English festivals are a huge part of our lives and
both believe there is nothing better than the feeling of being outdoors
with people you love. We both feel a strong sense to the freedom you
feel outdoors and love nothing more than being in a field dancing the
night away (normally in the rain).
Sam and I first met at Glastonbury festival and at that time we were both in very different times in our lives so nothing more than a smile occurred. A few years later that all changed when I had moved to London and chose to go out for some drinks with my brother and his friends, when I arrived Sam was there, fate pulled us back together and we have never looked back since. Glastonbury holds such great importance to us both (Sam informed me after he proposed he was going to propose at Glastonbury but was scared of losing the ring) therefore we knew it had to be part of the theme we chose when planning and organizing our wedding, traditional went out the window and Sam and Claire entered it.
Ruffled blog became an addiction for me (I even caught Sam taking sneaky looks) and got so much inspiration from the weddings featured on the site. We decided getting married outdoors was what we wanted, sadly we soon found out that you need to be married in a licensed venue in England, therefore that idea was out. It was important for us to get married in England and somewhere which means something to us. Newcastle upon Tyne is my home and we have both enjoyed visiting and heading to Northumberland on country walks and farmhouse cafes. We came across High House Farm Brewery on a whim and instantly decided we had to have part of our day here, after much consideration we chose the ‘after’ part would be held at this venue and the ceremony would beheld elsewhere.
My Mum works at Newcastle Civic Centre and took us there to look at the staircase, although it wasn’t outside we both fell in love with the grandness of it and both felt a feeling that it was the right place to say I do. With both venues chosen it was time to get designing.
Bunting had to be part of the decoration; I adore bunting and wanted a real vintage feel to the day. My Mum and Gran handmade 546 pennants for the bunting, they stitched and ironed each one to make sure it was perfect and would flow in the wind. When they were put up in the barn I felt a glow in my heart and could see how right it was to have the bunting, the barn looked amazing and so unbelievably pretty. Sam’s Mum found the hearts in a little garden centre shop, we felt they added an extra touch and loved the way they hung down giving the barn an extra decorative touch.
Our table names were again cut and stitched by my Mum and Gran (my stepdad cutting the luggage tags out). Our favours were acorns, when thinking of our favours we knew that they are meant to resemble growth and strength, we felt the acorn showed this and again was something involved in the outdoor world. We wrote a special verse attached to the acorn, so people could understand the meaning of why we felt the acorn should be our favour.
‘A little acorn has the ability to grow into a big oak tree, we hope you keep it safe and remember each year the strength the acorn has, just like the love we hold for each other’
My advice for all brides would be to plan early; I did not feel stressed leading up to the wedding more excited and enjoying planning such a fun day. I could see nearer the date if my planning had not been carried out early then the stress levels would have been high. Sam was actively involved in all the planning, he was a perfect help and made the whole thing easier by having an opinion and supporting me with ideas. It was our day and therefore I feel the most important thing is you plan it together, it has to be what you both want and a day you will both remember.
We wanted the whole day to be personal and related to us, with that I felt It was important not only Sam to do a speech that I did one too. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him and give thanks to people who had supported me in my life.
My best women also did a speech which meant so much, there two women I hold so close to me and hearing there kind words moved me and made me smile greatly.
My Mum gave me away, she is my life and my rock and there was no one else I would have rather had by my side.
Our save the date cards were taken in a photo booth in Budapest, we loved the idea of sending everyone a small reminder with some photos we loved. We also hired a photo booth for the evening, it went down a treat and everyone was in line waiting for their chance to take home another memory of the day.
Both our outfits were from high street shops, we decided that we didn’t feel the need to spend a lot of money when you can find such beautiful clothes without the expensive price tag. I knew I wanted something floaty and fitting but a dress that felt like me and not something I would feel uncomfortable in. A good friend, who designs wedding jewellery made my hair band; again I wanted it to be personal and everyone to be involved in the making of the day.
Our photographer Jack is a good friend who works in the photo industry, other weddings I have been too I have felt the camera to be intrusive and didn’t like the fact a stranger was taking such intimate photo’s. With some gentle persuasion Jack agreed and it was the best idea ever as he did a wonderful job and captured the day perfectly.
True Romance is my most favourite film and I believe the most romantic love story, Sam always says the main theme music from it makes him think of us, straight away I knew that was to be the music played as I walked into the civic centre.
We played Blur Tender for our signing the register song, we are both huge blur fans and love the words to the song, and we felt it apt for this part of day.
When Sam and I got together he informed me he had never watched Juno, it being one of my favourite films I made him watch it straight away, from there he fell in love with the soundtrack. We always talk of the main song from it being so beautiful and describing love in a very beautiful way, therefore with this we knew when we became man and wife we would leave to ‘All I want is you’. As we left and the song started playing all our guests started clapping, it was a really special moment.
First Dance: Albion - Babyshambles
We wrote our own vows and felt again it was so important for them to be personal to us:
Finally I have found a place into which I fit perfectly safely and securely with no doubts. No fears, no sadness, no tears, this place is filled with happiness and laughter, yet it is peaceful enough to allow me the freedom to live my life and be myself. This wonderful place which I never believed really existed I have found finally, inside your arms, inside your heart, inside your love.
And when we gave our rings to each other we added something important to us that we do for each other:
Samuel I give you this ring as a sign of my everlasting promise, I vow to cherish you, respect you, tame your curly hair, leave love letters in your lunch box and love you deeply till my body can love no more. May this ring remind us of this amazing day, this special moment and our forever together
Claire I give you this ring as a sign of my everlasting promise, I vow to cherish you, respect you, make you warm toasty fires on cold nights, always use the teapot when I make you a cup of and love you deeply till my body can love no more. May this ring remind us of this amazing day, this special moment and our forever together
Our rings were our both our grandma’s and my great grans wedding bands, we had them melted down and made into two new rings. We felt this meant so much as they are still with us and there rings being used to bound a new marriage.
The craspedia (billy ball) flower was one of the first things I decided on, found on ruffled I fell in love with this flower and needed it in my wedding day, with Sam agreeing he liked the flower I contacted my local florist and she made it her mission to track the yellow headed flower down. The poise’s and button holes were all made with the craspedia and Penny from Katherine’s did the most amazing job, when they arrived I was so happy with how they looked and were exactly how I wanted them to be.
I wanted my bridesmaids in a 50’s feel but also something they were comfortable and happy in, because both girls have different features I decided to put them in different colours. I think they both looked adorable and the petticoat finished the dress off.
Sam’s Mum made our muddy chocolate cake and surprised us with the top being us two in our tent.
Like every festival the night ended with camping in a muddy field, this way we could all be together and wake up with sore heads and big smiles together.
When Sam and I were married I became Mrs Claire Austin, as a gift Sam bought me a rose called Claire Austin, a perfect gift from my perfect husband.
Sam and I first met at Glastonbury festival and at that time we were both in very different times in our lives so nothing more than a smile occurred. A few years later that all changed when I had moved to London and chose to go out for some drinks with my brother and his friends, when I arrived Sam was there, fate pulled us back together and we have never looked back since. Glastonbury holds such great importance to us both (Sam informed me after he proposed he was going to propose at Glastonbury but was scared of losing the ring) therefore we knew it had to be part of the theme we chose when planning and organizing our wedding, traditional went out the window and Sam and Claire entered it.
Ruffled blog became an addiction for me (I even caught Sam taking sneaky looks) and got so much inspiration from the weddings featured on the site. We decided getting married outdoors was what we wanted, sadly we soon found out that you need to be married in a licensed venue in England, therefore that idea was out. It was important for us to get married in England and somewhere which means something to us. Newcastle upon Tyne is my home and we have both enjoyed visiting and heading to Northumberland on country walks and farmhouse cafes. We came across High House Farm Brewery on a whim and instantly decided we had to have part of our day here, after much consideration we chose the ‘after’ part would be held at this venue and the ceremony would beheld elsewhere.
My Mum works at Newcastle Civic Centre and took us there to look at the staircase, although it wasn’t outside we both fell in love with the grandness of it and both felt a feeling that it was the right place to say I do. With both venues chosen it was time to get designing.
Bunting had to be part of the decoration; I adore bunting and wanted a real vintage feel to the day. My Mum and Gran handmade 546 pennants for the bunting, they stitched and ironed each one to make sure it was perfect and would flow in the wind. When they were put up in the barn I felt a glow in my heart and could see how right it was to have the bunting, the barn looked amazing and so unbelievably pretty. Sam’s Mum found the hearts in a little garden centre shop, we felt they added an extra touch and loved the way they hung down giving the barn an extra decorative touch.
Our table names were again cut and stitched by my Mum and Gran (my stepdad cutting the luggage tags out). Our favours were acorns, when thinking of our favours we knew that they are meant to resemble growth and strength, we felt the acorn showed this and again was something involved in the outdoor world. We wrote a special verse attached to the acorn, so people could understand the meaning of why we felt the acorn should be our favour.
‘A little acorn has the ability to grow into a big oak tree, we hope you keep it safe and remember each year the strength the acorn has, just like the love we hold for each other’
My advice for all brides would be to plan early; I did not feel stressed leading up to the wedding more excited and enjoying planning such a fun day. I could see nearer the date if my planning had not been carried out early then the stress levels would have been high. Sam was actively involved in all the planning, he was a perfect help and made the whole thing easier by having an opinion and supporting me with ideas. It was our day and therefore I feel the most important thing is you plan it together, it has to be what you both want and a day you will both remember.
We wanted the whole day to be personal and related to us, with that I felt It was important not only Sam to do a speech that I did one too. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him and give thanks to people who had supported me in my life.
My best women also did a speech which meant so much, there two women I hold so close to me and hearing there kind words moved me and made me smile greatly.
My Mum gave me away, she is my life and my rock and there was no one else I would have rather had by my side.
Our save the date cards were taken in a photo booth in Budapest, we loved the idea of sending everyone a small reminder with some photos we loved. We also hired a photo booth for the evening, it went down a treat and everyone was in line waiting for their chance to take home another memory of the day.
Both our outfits were from high street shops, we decided that we didn’t feel the need to spend a lot of money when you can find such beautiful clothes without the expensive price tag. I knew I wanted something floaty and fitting but a dress that felt like me and not something I would feel uncomfortable in. A good friend, who designs wedding jewellery made my hair band; again I wanted it to be personal and everyone to be involved in the making of the day.
Our photographer Jack is a good friend who works in the photo industry, other weddings I have been too I have felt the camera to be intrusive and didn’t like the fact a stranger was taking such intimate photo’s. With some gentle persuasion Jack agreed and it was the best idea ever as he did a wonderful job and captured the day perfectly.
True Romance is my most favourite film and I believe the most romantic love story, Sam always says the main theme music from it makes him think of us, straight away I knew that was to be the music played as I walked into the civic centre.
We played Blur Tender for our signing the register song, we are both huge blur fans and love the words to the song, and we felt it apt for this part of day.
When Sam and I got together he informed me he had never watched Juno, it being one of my favourite films I made him watch it straight away, from there he fell in love with the soundtrack. We always talk of the main song from it being so beautiful and describing love in a very beautiful way, therefore with this we knew when we became man and wife we would leave to ‘All I want is you’. As we left and the song started playing all our guests started clapping, it was a really special moment.
First Dance: Albion - Babyshambles
We wrote our own vows and felt again it was so important for them to be personal to us:
Finally I have found a place into which I fit perfectly safely and securely with no doubts. No fears, no sadness, no tears, this place is filled with happiness and laughter, yet it is peaceful enough to allow me the freedom to live my life and be myself. This wonderful place which I never believed really existed I have found finally, inside your arms, inside your heart, inside your love.
And when we gave our rings to each other we added something important to us that we do for each other:
Samuel I give you this ring as a sign of my everlasting promise, I vow to cherish you, respect you, tame your curly hair, leave love letters in your lunch box and love you deeply till my body can love no more. May this ring remind us of this amazing day, this special moment and our forever together
Claire I give you this ring as a sign of my everlasting promise, I vow to cherish you, respect you, make you warm toasty fires on cold nights, always use the teapot when I make you a cup of and love you deeply till my body can love no more. May this ring remind us of this amazing day, this special moment and our forever together
Our rings were our both our grandma’s and my great grans wedding bands, we had them melted down and made into two new rings. We felt this meant so much as they are still with us and there rings being used to bound a new marriage.
The craspedia (billy ball) flower was one of the first things I decided on, found on ruffled I fell in love with this flower and needed it in my wedding day, with Sam agreeing he liked the flower I contacted my local florist and she made it her mission to track the yellow headed flower down. The poise’s and button holes were all made with the craspedia and Penny from Katherine’s did the most amazing job, when they arrived I was so happy with how they looked and were exactly how I wanted them to be.
I wanted my bridesmaids in a 50’s feel but also something they were comfortable and happy in, because both girls have different features I decided to put them in different colours. I think they both looked adorable and the petticoat finished the dress off.
Sam’s Mum made our muddy chocolate cake and surprised us with the top being us two in our tent.
Like every festival the night ended with camping in a muddy field, this way we could all be together and wake up with sore heads and big smiles together.
When Sam and I were married I became Mrs Claire Austin, as a gift Sam bought me a rose called Claire Austin, a perfect gift from my perfect husband.
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