Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
We both have a love for the arts and music and lived in the same little town in the middle of England when we met.
Our first encounter was almost 7 years ago, at a teeny tiny music festival on the banks of a beautiful reservoir. Although initially organised by our mutual friends, we both promptly joined the festival team and have been helping to create a crazy, fun filled weekend every single year since. It’s the best way to take some time out each summer and look back at how far our relationship has come since that very first weekend of broken hay bale fights and boozy boat rides.
Most of the time, we can be found at a gorgeous old water mill in Leicestershire, which is where we both work for the same company. Huw works in graphic and furniture design, and I work in the Mill’s mucky ceramics studio, making handcrafted home accessories. We recently purchased our first home together so in our spare time, we are now putting our DIY skills to the test! Our chubby cat, Clementine is often very unimpressed with the disruption this causes to her daily routine of naps and spider chasing.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…
Both being introverted, all we truly wanted from our wedding day was to feel relaxed and in the moment, giving only each other our full attention on the day. We wanted no fuss, no drama and no expectations. This is why we chose to elope to Scotland and have a humanist ceremony. We like to think of our ceremony simply as a private one, rather than an elopement, as there wasn’t any secrecy surrounding the decision and we were lucky enough to have the full, loving support of our family and friends!
To us, the trip was really special. We stayed in a small, secluded cottage with breathtaking views over Loch an Eilein. We spent long, slow mornings lounging about in the window seats with the fire on, drinking freshly brewed coffee whilst watching the water dance and the squirrels play. We married on a Tuesday afternoon, which perfectly suited this laid back routine we had fallen into.
Once we arrived home, we threw a big party in the city to celebrate our marriage. We chatted around candlelit tables, had a pizza buffet, and danced the night away with our family and friends.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Sticking with the ‘no fuss’ theme, we wanted to find clothes that were simple and understated.There was no need for intricate garments when we planned to spend the day out in the dramatic highland landscapes.
I searched high and low for a minimalistic dress that didn’t cost the earth and in the end we found both my dress and Huw’s suit in a bog standard high street shop! I took my dress to the local tailors and had the back altered slightly to suit my tastes. I wouldn’t say it was the dress of my dreams, but I could have worn any old frock and still loved it with all my heart for the simple fact I wore it in our wedding day!
I like to forage a lot and so I created my own dried bouquet from flora I had collected throughout the year. I dried it all out and secured everything together with the same silk ribbon we used for our hand-fasting. We both finished our outfits with a pair of scruffy old boots that were probably older than our relationship! (There is nothing worse than shoe shopping!)
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
We both treasure the exact same moment from our wedding day. It was getting late, the sun was ready to set and the light was low and dull. We climbed across some huge sweeping plains of heather and just stood on a small hill for a while taking in the views. Whilst we were there the air cooled and it started to lightly rain. I remember taking in a huge deep breath and just feeling pure happiness. Huw remembers feeling like the day just couldn’t have gone any better and all of our plans had finally fallen into place. The day was full of excitement and anticipation but it was during that moment that a real sense of calm washed over the both of us.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Have a wedding that suits your personalities and don’t include things that make you uncomfortable just to meet others’ expectations – your wedding day should be for you! Try not to get too fixated on the idea of planning ‘the perfect day’, once it’s all over you’ll remember it as the best day ever regardless of whether things went to plan or not.
Photography: The Kitcheners | Celebrant: Neil Lynch | Kat’s Dress: Next | Huw’s Suit: Next
