Vivienne Westwood, DIY Décor & Pink Plastic Flamingos: Mads & Nick

September 2, 2011 in British Brides, Wedding | Written by

Mads & Nick are one seriously cool couple and I’m so thrilled to share their wedding with you today. I just know you’re going to love it!

“Our wedding was a hot mess of all-things-wedding and us,” Mads explained. “I don’t think we did anything revolutionary, all the traditional parts of the wedding were there; we just made sure we took the time to think everything through and make sure it was right – for us.”

“From the pre-ceremony music being a collection of our favourite film scores (How to Tame your Dragon anybody? Ahh  just me and Nick then), to the inadvertently weepiest of readings; eight dreamy looking bridesmaids and nine hot groomsmen and our tables being named after ‘Our favourite things’ (inc Midsomer Murders and Arnold ‘The best activities for your health are humping and pumping’ Schwarzenegger – we had no shame!). We had our friend on guitar after dinner, photos in front of an abandoned concrete barn instead of the lake, pink flamingos, a Lulu Guiness corsage bridal ‘bouquet (instead of a traditional bouquet)’, funk and films on in the evening – who doesn’t want to watch Predator in a deckchair under a blanket with a Pimms on the go? Then at the end of the night we stole a taxi, ate cake and I got to take my spanx off. Rock n Roll!”

The ceremony took place at Hungerford Town Hall and the reception was held in a friend’s barn. Mads looked incredible in her Vivienne Westwood ensemble -both her dress and her shoes were by my favourite designer – and Nick wore a bespoke suit from Saville Row.

“We made our own gin favours by making blackberry and pear gin – (mix equal parts fruit, sugar and gin then leave in a cupboard rotating occasionally, for three months) then had loads of fun gotgineverywhereandgotprettydrunk – pipette-ing gin into mini bottles we got from Hobbycraft and making them look cute with wish labels,” Mads continued when I asked about any DIY elements in their wedding. “I also made my own runners using Cath Kidston fabric so our tables were colourful. They weren’t perfect, the edges were cut using pinking scissors and weren’t ‘finished’ which meant they did they fray, but I honestly don’t think anyone noticed/cared!”

“Finally, rather than just have a wedding cake, as I have such a sweet tooth, we decided to enlist our friends to help us create a cake stall – which turned into a childhood cake-dream come true and surpassed our wildest dreams, bought everyone together over tea and coffee and looked/tasted amazing!”

Amazing indeed!

“I was given the advice,” the bride concluded, “‘Don’t worry if something isn’t perfect; no-one but you will know’ which proved invaluable in the final months of planning. Also, when planning your wedding pick what’s most important to you and work around it. Our money went on our food (there was never any doubt we’d have anyone but the Pot Kiln catering our wedding) so rather than have a hotel/wedding venue we chose a barn which balanced our budget out and was a compromise we were happy with.”

“At times it meant working harder as we had to think of everything – sourcing festival loo’s (when did I ever envisage myself doing that as bride?), putting seat pads on chairs, organising lighting – Big Top Mania made that barn bad ass – but we’d do it all again tomorrow as it meant we could have our venue exactly as we wanted it.”

Huge love and thanks to Mads & Nick for sharing their awesome wedding with us today and to their photographer Shell De Mar (who they made cry with their thank you letter to her – yey for appreciating the photographer!) for sharing her images.

Photography Credit: Shell De Mar Photography
Ceremony Venue: Hungerford Town Hall
Reception Venue: Friend’s Barn
Bride’s Dress: Vivienne Westwood
Bride’s Shoes: Vivienne Westwood
Bride’s Headpiece: Teokath Canterbury
Bride’s Jewellery: Catherine Jones (wedding ring and pearl necklace), Eclectic Eccentricity (earrings) Tatty Devine (name necklace) Fluffstuffs (‘I DO’ necklace)
Groom’s Outfit: Saville Row (suit), Joules (shirt), Emma Ashford (tie), Volcom (hat), Urban Eye (Folksy) (cufflinks)
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: various
Cake: Glorious Bakeshop
Flowers: Green Parlour
Hair & Make Up: Jason Palmer
Band & DJ: Friends
Vintage Crockery Hire: Belle Vintage China Hire
Catering: Pot Kiln
Lighting: Big Top Mania

34 comments

  8. Charley | London Bride

    LOVE. IT. Shell, you are quickly becoming THE barn wedding photographer I must say ;) Love that the bride chose pink. Love those light chandeliers. Love the deckchairs. Like I said, quite love it all. Also, realllly like the group shot of friends where the B&G are smooching in the middle. Totally cute.

  10. Kat Post author

    glad everyone loves this wedding. it may have to get into my top 10 (for the vivienne dress and flamingos alone!)

  11. Kit

    I love this wedding The dress, the shoes, the fantastic bunting and my favourite thing the flamingoes I have just bought one at the car boot, think he needs a friend!

  12. diddyvans

    being a bit partial to flamingos this wedding was always going to be a winner for me – but it is one of the prettiest and yet still seems an uncontrived wedding that you have featured – the photos are excellent also. wow

  16. RachyLou

    I do love a bit of Viv and flamingos AND the jewellery! <3 Definitely in my top 5 fave RnRB weddings of all time xo

  18. Andrea

    the bride is one of my best mates… and the wedding was truly an amazing day… so unique and everyone was sooo friendly, fun and funky. i’m so glad their wasn’t a picture of me blubbing when doing my wedding speech. best wedding ive been to so far. not being too bias. :)

  19. Shella

    Thanks everyone for your kind words! :D
    This wedding was uber cool + chic and definitely one of my faves! Plus I believe Madz & Nick are the first couple to have found me through Rock n Roll Bride blog so they’ll always have a special place in my heart! Yeah I’m a big softie like that… (yes Lisa Devlin, that I am – stop laughing now! :-p)
    Anyway, I do have Kat to thank for the constant supply of cool couples/weddings to photograph – this blog rocks!

  21. Mads

    Thank you everyone for your kind words :) It’s been an honour seeing our wedding on Rock’n'Roll bride! Shella, your photos amaze me every time I look at them! Andrea, your speech was the greatest wedding speech ever! You were the perfect bridesmaid, thank you x

    Ps. Lulu – the chandeliers are from Ikea (bargain!) x

  22. lulu

    Mads, super sweet of you to reply to my question :) (i’ve been scanning ikea, sadly they are gone – let me know if yours want a new home?) everytime i look at the photos, i notice more amazing details. This is one of the best wedding feature on this fab blog!!

  25. Mads

    No worries Lulu ~ sadly we sold the chandeliers to Big Top Mania for them to use them at future events…But I’m sure you could hire them from there! Thanks so much for your lovely words x

  27. melanie

    This proves white wedding dresses are overrated in general. Hooray for colour and lots of it. Bravo!!!!!!!

    Neat flamingos and happy hour!

  31. pete wintercrane

    LULU….get in touch if you want the chandeleirs at your event..or other lights..tents,, etc…
    Thanks again Madaeleine and Nick for having us.. hope all is totally hunky dory!

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