Think warm hues and rustic dried flowers, this stunning botanical inspired wedding at Swancar Farm in Nottinghamshire provided the perfect vintage barn vibes.
Unique Rebels Union member Jade Maguire was the incredible photographer behind capturing the magic, with bride Laura creating the stationery herself inspired by dried flowers and foliage.
Over to Laura and Christian to give you the inspiration behind their big day…
Laura + Christian…
How did you meet and get engaged?
We were best friends throughout school but only got together at the age of 18 when we met up after a couple of years apart at different colleges. Our engagement was everything I (Laura) had hoped for! We went to New York in the autumn and one morning while exploring Central Park, Chris took me down a little known hidden path that lead to the front of The Lake. While we were admiring the scenery Chris got down on one knee. We went for a celebration coffee at the Loeb Boathouse shortly after as due to jet lag, it was 7am!
Was there an overall theme to your day?
We were originally planning on a dark botanical theme but due to the date moving it gave it more of a vintage look and feel.
How would you describe your day?
A hybrid of traditional and unique features. No gimmicks just plenty of food, drink and fun!
How was your day unique to you?
I (Laura) have been a professional drag racer for 12 years, Chris became a part of it early on in our relationship as he is a mechanic and so cars have always been a huge part of our lives. For our wedding car, we used my dads 1965 Dodge Dart muscle car. A few burnouts had to feature post-ceremony, of course!
Where was your wedding / reception venue and why did you pick it?
Swancar Farm was only 20 minutes from our house and we had heard great things. We both really wanted a barn-style venue and this fit the bill. Mixed with the fact that the staff were absolutely incredible and couldn’t have done more for us – it was a no-brainer.
Who was your wedding photographer and why did you chose them?
The wonderful Jade Maguire was an easy choice. Her shots are so romantic and capture everything so naturally. We didn’t want a traditional wedding photography style, we wanted something authentic that really captured how the day felt.
Your outfits! Tell us more about them! Was there any special details, accessories or reasons behind your choices?
I wore ‘Galatea’ by Willowby and supplied by the wonderful Ivory White Bridal. Along with Forever Soles ‘Lucky Stars’ heels. I had planned to wear some pink and white tie die Dr Martens in the evening but my mum unfortunately forgot them! Chris wore a Remus Uomo suit with Dr Marten brogues and his grandfathers watch.
Tell us about your flowers…
Charlotte from Frond & Bloom was amazing! We had originally planned a dark Botanical theme but due to our date moving and our florist being booked for our rearranged date, we managed to figure out a compromise with dried flowers which allowed her to prepare most of our pieces in advance. We stuck with the deep colours and the proteas we had originally planned, the end result was incredible and due to them being dried, we have the pleasure of them decorating our home in full effect!
Which decorations / props did you use on your wedding day? What was the overall look you were trying to achieve?
Charlotte from Fine & Dandy helped us out with the props and styling of our day. We went with a dark antique look with black and gold candle sticks mixed with bold coloured candles, gin and medicine-style bottles and LOTS of cake stands!
Let’s talk food! What style of food did you go for and why?
We had the easy task of not having to find a caterer as Swancar provided everything we needed. We chose a 3 course meal featuring Venison as the main. We thought it felt more special for an occasion such as this, and it also harks back to our family Christmas’.
Cake! Who created your wedding cake and what theme did you go for?
A local baker, Becky Clow provided us with the majority of our cake table. a Raspberry, biscoff and white chocolate 2 tier cheesecake, a lime and mascarpone cheesecake and 8 batches of different flavoured brownies of blondies! Family and friends also provided cakes for the table, with our friend Sarah creating a chocolate and coconut cake centre piece. The brownies were gone in a blink but luckily one of our bridesmaids had boxed us up one of each flavour before hand for us to enjoy as a midnight snack!
Tell us about your wedding stationery – who designed them for you and what style did you go for?
Me (Laura)! As a graphic designer it was the part of the wedding I started with and most enjoyed. I wanted to keep it relatively simple and in keeping with our dark botanical theme with deep reds and greens. I paid a lot attention to the paper stocks and finishes, not necessarily something many of our guests would notice but it was hugely satisfying personally and professionally!
Tell us more about your hair / make-up for your wedding. What kind of look did you want to achieve and was there any particular products/accessories you wanted to use?
I wanted to feel like myself and so went with simple waves and a half up plait. Along with the style of my shoes, I chose celestial hair pins to decorate the plait. Large freshwater pearl earring finished my look.
How did you entertain your guests throughout the day?
We kept it super simple. With it being at the very end of restrictions, there were so many guests who we hadn’t seen and who hadn’t seen each other for well over a year. The sun was shining and so the majority of the day and evening was spent outside in the courtyard. I think everyone was thrilled to be able to catch up and socialise in a relatively normal setting for a change.
Looking back, what was the stand out moments of your day?
There are too many to choose! Driving down the country lane in my dads Dodge, wandering the fields, ending the night with our best friends all signing along to ‘Country Roads’ and of course – seeing each other for the first time and saying ‘I do’!
Do you have any advice for couples currently planning their wedding, for either the planning or the lead-up?
It’s YOUR day. Do it how you want and ignore the noise. Once everything is said and done, traditions and opinions won’t even be remembered. Above all else, have fun!
Thank you so much for sharing your day with us Laura and Christian. If you would like to find out more about Jade Maguire Photography, you can check out her portfolio HERE
wedding of the century, perfectly captured, thankyou so much. So much hard work by Laura
What a beautiful day you had. Such a fantastically well presented event that I’m sure you were over the moon with, it looked stunning!
Love Les Lacey (sister to Den)