It has been a few weeks now since I coordinated a fabulous outdoor teepee wedding in Stirton, North Yorkshire. It was such a gorgeous day from start to finish and so lovely to get to know both Louise and Richard over the course of a year.
When Louise and Rich got in touch about coordinating their wedding I was so excited.. They were doing all of the planning and DIY aspects themselves but with their ceremony being in a different location and with multiple suppliers arriving at different times, they knew that having an events professional there to make sure everything was perfect ready for when they arrived was a good investment.
Planning an outdoor teepee wedding is hard work but Lou and Rich were amazing. It was so lovely to see their friends and family helping out too, a team effort all round!
The Ceremony
The ceremony was held at the beautiful Priest’s House in North Yorkshire. Quite a few of my couples have opted to get married there and I can totally see why. With breathtaking views of the countryside and stunning grounds, it was the perfect venue to start the celebrations. Their adorable dog Ralph joined in too, got to love it when dogs are at weddings! He was so cute and I hear very well behaved.
Arriving in style
The bridal party and happy couple were driven in style to the ceremony and teepee in a fabulous Beetle and Campervan, by Bronte VW Camper Hire. If you are having your wedding reception in a different location then having quirky transport to kick off the celebrations is such a great idea, a perfect photo opportunity too!
Photographer
Clicking away throughout the ceremony and wedding reception was the amazing Richard Perry Photography. I just love working with new suppliers, he was great! So easy to get on with – a must when choosing your photographer.
Videographer
I see more and more couples choosing to have a videographer and if you are currently wondering whether it is worth I say go for it! It is honestly one of the biggest regrets from my wedding. Having footage from your special day is so amazing and such a lovely memory that you can watch over and over again. Just think on your anniversary you can sit back with a glass of fizz and relive your wedding day, perfect! Lou and Rich booked the lovely Linda Barnett, she was super nice!
The Wedding Reception
After drinks, canapés and photos at The Priest’s House, guests and the happy couple took a short coach ride to Stirton for their teepee wedding reception. The bride’s family happened to be friends with a farmer who kindly allowed them to use his field for their wedding, how amazing is that?! It was such a great space with gorgeous views – the weather was perfect too.
If you’re planning an outdoor wedding be sure to consider the access options for both guests and suppliers during set up and on the day. If you are getting married in the countryside then roads might be narrow which might make it difficult for coaches and/or food vans to access. Always mention this before booking suppliers.
The Teepee
The impressive three hat teepee was provided by the fabulous Teepee Tent Hire. Set up started on the Wednesday, as you can imagine it take a lot of hours and labour to get everything organised. They also provided the long rustic tables and chairs as well as the lighting, generators and heaters. If you are hiring a teepee, always check what the package includes and what else they can provide. Rather than looking elsewhere you might find it easier to hire everything from them, a lot less hassle in the long run!
Bar Service
Lou and Rich opted for a dry hire bar, meaning they spent nearly two years purchasing alcohol so that they could provide a free bar – woop! Serving the drinks and providing an exceptional and professional service were Simon and the team from the Lancashire Bar Company. Let’s just say a lot of booze was consumed, including copious amounts of jagar bombs!
Catering
Serving the tastiest BBQ grub for the wedding breakfast were Morgan and his fab team from Smokin Blues. Food vans are so popular now and it’s so obvious why, they look amazing and the variety of food to choose from is ace. Lou and Rich chose to have meat platters with mixed salad, potatoes and macaroni cheese. A lot of tables asked for seconds so I’m guessing it went down well! All suppliers were treated to a serving too, it’s so lovely when couples do this – I think otherwise we probably wouldn’t eat for 12 hours straight; we just seem to power on through!
For dessert Chris from C&M Creamery Ices arrived in his ice cream truck, it looked so good pulling up past the teepee. He even put the music on as he was leaving! Such a great idea and a nice way to break up the wedding breakfast.
For the evening food, there were stone baked pizzas on offer, cooked fresh in a land rover by The Pizza Guy! These guys were so cool and just got on with it from the moment they arrived. Yes I had a slice of pizza (ok maybe two) so so good. If you are looking for the tastiest pizza around then Simon is most definitely your man!
Toilets
A boring topic some might think but if you are having an outdoor wedding you have to think about these things. There are some amazing companies out there who provide such fabulous toilets, they often look better than the venue ones! With a separate trailer for both the girls and guys, it was perfectly positioned behind the teepee so that it wasn’t captured in any of the photos. There was also a basket full of toiletries which was such a nice touch – deodorant, hairspray, perfume. You name it! Be sure to check out Convenience Hire for your wedding or special event.
Additional Hire Items
The teepee setting was made even more special by setting up a gorgeous walkway with festoon lighting all the way to the entrance. Provided by Blue Sky Events, it looked so magical and really added a special touch to what was already an amazing setting. They also provided crockery, glasses and cutlery for the tables – you have to think of every detail when planning an outdoor wedding!
The Personal Touches
One of the best things about being a wedding planner is looking at all of the gorgeous personal details. Lou and Rich’s wedding cake was made by a friend and oh my gosh it was amazeballs! So personal and it included their dog Ralph too, cute. I also loved the sweet table (so did all the guests!) and the wooden heart frame that guests were asked to sign.
Decorations
All of the decorations were made and put up by the couple along with their family and friends. With tissue pom poms and ribbon hanging from the dance floor, it all looked so colourful. I really loved the coloured mason jars too with gorgeous flowers from The Hedgerow. You can tell just how much effort was put in, all of the guests were blown away!
The Coordination
I can’t end this post without telling you a little bit about what I do and why having a planner to coordinate your special day is so worthwhile.
When planning a DIY or outdoor wedding you don’t want to be worrying about when suppliers are going to be turning up or last minute jobs that need to be done on the morning. Hiring a wedding planner for the whole day means you can enjoy getting ready knowing your wedding is in safe hands from start to finish. It really is money well spent! Even better, I don’t limit my hours. I will be there to greet all suppliers in the morning and stay until the celebrations are over and the bar is closed – it’s important for me to see your special day through to the end!
Congratulations to the wonderful Mr and Mrs Lister, wishing you a lifetime of happiness and the most amazing journey as husband and wife!
Lots of love, Siân xxx
Suppliers
Photography – Richard Perry Photography
Wedding Coordination – Sian Chaplin Events
Ceremony Venue – The Priest’s House
Teepee – Teepee Tent Hire
Hire Items – Blue Sky Events
Toilets – Convenience Hire
Florist – The Hedgerow
Makeup Artist – Annabel Bailey
Hair Stylist – Kelly Benson
Bar – Lancashire Bar Company
Band – The Distance
Wedding Breakfast Catering – Smokin Blues
Evening Catering – The Pizza Guy
Dessert – C&M Creamery Ices
Wedding Cars – Bronte Camper Hire
Videographer – Linda Barnett
Ceremony Pianist – Afrika Fuentes
If you are looking for an events professional to coordinate your special wedding day then please do not hesitate to get in touch!
wedding galleryKinds Words
“You did a fantastic job on the run up to the wedding organising all of the suppliers which is far more than I expected you to do and your communication with myself was great. The schedule was also fantastic and like a military operation!
You also helped our day run smoothly, you made sure everything ran to time and we didn’t have to worry about a thing and we certainly couldn’t have done it without you!”
Lou & Rich xxx