Charis and Matt | Furtho Manor Farm

suzannebrannigan8
Jul 31
2 min read

Updated: Sep 11

If you're looking for inspiration for a relaxed, outdoor wedding ceremony full of love, laughter and personal touches, Charis and Matt’s celebration at Furtho Manor Farm in Northamptonshire is a perfect example. With gorgeous vows, a harpist, a ring-warming and readings from a friend and Matt’s grandparents, their wedding was a reminder that ceremonies don’t have to be over the top, just true to you.

Some ceremonies just glow from the inside out - Charis and Matt’s wedding was one of those. Held in May at Furtho Manor Farm, this outdoor celebration had all the warmth, laughter and love you could hope for, along with a few absolutely golden

moments. From the moment the harpist began playing Kissing You to the final notes of Sanctuary sung by friends Jo and Amanda, the ceremony was full of emotion, character and genuine connection.

One of the elements, for me, that made the ceremony so special was the non-traditional wedding party and entrance. Matt made an entrance after his gorgeous groomsmaids Emma, Laura and Chloe, followed by the bridal party Ethan, Megan, Daniel and Ellis. Charis then made her appearance with her dad. I just LOVED the mix up of traditional gender roles within the wedding party.

We opened the ceremony with one of my favourite ceremony elements - a ring-warming. During the first half of the ceremony, guests passed the rings around, infusing them with their love and best wishes. Thanks to Matt’s dad, our unofficial ring security, I’m pleased to say that they made it safely to the front in time for the ring exchange!

Charis and Matt’s story started with a chance encounter at a 17th birthday party (opposite ends of the table with no sparks... yet!). Years later, a swipe right brought them back together and it quickly became clear this was something special. There

was Centre Parcs instead of Greece (thanks, Thomas Cook), a teeny-tiny factory flat picked up just before the pandemic (they survived lockdown there) and, eight months in, they were thriving.

Matt’s proposal was something to rival all romcom movies! He managed to organise a full-blown treasure hunt in London, complete with scouting missions before the day, a backup queen’s footman (played by his dad) and discovered the

perfect proposal destination in front of a rose called Champagne Celebration. Charis was totally blown away as she hadn’t suspected a thing, however, she did get a bit suspicious when they were offered a ‘bonus round’ because she’d actually decided to side with the evil queen at the end of the hunt!