We wouldn’t have had anybody else capture our East Afton Farmhouse wedding day. There was never a doubt! We know Jason and he has photographed a few of our friends’ weddings and his relaxed style was the key element for us – both on the day and the time leading up to it. We felt at ease the whole day and this shows in how natural the photos are. We knew Jason’s eye for a great shot would make for photos we would cherish for the rest of our lives, and we weren’t wrong! Jason was also super helpful to help us to plan different aspects of the day, making suggestions to make timings a little smoother and this helped to keep us both on time (usually this is totally impossible for Ellie – so it was appreciated).
The Venue
Ellie and John knew they wanted an East Afton Farmhouse Wedding as soon as we laid our eyes on the venue. They had never been to a wedding there and loved the fact that their closest family and friends could all stay at the farmhouse with us for the days leading up to the wedding and on the wedding day itself. They also hired bell tents for the rest of the wedding party in the field next door to ensure that there wasn’t too far to stumble after the wedding! Whilst they didn’t know it when they booked the East Afton farmhouse, spending 5 days celebrating together with their nearest and dearest alongside the wedding itself was truly special after so many months of lockdowns and not seeing family and friends properly for so long.
The Proposal
John is a bit of a romantic and has whisked Ellie away on a few weekends away and holidays too! So when he booked a secret week away, Ellie was still none the wiser that they would be arriving back to the Island engaged! We arrived on the beautiful Island of Corsica, somewhere they had never been before, and immediately fell in love with the landscape. Ellie and John went on a hike on the second day, walking through forests and rocky areas that reminded them of hiking in Yosemite – which is one of their favourite places in the world! We made a steep descent, climbing down to a waterfall called Piscia Di Gallu. There were fewer people the closer they got to the falls themselves and by the time we got to the perfect spot, right by the water it was just them. It was here that John got down on one knee with the most stunning sapphire and diamond ring that John had designed himself.
Obviously, Ellie cried, said yes, and then they had a really rather steep ascent back up! We celebrated with a glass of wine in a nearby restaurant and the rest of the holiday was full of happy tears and celebrations.
The Details
Let’s start with the dress… I had seen the Grace Loves Lace designs a few years ago and the first time I saw the Emanuela gown, I knew it was “The One”. I could eat, drink and dance the night away and it made me feel amazing. If someone had told me I was going to wear a veil on my wedding day, I would never have believed them. But it just worked, and the moment my Mum and Maid of Honours burst into tears in the beautiful GLL London showroom – we knew it was the winner.
We wanted every aspect of the wedding to feel natural and relaxed. From the country feel of the venue to the rustic flowers, nothing was too formal. Our talented chef, Kev, created amazing food and the sharing starters were a big hit and perfect conversation starters for making new friends at a table. Our cake was semi-naked, very rustic and decorated with lots of foliage – modelled perfectly on a barrel from our garden! We had transported the barrels alongside numerous churns and planters from our garden and used furniture and nick-nacks from around the house as props for the day. There were lots of pastels and PLENTY of greenery thanks to the talented Nic. We both love plants and greenery so that was an important backdrop for us on the day.
We were very fortunate to be surrounded by incredible family and friends in the lead up to the wedding and on the day itself; at one point all of the bridesmaids were combing out macramé fringing for an entire afternoon! It really was a team effort! Tanya (aka Maid of Honour / best friend) ironed on flower transfers to each and every napkin. That was dedication. And the extremely talented Gemma (aka Maid of Honour / best friend/sister-in-law) brought together so many aspects of the wedding and endured us taking over her living room on many an evening – from macramé and a full range of wedding stationary to dress alterations and general moral support! Ellie and Gemma spent days upon days creating macramé feature pieces for every corner of the wedding.
I remember we hadn’t actually seen the newest barn at East Afton until two weeks before our wedding when it was completed, so hadn’t been able to truly visualise the size of the building and how that worked with the decor we had planned for the day. The new building was beautiful, but was also HUGE – so Gemma and Ellie immediately knew more macramé was the answer… But it needed to be pretty big! So we set to making two additional wall pieces measuring 10 x 4 feet, which Nic our incredible florist (The Floral boutique) then added eucalyptus and gypsophila for the final touches. Gemma also made the most beautiful bespoke E & J piece which was displayed at the hen do and then again beside the arch where we were married! Needless to say, it has pride of place in our home.
The Honeymoon
We started married life with a skydive a couple of days after the wedding to raise money for a local cancer charity which means a lot to us both. As you do! From there we headed straight off and had a relaxing minimoon in a converted barn in Amesbury with our beloved Labrador, Cooper and then we headed up to the Scottish Highlands a month or so later! We love nothing more than exploring and being close to nature, so hopping in a van and exploring the Highlands felt like the perfect way to spend our honeymoon. We spent a couple of weeks travelling the West Coast of Scotland and visiting the beautiful Inner and Outer Hebrides. John’s Dad is Scottish, so it was special to visit places together which mean a lot to John’s family. We hiked and ate our way through the honeymoon and have the most incredible memories to cherish from our adventure.
If you are considering booking your East Afton Farmhouse Wedding, I am happy to be on their list of recommended wedding photographers and also a local Isle of Wight Wedding Photographer.
