The proposal took place in Ireland. We were there visiting Joe’s family in a beautiful small town called Ardara. I had never been to Ireland before but instantly fell in love with the picturesque little town which we stayed in. Now Ireland is renowned for being unreliable with the weather and little
did I know but Joe was banking on some glorious sunshine for a special trip to the beach.
We arrived late afternoon and low and behold the sun was shining, not wanting to tempt fate and wait until the following day Joe sprung the idea of heading straight down to the beach for a picnic. So, after a quick stop for some nibbles (and wine) we headed over to Maghera Beach with its stunning views and white sand. Once on the beach we set up camp and went off exploring some hidden caves and a beautiful little waterfall. The afternoon couldn’t have been more perfect and as I was taking some photos of the scenery around us I stumbled across a message in a bottle which was
sticking out of the sand. I honestly thought I had found a real, washed up message in a bottle, however, when opening it I soon realised that a certain someone had placed it in the sand for me to find. The message was a beautiful poem which Joe had written all about our lives together, after
I had finished reading the poem, I looked up and there he was down on one knee and he asked me to marry him! It could not have been more perfect and to top it all off he had set up, unknowingly to me, our go pro, managing to capture everything. I was so touched by all the little details he had
thought of (including decorating the ring box to look like a mini treasure chest) that it made me fall in love with him all over again!
We got married at Tanworth-in-Arden Church and held our reception at the stunning Gorcott Hall (a hidden gem we managed to stumble across). Choosing our venue was for me, all about the church. My parents had been married at Tanworth-in-Arden Church almost 30 years ago so for me
it made the whole ceremony that little bit more special.
It was actually mum mum who suggested a visit to the boutique, she had noticed the store whilst out for lunch in Henley with her friends and was drawn in my the beautiful gowns in the window.
The Bridal Boutique was only the second store I visited and with Madi’s help and expertise, managed to find the most perfect gown.
I already had a pretty clear idea of what kind of style I was after so Madi suggested I try on some Martina Liana separate pieces, something I had not initially envisioned. I had chosen a couple of options myself, however, it wasn’t until I tried on Madi’s wild card that I fell in love the gown. Gasps
from my mum confirmed that it was the one for me! The delicate corset top was to die for and went beautifully with the tule skirt. We matched the gown with a mauve/gold belt and detailed lace veil. It was perfect!
The bridesmaid dresses were designed and custom made in a beautiful pastel blue with the help from my amazingly talented friend. My bridal shoes (a surprise gift from my bridesmaids) were Kurt Geiger and in the same shade of blue as the girls dresses.
The boys all wore suits from Peter Posh, with Joe’s only request being that he was able to wear tales. We opted for a bright royal blue with Joe wearing a grey tweed waistcoat to stand out from the groomsmen.
The day for us held a very traditional but rustic (and a hint of beach) vibe and was perfect from start to finish. Everyone tells you how different it is on your own wedding day, however, I was still not prepared from the amount of love I felt form everyone around me.
Almost all of our decor was DIY which gave a real personal feel to the day. I created an 8 foot floral photo booth which went down a treat, along with a mass of lawn games which caused a lot competitiveness, particularly
with the sack races! We had a brilliant acoustic duo for our evening entertainment who played a beautiful rendition of ‘Stand by me’ for our first dance.
My most favourite part of the day has to be the ceremony, after walking down the isle with my dad to ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ a song which was dedicated to my late Nan and played beautifully on the flute by a close friend, I got to marry my best friend. In all the photos we are grinning like cheshire cats which I feel says it all!
Our wonderful suppliers who helped everything come together:
J.S Coates – Photographer
Lukas and Laura – Videographer
Makeup – ‘Look’ by Danielle Guiden
Hair – Shannon Kim
Cake – The Cake Stand
Flowers – Faye’s flowers
Cars – Nothing but wedding cars
