A Relaxed Winter Wedding in a Pub

An amazing pair of glittery Christian Louboutin shoes feature in today’s fabulous winter woodland styled wedding… oh, and a pub!

Jade and Danny wanted an informal affair so The Alma Inn was the perfect venue. This quaint, intimate country pub, with its roaring fires and rustic charm, was an amazing setting for their big day. The ‘winter woodland’ wedding styling featured hessian runners and sashes, winter flowers and pine cones, wood slices and lots of candles to add to the ambiance.

To complement the styling, the groomsmen wore trendy tweed suits, with Danny wearing his with a burgundy bow tie. Jade wore a lovely faux fur wrap which looked incredible against the backdrop of the surrounding rolling hills.

Rachel Joyce Photography’s pictures of Jade and Danny’s wedding tell the story of their day beautifully…

“When we began the planning process we started with a strong idea of what we didn’t want. Nothing too grand or formal; it was our day and we would do it exactly how we wanted. It was important to us both that we had a relaxed (but well organised so we could relax) day surrounded by our closest family and friends. So an intimate venue with only the traditions we really wanted were a must.

Intimate Country Gem

“I’d always thought I wanted a summer wedding; it was Danny who suggested winter. Although not entirely set upon the season we began visiting venues. When we visited our very first venue, The Alma Inn, in late November 2016, we knew it was the one. An intimate little country gem filled with lots of quirky features, Chesterfield sofas and roaring open fires. The breakfast room, with its beautiful beams and pastel colour scheme, was the perfect space for the ceremony and wedding breakfast.

“With the venue as our inspiration I began planning the decor. I’d describe the theme as classic ‘winter woodland’. The colour scheme consisted of forest green and cream with a touch of wine red and champagne. I detest anything tacky and I’m not a fan of bright red, so tinsel was banned! Instead we decorated the venue with hessian runners and sashes, hand-painted baskets of winter flowers and pine cones, rustic wood slices and Love letters, candle lanterns and decorated ladders as a non-traditional table plan. I spent more than a few hours on Pinterest!”

Classy and Understated

“The men’s suits and bridesmaid dresses also reflected the theme. The girls wore forest green lace detailed dresses and the men wore brown and green tweed suits. The look was perfect for winter, classy and understated.

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“I chose a champagne gold fishtail dress with lots of sparkle and lace detail. It was the opposite of what I expected (I began my search looking for a simple ivory ball gown) but I knew it was the one when I just couldn’t stop smiling in it. I complemented it with a simple updo and rose gold accessories and shoes… oh the shoes! Christian Louboutin and worth every second of pain, though I have to admit I had changed into pumps by the wedding breakfast!”

Amazing Memories

“There are so many amazing memories from the day. From the memory album Danny made and gave to me on the morning of the wedding, to revealing the dress to my bridesmaids for the first time and seeing their reactions (which made me cry instantly). Then there was the overwhelming wave of emotion when I turned the corner with my mum by my side to see Danny (also tearful) and all our loved ones. Also the speeches (where I did my bit for feminism and delivered one), the first dance (Whitney Houston’s My Love is Your Love), the sparkler send-off which was so much fun and, of course, dancing the night away after more than one or two shots. It was a non-stop flurry of amazing memories.

“As husband and wife we both felt our favourite aspect was the ceremony. It was without doubt the most romantic moment of my life. We wrote our own vows together and repeated them back to each other, and we had two beautiful readings from a close friend and Danny’s sister. It was truly magical.”

Entertainment

“Many guests remarked on how much they enjoyed the entertainment provided. We had a fantastic solo guitarist during the wedding breakfast who created a really relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Then a sparkler send off to follow the meal and the arrival of ‘Magic Andy’ leading into the evening reception. This was the perfect ‘filler’ for that little bit of time between the meal and reception, and our magician was nothing short of incredible! We also had a home made photo booth and a candy station. Both had a low-key, vintage look in keeping with the rest of the theme.”

Winter Menu

“Food wise, our venue did an impeccable job. As it was winter we served mini dessert canapés (mince pies, cinnamon dough balls and rum chocolate truffles) with hot mulled wine after the ceremony. The meal was a set three courses. A warming winter soup followed by chicken and our favourite dessert- sticky toffee pudding and custard! All washed down with copious amount of wine. Our cake was a scrumptious three tier ‘naked’ wedding cake, decorated with fresh flowers and in three different flavours (Victoria sponge, lemon and chocolate).”

Remember What’s Important

“For me planning was a breeze. We did it over a year and my motto was ‘little and often’. The teacher in me helped us to stay organised, and because of that I didn’t get too stressed. Also, personal touches really make the day memorable for all.

“We feel it is really important to adopt a ‘whatever will be will be’ attitude too. The night before the wedding the cake tipped over in transport and we had to call out an emergency ‘icer’! After a brief panic my bridal party plied me with wine and it was back to looking brand new in no time. From that point on anything that didn’t go to plan was water off a duck’s back. You really don’t care if the seating plan isn’t exactly where you imagined, and nobody else does either. Don’t get stressed over the little things; it’s not what’s important or what anybody remembers.

“Finally, ensure you steal some time for just the two of you. We decided to take our little dog Alfie on a walk for a few minutes during the evening reception so we could take it all in. It was so lovely to share those private moments to reflect on the day so far.”