A Rutland Wedding – Our Perfect Day

Planning a wedding is a big task, no matter how organised you are, there’s still a lot of tasks to complete! But, if you choose the right suppliers, then all should run smoothly on the day!
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I got married in October 2022 on a glorious sunshine filled October day, and I’d love to share our suppliers with you! 

​Venue – Oakham School Chapel
Unfortunately, you can only get married here if you have a connection to Oakham School. As I am an Old Oakhamian, this was not a problem. The Chapel is also not licensed for weddings so we had to ask the Archbishop of Canterbury to grant us a special license. 

Reception – Halfmoon Farm
A beautifully kept field on the edge of a family farm in the small Rutland village of Hambleton was the venue for our reception.
Contact: https://www.halfmoonfarm.co.uk/
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Marquee – Rutland Marquees
We chose Rutland Marquees as they had worked a lot at Halfmoon Farm before so knew exactly where and how to place the marquee, as well as which type we needed. For this type of supplier, it’s absolutely vital that you book a company that has worked at your venue before!
Contact: http://www.rutlandmarquees.co.uk/
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Hair Stylist – Laura Steele from Asembo
Laura has cut my hair for over 15 years so she was the ideal choice! She worked her magic on myself, my two bridesmaids and my flower girl had an “Elsa plait” so she was happy!
Contact: https://asembo.co.uk/
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Make-Up Artist – Make Up by Liv GS
Natural, simple and radiant – those were my make-up buzz words! Liv achieved this so well and although I had a lot of make-up on, it never felt like it.
Contact: https://www.instagram.com/makeupbylivgs/?hl=en
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Mother of the Bride’s Dress – Anna Couture Boutique, Stamford
Mother of the Bride’s Hat – Rebecca Couture Millinery (https://www.rebeccacouturemillinery.co.uk/) 

Bridesmaid’s Outfits – Coast
Flower Girl Dress – Monsoon

Bride’s Dress – Vow Bridal
To say I was not bothered about my wedding dress was an understatement. But actually that “who cares” approach was masking the fact that I was sh*t scared about finding one that I liked! But as soon as I walked into Vow Bridal, Lisa made me feel so at ease. She found three dresses that reflected how I wanted to feel and also my personality. In the end, I went from wanting to wear a bin bag to absolutely loving my wedding dress, it’s pretty much my favourite thing in my wardrobe!
Contact: https://vowbridal.co.uk/
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Bride’s Shoes – ASOS
Bride’s Hairpiece – Etsy
Bride’s Necklace – Heidi Kjeildsen 
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Florist – Pickleberry Flowers
Oh my word, our flowers!!! They are a standout of the day and were something I really enjoyed working with Isobel from Pickleberry on. I wanted to feel like I had gathered my bouquet from a wildflower meadow and that’s exactly what I had. I even cried when I saw my bouquet!
Contact: https://www.pickleberryflowers.com/
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Photographer – Gemma Randall Photography
Gemma was such a great fit for our day, she was relaxed but efficient and so good to deal with before the day itself. The photos are so lovely and capture the fun of our day perfectly.
To read more about Gemma’s work & our experience with her, click here - http://www.harrietflather.co.uk/blog/gemma-randall-luxury-wedding-photographer
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Contact: https://www.gemmarandallphotography.co.uk/
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Cars – VP Princess Wedding Cars
We booked a classic car (A VP Princess Limousine) for my drive to the Chapel, and then Oli booked a VW Campervan as a surprise for me to take us up to the reception!
Contact: https://www.vpprincessweddingcars.co.uk/
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Groom’s Suit – Paul Richman, Stamford
Ushers’ Suits – A Farley Country Attire (https://afarley.co.uk/) 
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Choir – Cantus
Organist – William Fox
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Readings:
Song of Solomon 2:10-13
Read by Cathy, Oli's mother
The Lovely Little Dinosaur by Edward Monkton
Read by Pixie, Harriet's sister-in-law
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Vicky from Inviting Writing is a close friend and was a brilliant choice for our stationery and signage. Her designs are so lovely and elegant, reflecting our day perfectly. She designed us an “H+O” monogram which we put everywhere from our invitations and Orders of Service to our welcome board and thank you cards!
If you want to read more about Inviting Writing, you can read my blog here – http://www.harrietflather.co.uk/blog/inviting-writing
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Contact: www.invitingwriting.co.uk

Caterer – Big Bird Catering
Some of the best food I have ever eaten! For some inspiration, here’s our menu…
Starter: Roasted figs with goats cheese, pesto, butternut squash puree and bread wafer
Main Course: Slow Cooked Beef Cheek
Dessert: Mango & Passionfruit Meringue Roulade
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/bigbirdcatering/?locale=en_GB
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Cake – Fika, Oakham
We didn’t want a traditional wedding cake, and we asked some friends and family to make traybakes for the cheese table. Instead, we booked a large carrot cake from Fika in Oakham (one of our favourite cafes) so we could cut a cake in the traditional way.
Contact: https://www.fikacafe.co.uk/

Cheese – The Yorkshire Dales Cheese Co. - https://www.yorkshiredalescheese.co.uk/

Band – The Aesthetic from DG Music
Having previously worked for DG Music, there was no other place I wanted to go to book our wedding band! Frankly, we had decided years ago that we would have The Aesthetic so we’re thrilled we had them! They learnt our first dance, Happiness by McFly, and kept the dancefloor full all night!
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Contact: www.dgmusic.co.uk – use HF10 for 10% off your booking fee 

Hopefully this has given you some inspiration for your big day, I know that all our suppliers were part of the reason that our day ran so smoothly and is so memorable! 

​Harriet x