Check out John & Bryony’s wedding below, they tied the knot in Appledore Church then headed back home to their family farm where the wedding shenanigans started. Shoot by Kent Wedding Photographer James Grist

Where did you get married?We got married in St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Appledore which is the bride’s childhood church. We were lucky that the vicar who christened the bride came back to do the service, having moved parishes, which was a really personal touch and made the service really memorable. The reception was held at the bride’s childhood home, on a farm in the nearby village, with a marquee in the garden on her brother’s “football pitch”. Perfect Day Marquee’s went above and beyond to create a stunning canvas in immaculate condition. It was really important to us that family was at the centre of our day so the family home was the perfect venue.

We chose to focus on the fact it was a homemade wedding with the bride’s dad building the bar and making the cake table from scratch, while the bride’s sister made all of the signs and her best friend designed all of the stationary. It made the whole day feel like a family affair!

Which flowers did you choose?The bride’s mother took charge of the flowers and chose some beautiful peonies, stunning roses and eucalyptus to create a more rustic feel for the bride’s bouquet. The bride’s father is an avid gardener and adores his roses so these were central to the theme. The groomsmen had button holes with stunning white roses and the mother of the bride added some flowers to her bag too.

The church was kindly decorated by the bride’s grandmother and close family friends from the local village. They went above and beyond to create a perfect backdrop to our service. The marquee was decorated with stunning floral centrepieces with the same flowers as the bouquets. The focal point on the day was the garland over the arch way into the family garden. It created a stunning backdrop for photos of the guests. The team at Anenome Blue were so knowledgeable and helped us put together the flowers that perfectly fitted the theme.

Which style was the brides dress? As the bride, I thought it would be the hardest part of the wedding planning, but second shop and 8th dress in I had found the perfect dress! Even better that my sister and Mum agreed instantly! I visited Amore Brides in Canterbury as it has been recommended and the service we received was second to none. We tried on a few styles and instantly knew a strapless fishtail design was the one to go for. The dress I chose was from Pronovias and was made from stunning Spanish lace and subtle beading which really picked up the light on the day. I then had alterations done by Fran Rios in London and I could not recommend her enough. She knew the designs well and fitted my dress to perfection. She also did all 4 bridesmaid dresses and we had so much fun at the appointments.

The structure of the dress was so clever, as I was able to have a strapless dress with a very low back which I loved about it. The lace detail was stunning and you kept finding more detail as you looked at the dress. I chose a long veil made from exceptionally soft tulle as I did not want to overpower the dress, but it meant I felt covered for the church.

How did you have your hair/make up? I chose a half up, half down style which Emily from Emily’s Hairdressing created. She even helped me with the beading in my hair which I couldn’t decide on before. Having very straight hair, she took the time to ensure it would stay in for as long as possible! The bridesmaids hair was pinned up in a more relaxed style and suited all of their dresses as they chose different styles in the same colour.

The groomsmen wore traditional tails from Slaters in Canterbury. The service was great and having two groomsmen from abroad, the fitting went smoothly, even a few days before. My dad wore my granddads morning suit as a last minute change as he had passed away shortly after we got engaged and it fitted my dad perfectly. It was the [perfect touch.

I worked with Elizabeth Joseph Love for my make-up and she was so knowledgeable and professional. I knew I wanted my eyes to be the main focus and she chose some beautiful soft browns to compliment my eyes. The make-up she did for the bridesmaids and mother of the bride were perfect. She helped create a signature look but then tailored it to the different styles and preferences of each of us. I couldn’t recommend both Emily and Elizabeth enough!

Which colour did the groomsmen/ bridesmaids wear? The bridesmaids wore dresses by Dessy which was perfect as we were able to have the same colour and fabric but with different styles to suit each of them!

How did you feel that the day went as a whole?They always say it will be the best day of your lives and everyone is right. The whole day couldn’t have been better for us and has given us the most special memories. We couldn’t have asked for more from everyone involved including family, friends and all our lovely suppliers. The day went without a hitch thanks to some dedicated planning in advance and bridesmaids that kept the whole day going.

We were lucky to celebrate the day in a place we feel at home, and design it exactly how we wanted, but that comes with extra things to do in the lead up. We were lucky enough that we were able to find some fantastic suppliers in the area who went above and beyond to give us a day to remember and were always on hand when the bride had loads of questions.

Some highlights for us were having the bride’s childhood vicar perform the service, our cocktail hour (which was recommended by our caterer, Urban Pantry) and the speeches which were cleverly thought out and executed to perfection. The perfect weather and all our friends and family in one place made it a day we will never forget. Special mention also needs to be when the groom said his mother in law’s name when taking his vows!!! He has an excuse as it is the bride’s middle name, but he might not live that down!