Chilham Bridal Real Bride Yasmin’s Boho Barn Wedding

Yasmin and Matt held their gorgeous boho wedding at a barn wedding venue in Kent. Following her rustic, boho theme, Yasmin chose to buy her lace Pronovias gown with a fit and flare silhouette at our independent barn boutique, and she totally stunned on her big day.

We caught up with our lovely bride to find out how it all went.

How did you meet your now-husband, Matt?

“We went to the same secondary school but we didn’t end up dating until after we left and Matt dropped me a DM on Facebook… standard!”

How did Matt propose?

“Matt made up for how he asked me out by proposing at our favourite restaurant in Canterbury, which we visit every year for our anniversary. He proposed at dinner and then arranged for our families and friends to be waiting in the bar area after the big event. Good job I said yes!”

What was your experience shopping at Chilham Bridal?

“A few friends had mentioned Chilham Bridal to me when I was looking for bridal boutiques.

“I looked at the boutique’s Facebook page and went along to their red tag sale weekend. Even though my appointment was slightly shorter than usual, Boutique Owner Carly made sure I tried on plenty of her ex-sample and pre-loved wedding dresses and she was amazing when it came to choosing dresses for me, even with the limited information I gave her!

“Carly made both my mum and I feel so special and welcomed as soon as we walked into her barn boutique.

“I was worried that I would struggle to pick my dress. I kept thinking that whatever I chose must be ‘the one’. But, having Carly there to help me pick out the dresses made the whole experience amazing. She helped me find my dream dress in just one appointment!”

Want to browse our affordable designer wedding dresses and benefit from Carly’s expert advice? Book your appointment at Chilham Bridal, we’d love to be part of your wedding day!

Tell us about your wedding dress

“I choose an Pronovias’s Alexia dress from Carly’s ex-sample collection.

“I wasn’t entirely sure what type of dress I wanted, I just knew I wanted a statement train and as soon as I saw the dress and its long lace train, I thought ‘that could be the one’, and it was!”

How did you know it was ‘the one’?

“I fell in love with the train, lace and the high neck details. The high neck was actually totally different from the strapless dress I’d envisioned choosing. I feel so lucky that I had the ‘this is the one’ moment when I tried my dress on. My mum and I both said it at the same time!”

Did you have any alterations?

“The only alteration I necessary was the typical length change, which was done by the lovely Sandra who Carly recommend.”

What accessories did you choose?

“My veil was from Chilham Bridal’s collection. It was lacy and had a little bit of sparkle, matching my dress perfectly.

“I also wore Ted Baker ivory heels which had big bows on the toes and my mum bought me a Tiffany bracelet as my ‘something blue’.”

Where did you get married?

“Our ceremony and reception were both held at the Reach Court Farm in St Margaret’s Bay. We had an outdoor ceremony, thankfully in the sunshine (it was touch and go!).

“Our wedding breakfast and evening reception were held in the venue’s beautiful barn, which was adorned with lots of fairy lights to match our rustic-boho theme.”

Love this outdoor ceremony? Check out our budget bride Amy’s outdoor, boho wedding day.

Who took these gorgeous pictures?

“The incredibly talented Kent-based wedding photographer, Simon Hawkins. We came across Simon when we entered a competition to win a free engagement photoshoot, which we won!

“We immediately connected with Simon and felt comfortable having our pictures taken by him. After seeing the amazing shots he’d captured from the engagement shoot we booked him for our big day.”

Tell us about your hair and makeup

“My makeup followed a soft glam theme. Elizabeth Joseph Love did it for me, her skin work is incredible – spots do not exist in her world!

“I had my hair done by Emma Flagg and Emma B who both work at Willow Tree Hair and Beauty. I had a low, boho-style bun with lots of twists and braids.”

Planning a Kent-based wedding? We’ve gathered the best hair and makeup artists in Kent to ensure you have a stress-free wedding morning.

How did you choose your flowers?

“We decided on a DIY wedding to save some pennies, so my mum and I made all of the bouquets, buttonholes and table displays myself. We had so much fun making them, and it also meant our friends and family could keep the bouquets and table flowers as keepsakes after our wedding.

“We had peonies, and on the day, we added fresh gypsophila to all the table centrepieces and the cake.”

Who did your wedding catering?

“As Matt runs a Mexican restaurant and we went to Mexico for our first holiday, we decided to go with a Mexican menu. We had nacho sharing platters and roll your own fajitas! Half of the guests must have felt like they were at work!

“We chose Blackbird Caterers from Reach Courts Farm’s suggested catering companies. Our friends had used this company for their own weddings and said positive things about their service.

“All of our guests loved the food and it was no trouble tailoring the menu to fit our Mexican theme – the whole process of booking for our day was simple and stress-free!”

Tell us about your bridesmaids

“I had four bridesmaids: my two best friends, Matt’s sister and my cousin. Their dresses were blush pink, floor-length maxis from Dorothy Perkins’s sale – they were a total bargain!

“I also had two flower girls who wore white leotards and blush pink tutus that I ordered from Etsy.”

What wedding transport did you have?

“I arranged for one of Big Day Cars’ seven-seater limousines to pick me, my bridesmaids and my parents up from my mum’s house and take us house to the venue.”

Where did you get your wedding stationery?

“Our save the dates and invitations were made by Jode who runs a small stationery business called Pickle Prints. I came across Jode on Instagram and she helped me create a bespoke design which has now been branded ‘the Yasmin collection’ and is being ordered by other brides and grooms, which I think is so lovely!

“The invites were printed on textured white card with a pink peony design before being tied together with lace and a blush pink ribbon.”

What entertainment did you have for your guests?

“We made some wooden garden games like ring toss, noughts and crosses, Jenga and limbo. All of the games were made from pallets, recycled bottles and crates. For the evening reception we hired a selfie mirror and doughnut wall from Reflections Events.”

We love that Yasmin’s games were made from recycled goods! Did you know that all of our dresses are ex-sample or pre-loved? This means they’re not only heavily reduced in price but also the most sustainable dresses around!

What was the most memorable moment from your big day?

“The most memorable moment was walking down the aisle. Matt had arranged for A3 canvases, filled with photos of us from the beginning of our relationship up until our wedding day, to be placed along the aisle.

“The final canvas was a frame so that we could look at all our guests watching us get married. I didn’t actually look through it as I was concentrating on running down the aisle, but thankfully our photographer took a photo to capture the moment!”

Finally, what advice do you have for brides who are just about to get married?

“Enjoy the build-up and all the social events that come with planning your big day, the day itself goes by so fast and so it’s actually the moments before that you’ll remember the most!

“Remember that the day is all about the two of you, and as long as you’re happy that’s all that matters!”

Loved reading this real bride feature? Check out more stories from our previous brides Carine, who had a luxurious hotel wedding and Justina, who opted for a traditional church do.