Yvonne and Ross met in the gym in 2011. “Ross is a PE teacher and I teach fitness classes part-time,” says Yvonne. “So, we had a lot in common right from the start! Four years later, when we were living abroad in Canada for the year, Ross proposed. It was such a beautiful place to be and it meant so much to come home together engaged to be married.”

Yvonne holding her rustic wedding bouquet Yvonne crouched talking to a mini wedding guest

Shopping for the dress

Yvonne headed to WED2B’s Birmingham store to search for her dream dress. “I just went to have a quick browse and ended up coming home with a wedding dress,” she says. “The staff there were so lovely and couldn’t do enough to help. They spent time helping me with the dresses and making sure I had the perfect one for the big day.”

Yvonne walking down the aisle with her bridesmaids

“I chose Adie by Heidi Hudson, as I wanted a fitted top but with a floaty skirt that would suit my relaxed outdoor wedding. I loved how the dress fitted and felt on the day and I knew I had made the right choice.”

Yvonne walking down the aisle with her dad

The perfect venue for a festival wedding

The couple married on 27th July 2022, after a two-year postponement due to Covid. “We found our venue, Hadsham Farm in Oxfordshire, by searching online,” says Yvonne. “When we visited it had everything we could have wished for. Gorgeous grounds, an incredible tipi with bunting and fairy lights and a beautiful lake with a rowing boat for the bride and groom. We had so many comments on the day about how lovely and unique the venue was.”

Yvonne and Ross repeating their wedding vows Yvonne and Ross walking hand in hand

The big day

“On the day, the groomsmen and our three-year-old son got ready in the bridal hut at the venue,” says Yvonne. “The bridal party and I and our one-year-old daughter got ready at a nearby country pub that used to be an old castle.”

Yvonne and Ross embracing in their wedding car

“My dad walked me down the aisle, following my children and their cousins, to the theme of ‘There She Goes’ by the Las. It was a little less traditional than ‘Here comes the Bride!’ We had some lovely funny heartwarming readings by two close friends and one of our best friends delivered our ceremony, which was wonderful.”

Yvonne walking with her 4 bridesmaids Yvonne posing with some of her wedding guests

"One of the highlights was my daughter dancing in her flower girl dress during the ceremony. Everything was very relaxed.”

Yvonne and Ross's flowergirls

Festival fun

“Straight after the ceremony we went for a champagne drive in a vintage camper van, to sneak five minutes away from it all,” says Yvonne. “Our first dance song came later in the evening to ‘I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’ by Elvis, which we danced to outside on the decking as the sun was setting. Our guests all joined in and that really got the party started.”

Ross and Yvonne photographed by their wedding venue Yvonne in her boho wedding dress

A colourful and chilled out day

“We wanted a relaxed, colourful festival wedding,” says Yvonne. “We just wanted all of our guests to enjoy the day and have one big party. Our bridesmaids were in navy blue and the flowers were bright wildflowers with lots of beautiful sunflowers.”

Boho wedding venue decor in a tipi venue

“The food was from a fantastic food truck that served fish or halloumi and chips with Indian spices and we had a hog roast in the evening.”

“We were very lucky that a friend of ours made us the most delicious rustic style wedding cake, topped with colourful flowers,” says Yvonne. “Our favours were pink and blue Wayfarer-style sunglasses with our names on them and also a shot of jäger to go with them!”

Yvonne and Ross cutting their wedding cake Bride and groom's naked wedding cake

“We had a band who played an acoustic set during the day and then played floor-filling tunes late into the evening, when we danced the night away.”

Yvonne and Ross and their first dance

The best bits…

“I loved arriving at the venue and seeing my little ones and all of our guests all dressed up (and of course the groom too),” says Yvonne. “A big highlight was definitely taking a romantic tour of the lake in the rowing boat. The speeches were great and then it was just good to let our hair down and party with our guests, once the kids had gone to bed.”

Wedding guest Yurts for an overnight stay

My top tips…

“Don’t stress too much about the little details,” says Yvonne. “I know you want things to be perfect but people just want to watch you get married and celebrate with you. Also, just try and relax and enjoy every moment, as it goes so quickly.”

Yvonne and Ross’s Dream Team

Photographer: Katie Ingram

Venue: Hadsham Farm

Food: The English Indian

Stationary: The Invite Shack

Flowers: The No 1 Flower Man

Cake: Carmel

Band: Gentlemen of the Road

Make up: Gemma Clarke

Hair: Hair by Rebecca Woodhead

If you would like us to feature your big day, like this festival wedding, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Your nearest WED2B is closer than you think, click here for more details about WED2B’s bridal shops Birmingham