Joyous, authentic and surreal, is how these two described their wedding day to me later and after the general 2021 way couples have had to adapt to planning their weddings, there's no the wonder it was all of the above. They couldn't actually believe their day was here and that it was going ahead in as normal a way as possible.
When they two got engaged, Bob knew exactly where he'd like to host his wedding. Mia however, did insist in exploring countless other venues too; nevertheless, she had to admit her future husband had hit the nail on the head right away in choosing The Pheasant Hotel, in Harome.
The pair had stumbled upon their venue of choice ironically by accident, after spending the weekend in Harome a few years ago, they had been enjoying the 7 course taster menu at The Star Inn the night before and woke the following morning to find they were still too full to enjoy their breakfast, which was included in the stay. To build up their appetites, they decided to have a leisurely stroll around Harome, which is when they discovered The Pheasant. Mia told me, they fell in love with the understated luxury and rural setting.
Being foodies, of course they went back to the little village to try The Pheasant out, only to be blown away by it's incredible food too.
Another thing about the venue that struck Mia was that it comprises 16 bedrooms and given the rural setting, it was important to them both that they, along with their guests, would be able to stay on site, after the wedding. There's also the added bonus of a pool too! Plus, they also wanted the weekend to flow without too much transportation, Harome has everything... They were able to have a rehearsal dinner for their wedding party the night before at The Star Inn, and the church wedding they both dreamed of at St Saviours in the village, followed by their reception at The Pheasant. They were able walk everywhere and it gave the weekend a really relaxed feel.
Their day was extremely relaxed, as hoped, despite torrential rain and a complimentary thunder storm, which they didn't even hear because they were too busy tearing up the dance floor in the well ventilated conservatory, thanks to Inner Vibe their incredible band. Mia told me how their original band pulled out, just few months before the big day. They searched high and low for a replacement. It turned out that the band cancelling was a blessing in disguise as Inner Vibe were utter perfection. Mai and Bob's words: "A fantastic blend of old school classics and modern pop with a funky soulful twist. We even asked if they could find a saxophonist to add to their line up and they didn't disappoint."
LET'S TAKE A LOOK!
Mia tell me about the dress!! How you found it and chose it...
"Once I started looking for a wedding dress I came to the conclusion that I actually wasn't a fan of traditional wedding dresses. I was drawn to simple silk column dress dress with sleeves and managed to find my dream dress from the fantastic British designer Ghost. The dress combined clean modern lines with an understated Hollywood glamour. As we were in lockdown when I was wedding dress shopping I never got the big Say Yes to the Dress moment and simply ordered the dress online. In fact, nobody even saw the dress until a few weeks before the big day!"
Mai bought a wonderful pair of sparkly Vanessa Wu shoes and then came to her senses that they were very high and probably not the best ceremony shoes. A few days before the wedding she bought a much more sensible pair of Rainbow club shoes (with a sparkly block heel) and wore them for the start of the day. She then changed into the Vanessa Wu shoes for an hour in the evening before going barefoot by the end of the night!
THE COUPLES MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS...
Mia: "I loved the speeches. They are such a 'wedding moment' and it was incredible to have everyone together in the same room and to thank everyone who made the day possible."
Bob: "Finally celebrating with all of our friends and family after lockdown."
TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR DAY...
Things are always going to go wrong, whether it's the weather, a ripped wedding dress or a global pandemic. Just choose suppliers that you trust and put your faith in them. Choose people who's work you love and let them do their thing.
FOR EXAMPLE, Mia gave her florist a loose brief and told her that she wanted, colourful, British cottage garden flowers and that she wanted the bouquet to look like the flowers had just been scooped up from a meadow. She did an incredible job!
Credits to the suppliers....
Photography: Anoif Photography | The Dress: Ghost | The Shoes: Vanessa Wu and Rainbow club | Veil: Blossom &Bluebird | Hair: Pauline Rudd, who is based in Ripon | MUA: Ingrid make up and brows, based in Leeds | Flowers: Twig and Twine in Helmsley | Bridesmaids dresses: Monsoon, Debenhams and ASOS. The three bridesmaids were all different shapes and sizes, each with different styles so I encouraged them to pick their own dresses in a sage green colour. | Jewellery: My mum bought me some beautiful sapphire and opal earrings that were my something blue. I also borrowed by Grandma's gold locket with a picture of my granddad in it who sadly passed away earlier this year. This was my something old and borrowed. | Suits: Bobs suit was from Antich & Sons, an incredible Tailors in Huddersfield. Bob asked his groomsmen to wear blue suits so each of his boys was able to find a suit that they were happy with that they could wear again. | Ties: The ties were a 'wild flowers' Liberty print. They added to the English County wedding styling. Bob's mum Carmel also made sashes for the flowers girls and a bow tie for our page boy in the same Liberty print. | Groom's shoes: Bob simply bought a new pair of his existing black shoes from M&S | Venue: The Pheasant. A special thanks to Nicola their events and wedding planner who was an absolute dream to work with and made the day go without a hitch | Cake: Apple Charlotte | The band: Inner Vibe