David & Stephen's Botanical Barn Wedding

The engagement

We'd been together for almost eight years by the time we got engaged and lots of our friends and family were wondering when (or if!) an engagement would happen! When the law changed in England in 2014, things changed for us too: marriage was now an option. We had a holiday in St Ives, Cornwall, booked and I thought it'd be the perfect place to pop the question to Stephen. I wanted to be quite traditional, so I had dinner with Stephen's parents a couple of months beforehand to ask for their permission, which, thankfully, they granted! I spent a few weeks planning everything. I created a video slideshow of a bunch of photos of us ranging from the first snap of us taken together, to the most recent, coupled with messages to say the words I knew wouldn't come to me on the spot! It was teamed up with Adele's Make You Feel My Love. We had an apartment right on the beach, with a window seat overlooking the beautiful view, and I knew that's where it would happen. I also knew I wanted to propose with a ring, but I also wanted us to choose together, so I borrowed' one of his rings, and popped it in a box to use and played the video; when it came to an end it flashed up the message and now I have something to ask you'; that's when I picked up the boxed ring and asked him to be my husband. He said 'yes!'. The Wedding We chose to have an autumn wedding in early November, and after finding our venue - the beautiful Tythe Barn at Priston Mill, just outside Bath - the theme came about naturally: lots of botanicals, a soft colour palette for the flowers, and elements of wood. We found a florist who completely understood our vision for this, and created arrangements with lots of eucalyptus, olive foliage, scented roses and spray roses. We had an intimate gathering of 80 guests for the ceremony and reception, plus a few more who came to the evening reception. We knew from the moment we stepped into the grand barn at Priston Mill that it was right for us. It had so much character, vast amounts of space and it was set in the most beautiful surroundings. It's grand, yet cosy, rustic yet modern. It was just what we were looking for. The day itself ran really smoothly - with the help of our wonderful wedding planner Kim who took care of the proceedings for us. We had two readings, one read by Helen, Stephen's sister, and another by two of my best friends from university. We chose ILike Youby Sandol Stoddard. We served up a tempting raspberry bellini straight after the reception alongside some tasty canapes. For the main event, a three course meal featuring a pressed confit of chicken and chorizo, a local beef with seasonal vegetables and, to finish off, an indulgent sticky toffee pudding. Our wedding cake was made by a family member, and it was a chance for us to have some fun. We're both huge fans of Harry Potter and so it featured two stags on the top (Harry's patronus), golden snitches, wands, and the infamous always' phrase. The cake sat on a personalised tree trunk with our initials carved into it. It was in good taste and fun at the same time. In the evening, if we needed more food, we served up pizzas and ice cream was dished out from a vintage paisley tricycle. Not wanting to be too predictable or traditional, we'd found a beautiful song by Ella Henderson called Yoursand danced to that for our first dance. The lyrics totally spoke to us and it was perfect. What advice would we give to other couples? The guest list is the hardest thing you'll do. In the excitement in the beginning, it's easy to get carried away, so take your time with it. Decide whether you want a child-free wedding early on, and try to be as diplomatic as possible when family and friends weigh in on the guest list. It's your day. On the day itself, let the day happen, don't try to control it. You've done all the planning, so just sit back and enjoy it. Any hiccoughs that may happen on the day won't matter, and most of them you won't even know about!