I am not sure I've ever featured a more thoughtful couple, this bride and groom went the extra mile and thought of every little detail for their wedding.

WWW readers Philip and Victoria married on the 28th September 2013 at the beautiful Hitchin Lavender, Hertfordshire. They hand crafted their rustic feel wedding to perfection, from the genius dictionary guest book to the stationery and notebook favours. They were also lucky to have some supremely talented friends who helped to create their wedding not to mention a super gorgeous wedding party.

Victoria looked divine in lace and I love her green Converse, while Philip donned a dark navy suit. And all on a budget of £6000, amazing.

Thanks so much to the wonderful Jessica Holt Photography for sharing her images with us.

THE PROPOSAL | Philip decided to propose with a picnic in the park where we had shared one of our first dates together in Bloomsbury Square in London. Unfortunately on the day, I had a cold and it was such awful weather with thunder and lightning that he decided to have the picnic on my living room floor! I was so surprised! He was very organised and had all my favourite foods, beautiful wine, bone china plates and silver cutlery! He even chose the ring with no direction from me, and I LOVE it!

THE VISION | As a designer with a creative husband we both wanted to add our own style and creativity to the wedding in order to make our guests feel special and welcome. Although we both live in London, I am originally South African and my husband is Northern Irish, so we had people flying in from Northern Ireland, from South Africa and even Australia! Not to mention the people coming from Scotland and the Midlands... we wanted to make it worth the trip! We wanted our wedding to feel relaxed and warm, like we had invited all our friends and family for dinner!

We both love the colour green so the theme colour was mainly green. Once we found the venue we also decided to incorporate wood and browns or earthy colours into the colour scheme. To soften this we added lace and vintage style things. So our wedding was a woody, vintage, earthy theme in greens, browns and creams.

THE PLANNING PROCESS | Due to the logistics of having family and friends on different continents, we found it rather difficult to choose a time and date for the big day. I found the biggest worry was the venue and once we had that organised the rest of the planning process was fun and easy. The availability for the venue helped us choose a date quickly and we decided to get married before the winter. We had four months to plan the big day!

We did all of the planning (and lots of the DIY projects) together and had so much fun, every weekend we visited car boot sales and had one or two little project to do. I was surprised at how much we did manage to do and how much fun it was! We even nicknamed ourselves 'team Hoey'!

For the invitations, instead of using the traditional wedding wording we wrote the invite from our hearts, asking people to share in our special day - it was very untraditional but I think it really reflected our hearts and what we wanted for the day. In many ways I think the invitation sets the tone for your wedding and people seemed to pick up on our desire for a heartfelt ceremony and a unique day.

I designed the invitations on rustic looking brown card with a simple white line doodle and font, and had these printed like postcards with rounded edges. They were simple and quirky.

The order of service was designed in the same rustic style as the invitation - again, the wording was intimate and quirky, reflecting our personalities and our love for the people who were there to share our day with us.

BUDGET | We had a plan not to spend on anything unnecessary. We didn't want to spend years paying the wedding off afterwards! We did as much as we could ourselves - thankfully we are both quite creative and could make quite a few things ourselves by setting DIY projects each weekend. The venue was amazing in that it was quite rustic and beautiful on its own so whatever we did simply added to its charm.

The budget was £6,000 to £8,000.

THE VENUE | We looked at a few reception venues but traditionally weddings are quite formal and we wanted something more relaxed. We wanted a relaxed environment where friends and family could come and share our special day with us and enjoy themselves. We wanted the kids to be free to run around and play while the parents could enjoy some good food and a drink or two. We both liked the idea of an old barn and a summer wedding would have been perfect, but due to the logistics of getting family and friends to London from literally all over the world we realised it was going to have to be an autumn wedding in September. This made finding a venue even more difficult.

Philip eventually found the Hitchin Lavender Barn in Hertfordshire, just outside London. They normally hold weddings in large marquees out in the lavender fields when the lavender is in flower, which means they only host about four weddings each year. The barn is normally used as a gift and coffee shop. Although most brides opt for the marquee and the fields of lavender, when we went to see the place we both fell in love with the 17 ^th century barn and could see how it would make an amazing venue. We enquired and eventually after much praying they agreed to let us have our wedding right there in the barn, even though it is not what they normally offer. We were delighted!

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | For my dress I didn't have an exact idea of what I wanted but I was sure that I didn't want a typical strapless wedding dress. I wanted a dress that would reflect my personality and something I could feel relaxed and comfortable in. Because Philip and I got engaged in early May and married in late September, so there was not a lot of time for ordering bespoke wedding dresses, never mind the fact that I didn't really like any of the ones I saw.

I had a little bit of an obsession over my wedding shoes and had three pairs! I ended up wearing all three pairs at different times during the day! One elegant 'grown up' pair for walking down the aisle, a pair of flip flops for when it was hot, and a pair of converse style trainers for later when it got colder (all of which were green!) ... even the groom had a pair of green converse trainers!

A friend did my hair and another did my make up and although both are semi-professional I was grateful for the relaxed attitude they added to the whole experience. Because of that I was able to have trials when it was convenient for me (after work etc) and they were both so helpful on the day - it was lovely to have friends around when I was nervous!

FINDING THE DRESS | After searching so many wedding dress shops here in the UK and not being able to find anything I wanted I was beginning to worry... until I happened to be in New York for work and managed to buy a gorgeous off-the-rack wedding dress while I was there! I loved that it was easy to wear and not fussy or tight. It needed minor alterations to make it fit perfectly but these were easy to arrange and I had peace of mind knowing that for the most part the dress was perfect. I'm so glad I never had a dress made because I know I would have been worrying about it the whole time!

The whole dress was covered in lace with beads and sequence, this made it look so pretty and unique. It reminded me so much of my mother's wedding dress, I think that's why I chose it!

GROOM'S ATTIRE | Philip wore a dark navy suit, with a white shirt, brown shoes and a beautiful green tie. He also gave his best man and groomsmen matching green ties and green socks!

THE READINGS & MUSIC | We both chose church songs that we loved and that meant something special to us. We decided not to have any readings but instead asked a few close friends to come and pray for us. It was really very special and added the heartfelt closeness we wanted for the day.

The song we decided to walk out of the church to is a song one of our friends wrote and recorded!

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | I had been a bridesmaid 5 times and trying to find matching dresses for my bridesmaids was not something I was even going to attempt. I had six bridesmaids, prior to the wedding they were spread out around the world - two were in South Africa, one in Australia and three here in the UK; logistically it would have been a nightmare to even attempt matching their dresses! So I sent them colour ideas and let them go wild... the effect was really brilliant. I love how each of them has a dress that reflects their personality and in a way what they mean to me - each is different. I wanted my them to have something they could wear again and it was great that they were all comfortable and happy. We bought pashminas in varying shades of green for each of them, to tie in the green in case any of the dresses were a bit 'out' in terms of colour, but in the end I don't really think they needed them for the colour - maybe just for the chilly breeze!

I had similar logistical problems with the flower girls. We decided to buy them all white dresses with lace detail, but each was different so they reflected their personalities too. The age differences also meant that a single style would not have been great for all six of the girls. We got each of the flower girls a pair of white converse style trainers, which looked funky and also meant they could run wild on the lavender farm at the reception and not worry about blisters or sore feet. I think the mom's were grateful!

For each bridesmaid I designed and made a bone china mug saying 'thank you for being an amazing bridesmaid'. I also designed a few other mugs saying 'thank you for being amazing', which we gave to some other special people in the bridal party. We also included some of the lavender soaps and hand creams from the Lavender Farm with the thank you mugs.

THE FLOWERS | Our bouquets and the flowers at the church were done by an amazing friend. I showed her a few photos of ideas I had found and we discussed what was possible in terms of seasonality. Although I did originally want sweet peas they weren't in flower, but I can't begin to describe how great it was to not have to match flower colours to anything. Because the bridesmaids dresses were all different, and some were plain while some patterned, we decided for them to have big bunches of gypsum - this was delicate and simple and matched all of their dresses. We were very open to which flowers we had and this made not only the practicality of getting the flowers easier but it also lowered the cost considerably.

My mom and my sister did the flower arrangements at the venue. Each table at the venue had an assortment of teacups, jugs, jars and vases that we filled with white and green flowers and foliage. With some of the jars we created a vintage feel by wrapping them in antique lace; with others we cut heart shapes out of old books and attached those to the jars.

The beauty of this arrangement was that we could simply buy the flowers that were in season and not have to worry about matching colours too much - it gave us a lot of flexibility and made centrepiece flowers a lot cheaper.

We also potted some of the teacups with little plant seedlings which was great because we could give them to guests as little keepsakes when they were leaving.

Each table had enough vases to make it feel like a feature and we could vary this according to the table sizes, which again was a great help. The tables at the venue were different sizes and if we had had a fixed flower arrangement it would have taken up most of the space on the smaller tables and looked lost plopped down in the middle of a big table.

THE CAKE | For our wedding cake we wanted something delicious and fun. When I came across a photograph of the knitted bride and groom cake toppers I fell in love with them! I asked a friend who is a genius with knitting needles and she knitted a gorgeous bride and groom for us, and even matched the hair and clothing colours to what we were going to be wearing on the day!

Another bridesmaid is a trained pastry chef so we asked her if she would make the wedding cakes - when we came to decide what cake to have we choose our three favourite cakes... carrot cake, cheesecake and lemon drizzle cake. One of our favourite restaurants makes amazing cheesecake so we decided to get the cheesecakes from them and our pastry-chef-bridesmaid made the carrot and lemon drizzle cakes.

We used an old vintage sideboard as our cake table. Behind the cakes we featured framed photographs of family and friends who couldn't be there with us. We wanted the cake stand to be fun and different and so, rather than a traditional tiered wedding cake, we created a tiered effect by displaying the cakes on different plates and cake stands at different heights.

After cutting the wedding cake we served it to our guests ourselves using vintage cake plates and forks. It was a great way to get to chat to everyone again!

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | Our photographer was Jess Holt; she was absolutely amazing - she has started a photography business with her fiancé, and they both came to take pictures on our big day so we had two wedding photographers! The photos they took were just amazing and we are so happy with the pictures.

A few weeks before the wedding we found an old graffitied alleyway which we loved and asked Jess and Benjy if we could have a wedding shoot there on the way from the church to the reception venue. The pictures are so cute and really reflect our fun, playful relationship. The cafe pictures were taken in a little cafe we found right by the alleyway and we both loved its mismatched, quirky details... the setting was perfect.

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR | We decorated the church with hand made bunting, kilim style rugs and rustic bales of hay. It was draped in cream & white linen & lace and we strung up tissue paper pompoms and concertina balls. (We found some great DIY ideas to make pompoms from coffee filters & doilies). At the front of the church we placed two hay bales draped in white lace, to use as our seats during the seated parts of the ceremony. This all helped to soften the interior, and emphasized the rustic style we wanted to achieve.

Instead of using a traditional ring cushion, we created our own by using an antique bible (a family heirloom that belonged to my great grandfather), and tied the rings onto it using vintage lace. It was extra special.

In the church bathrooms we wrote cute little messages (like 'you're gorgeous!') on the mirrors using glass crayons and stuck up lovely quotes. It gave a sense of the fun and playfulness we wanted our guests to enjoy during our wedding day. We also provided a little basket of toiletries, painkillers etc, in case our guests needed something they had forgotten to bring.

After the ceremony at the church we provided a finger lunch. This included sandwiches, gorgeous bespoke shamrock cookies and cupcakes. The cupcakes included little flags and banners with cute messages, which fitted in perfectly with the fun and light-hearted mood. Towards the end of the lunch two of my nephews served our guests with little tubs of ice-cream. They were dressed in old-fashioned cloth caps and bow ties, which everyone loved!

In order to make the reception venue, the 17 ^th century barn, more cosy and inviting we strung fairy lights and paper chains (made from rolls of vintage wallpaper) along the old timber walls. We created a 'lounge' area with sofas, suspended funky lampshades, baskets of blankets and antique suitcases where guests could place wedding gifts. We had a 'photo booth' made - it was a 'family portrait wall' with two empty picture frames for guests to pop their head through for a picture and become part of the 'family portrait wall'. It was a big hit!

Although the barn was beautiful, there was no escaping the fact it was a 350 year old wooden building, and so it could be quite drafty at times! With this in mind we placed two baskets of blankets around the barn, where our guests could grab a blanket to wrap around themselves if they got cold.

The barn venue had mismatched tables that were different shapes and sizes, and we purposefully mixed up the chairs so the entire feeling was mismatched and quirky - we didn't want anything to look formal. We used tablecloths from our mothers' and grandmothers' trousseau boxes, assortments of teacups, jugs, jars and vases, filled with flowers and foliage, and some little potted plant seedlings. Each table was unique and distinctive, allowing us to mix more vintage-styled table settings in with slightly more retro style table settings.

For the table numbers we collected vintage bone china side plates and tea plates, and I designed table numbers to add to the centre of each plate. The overall effect was cute and original, no two were the same! Philip and I bought vintage cutlery and wrapped it in handmade rustic napkins. Inside each napkin we included a different quote about love, marriage or happiness (like a fortune cookie but with cutlery) people loved the cute quotes and thoughtfulness.

I had many ideas for wedding favours and chose to make a personalised notebook for each guest with their name on it. Arranged on the tables before the guests arrived, the notebooks doubled as name cards. I designed four different notebooks, using photographs that Philip and I had taken at special times during our relationship - so each notebook was really special to us. We had these printed up at a local printer and I hand wrote the guests' names when we had finalised the guest list closer to the big day.

Instead of wedding favours for the younger guests, I made gift bags by sewing together white fabric, and we then filled the gift bags with toys, treats, games and activity books. The gift bags were intended to make the younger guests feel more included and special, but also had an added benefit of keeping the kids occupied and contented while they're parents relaxed.

We also bought and borrowed some tea sets and created a tea & coffee stand on a vintage sideboard, where guests could help themselves to tea and coffee in china teacups.

Our guest book was an antique dictionary which we placed with a bowl of eclectic papers cut into heart shapes. Guests could then choose a word in the dictionary which meant something special to them, and write a message on the heart relating to the word they had chosen or to us and stick it into the book. It was fun and different and people came up with really great messages!

THE HONEYMOON | We had two! A short one quite soon after the wedding in Prague - it was great to get away soon after the big day to relax and spend some time together. A few months later we went to South Africa! Philip hadn't been and we had another wedding celebration there with some family who were not able to make it over for our actual wedding.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS | Philip loved the relaxed mood at the finger lunch - he was quite nervous prior to the ceremony so it was great to relax and mingle afterwards with some yummy eats!

I loved the shoot we had at the graffiti wall, it was so nice to get away for a few minutes without the whole wedding party and just laugh at what we had just done - it relieved the emotional nerves we had just experienced! I felt a lot more relaxed after that!

I loved the atmosphere at the wedding - I remember looking across the barn at one point and seeing all our loved ones looking so relaxed, laughing and dancing and I was incredibly happy because it was just what I wanted for our day!

Philip also loved mingling with our guests at the lavender barn - our guests were so relaxed and everyone was having a fantastic time, which made all our work worthwhile!

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | I wish we had organised camera use at the wedding a bit better. Before the wedding I remember reading about couples banning cameras from their wedding and thought the brides were being bridezillas. After our big day we have so many photos, especially in the church as the wedding party is walking down the aisle, where you see only cameras and smart phones. I just wish I had 'appointed' someone to make sure photos were free of cameras in the ground and also maybe no cameras in the church?

We were so eager to get unique, quirky, relaxed photos that we didn't get one full-length, colour photo. I didn't actually want one, but in hindsight it would have been useful to have for some older, more traditional family members for their 'family wedding wall'!

Philip's advice is to relax, enjoy the day and remember how lucky you are! Counting your blessings goes a long way towards counteracting those nerves!

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE |

Photography | Jessica Holt Photography

Gifts | Victoria Mae Designs

Venue | Hitchin Lavender

Dress | David's Bridal

Wow, all of that amazing effort sure did pay off, a gorgeous wedding.

Thanks so much to Philip and Victoria for sharing their wedding story with us XOXO Lou