Karen & Sam wanted a laid back nuptial celebration with a focus on sharing the day with their family and friends. Their gorgeous DIY Knipe Hall wedding was just that and more. They picked LifeLine Photography after seeing images taken at other Knipe Hall weddings by Hannah and Jen….

VENUE:
Having enjoyed so many special times walking and holidaying together in Cumbria (where Karen grew up), Sam and Karen knew that they wanted a Lake District wedding. “Knipe Hall stood out as we really wanted a venue that would be relaxed and that we could put our own stamp on”.

OUTFITS:
Karen wore an Anna Kara dress. When the dress shop went into liquidation, Sandra Samuels in London saved the day by agreeing to do the necessary fittings and alterations. Her look was finished with make up by Keseme Carter & hair by Leah Nelson. The bridesmaids all wore pale blue wrap dresses from ASOS. Sam and the groomsmen (plus dads) wore blue suits from good old M&S, which caused some problems when the whole Gareth Southgate waistcoat frenzy hit during the World Cup. And the cutie page boys wore John Lewis trousers and waistcoats with flowery shirts from Next.

FLOWERS:
The incredible flowers were arranged by an old school friend of Karen’s mother – Linda Heaton. “She is amazing!! She created an amazing display coming out of the door frame that we got married in front of plus big flower wheels and beautiful garlands on the walls of the ceremony room. She even painted watercolour impressions as part of the planning. The buquets were amazing – I asked for colourful, wild looking flowers and they were exactly what I wanted”. Karen’s dad also grew loads of flowers for the day including delphiniums, sweetpeas and lavender. They were used in jam jars and bud vases (all collected by Sam’s mum), in the flower wheels and even outside in huge planters which he also made himself. “He totally lived up to his name Handyman Dave!”

CAKE:
Karen’s mum made the entire cake – a classic fruit cake with almond paste and royal icing. Karen then helped her mum to decorate it using rings of fresh flowers created by Linda (the florist). The cake sat on a log that Karen’s dad had taken a saw to. A real team effort!

MUSIC:
Karen and Sam walked down the aisle to “You’re So Cool” by Hans Zimmer which was chosen by Sam from his favourite film. Family friend Leanne sang “A Wonderful World” as they signed the register. “We had our first dance to George Ezra’s “Paradise”.We had always liked his music, and it often seemed to be playing at significant moments such as when Karen went to Uganda and when Sam proposed. We wanted a fun first dance to that song just seemed ideal”.

PERSONAL TOUCHES:
Karen loves crafting and made bunting from London Tube Maps and Kew Gardens colouring books (where they shared their first date); Lino printed table names, place names and table plan; and blackboard signs.Karen’s dad made brilliant wooden signs for directions plus large wooden planters and log slices. He also helped with putting up hundreds of metres of lights and bunting. “Sam’s dad let us use his pride and joy – his Jag – for our wedding car. It was polished to within and inch of its life!”

CATERING:
Knipe Hall provided the catering for the day. Ploughmans platters were served on picnic benches in the garden for post-ceremony nibbles. The wedding breakfast consisted of pie and mash followed by fresh fruit pavlova and chocolate pots. “Johnny and his team were brilliant. We had quite a few comments saying the pies were the best people had tasted!” There was also pizza in the evening.

TOP TIPS:
“Let people get involved because they will love it and it is the personal touches from family and friends that make the day so special. Finally, try not to move house, start a new job and get married all within three weeks like we did – definitely stay cooler than we did!”

FAVOURITE MEMORIES OF THE DAY:
For Karen it was seeing Sam as she walked down the aisle. “I hadn’t realised I had squealed “Sammmmmyyyyy” from halfway down the aisle until I saw it on a video, haha”. She also loved getting ready at home where her parents have lived since they themselves got married. “Having the neighbours wave us off, including my old teacher, was really lovely”. She also loved looking around and knowing every single person. “Feeling how genuinely happy everyone was for us was just so lovely. Wandering up to the top of the hill with Sam and looking back towards the house, seeing all of our lovely friends and family having fun was just the best feeling.”

For Sam it was seeing Karen i her dress for the first time as she walked down the aisle. He also loved the outdoor speeches “The light was lovely and it is such a wonderful memory for us both”. Finally he said that having more than a few beers and partying to live music from The Hope Street Busking Band with all of their friends made the day feel extra special.