Today’s wedding is all about a fun, relaxed affair at the lovely Owen House. When any couple describe their wedding as "laid back and one big party which is exactly what we wanted. We loved every single aspect and we couldn’t pick one thing that stood out above the rest – other than how amazing […]

By

Today’s wedding is all about a fun, relaxed affair at the lovely Owen House. When any couple describe their wedding as "laid back and one big party which is exactly what we wanted. We loved every single aspect and we couldn’t pick one thing that stood out above the rest – other than how amazing it was that it all came together so well because of the decisions and choices we made together", it makes my heart sing. Isn't this what every wedding should be about - fun, enjoyment and togetherness... so it's a joy to share Leanne and Tom's gorgeous barn wedding. From the blue tones of the wedding party, to the stolen tree stump from Tom’s sister’s wedding, this wedding encompasses a rustic vibe that allowed for a celebration and a half today Paul Joseph Photography captured every moment beautifully, no wonder the couple were so full of praise for them... You're going to love this wedding...

Gorgeous Owen House Barn Wedding Cheshire by Paul Joseph Photography // onefabday.com

Absolutely breathtaking. Leanne you rocked that gorgeous Enzoani Blue Henley gown from Ava Rose Hamilton in Silsden. It was a case of "the one" which doesn't happen to every bride but for Leanne the choice was so simple she almost second-guessed herself...."It was the first place I had been to try dresses on and the plan was just to get an idea as I was a little clueless. When I stepped into the shop it made me feel like a bride-to-be for the first time. My mum, maid-of-honor Jess and myself got treated to fizz on arrival (safe to say, I liked the place even more after this) and after a really helpful consultation we started looking through all the beautiful dresses. I saw my dress hanging up in a corner of the boutique and fell in love with it straight away, although I was a little worried it might not suit me but was told to just try it anyway. It was the second dress I tried on (out of about 11) and I knew it was the one so went for it. I did have a slight panic afterwards thinking I had rushed into it and had to go back just to make sure. Once the staff reassured me they could make the alterations needed to work for me, my mind was put at ease and I knew I had made the right decision."

Leanne and Tom went to school together and rode the same school bus for years. After becoming great friends and flirting a little here and there, they finally went on their first date around Leanne’s 18th birthday. The rest is history…

Tom tells us about his proposal which was almost ruined by airport security! Here’s what happened…”I took Leanne to Barcelona (our favourite city) for a birthday surprise. Just my luck, they decided they wanted to search my bag at the airport security. Of course I had the ring hidden in their somewhere. Leanne had passed through security and returned to wait with me as I was showing security the bag contents. Luckily I managed to shoo her away before I got to the bag containing a ring! I had booked a restaurant and planned to ask her over a meal, however that afternoon we went for a walk and ended up at a viewing point looking over Barcelona city, the timing seemed perfect so I went for it.“

While the dust was settling after the excitement of the ceremony, Leanne and Tom took the opportunity to grab moment from their special day to make time for just the two of them. Leanne tells us…”To make the most of it Tom and I snuck off to the local pub, The Church Inn, for half an hour after the ceremony, which also gave us time to process that we had actually just got married!” Such a smart move - in all the excitement with other people, it can be hard to get a moment together in private. And you really need it - the wedding is about the two of you. Take a breath and enjoy it - that's their advice - "Take 5 minutes to leave the party and spend it just with each other (leave the venue for a drive/ go to a local pub – have a drink and take a deep breath – then go back and really take in how many people have made the effort to share your day with you and take in all the smiles and congratulations."

And then it was back to the madding crowd...

Loads of fun, fab food, a few clinkies and much merriment for all - old and (very) young...

Eeek... teeny tiny baby alert!

Leanne explains how they found and fell in love with the venue…”We wanted a wedding venue that would have a relaxed informal feel to it and looked at a number of venues but nothing quite had the full package. After a final search on Google – I came across a wedding album of Owen House Wedding Barn and instantly fell in love with it. I showed Tom and we booked a viewing straight away. As soon as we arrived we fell in love with the place and after meeting Dan, Rachel and Vanessa (who looked after us from day one) we had complete faith that the venue and the team would create the atmosphere that we wanted on our day – as I am sure everyone will agree - they did not disappoint. The setting is beautiful on a working farm and the courtyard is stunning. We were lucky enough to have amazing weather on our wedding day so everyone was out late into the evening enjoying the surroundings.
The venue also had one of the best stocked and staffed bars we had come across which was a major selling point for our rowdy guests and us." That's definitely a selling point for us too! Gorgeous Owen House Barn Wedding Cheshire by Paul Joseph Photography // onefabday.com

When it came to decor Leanne and Tom knew the venue was the perfect backdrop, all they needed to do was add a few touches to bring it to life "Owen House Wedding Barn lends itself beautifully to a relaxed rustic theme. The Barn is filled with character and we didn’t want anything to take away from this, we just added flowers dotted in simple glass bottles along the tables, two milk urns had beautiful displays in two corners of the room. We had a wooden rustic frame, inherited from my best friend and maid-of-honour Jesses wedding 2 months beforehand, for the seating plan. We wanted light-up letters as had seen them at the venue on one of their open days and thought they looked great – however Tom being the creative guy he is decided he would build our own. They looked amazing." As with every wedding there was the inevitable decor hiccup "We had planned on using corks (which I had asked all my friends and family to save for me in the 12 months running up to the wedding) for the place settings – however the night beforehand I realised I had forgotten them and so we ended up just having plain white name cards placed on the tables - the corks are now in a vase on my windowsill mocking me!"

The day was filled with special moments and personal touches. Leanne gives us a little insight..”Rather than favours we decided to make a donation to Overgate and provided pins for guests to take in memory of Tom’s step-dad Roger who was so well looked after by them.” Another special touch was that Leanne wore the first piece of jewelry Tom ever bought her. She got a matching necklace and charm bracelet to complete the look.

Their honeymoon is to be confirmed, but it sounds like a romantic road trip around Italy is in the cards.

A warm congratulations to you both and thanks so much for sharing your wedding day with us all. A big thank you also goes to Paul Joseph Photography for sharing his work with us. To see more from Paul Joseph Photography visit http://www.pauljosephphotography.co.uk/.