Isabelle & Susie's DIY Summer Wedding
Real
Happy Thoughts
Our Unique Story
The Lowdown
Where: Beechwood Hall, Cooksbridge
Theme: Scottish & French Outdoor Summer Fun
Wedding Photographer: Jennifer Bedlow Photography
How We Met
A meeting in Edinburgh, a New Year proposal and a beautiful, relaxed summer wedding this is Isabelle and Susie's love story.
We met six years ago in Edinburgh. I had landed on the Scottish shores from France 15 years earlier and Susie had moved back to the country of her birth from Cambridge. It was the perfect place for an Auld Alliance. Two years ago, the sunny south became too appealing and we moved to East Sussex where we decided to tie the knot.The Planning
We had both been thinking about getting married for some time but Susie was first to ask. A week after Christmas she popped the question and I was ready to say yes.
We got married in Beechwood Hall in Cooksbridge, East Sussex. Our vision was for a DIY outdoorsy convivial village fete. It took us 18 months of preparation and planning we found a village hall with a large front lawn and surrounding trees, a great local caterer, a farm who could do a hog roast on an open fire, a local college who could provide bales of hay, a local bonfire society and their mobile bar. We called the Scouts and got them to put up a marquee. We booked a guitar based Rock band from London and also found Jen our photographer at a gay wedding fair in Brighton. We bought Champagne and wine in France and all our decorations on the internet. Susie's sister made over 20 metres of bunting for us. The day before the wedding, we decorated the hall helped by some of our friends and family.The (Actual) Wedding
Our wedding day turned out to be a perfect and gloriously sunny day. It was exactly as we had planned and more. Our friends and family (78 of them) came from all over the country and from abroad to see us take our vows under a tree.
The ceremony was followed by our respective dads making emotional toasts. And the rest of the day unfolded as a joyful feast where everyone ate gorgeous food: amazing hog roast cooked onsite in an open fire, strawberries and meringue, and a 3 tier cheese cake made out of local and French cheese. drank a-plenty French champagne and wine as well as locally brewed beer. ...and played games and generally had fun. It was the happiest day of our lives.
