Real Weddings Birmingham: Katie and Ben’s fun rustic wedding

Katie and Ben went to primary school together but then went on to different secondary schools. ‘We both ended up doing work experience at our old primary school at the same time,” says Katie. “After the two weeks' work experience ended, we exchanged numbers. Then, a couple of weeks later, we met up at the cinema and Ben asked me out!”

Ben proposed in October 2019, after the couple had been to see Disney on Ice. “We went to town, had a couple of drinks and then went to see the show,” says Katie. “Afterwards we went for a meal. When we got home, Ben asked me to go into the kitchen. There were pictures of us and a bouquet of flowers and when I turned around Ben was on one knee. I was surprised, as I had no idea, but pleased as we had been together for eight years! We got married the day before our 10-year anniversary.”

Wedding dresses Birmingham 

Katie visited WED2B’s Shirley store in search of her dream dress. “I chose the Landon dress, which I also added straps and a veil too,” she says. “The experience was amazing, considering I brought my dress in August 2020 when covid restrictions were still in place. I tried a number of dresses on before falling in love with mine. I loved the intricate detailing of the dress and the simplicity of it. It wasn't too over the top. Everyone commented on how gorgeous it was.” (For similar styles try Freda, Alvie or Weisz)

A beautiful rustic venue

“We wanted to get married in a barn for the rustic feel but we also wanted enough rooms for our guests to stay over without having to travel too far,” says Katie. “Our venue, the Meadow Barn at Stratford Park Hotel & Golf Club, ticked all the boxes. We loved that you didn't need to go over the top with the decor because the barn itself was so gorgeous. The views over the golf course were also stunning.”

The big day

The couple married on 31st July 2021. “Dad and I walked down the aisle to 'Can't Help Falling in Love' by Kina Grannis,” says Katie. “Ben and I then walked back down the aisle to Vance Joy’s 'Fire & the Flood'. On the way to the venue, it tipped it down but, as we pulled up, the rain stopped, the sky cleared and the sun came out. The weather then stayed dry and warm for the rest of the day.”

“After the ceremony we had Buck's Fizz as our welcome drinks, mingled with guests and had pictures taken,” says Katie. “We then had our three-course meal and more photos. We were married in a barn, so we went down the rustic route. There were log slices on the tables with flowers on top and lanterns. Our place names were also wooden. We had a two-tier naked cake, which was lemon flavoured.”

“In the evening there was a pizza van and we had a live band, The Wildermen, which our guests loved.”

“Covid overshadowed most of our engagement,” says Katie. "And there were plenty of times during the run up to the day where we thought we would need to postpone.”

“We didn't have to postpone in the end and, with just 10 days to go, restrictions were lifted on weddings. I think this helped massively with the atmosphere at ours, as people really made sure to enjoy themselves. We had been so restricted over the last couple of years that everyone made the most of the day.”

My top tips…

“Don't sweat the small stuff!” says Katie. “The most important thing for me was marrying Ben. I didn't care if things went wrong, I wasn't fussed about the weather or the little details."

"The most important thing was spending time with our families, especially after Covid. Time really did fly. As soon as the ceremony was over and we began to mingle with our guests, the day went by in an instant. Ben and I made sure to really enjoy every passing moment, as we knew we wouldn't be doing this again!”

Katie’s Dream Team

Photographer: Damian Burcher

Venue: The Stratford Park Hotel & Golf Club

Wedding dresses Birmingham: WED2B

Florist: Shirley Ann

Band: The Wildermen through Entertainment Nation 

Hair stylist: Adam Winwood

Makeup Artist: Rachael Claire

If you would like your big day to be one of our real weddings please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Or click here for more details about WED2B’s wedding dresses Birmingham