light. I picked my bridesmaid dresses on the same trip to London. I didn’t want the same old formal dresses I’d seen before. Instead I wanted something a bit different so we picked separate tops/skirts. We picked the groomsmen’s outfits to compliment the blush pink of the bridesmaid dresses, and that gave us the colour theme – blue and blush pink.
What was your budget?
We started off with no real budget (which is dangerous!) and we were very lucky that family contributed to the big day. For example, my mum bought my wedding dress. We spent around £20,000 on our big day and all in all, the way we looked at it was “you only do it once!”
What are your favourite details of the day and which part would you relive?
The artwork we had commissioned for our tables is so unique. I love books and he loves wildlife, so we asked Rachel to produce wooden pieces covered with animal characters from famous literature. There were lots of homemade touches as well – my sister wrote the geode name places and made the seating plan. Also, a friend in work knitted a few animal teddies, which were the children’s favours. The live music at the end of the wedding. The drink was flowing and everyone was dancing. My dad’s speech was also really special.
Any Advice for couples planning their own wedding?
Don’t leave everything to the last minute! I was putting tassels on the balloons with my bridesmaids at 4pm the day before the actual wedding! That day should really be about relaxing and getting pampered for the big day.
Also, although they seem expensive at the time, it is definitely worth investing in some parts of your wedding that you get to keep forever such as your photographs and film. I wasn’t going to hire a videographer but I’m so glad we did.
Suppliers
Photographer: Amy Faith Photography
Wedding Venue: Brockholes Nature Reserve
Dress: Lihi Hod
Suit: Ted Baker
Bridesmaids: Coast
Flowers: The Flower Worx
Centrepiece artwork: Rachel Thornton
Band: Agent Smith
Videographer: Papertwin Weddings
Such a beautiful place for a wedding! Love all the photos! Great colours all round and what a first photo of the bride!