Kathryn and Dan had their first date in Brighton in 2012. “Dan had recently moved back from Australia and we just hit it off,” says Kathryn. “Then we ended up missing the last train home after watching a band in a local pub! Dan proposed on Christmas Eve. We went for a walk and he asked me to marry him on a bridge where we always stopped to play pooh sticks.”

Finding the dress

“My dress was from the Brighton Marina WED2B,” says Kathryn. “It’s the Jamie design in blush pink and I knew the instant that I tried it on it was The One. The whole experience was great and the staff were so friendly and made me feel so comfortable. I had imagined my dream dress and Jamie was exactly it. I loved the lace detailing and the layers of tulle. The slight blush colour was just perfect.”

A fabulous countryside wedding

The couple married on the 17th August 2019 at the Macs Farm in Ditchling. “It’s an organic egg farm, which also does quirky camping,” says Kathryn. “We knew we wanted a countryside wedding and we’re good friend with the owners, so we didn’t really look anywhere else. It’s set in beautiful farmland nestled at the bottom of the South Downs.”

The big day

“We got ready at my folk's house, where I was brought up, surrounded by all the little ones,” says Lorraine. “My cousin laid on a fabulous breakfast for us all. Then my dad drove me to the church in a tractor! When he walked me down the aisle I’m not sure which one of us was most nervous! It was a great day, dry and not too windy or bright. We got our photos taken in a lovely garden on the island, then went to the community centre for our reception.”

The ceremony was at 3:30 pm and was performed by the couple’s close friend and neighbour, Dominic Hecht. “I was walked down the aisle by my mum and dad, which was very special,” says Kathryn. “We also had two readings. My stepdad read ‘He’s Not Perfect’ by Bob Marley and Susie Mac read 'A Lovely Love Story’ by Edward Monkton. I walked up the aisle to ‘Shrike’ by the Hoziers and we left together to ‘So This is Love’ from Cinderella.”

Homemade fun

“My theme was foliage and white and we also used bike wheels as decorations, as my husband is a very keen cyclist,” says Kathryn. “I handmade many of the decorations, including bottle lights, the orders of the day and the bunting. My mum also trained in floristry and did the flowers with her friend, who continues to be a florist. Then in the evening, everyone partied to our amazing band, The Iron Boot Scrapers while enjoying pizza from a wood-fired pizza oven.”

My top tips…

“Make sure you relax and enjoy the day,” says Kathryn. “It will go so fast but it will create so many wonderful memories.”

Kathryn’s Dream Team

Photography: Sean Hardy Photography (seanhardy.net)

Venue: Macs Farm in Ditchling (themacsfarm.co.uk)

Catering: Pizza Federicci (pizzafedericci.co.uk)

Cake: Baked by Helen (facebook.com/bakedbyhelen1)

Band: The Iron Boot Scrapers (ironbootscrapers.com)

Hair: Do Yer Nut, Burgess Hill (facebook.com/pages/category/Hair-Salon/Do-Yer-Nut)

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.