It’s been an incredible year of weddings here at Elmbridge Farm. We’ve met some fabulous couples and been witness to some truly magical moments. There’s been some stunning styling, epic entertainment, even an alpaca or two! Each wedding has been truly unique and we’ve loved seeing the ways people go about making our venue their own. But there have been a couple of stand out moments that we know we won’t forget in a hurry. Here are our best bits of 2022…
The Flower Dude
No this isn’t just a trend you see on TikTok, it really happens!
The beauty of getting married at a place like Elmbridge Farm is that you can really make something of your ceremony. There will be no boring nuptials here, thank you very much! Whether it’s writing personalised vows, enjoying the great outdoors or choosing to make a grand entrance, you can really go to town if you want to. Since it can be so personal, a lot of people choose to include their friends and family. Sometimes that means having people walking down the aisle, some couples choose to have someone they know conduct a symbolic ceremony, and then others go one step further…
Leanne & David asked their friend to get their party started in style by strutting down the aisle and flamboyantly spreading confetti, all whilst being accompanied by some classic Salt-N-Pepa. It really set the tone for the whole day, and the crowd went wild for it! It definitely made their ceremony memorable, and had their guests grinning from the moment they arrived.
Photo credits: Becky Garland Photography
Matching Pyjamas
We know what it’s like as the night goes on… you want to kick off your heels and change into trainers so that you can pull some shapes on the dancefloor. Maybe you’ve bought a personalised jacket to rock with your wedding dress to keep you warm as you sit out in the evening sun. You’ve possibly even got a whole second outfit ready – another dress, a few more sparkles, something you can dance in! But nothing quite prepared us for Jas & Paul’s wedding…
The bride and her tribe disappeared for a while and headed back down to the cottages. When they returned some time later, they were no longer in their wedding getup but had swapped their dresses for pyjamas! Never before have we seen a wedding party dressed in dinosaurs and unicorns, but they rocked it! Jas knew she wanted something she could be comfortable in, and as she sat tucking into her pizza around the fire with her friends, she looked like she was in her element (and somehow still glamorous as anything!) and we absolutely loved it!
Photo credits: Shadi Films
When The Bride Brought Her Horse
We often get asked if it’s okay to bring pets to be part of your wedding. We’ve seen dogs walked down the aisle, dogs bearing rings, dogs who have wanted to be in every photo! But Emma had another four-legged friend who she hoped could be a part of her day.
Having ridden horses for most of her life, this was something that meant a lot to our bride and we knew we wanted to help her let the animals in the family get involved. It took a little planning and some very careful logistics, but Blaze was able to get into position just at the right moment. Once their ceremony was complete (and Ringo the dog had played his part too!) Emma and Adam came up into the woodland to have some super special photos taken that they’ll be able to treasure forever.
Photo credits: Harrison Smith Photography
Birdie The Campervan
When we met with Beth & Kris a little while before their wedding, they let us into a little secret which nobody else knew; they had booked the fabulous Birdie campervan which would be used a photobooth in the evening for their guests to enjoy. However, it had another very special purpose too.
Beth & Kris both got ready on the morning of their wedding at Elmbridge Farm in the cottages, and Kris and the boys made their way up to the tipis nice and early ahead of the ceremony. Guests began to arrive and Beth was almost ready to make her entrance. But instead of walking up the lane or being dropped off in someone’s car, Beth made her entrance in Birdie! They drove along the lane and Birdie looked fabulous making her way between the trees. She stopped just at the end of the aisle so the guests could see her in all her glory, and giving Beth a chance to get herself ready as she stepped out of the van out of view. The photos look fabulous with Birdie in the background as they all made their way down the aisle, and then Birdie discretely drove away to prepare for the reception later in the day. Perfect!
Photo credits: JDS Photography
Brides on the Bouncy Castle
You might think bouncy castles and games are just there to keep the kids entertained, but let us assure you they always go down a storm with the grownups too!
When Rachel & Chris booked theirs, it was the youngsters who took to it straight away but slowly and surely the bigger kids wanted to get in on the action. It didn’t take long at all for Rachel and her bridesmaids to descend (it’s like they had it planned all along!) and it made for some epic photos of our bride and her best mates. Team this with some Mr Whippy ice cream, a busker singing out by the lake and a few beers in the sunshine… now that’s a perfect afternoon!
Photo credits: Emily Augusta Photography