Clare & Hamish's Locally Sourced Foodie Wedding

Enter a spring Black Tie wedding of Clare and Hamish - a wedding that's very close to our hearts. Bride Clare is the co-founder of Doggart & Squash, a Wedding & Events Collective, so this wedding seriously delivers on the food and decor front thanks to Clare's expertise and her Little Black Book of exceptional local suppliers. Held in two beautiful marquees in a friend's field in West Sussex, this beautiful wedding is the epitome of springtime chic with a relaxed and personal feel.

The customer service throughout our journey was amazing. We loved our visit to the showroom, seeing all the beautiful products and meeting the team who guided us through the process from start to finish. I have worked with The Wedding Present Company via Doggart & Squash for years on joint events and always recommend them to our couples, so it was really special to have the experience first-hand as a couple!

The Wedding Present Company has a great reputation, and the relationship they build with their customers is unmatched. Not to mention the amazing customer service and care. We felt so special throughout our journey with them and really felt like they cared about us and our gift list. That level of customer service and attention to detail is quite hard to find these days.

Our favourite brand was Nkuku. We loved every brand that we added to our list but we found ourselves drawn to Nkuku the most. Their relaxed, boho-inspired aesthetic really appealed to our taste.

Yes! Our delivery day was up there with our wedding day. It was so spoiling and we had so much fun opening all our presents and reliving memories of each guest from our wedding day. The whole gift list process is such a wonderful part of wedding planning and we love that these presents have made our house a home and will remind us of our wedding and our guests for many years to come. 

Our engagement was at West Wittering beach, near to where my mum lives. It was raining when we were there but it was still the perfect location and a truly unforgettable moment. 

Our theme was Black Tie and Spring Chic. We were married in mid-April and were so lucky with the weather! We had lovely sunshine all day. Our amazing florist, Lex Hamilton Floral Studio, decorated all the key areas of the marquee with her floral magic, we had suspended festoon lights and wicker chairs with zinc-topped trestle tables. The lights made the marquee even more magical, and the wicker chairs tied in nicely with our theme. Our colour palette was soft dusty pink and terracotta, with lots of greenery.

We were lucky enough to use a friend's field in West Sussex. We had two marquees; one for our Ceremony and one for our Reception.

Our Ceremony marquee was by Great British Bell Tents and our Reception Marquee was by Greenhill Marquees

My wedding dress was by Louise Selby. A beautiful made-to-measure dress called Daisy; a column dress made from British cotton lace with a coffee-hued underlay and an open back. Doggart & Squash have catered for Louise in the past and we got on so well, I knew I had to visit her as soon as I was engaged. I didn't really know what I wanted but Louise guided me seamlessly. She is so talented and her designs are so unique without being too out-there. Her skills are second to none and my dress fitted me so perfectly. I changed into a white suit from Zara and H&M for partying. My shoes were from Karen Millen.

Hamish's mum is a hairdresser so she kindly did my hair in a low, loose bun, and I did my own make-up. This allowed me to have my hair and makeup exactly how I wanted it!

We allowed everyone to pick their own outfits and wear what they were comfortable in. We just asked that everyone stick to the colour theme of terracotta dusty pink!

US! Doggart & Squash. Being the co-founder of Doggart & Squash, this was a huge part of our day! We wanted to create a menu that was really personal to us and that was full of delicious seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.

Starter: A twist on a classic prawn cocktail

Main: Pork with Bold Butterbean Mash (we incorporated my friends bean company into this, Bold Bean Co), seasonal veg and Somerset Cider, as Hamish is from Somerset.

Pudding: Wedding Cake (Sticky Toffee, Matcha and White Chocolate, Carrot Cake)

Dominika Miechowska was our photographer, our photos turned out better than we could’ve ever expected! Hannah Films was our videographer.

LDN Entertainment – House of Ellington. They kept the party going all night! Literally.

Walking into the marquee with smoke cannons and everyone singing Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles (a play on words with Melon - Hamish's surname is Malone!) Everyone was singing and standing on chairs instead of the first dance, it was an unforgettable moment.

Enjoy the process and do not let anyone tell you what to do – it’s your day! Don't drink until the meal to help the day go a bit more slowly! Don't feel bad not being able to say hi properly to everyone - they are just happy to be part of your day! Take a moment just the two of you to look and enjoy all the lights and laughter of the day!

Gift List: The Wedding Present Company, Florist: Lex Hamilton Floral Studio, Marquees: Great British Bell Tents and Greenhill Marquees, Bridal Fashion: Louise Selby, Karen Millen, Groom's Fashion: Oliver Brown, Catering, Planning & Event Management: Doggart & Squash, Drinks: amié and Gusbourne, Cocktails: The Drunken Jockeys and Doggart & Squash, Photographer: Dominika Miechowska, Videographer: Hannah Films, Music: LDN Entertainment, Stationery: Muse Calligraphy