Your Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wedding - August/September 2020 (Issue 84)

REAL WEDDINGS 35  Preferring the simple rustic look, we used pretty gypsophila in the bridal party bouquets and table arrangements. Sprigs were placed in glass jars collected and donated to us by family members. These sat on wooden centrepieces chopped from a log in the shape of a heart found in the woodland at our home. We sourced all of our tableware from Little Cherry which makes stylish, 100% compostable and organic products from palm leaves. We made our eco-confetti using tiny stamp cutters and colourful leaves collected from our garden and created our mini seed parcels to give as wedding favours. For the bridal party gifts, we gave personalised and sustainable beeswax candles and knotted bangles to celebrate our own ‘knot-tying’ and Katie hand-carved messages on to hanging wooden hearts foraged from our woodland at home. We loved our reclaimed order of the day sign. We had colourful bunting, fairylights, lanterns and straw bales for our guests to sit on decorating the woodland area and tipis, with a beautiful bespoke hanging ribbon curtain providing the backdrop for the hand-fasting ceremony. Looking to avoid having a formal top table, we arranged reclaimed timber tables in three long rows inside the giant tipi with the bridal party sat in the middle so that we could be surrounded by our friends and family. As keen travellers, each table was named after our happy places which were our favourite destinations explored together throughout our relationship. “To celebrate the outdoor theme and give our guests a way of getting involved in our day, we asked that they bring a dish to contribute to the buffet-style wedding picnic as their gift to us. We were so touched by the creativity and effort that everybody put in, from homemade vegan pastries to every type of dessert!” – Steph and Katie