Harriet and Bernie met at young farmers and connected over their shared sense of humour. After their relationship blossomed, Bernie proposed to Harriet on Christmas Eve at Waxham Beach. “It was a complete surprise and he had picked out a beautiful opal and diamond ring,” says Harriet. “It was lovely getting to visit our friends over Christmas to share our exciting news.” SETTING THE SCENE “We always talked about the things we’d like to have at our wedding, creating a day completely personal to us as a couple,” shares Harriet. “We wanted to handcraft as many elements as possible and work with lots of local small businesses. So, it felt right to marry on our family farm, The Old Vicarage Campsite, where we have a field for such events and have hosted weddings before. Our ceremony was held in the woodland, which means a lot to us as a couple. When we discovered a clearing under a beautiful oak tree, we knew it was where we wanted to start our married life. It felt very special to be among the trees and natural surroundings. Our reception was held nearby at Bluebell Corner, just a short walk away, in a marquee provided by Dottie Events & Hire. Within our marquee, we kept the décor simple, opting for wooden trestle tables, folding chairs and natural tablecloths. Each table was decorated with a mix of vintage glass and earthenware bud vases, filled with airy grasses and flowers to mirror the colours of my bouquet. “As an events florist, I was very excited to create my own wedding flowers alongside my business partner, Emily,” continues the bride. “Our floristry style at King.Witham is natural, airy and garden-gathered. We use seasonal flowers that are grown by ourselves and other growers in Norfolk. We used overflowing buckets of seasonal flowers and foliage on natural log plinths to dress either side of the entrance to our marquee. Here we used a mixture of silver birch and beech branches, large-headed flowers, airy grasses and fruits such as blackberries and tomatoes. This created a very natural display that fit perfectly within our outdoor venue. The bouquets mirrored the other displays on the day and were tied with rich, red velvet ribbons. I particularly loved the floral hair combs worn by myself and my bridesmaids, which were complimented by the groomsmen’s buttonholes. Made with dried flowers, I loved the delicate texture and the fact that as long as they are stored in the right conditions, they can be kept forever as a keepsake.” The table plan and place names were beautifully written on recycled paper by Harriet’s bridesmaid, Tilley, from Holly Dog Designs. “I added pressed flowers to the table plan and wedding signs,” recalls Harriet. “The place names were tied with soft pink ribbons as a finishing touch. Each table took the name of a flower and my clever mum beautifully sketched each one in ink. As a personal touch for the tables, I created miniature paper boats, a skill I was taught by my grandad at a very young age. I sourced the patterned paper from Cambridge Imprint.” The happy couple created a picnic for their guests. “Picnics and picky food have to be one of our favourite ways to eat, and so it felt right to create delicious food hampers to serve to our wedding guests,” remembers the bride. “It worked so much better than we expected, with guests exclaiming that not only was the food delicious but that it worked brilliantly as an icebreaker with food being shared around the table. We filled each hamper with delicious produce from small businesses in Norfolk, such as Victoria sponge cakes, a selection of quiches, cheese and biscuits and delicious baked goods and brownies. It felt very special, and although it was a lot of work, it was totally worth it for the quality and freshness. A trailer fridge kept the food fresh and lovely friends of friends worked on the day. In the evening, we had a relaxed hog roast.” 39 REAL WEDDINGS
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