DIY & Easy-Going Industrial Crimple Garden Centre Wedding

A very warm welcome to Lynsey and Joe who had a garden centre wedding at Crimple in North Yorkshire. Their day was amazing! I think it’s awesome they chose this modern, industrial venue for their simple yet stylish celebrations.

From the epic graphic design to the effortlessly stylish outfits and chic decoration, their day was cracking. There were meaningful song choices, fun-loving portraits and the most magical lighting. A warm, cosy and love-filled day indeed.

Andrew Heeley Photography, I can’t thank you enough for sharing with us these super stunning images.

Crimple Garden Centre Wedding

The Proposal

Christmas time 2022 Joe got covid and we were stuck indoors for the festive season… For NYE Lynsey suggested getting dressed up for our evening alone together and was going downstairs to set things up nicely as well.

Lynsey filled the room with candles, played one of “our” songs (Adieu by Enter Shikari) and proposed inspired by the monologue at the end of When Harry Met Sally. We toasted with champagne and video-called loved ones.

The Vision

The main goal for our wedding was to have a great big party with all our friends and family, which we tried to pull off in a simple and stylish way.

The Venue

We were shocked at the base cost of most venues being a couple of thousand pounds minimum. We didn’t have a large budget but also didn’t want something that felt impersonal as style and design are important to us.

We loved the bare brick and industrial look of various breweries and country barns and we stumbled upon a venue that perfectly reflected this style, but in a slightly odd place – a garden centre.

The event space at Crimple was exactly what we were looking for with wood floors, bare bricks, beautiful hanging lighting and a great outside space for taking photos. We were also able to wander through the garden centre with Andrew while he got some ace couple shots.

The Ceremony & Music

To make the day a bit simpler we decided to have a ceremony at the venue on the wedding day and then the legal bit on a different date. This meant we didn’t have to travel between registry offices and the party venue or hire an officiant. Instead, we had our good friend Jonny run the ceremony.

We had beautiful readings from our friend Carm, and Lynsey’s twin sister Joanna. Then for vows, Lynsey read a poem – Bad New Government by Emily Berry, and Joe read lyrics from the Damned’s New Rose (he cried and Lynsey had to finish).

The music was chosen before we even knew we wanted to get married. While guests were getting seated, Lauryn Hill’s cover of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You was playing. Then Lynsey came down the aisle to Frank Ocean’s cover of Moon River and we left together to You Make My Dreams Come True by Daryl Hall and John Oates.

Our first dance was the always romantic… I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) by The Proclaimers, guaranteed to get everyone joining in.

Your Outfits

Lynsey didn’t choose a dress until 2 weeks before, and got the dress altered and bought a veil 2 days before the wedding. She wanted it to be simple, classic and… inexpensive. It was purchased from a high street shop.

Joe knew he wanted a double-breasted jacket (based on seeing a pic of a very very expensive Brioni suit) and spent a while looking for the right one. Most he tried were too long in the body until he found one online at M&S that came in a short fit.

We went into the M&S in Leeds centre and found the suit surrounded by a massive display picturing the England Football team. It turned out the suit was one of the ones designed for the squad. I’m not the biggest football fan in the world but the suit fit perfectly and luckily any references to the England team are subtle and on the inside of the jacket.

The Styling & Decor

Personal style is important and interesting to both of us so we wanted this to be reflected in the decor. The venue didn’t need much decorating as it already fit our style so well so we decorated the dark wood tables with ivy, candles and black runners. We then hung some extra fairy lights and together we made a banner that hung behind us during the ceremony featuring a Paramore lyric.

For the cakes we ordered 2 naked iced Victoria sponge cakes from M&S (£45 each, bargain!) and decorated them with blackberries ourselves.

Joe designed all of the wedding stationery, as he is a Graphic Designer. This ensured nothing was too twee for us, the colours were monochrome and the style was bold. He created a sign to direct guests to the event space, table headers, and coasters.

Your Photographer & Filmmaker

We spent a good while looking for photographers but no one was standing out to us. Lynsey eventually stumbled across Andrew while browsing Instagram and decided straight away that he was the one for us. His photography style and alternative vibe matched exactly what we were looking for.

On the day Andrew was amazing, he made everyone very comfortable and relaxed, many of our guests mentioned that they thought we’d hired an old friend. And of course, the photos turned out brilliant, we’re so happy with them and the only regret is that we didn’t hire him for longer!

The Honeymoon

We had a lovely few days in Lisbon, eating well and drinking plenty of beer.

Memorable Moments

Giving a speech as a bride (and feminist!) it was important for Lynsey to give one.
When Joe cried during the ceremony and setting everyone else off (including Andrew the photographer).
Sisters poem which she wrote and read off a rough and crumpled piece of lined paper.
Lynsey’s Mum, Aunty and Nan popping home for an outfit change so they could get rowdy on the dancefloor.
Lynsey’s sparkly sequin dress reveal when the disco started.

Advice For Other Couples

You don’t have to do anything traditional at all, it’s your day, and you’ll likely be spending a lot of money, make sure YOU’RE going to love it.
Decide on what you’re OK and not OK with compromising on if you’re fitting a tight budget.
Keep the dance floor in view of the bar.
If you can afford it, put as much money behind the bar.
Get a photographer for the whole day (it’s the bit you keep forever).
It’s never too early for outfit shopping – it’s going to be a difficult decision.
Don’t recommend a short time frame for planning… but it is doable.
Once it’s all planned, be present and enjoy it.