‘Intimate, cosy and relaxed’ was the mantra behind Megan and Ashley’s non-traditional wedding at Healing Manor Hotel.
Held on 21 October 2023, the couple married in an intimate civil ceremony, then celebrated with their nearest and dearest in a non-traditional wedding reception in our historic wedding Barn. The couple worked with Jess at Love in the Limelight to create a magical and cosy vibe, adding greenery and foliage, festoon and fairy lights, and plenty of scented candles to set the mood.
“We loved the atmosphere and style of the Barn and knew this was the type of venue we wanted to get married in. We loved how the grounds looked during the Autumn season and knew it would make the perfect backdrop for our photos. All the staff were friendly and polite.”
“We kept the colours very neutral with lots of greenery and foliage. We had the barn filled with fairy lights and festoons, and scattered plenty of scented candles to set the mood – we wanted our guests to instantly remember our wedding day any time they came across this same scent. The Barn was decorated by Jess at Love In the Limelight. She really brought our ideas to life and we absolutely adored everything she did. We also had balloon displays by Pop It Like Its Hot, she made them fit in with our theme to a T!”
The bride and groom met aged 15 and 17 whilst they were at school, and have been together ever since.
“We didn’t have a traditional ‘proposal’ and both felt that getting married was a decision that should be made together and when the time was right. We made that decision during our first abroad holiday together in June 2022, getting married a year later.”
After their unconventional engagement, the couple kept to their own style with a relaxed, non-traditional wedding.
“We wanted our day to be intimate, relaxed and for everyone to have the best time. We didn’t have any groomsmen or bridesmaids, and we didn’t have any speeches or a first dance. Our wedding was not traditional like most, but it was us to a T and we wouldn’t have changed a thing.”
In keeping with the relaxed vibe, Megan selected a boho-style, long-sleeved gown whilst Ashley wore a dark green suit.
“Both our outfits were from ASOS and they were exactly what we had envisioned! Ashley wanted a non-traditional suit, so went with a dark forest green which matched the colour theme perfectly. I wore a long sleeve, lace wedding dress with a train, and wanted something boho/ethereal.”
‘We both wore our favourite jewellery that we wear everyday as that is what is most special to us. Ashley had custom-made Converse detailed with our wedding date, which have been kept as a keepsake.”
Megan wore freshly-picked gypsophila within her braided hairstyle.
“I did not hire a make-up artist, I knew I wanted my make-up to look a certain way and enjoyed doing it myself! My hair was styled by a long-time family friend, who also styled my hair for my parents’ wedding when I was 4 years old – so it was lovely to have her here for our day too. She always knows exactly how I like it and she did an amazing job. She also attended our wedding ceremony and reception.”
The bride’s flowers, created by Julip Freelance Floristry combined lots of white flowers, greenery and foliage.
“I wanted my bouquet to look big, wild and freshly-picked – and she did just that! We asked for Ashley’s boutonniere to be a mini version of mine. I had two small memory lockets tied around my bouquet with two of our family members that we wished could’ve been there to celebrate with us.”
Sarah Corfield Photography captured the day on camera.
“Our photos were taken by the talented Sarah Corfield Photography. She is a good friend of mine and we are always amazed by her work. She was a pleasure to be around and made all our guests feel at ease; her photography style is exactly what we wanted.”
The couple wed in a civil ceremony in the Barn, and Megan walked down the aisle with her dad to a piano version of Coldplay’s ‘A Sky Full of Stars’.
“We were both transported to the venue by family and friends, which certainly helped calm our nerves. Seeing each other for the first time walking down the aisle, the nerves instantly went away.”
Following the ceremony, the couple hosted a buffet-style wedding breakfast for their guests.
“We wanted guests to feel relaxed and be able to pick and choose what they wanted. We had so many compliments on the choices and quality – it was definitely a hit! I am Coeliac and both of us are vegetarian. It was lovely to know this was well taken care of and we were all very impressed.”
The two-tier wedding cake was from Mrs Brown’s Bakes.
“The top tier was lemon sponge with a lemon curd and the bottom tier was a coffee sponge with coffee buttercream.”
“We set up our own playlist which guests could submit song choices for. This way we knew everyone would like what is being played!”
Advice for other couples
“Treasure every moment – people aren’t joking when they say it flies by! Make sure you take moments of the day to spend together, just the two of you.”
– Photographer – Sarah Corfield Photography
– Stylist – Love In The Limelight
– Balloons – Pop It Like It’s Hot
– Venue – Healing Manor Hotel
– Dress – ASOS
– Accessories – Their own jewellery + Converse
– Groom’s Suit – ASOS
– Make-up Artist + Hair Stylist – The bride + a family friend
– Florist – Julip Freelance Floristry
– Cake – Mrs Brown’s Bakes
