An untraditional Hampshire wedding

Real Weddings

DIY Hampshire wedding

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “you do you” on your wedding day. Well, these guys took this mantra and RAN with it. Their vision, values and energy made this a day to remember.

I met this lovely couple at Basingstoke Registry Office ahead of their ceremony. Anna wore a custom-made tea-length pleated chiffon dress with billowing long sleeves by Holly Winter Couture, whilst Mike wore a custom-made forest green suit with dinosaur print lining and floral shirt by Ben Stafford Tailoring.

As great as the dress and suit were, we must take minute to talk about the veil. This was no ordinary veil, no. This was also custom-made veil, by the insanely talented Holly Winter Couture. The knee length veil was covered in beautiful floral embroidery, and it was incredible. The combination of a simple, elegant dress, stunning embroidered veil and delightful handmade paper sunflower bouquet by Page & Bloom made Anna an absolute vision.

Relaxed Hampshire wedding photography

The ceremony was incredibly emotional, and Anna could not contain her joy, making for some very powerful, emotive photos. There was no denying how in love these two were and how excited and ready they were to move into their next chapter as newlyweds.

Onto confetti, and the first of two confetti throws in the day! On this swelteringly hot September day, the sun was in full force, lighting up this jubilant pair as confetti rained down courtesy of their family and friends. Some group photos in the shade, and then as everyone made their way across to Cliddesden Village Hall, we took a stroll round the War Memorial Park for some gorgeous couple photos of the newlyweds… we may have even taken some snaps amongst all the police cars parked up from the nearby police station.

Untraditional wedding ideas

And then off to the village hall we went! Anna and Mike decided to hire Cliddesden Village Hall for the whole weekend, meaning they were able to set up the hall with the help of family and friends the day before the wedding. It also meant there was no need to pack up at the end of the evening, and everyone could just focus on enjoying the day in its entirety as they had time the next day for clean up too. Worth considering if you’re planning a DIY wedding.

The decorations around the hall were crocheted by a friend of the couple, but not only that the wedding cake was crocheted too! Complete with frog cake toppers! Genius! Something than can be kept forever.

The afternoon was packed full of fun and clever games for guests to enjoy; a frog hunt (I found them all by the end of the day), board games, card games, lick the lemon, garden games, a giant personalised crossword, a ‘paparazzi’ photo scavenger hunt, and a massive game of pass the parcel! What’s not to love. And with the glorious autumn heatwave the large village hall garden was taken advantage of for most of the day, however ice coolers for drinks and several air conditioning units inside the hall meant everyone could be comfortable regardless of the temperature.

Hampshire wedding photography

The couple had a couple of outfit changes throughout the afternoon, from wedding to comfy clothes, back to wedding outfits for the second confetti throw of the day (what’s not to love about that), more group photos and I squeezed in a few more couples photos once the light started turning golden. Then it was into matching Hawaiian shirts for the evening’s quiz! Hosted of course by the newlyweds pitting their guests against each other in a really fun way. The quirks planned throughout the day made for a masterpiece of a day.

Now on to food. This is something the couple took very seriously and wanted to make sure was a culinary experience. Food from around the world was enjoyed, starting with curry and stew in the afternoon, a pudding table, canapes as the evening started to draw in, and then teppanyaki for the evening – which Anna and Mike cooked their own! The food was superb from start to finish, and the caterers, Global Kitchen Catering and Events, were an absolute dream, totally smashing it out the park!

The evening continued with everyone outside enjoying sparklers. In that warm, fresh evening air that makes you believe you could be abroad it was a pretty perfect way to finish a fabulous day.

Check out their FABULOUS suppliers here:

Ceremony Venue – Basingstoke Registry Office
Reception Venue – Cliddesden Village Hall
Dress & Veil – Holly Winter Couture
Suit – Ben Stafford Bespoke Tailoring
Ceremony Bouquet – Page & Bloom
Caterers – Global Kitchen Company

Like what you see? Get in touch and let’s make plans!

If you’re planning your wedding and looking for a photographer, I would love to be a part of your special day! I am a Hampshire based wedding photographer who specialises in using documentary wedding photography, to capture relaxed, fun and love filled moments throughout your wedding day. I have worked at a wide range of Hampshire wedding venues across the county, as well as enjoying visiting locations in neighbouring Surrey, Dorset, Devon and West Berkshire (and even the occasional destination wedding!) Drop me a message and let’s start the conversation… I can’t wait!