February 20th, 2014 | Julia Braime
The turn of the year seems so long ago now doesn’t it? After being deluged by storms and darkness, if anyone’s kept their New Year’s resolutions by now, it’ll be a small miracle, right?
Well, funnily enough though, for once I have, so allow me a moment of smug! Mine were simple – stress less, exercise more and prioritise the things (and folk) I love most. So far I’m on the right track. How are you checking in? March is a new month after all…
Two people who are sure to have kept their resolutions and promises are today’s beautiful bride Amy and her new husband Anthony, who said their vows in front of friends and family in Hexham on New Year’s Eve. This morning they are here to share their celebration with us.
With images by Paul Santos Photography.
Amy says: We got engaged on March 29th 2012, we had just been on a ride on the gondolas in Venice when Anthony popped the question.
We were married on December 31st 2013. We had the most fantastic ceremony held at Hexham Abbey with a reception at Langley Castle.
We chose our venues based on the history and style of buildings. We had wanted a very grand wedding with it being New Year’s Eve and wanted a day for everyone to remember.
Hexham Abbey was chosen to hold our ceremony as the religious side of things was taken very seriously at the Abbey making the day very personal, but it was also set in one of the most beautiful churches we have visited in the North East. Langley Castle gave us another grand and elegant building to host our reception and it had such good reviews from previous brides and grooms. The entrance to the castle was a main selling point.
We didn’t have a theme, we just wanted to create a day to remember. Most people are at a loose end on New Year’s Eve so we wanted to celebrate the date in locations that people would remember for years to come.
We chose a colour scheme of black, red and ivory. Red was to tie in with the colours of the castle and blacks were to bring in a classic look to go with New Year’s Eve.
After nearly a year of hunting I finally found a dress that was different to anything I had seen. I went for a fish tail style lace overlay dress designed by Justin Alexander and by one of his private labels so I knew it would be very unlikely that others would have seen this dress. As it is sold only in limited shops across the UK and can’t be viewed on his website, it gave me the exclusive look I had desired. I got my dress from Wild Brides At Heart in Durham City Centre.
My bridesmaids wore one shoulder Dessy dresses purchased from Isabelles Brides in Easington. I wanted a classic look to go with the style of wedding and we wanted our maid of honour and best man to stand out so they wore claret red whilst the rest of the groomsmen and bridesmaids wore black. The men wore French Connection evening suits with dicky bow ties for a classic evening look.
My flowers were put together by Wild and Wonderful Flowers and consisted of deep red roses, black berries and ivory roses to blend in with the colour theme.
I travelled in a Rolls Royce provided by Webbs Special Occasion Cars, and the guests were transported to on a 1900 Routemaster London bus from Henry Cooper Coaches, Northumberland.
My favourite part of the day was our ceremony. It was so meaningful and very touching. To add an extra special touch, during the signing of the register we had a recently signed professional opera singer performing which made the ceremony so elegant.
Our wedding cake was kindly made by Anthony’s auntie who makes cakes in her spare time.
We chose Gary James who performs swing and Michael Buble numbers for our entertainment. Gary sang throughout the meal which was a great touch as it took away the clattering of knifes and forks and helped the meal run even more smoothly. In the evening we had an acoustic singer called Alex Dobson who put his own spin on various new releases by bands and singers, before going into a traditional disco on the evening.
Following the wedding we jetted off on honeymoon to Lucea, Jamaica.
My top tip for other Brides Up North would be that before booking any suppliers do your research and never book based on price alone. To ensure quality and value for money we sometimes had to bend our budget, but by doing this we got some of the best suppliers out there who had amazing reviews. Always read reviews before booking!
Congratulations Amy & Anthony!
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2014 Paul Santos Photography
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contact us to be featured on brides up north Julia Braime
Former lawyer and bride to be Julia founded Brides Up North in 2010 with a chip on her shoulder. Frustrated by the poor Northern presence in glossy bridal magazines and online, she decided to do something about it herself.
Astounded by the rapid growth of her blog and brand, Julia now manages Brides Up North’s online content alongside their busy wedding exhibition season, industry events and related commissions. And she’s always, always, got a new project on the go…
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