A Winter Church Wedding in Patrington

How did Adam pop the question?

Our engagement came as a surprise to me and everyone else, Adam had only told his granny and his mum.

Adam and I usually gift each other experiences and small trips for birthdays and Christmas so when he decided to take us away to Oslo, Norway for my 24th I wasn’t suspicious at all. Before Norway, we spent two weeks camping around Cornwall, Devon, and Dorset and so packed two sets of suitcases, one for camping and one for Oslo as we weren’t going home before flying.

Adam however, kept dipping into his Oslo bag for clothes so by the time we arrived he had barely anything, flustered and irritable we had to go shopping as soon as we arrived in the city – after he wanted to go to a place called Aker Brygge, but I just wanted to head to the apartment and chill.

Later I found out he was flustered that day as he had planned to pop the question at Aker Brygee. The next day we had planned a hike – all set to go we began exploring one of our favorite places Holmenkollen, Adam saw some young mums running up and down the stairs at the ski jump and so decided to join in… in hopes of burning off nervous energy…. that didn’t quite go to plan and he overdid it and passed out!

When he came to, he pulled the ring out of his bag and asked me right by the ski jump…. he didn’t want to wait any longer, after carrying the ring around for over two weeks he was so on edge that it was simply time. To me it was perfect, at the ski jump, surrounded by woodland, extremely private, and in our favorite country.

When and Where did you get married?

November 4th 2020 at St. Marys, Beverley and Dunedin Country House, Patrington. We booked our wedding in November 2019 and had originally booked St. Marys and the Lazaat hotel in Cottingham for 22nd November 2020 however, with the reduction in guest numbers and having postponed our reception venue till 2021 we went in search of a new venue and found the stunning Dunedin Country House.

We were originally we were due to have 50-day guests and a further 60 evening guests. In September we managed to bring the number down to 30 and then down to 13 in line with current restrictions. Unfortunately, that meant our wedding party was unable to attend and even my mother was not able to come due to isolation. However, at 2 am the morning of the wedding a close friend managed to email round a zoom link to family, bridesmaids, and groomsmen who were unable to attend, who shared the link out best they could.

Did you have a theme?

We originally decided on blush, grey and rose gold with Adam wanting a pink suit. However, with our wedding changing so much so did our theme. We ended up with burgundy, green and grey with Adam in a green asos tuxedo. We have now postponed the blush, grey and rose gold decor to go with our 2021 reception.

Saying yes to the dress!

I booked a sample sale appointment at Maria Modes in Macclesfield for the morning of our engagement party for myself and my maid of honour to have a look at dresses and get a feel for what would suit me before going shopping with all the girls…. it didn’t go quite as planned as I ended up buying the first dress I tried on; Thera by Rebecca Ingram.

It was just the one. The a-line fit and lace sleeves were everything I wanted and it felt like me as a dress. Sandra, my consultant, was absolutely fantastic from start to finish and even arranged a follow-up appointment so that all my girls could get involved in dress shopping. My experience there was amazing, I felt like a princess and could not recommend them more!

I actually ended up in a second dress too! Esme by Maggie Sottero a true princess ball gown which wow’d me over Facebook marketplace, after visiting Deborah Moore bridal in Hessle I tried on the dress and it did the opposite to Thera, it made me feel young and in my 20s, definitely more of a party dress which I saw myself dancing into the early hours in…. however covid had other plans and that dress and I ended up at the McDonalds drive-thru at 10pm and then an imptu photoshoot at the university where I study (what else is there to do when covid shuts down your wedding at 10pm due to an impending lockdown).

And your accessories…

My shoes were an easy find. I always knew I would be wearing Rainbow Club shoes, it was just a matter of which ones. Last year I saw Margot on the website and immediately bought them, they were the perfect shoes, I just wish I had more pictures of them!

My earrings were something old, given to me by my mother many years ago and my necklace, a Tiffany & Co save the wild elephant with tsavorites gifted by my husband a few years back. I chose to wear my great grandmother’s engagement ring, a sapphire encrusted in diamonds as my something blue, and my mother in law lent me her tennis bracelet to be my something borrowed.

I wore two garters, a blue band with two hummingbirds by Hello Blue Bridal, and a unique ivory feather garter Georgie by Hannah Josie bridal. My tiara is Hepburn by Ivory and Co, it just completed the look beautifully.

What was the best part of the day?

My favorite part of the day was our first look, it was incredible and intimate. I had always wanted to do one so that Adam and I could have that time for ourselves, though it took a bit of persuading to get Adam on board, and in the end, he was so thankful we did it, he said that if it wasn’t for that he would not have enjoyed his favourite part; the ceremony as he would have been nervous and overcome with emotion. I walked into the room to You set my world on fire by Loving Caliber ft. Selestine and everything melted away, afterwards Adam ushered everyone out, closed the doors, and spoke the vows he had written to me, we then joined everyone outside for family photos.

Do you have any advice for other brides to be?

You won’t even notice all the little bits which whilst planning seem like the most parts, if you do not want something don’t feel pressured to have it or do it just because it is the done thing. Your wedding day is about you and your future husband no one else – please remember that.

Oh and what everyone says about the day going by so fast, it’s true! We only had 13 guests and I didn’t have a full conversation with a single one of them, it was such a busy, beautiful whirlwind.

My Aunt drove 4 hours from London and back that day all to come to our wedding and so my grandad could walk me down the aisle, for that, I am forever thankful, it was the greatest gift I have ever received. My maid of honour who only the night before still wasn’t attending due to covid surprised me at the church and joined the ceremony – safe to say a few tears were shed when she called to say she was at the church waiting for me!

Suppliers:

Photographer: Calvin Taylor Lee Photographer

Venue: St. Mary’s Church and Dunedin Country House

Dress Designers: Rebecca Ingram and Maggie Sottero

Dress Boutique: Maria Modes and Deborah Moore

Grooms Suit: ASOS

Shoes: Margot by Rainbow Club

Veil: Clair Eliza Donoghue

Jewellery: Goldsmiths, Tiffany & Co. and Ivory & Co.

Flowers: Handmade with Love

Cake: Buttercream Bliss

Garter: Hello Blue Bridal and Hannah Josie Bridal