Photography by Sidey Clark Photography

Written by Becci Clubb

Vee and Richard say ‘I do’ with a spiritual wedding ceremony on home soil.

A Festive Proposal

Vee and Richard met through work and instantly hit it off.

“I was Richard’s client at a marketing agency and let’s just say he took customer service very seriously! I was very well looked after,” laughs Vee.

Richard proposed in December 2017 at a Christmas event the couple were hosting at Soho Farmhouse. During the event, Richard bravely got down on one knee, in front of over 100 guests, and asked Vee to marry him. She replied with an excited yes to cheers and claps from all of the guests.

Perfect Planning

Vee and Richard planned their wedding day in two bursts of activity. In autumn 2023, they decided on a theme and worked on a plan with their creative wedding planner, Zuza from Whole Lotta Love Weddings. Together they sourced all of their suppliers, from marquee hire to entertainers, securing them for their wedding date. Then they relaxed over the winter, coming back to planning and fine-tuning the details in May 2024.

Homespun Heaven

The wedding was held in the height of summer, at the start of July. Vee and Richard wanted to host their wedding at home, on their land.

“We wanted the wedding to be at home, where we’d been busy sowing wildflowers and planting lots of trees,” Explains Vee. “We created a beautiful meadow setting for our festival-themed wedding.”

The couple hired marquees from The Arabian Tent Company. The original plan was for the ceremony to take place outside in an old equestrian circle, planted with silver birch and jasmine, but the weather wasn’t playing ball. It rained overnight and on the morning of the wedding, so the couple had to go with their backup plan and hold their ceremony undercover. They exchanged vows in the tent they planned to use for dancing in the evening. The tent gave the feeling of being open air, with a transparent ceiling, without risking another potential downpour mid vows. The space had a bright and airy feel, flooded with natural light. The tent sides were decorated in embroidered pink and orange fabrics. Guests walked through the wildflower meadow and along a red carpet as they entered the welcoming marquee. 

“Our land has such a lovely energy and, when filled with our dearest friends and family, was bursting at the seams with love. It was simply magical,” smiles Vee.

Sentimental Ceremony

The couple tied the knot in a celebrant-led ceremony, which featured lots of symbolic rituals, including a hand-fasting ceremony. Vee and Richard exchanged personal vows, sang songs with their guests and declared their love for each other in a ceremony that was entirely unique and a complete reflection of them.

“The first tradition we trashed was the traditional ceremony, which typically we find rather dull,” reveals Vee. “We had a heart-centred, free-spirited ceremony. Central to the ceremony was the pagan hand-fasting ceremony, which brought in elements of nature and even included a broom to jump over, that was made from trees from our neighbour’s land.” 

Before the ceremony started, a friend of the couple cleansed the ceremony area with sage. Then, Michelle, The Funky Celebrant, led the proceedings, structuring a beautifully personal service. The ceremony was spiritual and sentimental, yet fun and warm. The joy-filled ceremony was one of the favourite parts of the day for Vee and Richard. Adding to the experience, the sun burst through the clouds as the couple declared their love for each other and a butterfly flew out of the tent as Vee stepped onto the end of the aisle. 

Aisle Style

Vee made her ceremony entrance in a gold, silk, wrap dress, with flared sleeves. In place of a veil, she wore a bespoke silk organza cape with an oversized hood, in a matching golden hue, which gave her bridal look an ethereal vibe. Channelling her inner goddess, she complemented her wedding wardrobe with a pearl necklace, pearl earrings and a bespoke hairpiece made from amber, feathers and pearls. 

Richard and his four groomsmen sported three-piece suits, styled with white leather trainers and open shirts. Richard donned a Bakerboy hat and wore a brown suit to complement Vee’s golden gown. The groomsmen each wore a suit jacket to reflect the colour of the element they were representing in the ceremony, blue representing water, green for earth, red reflecting fire and silver echoing air. 

The little flower girl wore a gold dress to match the bride’s style, while the three bridesmaids wore romantic, white billowing maxi dresses with asymmetrical hemlines, a tied waist and lace panelling. 

Magical Marquee

Celebrating on their own land under a beautiful marquee setting, Vee and Richard set their hearts on a festival theme for their wedding day. They wanted their day to be filled with fun and styled with eco-friendly details. 

The couple strung up brightly coloured fabric tassel bunting, shimmering disco balls and a foliage chandelier for their ceremony tent, which they also partied in throughout the evening. Sweeping floral pillars framed the end of the aisle, filled with roses, Astilbe and foliage to match the bridal bouquet. In the evening the florals were rearranged to line the edge of the stage, where the band were set up. 

After the ceremony, the couple hosted welcome drinks outdoors, with views across the countryside, before heading into the banqueting marquee. Guests were seated at wooden trestle tables, adorned with bud vases filled with fresh flowers. The second marquee was white and airy, the structural tent poles were decorated with fresh floral arrangements, bringing the outside in once again.

In the evening, the newlyweds partied with their guests to the sounds of a 16-piece live band and drag act, The Globe Girls, kept everyone in the party mood from the start of the drinks reception through to the evening. After having a spiritual ceremony, the couple wanted to give everyone a good time, encouraging them to let their hair down and get into the party spirit. 

Final Words

Vee and Richard embraced all the things they loved for their wedding day. Their mentality from the outset was to have their wedding day exactly as they wanted it. When asked what their advice for couples planning their wedding would be they said, 

“Follow your heart, let the wedding be a true reflection of yourself, and remember the most important elements are the vows, the people and the music.”

Suppliers:

Photographer: Sidey Clark Photo

Video: Loved Up Films

Planner: Whole Lotta Love Weddings 

Marquee: The Arabian Tent Company

Furniture Hire: Eco Furniture Hire

Celebrant: Michelle at Funky Celebrant

Bridal Attire: Poppy Perspective

Shoes: Gina

Hair Accessories: The Lucky Sixpence

Florist: Sophie Newman Floristry

Stationery: With Bells On 

Catering: The Gourmet Hog Roast Company

Bar Hire: The Hush Club Disco

Drag Artists: The Globe Girls

Band: Goldn Global