Alison & Joseph – Spring is in the Air!
Alison and Joseph’s spring wedding at Sandhole Oak Barn was a wonderful combination of rustic style, creative décor, delicious food and happy guests!
“We wanted to be able to make the day personal to us and we fell in love with Sandhole Oak Barn on arrival. While we visited other venues, Sandhole was always going to be the place where we wanted to celebrate our wedding day.” – Alison
The happy couple chose a rustic wedding theme to complement the feel of the venue and their own home style. This meant plenty of hessian, chalk boards, lace and pretty pastels.
“Joseph and I decided to involve our families in the planning. My brother made the table decorations and, with the help of my mum and bridesmaids, we designed all the floral arrangements for the day.” – Alison
Even the place names were a labour of love – finding a photograph of each individual guest and painting their name on the bottom.
When it came to colours, as Alison is from Scotland, her family tartan was introduced in shades of navy and green. In addition to this, a more delicate hue of nude pink was chosen for the bridesmaid dresses. Of course, we mustn’t forget the elegant wedding cake, a three-tier delight adorned with wedding flowers and the family tartan and offering a tier of chocolate, one of lemon and another of fruit.
Looking the part
Alison found her dream dress at Swan Brides in Congleton. Having visited four boutiques and tried on a number of gowns, she chose a design by David Tutera.
“The dress wasn’t dissimilar to others I had seen on Pinterest but it had more sparkles! It’s good to try on something you might not have naturally chosen.” – Alison.
The stylish bride completed her look with a pearl bracelet and earrings and shoes by Rainbow Club at John Lewis. Delicate nude-coloured dresses with silver embroidery were chosen for the bridesmaids, who looked stunning on this pretty spring day.
“My sister has beautiful, natural red hair and I wanted a colour that would show this off.” – Alison.
Finally, the striking tartan was introduced in the groomswear. Joseph looked the part in a navy suit with waistcoat and tie in Alison’s family tartan, while his ushers wore the same colours but with plain waistcoats.
“They looked almost as good as my bridesmaids!” – Alison.
Wedding day details
Following the ceremony at St Peter’s Church in Prestbury, the newlyweds and their guests arrived at Sandhole Oak Barn – the guests in a London Routemaster bus and the happy couple in a cool Campervan!
They were greeted with delicious canapés, Prosecco and a ‘Pimp Your Prosecco’ stand with strawberries, mint and cordial. Moving in to dine, caterers Top Table delighted with a delicious menu of goats cheese salad followed by fillet of beef with dauphinoise potatoes and a trio of miniature desserts.
“Joseph and I have different tastes when it comes to pudding – so the trio of desserts was perfect!” – Alison.
As day turned to evening, a band called ‘PYT’ filled the dancefloor and Top Table served a selection of cheeses alongside carved meats, breads and chutneys.
Alison’s top wedding tip:
“Enjoy all of it – even the planning, even when you’re stressed! It will all be worth it. When the day comes, savour every moment and be sure to take a minute with your new husband to just step back and take it all in.”
“I know most people say this but I wouldn’t have done anything differently. It was just how we wanted it to be. I just wish we could do it again!”
Photography courtesy of © Joanna Eardley Photography
