If I were to describe your perfect wedding, would "scrumptious food, a venue with outside space for a tipi, a cracking view and an all over relaxed feel" tick some of the boxes? A tipi wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but it sounds like super fun doesn't it? Well that's exactly what Faye and Chris described their perfect wedding as being, and one year of planning later they realised their dream in one of the most beautiful parts of England in an Afternoon Tea Party wedding with all the trimmings - this is a wedding with originality and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

So Faye and Chris' love story begins back in the mists of time - usually we ask about a couple's love story but in this case, they had already prepared it, for their wedding ceremony booklet so here's a little taster: "Their eyes first met across K Shoes Factory Shop’s dusty stockroom. Faye was a Saturday girl and Chris was home for the Summer from University. She smiled and said Hello. He grunted and looked away awkwardly. After a skin full of diesel and a few bad dance moves they shared their first kiss in the Pash Pitt. Chris cheekily got Faye’s phone number without her knowing. After several 6hour phone calls they both realised that this was something special so Chris jumped in his Fiat Panda and drove from Sheffield to Ormskirk to take her on their first date. They shared many giggles and good times and eventually Faye told Chris she loved him. Chris said ‘Thank you!’ Finally Chris admitted he loved Faye more than supercars and working out and told her he loved her too."

But we need to pause a moment to admire Faye's gorgeous gown. It was a real life case of "this is the one" as she explained "I actually bought the first dress I tried on whilst on a weekend in York with my Mum. I hadn't even considered a Jenny Packham as I presumed I was the wrong shape; so it was very much a spontaneous decision! But as soon as I slipped into the silky, vintage inspired Aspen, my Mum was reduced to tears and we knew it was the one. The entire process of getting the dress was less than smooth (ask Faye about it some time). "However, swooshing around on my Mum’s landing in my dress the day before the big day reconfirmed that that the stress was all worth it. I felt like a movie star!" And you looked like one too, Faye!

And as you can see - Chris really does love his supercars.

But back to the couple's story to the aisle - we know how met, from their love story, but how did the question get popped? Faye explained, "On the 25th July 2012, Chris proposed to me on a picnic in the Howgills. Chris got down on one knee, told me we were forever sole mates and asked her to marry him. I was so overwhelmed I forgot to say yes. But Chris knew my answer even before he popped the question. I once referred to it as 'Our Place' and Chris always knew that was where he was going to pop the question. It was the most romantic moment of my life! I was so overwhelmed with happiness I had to put the ring back in the box for a bit whilst I got my head around the whole thing!"

Almost a year later, the couple were married at St John’s church in Skelsmergh, just outside Kendal, in the heart of the Lake District, their dream location and the day was magical according to the couple, “we always knew we wanted a small church wedding with a real community feel and were over the moon when St John’s accepted our application. The church is so beautiful it wouldn't look out of place on a postcard. I walked down the aisle to Etta James - At last. One of my favourite songs. I remember my Dad belting out from the shower when I was little. I still well up with joy every time I hear it." How lovely. What a memory to have. When all is said and done, it's really those little touches that make it all so perfectly personal.

And after the ceremony, the couple were ready to get those dancing shoes on to head for a very special celebration indeed.

From the beginning of planning their wedding, Faye and Chris were determined to have something truly unique to them, so the location of the church also provided the ideal reception location, somewhere they could put their own stamp on according to Faye "Our reception was held just a hop, skip and a jump over the lane from the church at Skelsmergh Village Hall. With its Cumbrian stone walls and breath-taking views over the surrounding countryside it was an easy decision. The logistics of such a blank canvas (there was no crockery, tables, staff, caters or bar!) gave us the opportunity to really personalise our day. We were able have every little thing just how we wanted it; rather than trying to fit our vision into a pre-empted wedding package."

So the couple opted for an afternoon tea party style reception, and went all out to ensure every little detail was just right, beginning with some very special invitations (pictured above) organised by Faye  "We had our invitations printed on Tea Towels as a nod to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party theme. We bundled them up with orange ribbon and homemade brown paper tags. Chris has a very keen eye for Design so we made use his skills to design and make the rest of the paper goods. We printed them on brown Kraft card and jazzed them up with orange buttons, ribbon and string. They looked fab!"  The invitations set the tone for a fun day full of colour, whimsicality and pure happiness - as a guest the tea towel invitation would certainly peak the interest, and wouldn't you have a smile on your face if you rocked out of the church into glorious sunshine to see a tipi and a little blue caravan in a field? What a way to spend a Summer's day.

While the guests settled into the refreshments, the couple went on a little stroll through the surrounding countryside, the winding lanes providing a beautifully lush backdrop for some portraits. And at this point, I think it's time to mention the gorgeous groom. With the bride looking so beautiful, it behoves a groom to do his best in the sartorial stakes and Chris did Faye proud, wearing a beautiful grey suit from Reiss, a crisp white Hugo Boss shirt and a bright orange knitted silk tie from Flannels, and Faye definitely appreciated it as she told us “Chris looked so handsome waiting for me at the end of the aisle and I felt very proud to become his wife."

There's nothing like a great pop of colour, it brings a look to life. In this case, an afternoon outdoor celebration in the middle of Summer, the addition of bright sunny blooms were an essential element for creating the look that Faye and Chris were looking for and they really appreciated the help they received, "We were extremely lucky to have the uber-talented Katie Robinson from Made In Flowers design our floral displays. I went to our first consultation armed with a selection of images and were guided by Katie's experience and knowledge of seasonal blooms. We wanted the flowers to add a real pop of colour to the wedding and Katie certainly delivered! The flower filled milk urn and unusual button holes were real talking points."

As an aside, a word must be said about those cars - I bet you're wondering, like me, what is the story? Faye filled us in, "Being a massive petrol head, Chris just had to have a cool car to take him to the wedding! His wonderful Step-Dad managed to pull a few strings and arrange for a class winning Subaru Impreza and a Mk2 Escort RS2000 to drive the Groom and Best Man to the church. The villagers are still talking about the roar of the engines as they pulled up outside the church!" My Dad was too a car-fanatic so I know this kind of special relationship.

Can I just say - how gorgeous are these two? Anyway, back to the story...

So after the photos, it was back to the party, which should be a great inspiration for anyone thinking of a different kind of celebration away from the big dinner event we are so used to, something more intimate and informal, more fun for a Summer's day. This was the vibe that Faye and Chris were going for from the start, in their own words, "From the outset we wanted to celebrate our big day with the people we loved in an informal Cumbrian setting with good food and lots of giggles! It certainly lived up to our expectations! Seeing everyone we loved all in the same place, especially for us, made our day. Looking across the field towards the tipi seeing my uncle dancing in a wig, grandparents propping each other up on a hay bail and my friends chilling in the sunshine was magical. It was amazing to see the ideas that had been in my head for the last year in action. It was such a special day and we felt extremely loved."

But putting a wedding like this together is about more than vision, it's a lot of hard work, and requires a great team of suppliers to pull it together, so Faye had a special word of thanks for someone who was instrumental in making it all happen, "Emma from One Lump or Two  supported us through every step of this process and was worth her weight in gold! From our initial chinwag we knew our special day was in safe hands with Emma. She just got it. Nothing was ever too much trouble and she regularly surprised us with the amount of thought and effort she gave to every detail; not only to ensure everything looked beyond pretty, but she also made sure everything ran smoothly behind the scenes.  We didn’t have to give a single thought to anything apart from having fun on the day."

As the centrepiece of their wedding food, Faye and Chris decided on a magnificent wedding cheese cake (yes, one of our very faves here at OFD) and they were delighted with the results "As we were having afternoon tea we didn't want to overload our guests with cake so we opted for a cheese cake. We LOVE cheese! Jon from Church Mouse Cheeses in Kirkby Lonsdale personally delivered the cake the morning of the wedding and did an amazing job of building the display on an old sewing machine table. It looked like it was straight out of a bridal magazine!" Almost too good to eat, in my opinion.

Before leaving Faye and Chris with their words of advice, a special shout out has to go to someone who was a rock and a very special helper on the day - Faye's best friend Aimee, who not only took on all-important role of bridesmaid, but also contributed her skills as a professional make up artist to help Faye look her most stunning.  "Despite being best friends for 21 years my wedding day was actually the first time Aimee had painted my face. My make-up lasted through the tears, the laughter, the sunshine, a tiny bit of drizzle, endless hugs and dancing the night away in a pair of giant orange sunglasses. I cannot recommend Aimee enough!"

So the advice - those words of wisdom you have to share? "I remember reading on countless blogs “Try to chill out. Don’t stress” blah, blah, blah... But it really is the best advice any new Mrs. could give you. If anything goes wrong on the day, no-one will even notice. What really matters is that you marry the love of your life and you get to celebrate that with your loved ones. Everything else is a just an added bonus. It doesn’t matter if it rains or if you have to stop the band to call an ambulance (Yes, that actually happened!) The day will wiz past in a heart beat. Remember to take a minute to look around you, kiss your husband and smile."

So there you have it, a wedding done their way, from beginning to end; a wedding with heart and soul and a whole lotta fun! Thanks so much Faye and Chris for sharing it with us - huge Congratulations!

And to Steven Barber, a huge thank you - make sure you pop over  to see more on his website www.stevenbarber.com

The Wedding Details

• Ceremony: St. Johns Church
• Reception: Skelsmergh Village Hall
• Photographer: Steven Barber
• Coordination & Catering:  One Lump or Two 
• Wedding Dress: Jenny Packham
• Bridesmaid Dress: French Connection

• Shoes: Dorothy Perkins (customised by bride)
• Flowers: Made In Flowers
• Grooms Suit: Reiss with Hugo Boss shirt & tie from Flannels
• Cheese Cake: Church Mouse Cheeses
• Makeup: Aimee Chorley