Legal Secretary Rose married Accountant Josh on 3rd September this year at Norwich Castle, followed by a second, less formal ceremony at The Octagon Barn, an historic 17th century Barn, nestled within beautiful parkland at Little Plumstead in Norfolk.
The bride wore the prettiest Needle & Thread wedding dress in pretty pale pink, which she accessorised with a pair of vegan wedding shoes by Esska and the most delightful, colourful, crochet floral crown.
This delightful wedding was captured by Charlotte Wotton Photography and you can see more Needle & Thread brides here on Love My Dress.
A Needle & Thread Wedding Dress
I wore the Midsummer lace dress in pink, by Needle and Thread London.
I am not comfortable making a big scene out of things and so the whole ‘wedding dress’ try on sessions felt too stressful and overwhelming for me.
Ordering my dress online worked perfectly and meant I could avoid all of that.
I didn’t want to wear a classic wedding dress, it’s never been something I have envisaged. I have a love of the colour pink, and wanted a dress which wasn’t necessarily bridal, but more me.
Vegan Wedding Shoes & a Crochet Floral Crown
My shoes were Esska’s metalic ‘Valerie design.
My oldest friend, Sophie is an amazing crocheter and she crocheted me a flower crown. The pattern was from a very old issue of Simply Crochet.
For perfume, I wore Molton Brown’s Jasmin and Sun Rose. I borrowed my mum’s pink pearl drop earrings, by designer Jewels by Jess and wore a very simple pearl bracelet from Lisa Angel. I also carried a Lulu Guiness clutch bag.
We all styled our hair ourselves and our make-up for myself and three bridesmaids was styled by Michelle Paton.
Bridesmaids in Jumpsuits
My three beautiful sisters were my bridesmaids. They all wore Phase Eight jumpsuits in electric blue, and personalised them to their styles and tastes by wearing different accessories.
My bridesmaids also wore shoes by Esska as well as New Look and Topshop.
We wanted the children in the family to still look like children, and playful. Our daughter Patsy and our nieces, Ivy and Amelie, wore Cath Kidston ice cream dresses, with Kidly jelly shoes. Our nephews Arthur and Isaac wore Cath Kidston shark shirts, with Kidly jelly shoes.
A Garden Wedding Ceremony
At Norwich castle registry office, Josh and I walked in together with our daughter – Patsy. She was always going to be an integral part of the day.
At the less formal ceremony, at the barn with everyone there, my dad, Stan, walked her down the aisle to Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love with You’. I am an Elvis fan, and we visited Graceland together in 2019, and it was our most reliable song to get Patsy to sleep as a baby.
Photography
We hired Charlotte Wotton Photography. We loved her candid shots, and style of capturing people’s special day.
Charlotte’s reviews repeatedly said that she slotted into the day so seamlessly and made everyone feel at ease – we can certainly vouch for that.
How They Met
Met over nine years ago through a mutual friend. Josh ran a sandwich bar, and I worked as a waitress in a local restaurant. I went into the sandwich bar on a split shift with said mutual friend.
Eventually, we hung out a lot more and as the only non-smokers amongst the group of friends, we ended up spending more time together.
We were escorted in a 1968 convertible Morris Minor, hired by Norfolk Classic Car Hire, which drove us from the lunch to the Barn.
Florist
Our florist was Kali of ‘Rambling Wild‘. Kali created beautiful loose and wild bouquets, and my only request was a brightly coloured bouquet with seasonal dahlias.
The Inspiration
Sammi at The Octagon Barn was incredible in assisting the set-up and smooth running of the day.
I’ve always loved colour, and am drawn to kitsch and retro patterns and designs. I am part of a lovely ‘Stitch and Bitch’ group, I paint animal portraits as a side hustle and have always been interested in art and design and would say i’m quite a creative person.
Josh pretty much gave me creative freedom over the decor of the venue.
A Lambeth Cake
I wanted to incorporate the lace work on my dress with the vintage lambeth style cake and I knew I wanted it to be bold and bright. My sister Ruby’s partner’s mum made my dream cake a reality. It was a three tier pink and blue lambeth cake, Victoria sponge and chocolate.
We also had wood-fired pizzas served by Crabb & Fox Mobile Bar, and invitations were created by designer and sign-writer, Alice Harrey.
Evening, Entertainment & Favourite Moments
We hired DJ Dan, via Pop-up Party People and danced our first dance to ‘Come on Over To My Place’, by The Drifters
We had a few favourite moments; at the end of the ceremony at the barn, we all had the lyrics to the song ‘What a Wonderful World’, by Sam Cooke, and invited everyone to join in and sing.
Turning around and seeing everyone there supporting us was really lovely.
My sisters surprising me with a joint speech.
My family, friends all being there to support us, we felt so utterly loved and cared for.
Words of wedded Wisdom
Stick with your vision. Don’t change what you want to please others.
Absorb all the love, it’s not often you get to spend a whole day with everyone you care for.
We inevitably spent more than we initially imagined, but felt that the extra we had spent was worthwhile for making the day be enjoyable for all involved.
Credits & Thanks
Annabel View all Annabel’s articles
Annabel is the founder of Love My Dress. She has a passion for photography, walking, yoga, nature, and loves to support talented artists and creative businesses. In 2013, she became a published author. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters Eska and Leanora and menagerie of furry hounds. Annabel supports Philip in the running of the family flower farm at at Moonwind Flowers. She is also co-founder of What About Weddings.