Tania and Joe took DIY weddings to a whole new level at their big day at Ashley Wood Farm in Wiltshire! This talented couple crafted their own wedding rings, and bride Tania sewed her own dress and created the bridesmaids’ necklaces. The stunning origami stars that hung in the barn rafters were made with the help of friends, as was the banner proudly proclaiming the couple “Just Married”. Friend and bridesmaid Gee made the pinata, while fellow bridesmaid Floz made the beautifully decorated cake. Groom Joe was in charge of the cheese cake (leading to a sentence I’ve never heard before when Joe was asked why the top-tier cheese was larger than the one below… “Well, that’s not a load-bearing cheese!”). Mother of the groom Mary took on the flower arrangements and construction of the bouquets from locally grown blooms, while father of the groom Keith hand-turned all of the unique wooden candlesticks that dressed the tables. Bride Tania also handprinted the save-the-dates, invitations, place names, table plan and the wedding favours, and embroidered the table numbers. Music was taken care of by friends Luke and Joe, taking the guests from the beautiful outdoor ceremony all the way through the reception to the evening party! What an incredibly talented bunch!
The big barn at Ashley Wood Farm provided a fantastic blank canvas to house the couple’s wonderfully personal decor, with the nearby Fonthill Lake a beautiful backdrop and spot for couple’s portraits. I’m told by Joe that the unusual milky aqua colour of the water is due to a combination of algae in the water and chalk in the lake bed. This was a very special day for me to shoot because not only are Joe and Tania an amazingly lovely couple, but I have known them for over a decade (they started dating in secondary school!) as groom Joe is my husband’s cousin, so as Tania put it, that kind of makes us cousins in law! In fact, they were guests at my wedding a few years ago. Tania and Joe were a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself as a guest on the day if I were photographing it, but I’m so glad they asked me as it was a blast from start to finish!
It was a roasting, blindingly bright late May day, perfect for an outdoor ceremony where Tania made her entrance on dad Brian’s arm, welcomed by huge smiles from all the assembled guests. After the ceremony and confetti walk, the couple made a quick welcome speech before a wonderful afternoon of mingling with loved ones and delicious food ensued. One memorable moment of the day came during the speeches where the bride’s sister and chief bridesmaid Linda gave her speech in the form of a song, where she’d adapted the lyrics to Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” to describe the couple - it was epic and hilarious, and I’m so glad she was brave enough to perform her version (having only decided to the night before). As the sun went down Joe and Luke took charge of the party music and the dancefloor filled up with a great energy. I am so glad that I was chosen to capture memories for Tania and Joe on this fantastic day!
Supplier shout-out:
Food and bar by Indulge Catering and Event Management, and Big Bang Pizza
Flowers from Kensons Farm Flowers, and arranged by Mary, mother of the groom
Music by Joe Williams and Luke Saunders
Dried floral combs and boutonnieres by Flossy Rose Combs
All decor (and pretty much every other detail you can think of!) by the couple, their friends and family
