Summer sun shines on rustic farm wedding

We always enjoy meeting couples at the wedding fayres we attend, sometimes they’re just browsing for inspiration and occasionally they know exactly what they are looking for.

When Becca Evans and Tom Ryder popped over to meet us at the 2017 Driffield Wedding Fayre, they pretty much had their hearts set on a marquee wedding but wanted to be able to see the real thing with their own eyes before committing to a booking.

Becca, who is originally from Leeds, said: “It’s hard to visualise how a wedding marquee can look and feel, so I went to the Driffield fayre specifically to see Village Farm Marquees. They had a fully dressed marquee, which looked beautiful, and that really helped us make our decision.

“A friend had used Village Farm Marquees and recommended them. I still shopped around first but after meeting Chrysta at the fayre I was really impressed and we decided to book with them.”

Garden party theme

There was never any question about the wedding venue. Tom, from Youlton near York, had taken over his family’s mixed-use farm the previous year and the couple knew it would make the perfect location for their rustic-themed celebration.

Their engagement began back in December 2015, when a mischievous Tom treated Becca to a surprise romantic break abroad and tricked her into queuing up for an Amsterdam flight at the airport when in fact they were destined for the Cologne Christmas markets – something Becca had always wanted to visit. Not long after, the bride and groom-to-be enjoyed another life-changing event with the arrival of their daughter Sophia.

“We started planning the wedding straight after Sophia was born,” Becca explained. “We knew we wanted a rustic look with a traditional garden party theme, which would work well on the farm.

“With Chrysta’s help we designed the layout of our marquee from scratch, including windows, fairy lights, the lovely ‘starlight roof’, and a separate bar area, ensuring there was plenty of space for guests.

“You have to treat Village Farm as the experts, they were absolutely great and it all came together perfectly. We changed our plan five or six times but Chrysta’s customer service was excellent, she really bends over backwards to accommodate your requests.”

Just a perfect day

When the big day finally came around on July 7, the skies were a deep blue and the sun was blazing on what had become a typical day of a stunning summer that we now know was officially the hottest on record. With the marriage ceremony due to take place at the picturesque local church, Becca and her four grown-up bridesmaids stayed in a nearby hotel and enjoyed a leisurely morning preparing for the celebration, but there was no such rest for Tom, who had to be up at the crack of dawn to feed the cattle!

Becca shimmered in an Eddie Kay sleeveless lace dress with a scalloped neck, while her bridesmaids and little flower girl Sophia were pretty in pink. After the church ceremony, the happy couple travelled from the church back to the farm in – you guessed it – a gleaming be-ribbboned tractor, where 120 guests gathered to celebrate their union (as well as Murphy, their Hungarian Viszla, who was looking dapper in a bow tie!). Everyone enjoyed canapes and Pimms on the lawn and in the orchard, with musical accompaniment from an acoustic singer.

“I was a little bit worried it might be too warm inside the marquee, but we unzipped the sides and it was lovely,” said Becca.

A colour scheme of dusky pinks and soft greens complemented rustic styling including bunting, an eye-catching feature chest, and floral arrangements by Rosebud Flowers, from Bridlington.

Helen Jackson, who runs Rosebud Flowers and met Becca at the Driffield Wedding Fayre, said: “We made two floral centrepieces using large floor-standing milk churns, featuring whites, pinks and foliage to create a lovely rustic, country look.”

The table arrangements comprised tall vases with flowers and little jars decorated with hessian and lace. Helen combined Memory Lane, Pink Avalanche and Sweet Avalanche roses, with dahlias from her own gardens, ammi and white delphiniums.

“We hung a flower ball from the ceiling, with similar flowers and pink hydrangeas. It all looked really beautiful, it was so pretty and in keeping with the country theme,” Helen added. “It was very hot, which can be hard work, but the flowers were fine and were still looking lovely the following week.”

Helen has worked alongside Village Farm Marquees many times, and she said: “Chrysta and Tony are a fantastic couple, we get on really well. They are so well organised and easy to work with, and they really do go out of their way for their clients.”

Rosebud Flowers specialises in wedding flowers and can provide bouquets, button holes, church flowers, table arrangements and bespoke decorative items such as hanging and floor-standing features on request to suit all tastes and budgets. Most of Helen’s flowers are grown, harvested and arranged on her Bridlington farm and are available throughout the year.

Focus on fun

Bellies were well and truly filled with a hearty meal of steak and ale pie, followed by a medley of desserts contributed by friends and family. Becca said: “Our local pub provided the catering, the pie is our favourite meal there. We had a bit of a cow theme going on, the tables were named after cow breeds, and we had chocolate cows as favours.

“We’d decided not to bother with a cake but then I had one made as a surprise for Tom, with tractors and family figures made of icing, which he loved.”

Rousing tunes from live band The Monotones kept the dance floor packed until 1am and guests were able to enjoy the sultry evening with an outdoor barbeque. The couple planned numerous thoughtful touches to ensure the focus was firmly on fun, with a trampoline and bouncy castle, donut stand, photo booth, a firepit and plenty of hay bale seating.

Becca added: “We wanted our wedding to feel really chilled and informal, with a party atmosphere. It’s hard to pick one memory that stands out, it was just so nice to see all our friends and family together enjoying themselves on our farm, and to see all our hard work come to fruition. It was such a special day and Sophia had a wonderful time too, she’s such a sociable little show-off and loved all the attention!

“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without Village Farm Marquees, Chrysta is just so approachable and was there for us from beginning to end.”

Captured on camera

Good wedding photographers and videographers are always in high demand, such is the importance of capturing memories couples wish to treasure forever. Becca and Tom chose Otley-based David Charles Photography and AV for their photos and Shortman Productions, from Selby, to record their big day on film. Both professionals admit this was one of their favourite assignments.

Colin Charlesworth, owner of David Charles Photography, was in his element. He said: “Photographing Becca and Tom’s wedding was a feast on the eyes, not only the gorgeous bride and groom but the location – it’s exactly what us photographers dream of.

“Everywhere I looked there was something brilliant to photograph, from the cakes and centrepieces all the way through to the tractors, endless fields and stunning marquee. It’s almost a shame that their farm isn’t an actual wedding venue.”

Barney Shortman specialises in filming outdoors with a natural, informal style a million miles away from the old-school camera of yesteryear, set up in a corner of a room. He said: “This was very special as it was at Becca and Tom’s own home so there were elements of them everywhere. Usually we see the groom dressing and popping to the pub but Tom’s prep work included feeding the animals, which I was able to film.

“The weather was amazing and in the evening we went to shoot in the barley fields. I was worried about trampling on the crop but Tom didn’t mind, they were both so relaxed. We did some filming in the yard and I wanted to move some hay bales around. Tom jumped straight into the tractor and rearranged them all, I think he was really enjoying himself!”

Barney added: “It was clear they had put so much thought into every aspect of their day and it was hugely personal, everything looked fantastic. It was a really fun wedding and I’m happy I managed to capture the spirit of it on film.”

Planning makes perfect

Chrysta Newman, Co-director of Village Farm Marquees, said: “Becca and Tom’s wedding was one of those occasions where planning really does make perfect. They thought of everything and ensured both they and their guests enjoyed a truly special day that gave them all memories to treasure for the rest of their lives.

“Of course they couldn’t have planned the weather but even that couldn’t have been any better! It was our absolute pleasure and honour to work with them.”

Photos courtesy of David Charles Photography and AV, www.davidcharlesphotographyandav.co.uk

Rosebud Flowers – www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk/members/rosebud-flowers

Shortman Productions – www.shortman-productions.co.uk