Inside: Our Co-Founder's Colourful Farm Wedding

Our co-founder & editor, Isabella Foulger, met her now-husband Tom by chance on the train from London Waterloo to Dorset. The three hour train journey led to a number of boozy dates in London and a whirlwind relationship, the couple moved in together after three months. Tom proposed at Isabella’s grandparents farm in Northern Ireland, by the lake which is a very special place to Isabella and this is where they got married in June 2021. Isabella and Tom’s farm wedding was a intimate affair with just 60 guests. Their nearest and dearest enjoyed pints of Guinness and oysters at the reception on the lawn, followed by relaxed wedding breakfast in giant tipis with flickering fairy-lights and candles, overlooking the luscious green rolling hills of the farm.

The best part of our day was….

I loved every moment, especially saying our vows and leaving the church as Mr and Mrs – our wedding car was a Series 1 Land Rover driven by a friend, it was great fun driving off, grinning from ear to ear, with the church bells chiming. Guests were transported from the church to the farm by tractor, loaded with hay bales for seats and decorated with white bunting. I was worried I’d be stressed on the day, but I surprised myself by feeling the opposite, so calm and relaxed which made it so enjoyable from start to finish. I also loved the speeches and wedding breakfast – the love you feel is electric.

We choose to get married at…

My grandparents farm in Northern Ireland, it’s very remote (almost off-grid!) and old fashioned which I adore. It’s home for me and holds so many happy memories but most importantly it’s where my late mother grew up (her name plaque is still on her bedroom door). Tom also loves to visit the farm and the garden is my Nana’s pride and joy – which made it perfect for a summer wedding.

I knew I found ‘The One’ when….

I visited Louise Selby. I only went to two appointments prior to this, Mews Bridal and Suzanne Neville. I loved dresses at both of these boutiques but didn’t find “the one”. I always had a very clear vision of what I wanted, so when I met Louise the natural decision was to go bespoke to create my dream dress. Louise is based at her home in Kew; one of the bedrooms is converted into a light-flooded showroom, with exposed wooden floorboards and a beautiful rail of dresses taking centre stage. The atmosphere is very relaxed, Louise builds a personal relationship with all her brides which makes the experience even more luxurious.

The most enjoyable moments of planning were…

I loved planning our wedding, I think it’s important to enjoy all the little elements along the way. We went for bespoke options as it felt more personal and creative; our stationery was designed by Leeming Brothers with illustrations by my father, our page boy outfit was made by the wonderfully talented Sarah at Little Beven, we styled the tables, tying velvet ribbons around napkins ourselves and used Duchess and Butler tableware. I loved shopping with my bridesmaids, we went to Maids to Measure for dresses and my hen party was at Wilderness Reserve which was incredible – we stayed at The Grange. Tom and I loved sampling our chosen menu at our tasting, sending out our invitations (sealed with a wax emerald green clover stamp) and going to the Wedding Present Company showroom to build our gift list. We also made our own wedding rings at The Hatton Garden Workshop which we’d highly recommend.

The hardest part of planning was…

Finding a florist who got my vision. I wanted the flowers to be very in keeping with the farm, countryside vibe. Colourful and loosely arranged, a picked from the garden look. Luckily, I came across Tangled up In Blooms on Instagram and fell in love with the florist, Nicky’s style.

The best accounts to follow on Instagram for big-day inspo are…

Naturally I would say, The Wedding Edition! And I love following Maison Margaux, Duchess and Butler and Willow Crossley for tablescape inspiration.

My top three tips for any couple would be…

Don’t stress on the day – at this point you can’t change anything so the best thing to do is relax and enjoy the day. Remember everyone is there for you and to celebrate, make the most of this! The little details which you may notice, no one else will. Being super organised ahead of your wedding day can really help to eliminate stress – send a detailed ‘order of the day’ to your bridal party the day before so everyone is aware of the running order and what’s supposed to happen when. It’s key to handover this responsibility.
Choose lovely suppliers, who you immediately have a rapport with. Trust me, this will make such a difference on the day.
Book a mini-moon or honeymoon straight after your wedding as you’re on such a high, it’s really important to celebrate and have some alone time together to reflect. We went to Gleneagles in Scotland which was perfect.

If I was able to do it all over again, the one thing I would change is…

Brushing my hair after traveling in the open top Land Rover from our church to reception… I was so excited to mingle with guests, I didn’t even think about popping into the house to touch up make-up and hair but wish I had ahead of our portraits!