Fun & Colourful Barn Wedding Filled With Life & Love

WWW readers Eli and Mackenna’s colourful fun barn wedding was an absolute corker of a day! They were hitched at Wharfedale Grange in North Yorkshire in what was a love and life-filled extravaganza.

First up, I have to say that Eli and Mackenna are one very stylish pair. Eli went for a vibrant orange velvet suit jacket teamed with a waistcoat and bow tie. Meanwhile, Mackenna (who appears in Say Yes To The Dress series 2 episode 9) wore a romantic gown teamed with a colourful flower crown. Didn’t they both look stunning!?

Then there were the multicolour flowers, epic statement gold leaf cake, whimsical balloon art and fun lighting. All in all, this was one absolutely amazing day.

Firewood Film, thank you ever so much for sharing with us this bright and beautiful celebration of love!

I love WWW the inspiration and reading other peoples journey is beautiful.

Fun Colourful Barn Wedding

The Proposal

It started with a surprise 30th birthday trip to Paris which was Eli’s gift to Mackenna. There while having the perfect French picnic with baguettes and red wine under the Eiffel Tower’s sparkling lights. In a crisp white shirt and with an anxious face Eli got down on one knee and spluttered the words “Will you marry me?”

For a few split seconds and Eli being the joker he is, I thought it was a wind-up with a sparkly Eiffel Tower key ring. But looking down and seeing his brown eyes glazed over and filled with nerves, I began to scream and cry and my heart burst with joy.

The next few hours we sat in the bliss of each other and talked about how our future will look and what an adventure had just begun.

The Vision

The vision literally started on the flight home from Paris we knew we wanted colour, fun, disco balls and laughter. The list was set with a barn, a colourful flower crown and our two pups Henry and Penny.

With all this in mind, I made the first of many scrap books which contained an endless amount of flowers, large pops of colour and a ridiculous amount of dresses with button-back details. We knew from the start it wouldn’t be a small occasion as we have a life filled with friends who are family and family who are our friends.

Eli being catholic but not wanting a religious ceremony and having Pakistani roots, we knew we wanted culture and this was where our bright colourful theme would flourish. I wouldn’t say I’m a perfectionist but I knew exactly how I wanted each detail and I just loved that Eli was completely on the same page.

Budget

We set out with all good intentions to come in on budget but honestly two postponements later (thanks covid) our budget was blown and we wanted our day without compromise.

The Venue

Wharfedale Grange, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

This actually wasn’t our first venue, we had booked another modern barn in east Yorkshire. But Eli’s sister had booked us a last-minute appointment at Wharfedale Grange and even driving through the huge iron gates into the field of beautiful wildflowers, we instantly fell in love.

It was perfection in every single aspect from the stunning wooden finishes to the fantastic chandeliers and even down to books on the shelves where there may be hidden rooms. We couldn’t stop thinking about it and my mind was made Wharfedale Grange may have been at the very top of our budget but it was worth every single penny.

Your Outfits

The Bride

My dress journey was a little crazy. It began when Eli’s sister had applied for us to go on Say YES to the dress Lancashire which we aired in series 2 episode 9 and I had the best day at Ava Rose Bridal Boutique.

I got all the advice from Gok which I did fall madly in love with a stunning corset style, sweetheart neckline, lace detailed number but I couldn’t stop thinking about a little screenshot I had on my phone from our Paris trip. I felt until I had seen the Enzoani collection I would not be settled.

So me and my mum made a second appointment to a very small but stunning boutique called Holmes and Co in Tickhill Doncaster and there it was the Enzoani Kitara. The dress I had daydreamed about since the moment we got engaged. With the button-back detail, an A-line tulle bottom with a slight train and the sensational lace detailed bodice. It was romantic dreamy and slightly sexy all in one. I was in love and that was it my mind was made. That was my wedding dress.

After making the statement “I will not wear a veil” I added the longest veil possible a stunning cathedral with lace detail trim. It was the dreamy dress of perfection and I loved it to the point where I cleaned my house in it and ate some oven chips on our bed teamed up with my pink crocs.

I truly loved every aspect of my whole wedding outfit the Vivienne Westwood red heart vegan handbag added a pop of colour teamed up with my stunning Vivienne Westwood pink pearl shoes and even my arrow through the heart gold Vivienne Westwood earing my mum bought me as a gift.

The final touch was my perfectly put-together flower crown adding oranges purples and pops of pink to my outfit that will always bring me the best feeling in the world. It was a dream and I couldn’t help but feel absolutely sensational all day long.

The Groom

Eli has never been a dress-down kind of guy he has always had his quirky fashion-forward dress sense which sometimes sounds crazy. Then like when he first stated he was wearing a full pink suit I honestly didn’t think it would work. But Eli being Eli he can pull pretty much any look off and look amazingly handsome. It was perfect we were sold.

Then scrolling on ASOS a burnt orange velvet smoking jacket stopped him in his tracks. It was sensational he had to have it. It looked amazing. He teamed it with black textured slim-fit cropped trousers and a black waistcoat, a white shirt and a black dickie bow. He looked insane to the point the jacket just made the whole wedding pop.

The Ceremony & Music

The best part of the ceremony was seeing Eli’s face as I walked towards him crunching white rose petals under my feet as he stood in front of a wall of fairy lights. His emotions getting the better of him in such a beautifully vulnerable way but also knowing this was the best decision of my life marrying this sensational man.

We had Eli’s cousin play guitar and partner sing as we walked down the aisle.

Aisle – HER- Every Kind Of Way
Signing- Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
Cindy Lauper – Time After Time
Leaving – Jesse Ware – Champagne Kisses
Entrance – London Grammar – Baby It’s You
First Dance – Berwyn- To Be Loved

Your Photographer & Filmmaker

Firewood Film ( THE BEST)

The Styling & Decor

We did a lot ourselves. We collected bottles and sprayed them, we wrapped our napkins with lavender, screwed alarm clocks to pallets and built 6ft pallet walls for backdrops. It was so much fun making it all, it created such a buzz for our guests who had helped to get to show off their skills.

The Honeymoon

Cuba – Rum, vintage cars and cigars.

Memorable Moments

Honestly the whole day was perfection. I play my wedding video every day to relive every single moment because each second was just our dream.

Advice For Other Couples

Make your wedding all about you, your love, your dream together, your life down to every detail. You need to love every single piece of it. People will see how much you adore it and each other which is hugely infectious. We all love to see love and being in love is the best feeling in the world so show it to everyone.