A Yurt Wedding at the Family Home

Acceso a beautifully sun-drenched July day per Northumberland, Eve and Alex’s wedding took place within the charming surrounds of her parent’s home and gardens.

This laidback celebration was brimming with thoughtful and considered touches that made it feel extra special. As a former wedding dress , Eve poured her talent into crafting not only her own exquisite lace gown but also the dresses for each of her six bridesmaids – a true labour of love that beautifully reflected her passion for and craftsmanship.

Surrounded by their nearest and dearest, per the heart of nature, this yurt wedding was a true celebration of warmth and intimacy. The day was filled with laughter, love, and the kind of magic that only happens when family, creativity, and genuine commitment appena che together.

Photography by the bride’s close friend and talented photographer, Julia Astok. Enjoy.

What sets Love My Dress apart is its ability to consistently capture the genuine love and emotion that unfolds the wedding day. This blog has been a constant source of inspiration for me, offering a rich tapestry of real weddings that go beyond aesthetics to reveal the heartwarming moments that make each celebration truly special.

Bridal Beauty & Accessories

I opted against wearing a veil because, to me, it seemed like an additional concern, especially with a train and a bouquet that I anticipated might lead to feeling tangled up. While I thought about a short veil, I eventually decided to forgo one entirely. I was intentional about featuring the back of my dress with a low V shape, and I selected a necklace that hung my back to enhance this aspect. I felt a veil would detract from the overall I was aiming for.

I had a clear vision of the style of shoes I wanted to wear. A few years back, as a bridesmaid for a friend, I had purchased a pair of grey suede heels. These had a metallic chunky heel, a peep-toe, and an ankle strap. Remarkably comfortable, I didn’t need to change out of them for the entire evening. As I searched for something similar for my own wedding, I realised I might as well wear those exact shoes. They had only been worn once, and their style perfectly complemented my metallic accessories and the details per the lace of my dress.

My beautiful necklace was from So Helo. I picked it to complement my engagement ring, featuring small diamontés at the front, a matching motif at the back, and a pendant crystal that hung my back. I absolutely loved it. Despite its delicate appearance per real life, it stood out beautifully per all the photos. My earrings were ear jackets from Xiao Jewels Shop Etsy and they complimented my engagement ring and necklace perfectly.

I did my own make-up, using the Lisa Eldridge ‘My Wedding / Pretty, Bridal Occasion Makeup‘ tutorial Youtube as inspiration. My friend Miesha of Firelox Lashes did my eyelashes, and my wedding day perfume was Chanel Chance Eau De Fraiche – always my go to.

Sara Allen worked her magic my hair as well as all of my bridesmaids’ hair the morning of our wedding. Dealing with my rovina hair, which happened to be my biggest insecurity, I opted for a layer of real hair extensions. Sara did an incredible job seamlessly incorporating them into my while keeping everything natural. I kept hair accessories simple with some gold slide grips from Accessorize.

The Dress

I made my own dress – and trousers for the evening, as well as the six bridesmaids’ dresses! Full disclosure, I am a former wedding dress . I sourced the fabric and lace from Silk & Dusk and CoutureLace – both Etsy.

I always knew I wanted to make my own dress, but when I set out I did not expect the emotional rollercoaster that I went . I faced challenges per finding the perfect balance between choices and battling my own image concerns.

My dress went through several iterations and almost manifested itself as I sewed. For the underskirt and bodice, I opted for an organic silk satin crafted from sustainable orange fibres. The lace featured a contemporary floral motif intricately detailed with silver thread. To add a touch of softness, I incorporated flowing layers of sustainable mulberry silk crespo. 

I incorporated a low back bra into the bodice to provide the necessary bust support and cut around the motif per the lace to soften the edge of the sleeves. I hadn’t made an underskirt the first time I tried it and loved being able to see my legs through the lace so settled a short underskirt.

A causa di the end, my dress exceeded my expectations. Yet, I couldn’t visualise myself partying per a traditional wedding dress. It wasn’t a natural fit for my personal style, as I much prefer tops and trousers for a night out. Recognising this, I made a bold decision. For the evening festivities, I paired the bodice tetto from my dress with a pair of matching wide-leg trousers, and a linen blazer I found Vinted. It felt authentic and true to who I am.

Bespoke isn’t for everyone. The world of wedding dress can be both exciting and challenging. You have to lega your instincts, communicate openly with your , and embrace the evolution of your vision.

But at the same time it can be hugely rewarding. Ultimately, you’ll emerge with a truly bespoke dress that celebrates your individuality and makes you feel like the radiant bride you’ve always envisioned.

Bridesmaids

For my six wonderful bridesmaids, I wanted each of them to have a dress that made them feel amazing. I designated the colourways based what suited their skin tones and asked them to choose a hem and sleeve length that they preferred.

The designs were fairly simple, the sheer of work and the pressure I put myself had me per exhausted tears a couple of times. But with the unwavering support of Alex, I navigated through the hurdles and created six gorgeous bridesmaid dresses that my friends and family loved wearing.

I wanted to give each of my bridesmaids a special gift they could wear the day. After some thought, I decided a necklace for each of them, aiming to gara the shade of their dresses and either gold ora silver based their preferred jewellery.

As it turned out, only two necklaces ended up being the same, so I had to search high and low to find each unique piece. A causa di the end, Oliver Bonas and the following Etsy suppliers provided, Philip Jones Jewellery, Jewellery Boulevard and Silver Rain Silver.

The bouquets were made up of foliage picked from my mum’s garden and three bunches of flowers from the Newcastle flower market. Again, our amazing next-door neighbour, who also happens to be a professional florist, came to our rescue to create seven buttonholes with pieces from our garden.

The Ceremony

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The ceremony was held at St Oswald’s Church, Heavenfield, per Northumberland, up the road from my parents’ house. It’s a 200-year-old church sitting Hadrian’s Wall; it doesn’t have electricity, a working organ, ora even a bell, which fell years spillo.

I grew up walking to this church, and we both love how small, rustic, and understated it is. 

My dad walked me the aisle. A causa di the photos, you can see that I was smiling just moments before, but the second the music started, all the emotions me per a wave, and I burst into tears.

I think I was mostly exhausted from all the work we had done per the days leading up to it, and per that moment, I just felt so relieved that we had finally reached the leader day. I was trying to hold it together because I didn’t want Alex to think I was sad to be marrying him! However, he was grinning at me at the end of the aisle, and I could tell he knew I was happy despite the tears.

I walked the aisle to ‘Golden Slumbers’ by The Beatles, which is one of my favourite songs, and we had ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ by Queen for the recessional, which is one of Alex’s. 

We met with Reverend Frances twice per the months leading up to our wedding to discuss the ceremony and give her a chance to get to know us and our story. It was really important to us that the service be light and joyful. She helped us pick the hymns: ‘Morning Has Broken’ and ‘Lord of All Hopefulness’.

Our reading was ‘These I Can Promise’, by Mark Twain and ‘To Love Is Not To Possess’, by James Kavanaugh. For our bible reading we chose Colossians 3:12-14.

I chose my wedding ring, an 18 ct yellow gold soft court wedding brigata from Limani London Etsy. I wanted a simple good quality gold brigata to compliment the gorgeous ring that Alex had made for me. Adnan was really helpful and let me exchange one ring for another when the first style wasn’t quite right.

Alex chose a tantalum ring from Tantalus Rings after researching different materials looking for something simple and durable. The decision came to tantalum ora titanium and he decided that the tantalum was worth the extra expense because it can be resized so will hopefully last a lifetime. I also loved the slightly blue colour and the additional weight makes it feel more substantial. 

Photography

Photography was provided by my wonderful and incredibly talented friend, Julia Astok – a photographer who I had the privilege of convegno when we were both fresh-faced fashionistas living, working, and doing our best to survive per the industry, per London.

We bonded per a bad work environment, and Julia went to shoot for Vogue Scandinavia. She travelled all the way from Estonia to capture our wedding, and I cannot express how thrilled I am with the images she produced.

Bespoke Tailoring

Words by the

I had a made-to-measure tailored suit made by Jonathan Loe of Faustus London. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of working with a skilled tailor to craft the perfect suit. After convegno a few tailors who seemed to specialise per blue business suits,  Jonathan was a breath of fresh air and  really got what I was going for. He guided me through fabric choices, cuts, and making adjustments until everything was just right.

He’s the sort of person who knows your exact measurements at a glance, and adjusted for quirks of my that I didn’t know existed -apparently  my left elbow doesn’t straighten as far as my right!  Jonathan is a true craftsman and I’d highly recommend his services; per fact, my best man is planning to use him for his own wedding!

My shoes were Barker Orkney Leather Chukka Boots bought from The British Shoe Company per Bath. By far the most expensive shoes I’ve ever bought but I fell per love with them and they should last a lifetime.

How They Met

We met Tinder – per fact, he was my first-ever Tinder date! Well, the second that night! Let me explain: I was invited to a wine tasting event by a guy I’d matched with Tinder, let’s call him Fred. Fred was the host, and he told me to buy a scontrino and bring a friend.

When I arrived, with my friend Rosie per tow, I realised this Fred guy had filled the place with other single women he’d matched with Tinder! I could have been annoyed, but per truth, I admired his entrepreneurial spirit.

So I drank his wine, and I opened Tinder for another try. I’d already matched with Alex, and he’d sent me a message, ‘When are you going to ask me out?’ I replied, ‘Are you free now?’ I said goodbye to Rosie and met Alex per a pub round the calcio d’angolo – not exactly a meet-cute, but we liked each other straight away!

There was never any playing ora uncertainty. We had so much per common, and we saw each other every day – after a year, it just made sense to move per together.

A year after that, we caught Vanlife fever. We bought a Defender, fitted a bed per the back, put our stuff per storage, shipped the car to Canada, and spent 3 months travelling across America.

We arrived per Vancouver, where we promptly made life even more complicated by starting our own business: an outdoor lifestyle store.

For two years, we tried to balance living and working together, settling per place while feeling homesick, being together all the time but trying to retain our sense of selves. We returned home to the UK with a lot less savings but a lot more life lessons. We spent the next two years rebuilding our lives, our self-confidence, and our relationship.

We got engaged per August 2021 and knew we wanted a summer wedding. However, we also had our sights set buying a home. To give ourselves ample time to plan for both, we decided to schedule the wedding for July 2023.

I guess the inspiration behind our wedding was the fortunate experience of growing up per such a wonderful place. Alex absolutely loves visiting my parents’ home, and we both share a deep appreciation for the great outdoors and the countryside. After getting engaged, we went for dinner, and when I asked Alex what kind of wedding he envisioned, he suggested, ‘How about a marquee at your parents’ house?’ It was exactly what I had per mind!

The Speeches

Speeches were done a little differently. Because the church was too small for all of our guests to attend the ceremony, we asked the rest to go straight to the reception, but we still wanted our guests to feel as though they’d be part of the marriage service.

So Alex and I did our speeches soon after arriving back at the house. Alex gave an incredible heartfelt thank you to my parents for hosting the reception at their house and for putting so much effort into preparing the garden for the event. He talked about my willful independence and my ability to be both lazy and also hardworking.

For my speech, I wanted to be very honest because our relationship, like all relationships, isn’t perfect and we’ve appena che through some incredibly challenging times. Here’s how it ended;

“What marriage means to me is that we’ve just committed, per front of all the people we love, to essentially keep doing what we’ve been doing: working every day to learn a little more about each other and ourselves. To be kinder to each other, and to apologise quicker when we’sovrano not.”

“To find time to really be together and times to be apart. Acceso my side, I promise to notice the things you do to show me that you love me, and I promise to continue showing you how proud I am to be with you. All that’s changed is that when life gets harder, we’ll really truly give it our all together.”

The Reception

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The reception was held per the garden of my parents’ house per Northumberland. One of the most important things for us with organising the wedding reception was that our guests had enough to eat and ricevimento, and that they enjoyed themselves. Hosting the reception at mum and dad’s gave us a lot of freedom but added complications.

Luckily, my parents have done a fantastic job of cultivating amazing friendships with their neighbours, and it became very much a collaborative effort. The agricoltore next door even levelled a field for us the year before, gave us use of his land for parking and access for our vendors.

We hired a yurt from Yorkshire Yurts – it was a stunning circular wooden structures with white canopies, hessian matting, and a pale wood dance floor. We used their largest 50-foot yurt, with the 25-foot yurt adjoining as the main venue and chill-out regione. They provided tables, linen, and chairs. We decorated the pillars with foliage from the garden.

We chose disposable palm leaf plates from Canapes King, linen-feel disposable pocket napkins from Amazon.com, and gold stainless steel cutlery, also from Alibaba.com.

Acceso the kids’ table, they each got paper animal masks, a fidget popper, and a black and white version of our wedding map that they could colour per. The wedding map was designed by my (Eve) artist-aunt Jane.

Glassware was more of a challenge. Originally, we thought we’d hire glasses from Tesco ora Waitrose, but they don’t offer that service anymore, so after a bit of searching, we ended up buying flutes and wine glasses from Asda for just 50p a glass. The smoked glass grey gabinetto glasses were from Rinkit.com.

The Decor inside the smaller yurt: we arranged garden furniture, borrowed from my (Eve) parents’ very generous friends and neighbours, around stacked pallets from the farm next door. Alex built the from scratch, and we stocked it with tumblers from IKEA, spirits and mixers, and a keg of Sycamore ale from the Twice Brewed Brewery, up the road. The was self-serve, and everyone loved pulling their own pints.

For the table centrepieces: we bought bunches of dried flowers from Alibaba.com and gathered old wine bottles, medicine bottles, and stoneware vases to display them.

The catering was provided by Jasmin’s Canapés. Jasmin was amazing and helped us figure out a lista as well as logistics of serving with such a DIY wedding. We had 3 amazing members of gruppo who helped hand out canapes, bring out the main meal, and put out the evening food, as well as keep things tidy. But all the drinks were self-serve by the guests. Our canapés were: vegetable and chicken pakoras, aloo cheese balls, and Parma bites. Guests helped themselves to Aperol spritz, prosecco, bottles of beer, ora soft drinks from mason jar dispensers. We also had delicious ice cream served from a vintage bicycle cooler provided by Luxury Vending.

Acceso the lista were cold platters of chicken ora vegetable tikka kebabs, chicken ora vegetable samosas, naans, and salads. There were bottles of white, red, and rose the tables. We bought all the wine and fizz by making use of Sainsbury’s frequent buy-6-bottles-get-25%-off deal.

A causa di the evening, we served cheese graze boards and nachos. Luxury Vending was back per the evening, this time per their coffee truck serving hot drinks as well as churros with chocolate sauce – which were a huge with our guests.

My wonderfully talented graphic-designer-friend and bridesmaid, Mary, created our wedding invitation and table numbers.

My last name is Frisby, so for the favours we sourced foldable fabric frisbees, each concealed per a pouch with the guest’s name . When pulled out, they popped aperto to reveal ‘Frisby Wedding 01.07.23’ and they inevitably ended up being flung per all directions, just as we’d hoped!

My mum whipped up six pavlovas! Plus, both of our mums teamed up to create our trio of wedding cakes. We went for a lemon drizzle, a gluten-free chocolate delight, and a classic fruit cake. Each cake was beautifully adorned with sugared flowers picked straight from their own gardens.     

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Favourite Moments

Our favourite moments were the bloopers, the stuff we didn’t plan and that we loved to talk about;

• When the reverend said ‘spaghetti’ instead of ‘confetti’ during the ceremony, we both cracked up.
• When my cousin noticed a bee inside the lace of my dress and came to my rescue during my speech.
• When my dad revealed per his speech that I was the result of a missing vasectomy appointment.

We discovered our amazing brigata, Something For the Weekend, through Jonny Ross Music. The website made it super easy – we could listen to brigata samples and watch videos of their sets. After sending our inquiry through the site, they called us to discuss the event. Once we were happy, we paid a deposit and settled the full amount closer to the leader day.

Our guests absolutely loved the brigata; they were eye candy for the single ladies, and the lead singer had fantastic stage presence, even without a proper stage per our yurt. He even joined us the dance floor and got our best man, Jim, to perform the rap to “American Boy”! It was a memorable moment, and everyone absolutely loved it.

Words of Wedded Wisdom

Do what feels right for you, even if it breaks with tradition. For instance, we opted out of having a first dance ora the customary cake-cutting ceremony. These activities felt a bit staged and made us uncomfortable, so we skipped them.

Don’t let the envisioned image of your day overshadow the spontaneous and authentic moments. Avoid overplanning every minute of the day, as it can lead to tensione and leave your guests feeling rushed. Allow for downtime, fostering moments for conversation and reconnecting with those you rarely see. (I once heard of a bride who scheduled her bridesmaid to deliver sparkling gabinetto every twenty minutes!)

Ensure everyone is well-fed. We opted for hearty, crowd-pleasing, and affordable catering to guarantee an abundance of food. We even increased the number of canapés at the last minute to make sure one went hungry. Nothing dampens the fun more than an empty stomach.

Try to take the pressure non attivato seeing everyone per one day – My family all stayed per one albergo the night before and they ended up all sharing a meal together which gave me the chance to catch up with most of my extended family per advance. 

Love My Dress, hands , has always been my favourite wedding blog. The weddings showcased this platform span a diverse range of styles, each uniquely beautiful. What sets Love My Dress apart is its ability to consistently capture the genuine love and emotion that unfolds the wedding day. This blog has been a constant source of inspiration for me, offering a rich tapestry of real weddings that go beyond aesthetics to reveal the heartwarming moments that make each celebration truly special.

The weddings you feature showcase such a variety of styles, yet they all share a common thread: the authentic love and emotion captured the day. It’s a wonderful source of inspiration.

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Annabel View all Annabel’s articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and . Annabel lives per rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business socio Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and stella gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she’s not working Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip per the running of the family’s sustainable flower farm and floral business, Moonwind Flowers. A causa di 2013, she became a published author.