Simplicity & Sustainability: Be Right on Trend for your Wedding Weekend. Part II

‘Planning’ and ‘wedding’ are two words often followed by a little sigh & when put together can feel like a mini marathon to be completed. There are many ways to simplify & thoroughly enjoy the whole process & here at Middle Coombe Farm there is a relaxed and joyous environment, surrounded by nature, in which to realise your wedding dreams.

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Simply put- we have 400 acres of heavenly space, woodlands, fresh air & our own private Devon valley. Feeling relaxed? Hold that thought…this is the key to the ultimate happy wedding planning.

In our little run of Simplicity & Sustainability blogs we are going to show you just how good the planning process can be, when to start, when to stop (as it’s just as important to avoid over-organising) & how to love it all along the way. A little ‘ten commandments’ if you will…..

  1. Be happy. You are in love.
  2. Work out your budget (& stick to it). This equals maximum happiness.
  3. Work out your priorities & what makes you both happy. How do you want to celebrate your union?
  4. It is good to put together your ideal guest list as this will focus you both right at the outset & ties in completely with your budgeting. The days of inviting a guest ‘plus one’ are over. It is perfectly alright to be polite but remember this is your wedding & the start of your fabulous new life together. Have the people around you that are your life-source & make you happy. ‘Plus ones’ come & go & you’re paying for them. See,- no guilt. Simple.CM5A0948
  5. Do your research/ask questions. Never worry about asking questions. If you have a dream & are unsure about how to realise it, ask.
  6. Use your time efficiently. This is a wonderful add-on to your busy life. Live it & spreadsheet it…no seriously. If you only have an hour of wedding planning time-stick to it & focus…you’ll get much more done this way.
  7. Don’t revisit things you have already dealt with. When you have dealt with a ‘thing’ and are happy…leave the ‘thing’. A classic way to tire yourselves is to revisit & revisit plans that you have already fixed & confirmed. It is fine to ‘check’ -we all do it, but have confidence in yourselves & your choices. All your friends & family will have ideas they want to throw at you because they care & want the best for you…lovely…but stick to your guns (& your spreadsheet;). You are in charge.
  8. Simplify, simplify, simplifyA classic topic= table dressing. Jam jars with natural/seasonal flowers look amazing. You can order buckets of flowers from a local award-winning flower farm, for example, & are welcome to use any greenery from our woodlands. Remember your guests need to be comfortable for the wedding feast & need room for their place settings…less really is more -otherwise your caterer can’t get the food on the table for the decorations…(yes…this has happened).CM5A9834
  9. Favours. Again, keep it simple & effective if you want to do them. One of my personal favourites was an exquisite little hand-made pack of paper tissues with a decorative block-printed brown paper sleeve with the date of the couples wedding on it & ‘For Happy Tears’ printed on the front. Each guest was given a little pack to take with them to the oak tree ceremony site for the speeches. Perfect.
  10. Music. It’s the soundtrack to your lives together and you can choose whether you have a band, a D.J, your own playlists…or have a band & then hook up your computer with your playlists. This is the party to your big day. We insist you dance your little socks off.

Take a look at this wonderful visual of how Lucy & Oli got it just right for them. All photographs by kind permission of Lucy & Oli & Oxiphotography.co.uk.

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