Caylee and Dave’s micro wedding at Syrencot was a perfect example on how you don’t have to compromise if you choose to have a micro wedding. Apart from the guest numbers, which was a big compromise dropping from 80 to twenty four, their wedding was every bit as stylish as it would have been pre – pandemic. Caylee’s relaxed boho style was just gorgeous and the decor they’d chosen inside the farm shed at Syrencot (a perfect backdrop) was beautiful too, complemented perfectly by stunning flowers by Hibiscus & Hodge. They truly proved that small wedding doesn’t mean it has to be any less of a moment.
I liked Caylee and Dave instantly when we first skyped about their wedding at gorgeous Syrencot. I’m so lucky that this beautiful new venue is just fifteen minutes from my front door. I’m also one of their recommended photographers and have got to know their lovely team well. This combined with the fact that it’s stunning every which way you turn means I always jump at the chance to work there.
After most of my diary emptied out last Summer I was delighted when Caylee and Dave got in touch to say that they were sticking to their guns and going ahead with their wedding. When the day came I was like a dog with two tails to be back at beautiful Syrencot, doing the thing I love!
The day itself was also a bit of a reunion for me as Caylee’s dream team of suppliers (listed at the end of the post) are all wedding industry buddies of mine, and we were all so thrilled to be together again and working. After a long lockdown and losing most of our client’s to the pandemic the atmosphere among us was very special, as it also was among the guests. Everyone knew how much stress and uncertainty this lovely couple had overcome to bring them to their day.
The day it’s self was just perfect, having small guests numbers means shooting group shots is a five minute job, everyone gets a chance to chat without feeling rushed and as you can see the weather was incredible! In the evening the sunset at ‘golden hour’ was just gorgeous. Everyone had walked into the gardens to watch the sun go down and so I suggested that Caylee and Dave do their first dance outside, something that wouldn’t be possible with eighty guests. Sometimes a micro wedding will work to your favour! I’ll never forget the incredible, quiet atmosphere of the last rays of sun disappearing as these two danced to the ‘You and Me Song’ by The Wannadies. One of my all time favourite songs. It was so special.
I’ll let Caylee tell you about it in her own words….
Why did you decide to go ahead with a micro wedding instead of postponing?
We decided earlier on when lockdown happened that if we could still go ahead and get married on our original September date, we definitely would. We wanted to try and go ahead so we were officially married – the focus became more on just becoming husband and wife. The date we had chosen also had significance to us!
“The focus became more on just becoming husband and wife….we couldn’t imagine a better day…..it was much more personal”
Are you happy you decided to have a micro wedding?
Absolutely! It was genuinely the most amazing day! We couldn’t imagine a better day with our closest loved ones and felt that this was much more personal to us as a couple. No regrets!
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
I wouldn’t change a single thing about the day now looking back. We even managed to have our first dance outside while the sun set.
What was the best thing about having a micro wedding rather than postponing your day?
The intimacy of a small wedding means everyone feels very involved and you can spend quality time with all your guests on the day. It was genuinely the best day of our lives, because we were surrounded by the love of our nearest and dearest. We would not have had it any other way.
What was the hardest part of planning a micro wedding?
The biggest challenge was watching the news with baited-breathe to see if this could even go ahead! Leading up to it, lockdown felt like it was On, then Off, then back On again. The constant changes in government regulations played havoc with my nerves, but as each part fell back into place, we felt more and more encouraged to carry on.
The most difficult moment was having to un-invite most of our friends. We had always wanted to get married surrounded by as many family and friends as we could – which we did – it was just a lot fewer than we’d thought originally! We had originally invited 80 guests, to which only 24 were allowed (as we had to count ourselves, the two registrars, videographer and photographer within our 30 limit!) – but everyone was so kind and understanding; they knew this decision was out of our hands. Actually, planning for a smaller wedding took a lot of stress off the logistics of the day.
“Actually, planning for a smaller wedding took a lot of stress off the day”
What were the main things you changed about your plans for the day?
We used all of our original suppliers on our original date in mid-September (Lydia as photographer, Ben as Videographer, Eleanor for flowers and the gorgeous Kelly & Teresa for hair and makeup) apart from our DJ which we were unable to use for obvious reasons.
Are you planning to have a bigger party later or are you ‘done & dusted’?
We’re very much done & dusted… We’ve had our day and we loved every moment of it!
Do you feel your micro wedding was any less special than a ‘big’ wedding?
100% no way! Having a perfectly small intimate wedding without a big reception really put the focus for us on the reasons we were getting married to each other. It was incredibly special and personal to get together with our guests and celebrate getting married.
“Having a small intimate wedding really put the focus on the reasons we were getting married to each other.”
How do you feel about your wedding photographs having had a micro wedding? Do you feel they’re more important?
Having a smaller wedding doesn’t mean having to compromise. Micro weddings deserve beautiful photos too and it is incredibly important that any size of wedding day is still worthy of beautiful, natural, creative photos to look back on. Just think that when fewer people can attend, it makes even more perfect sense to have beautiful photos to share with those who sadly couldn’t be there in person.
“Having a smaller wedding doesn’t mean having to compromise.”
Suppliers:
Dress: Justin Alexander (The Lillian West Bridal Dress Collection)
Jacket: Beespoke – I found her via Etsy
Earrings: Joanna Reed Bridal
Hair: Kelly at Sienna Taye
Make up: Teresa Jolly MUA
Video: Ben Radley
Flowers: Eleanor – Hibiscus & Hodge
Indie’s tutu: Flowers & Confetti
Mens suits: Moss Bros
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