Jess and Ed met on the dancefloor at the Dartmoor Arts Festival, which used to run every year. “I was dancing alone and got nudged into a circle that had formed around two men who were squat kicking and Ed was one of these men,” Jess tells us. “His bright blonde shoulder-length hair and impressive dance moves caught my eye! He later asked me to dance, but I felt shy so I didn’t.” Four years later, Jess and Ed matched on Tinder. “We enjoyed our first date in an art gallery and the rest is history!” Jess says. “We still laugh about Ed’s dance moves that night at the festival!” Ed proposed to Jess at the Valley of The Rocks in Exmoor, in between rain storms. “He had written a speech, which he later added to, and used as his wedding vows,” Jess tells us. He also presented me with chocolates and bucks fizz. I had already chosen my 14-carat gold moonstone and infinity knot ring because I had sensed that a proposal might be coming, although my body still went into shock when it did!” SETTING THE SCENE “I have known the Devon-based venue Deer’s Leap for many years and after visiting other venues, it seemed silly not to choose somewhere that everybody would feel super relaxed at,” Jess tells us. “Deer’s Leap is a rustic-inspired venue in a beautiful setting with stunning valley views, a gazebo by the lake and a stone barn. It also provided accommodation on-site for many of our loved ones which was perfect because we wanted to host a weekend wedding. We planned an evening to ourselves there on Thursday night, and then a small team helped us set up on Friday. Our guests who were staying on-site checked in on Friday from 4 pm and our wedding took place on Saturday. On Sunday, we enjoyed spending quality time with everybody before checking out on Monday. The owners of Deer’s Leep, Heather and James were wonderful hosts and worked hard to support us during the lead-up to our wedding as well as throughout the day. Along with their team, they all went above and beyond,” Jess says. The happy couple tells us how wonderful their ceremony was, with live music performed by their dear friend Sam Dowden and poems read by both of their mothers. “Saying our vows was a very special moment,” Jess explains. “Deer’s Leap is a farm and Colin the cockerel with his two girlfriend hens decided to join us for our ceremony by wandering over and sitting down to watch us get married which our guests loved!” Deer’s Leap is a DIY wedding venue that Jess and Ed could style their way. “Plenty of items such as the chairs and tables for up to 100 guests, glasses, decorations, signage, lawn games and crockery were already available at the venue,” Jess tells us. “Our speeches are wonderful. My dad had written a poem for me and my mum spoke about me growing up, which included some embarrassing stories! Ed and I thanked the wedding party and Ed’s best man gave an amazing speech all about Ed.” - Jess Images courtesy of Little Silver Photography 27 REAL WEDDINGS
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