Real Weddings

pretty blooms & antique gold. a stylish wedding at middleton lodge – jemma & david

Alexis Forsyth

Jem & Dave BUN blog (2) (43 of 93)

Today’s picturesque wedding is all about the elegance, pairing a gorgeous ivory, blush pink and antique gold colour scheme with the grand and impressive backdrop of Middleton Lodge in North Yorkshire.

Bride and groom Jemma and David, had their heart set on a summer’s wedding, and we can easily see why they fell for this stunning venue, which just so happens to be a Sponsor of Brides Up North.

Their special day featured a traditional church ceremony (the couple’s personal highlight from the whole day) followed by the wedding breakfast in a marquee beautifully adorned with peonies, roses, hydrangeas and witch hazel – the epitome of a classic country estate wedding.

Other Pinterest-worthy elements include the three-tiered cake with its oh so pretty ruffle and marble design, and the bride’s dreamy satin ivory dress with a mermaid tail.

Diary date: We will be holding a Brides Up North Luxury Wedding Fair at the stunning Middleton Lodge Estate on Sunday 4th March, 12 noon to 3pm, FREE ENTRY. Be sure to join us then to view this beautiful venue firsthand, including its new Fig House and Kitchen Garden wedding space, plus the beautiful Lodge House and Garden Marquee. 

With images by Brides Up North Sponsor, Jenny Maden.

Jem & Dave BUN blog (2) (4 of 93)

jemma says:

We got engaged in April 2016, at Arthur’s Seat Edinburgh! I had actually planned the trip to celebrate Dave’s birthday and couldn’t have been more surprised! Having no clue what he had planned, on our way up to the top we passed a beautiful lake with some swans. To which I said: “Wouldn’t this be a nice place to get engaged?” Little did I know that ten minutes later we would be!

We got married on 4th August 2017. We were quite flexible on the date as long as it was in the summer.

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We tied the knot at Middleton Lodge in Richmond, North Yorkshire. We wanted an exclusive use venue that our guests would love and Middleton Lodge has it all. It is a Georgian manor house set in acres of beautiful Yorkshire countryside. The wedding breakfast was held in a marquee adjoined to the house and then late night partying in the red bricked Cellar Bar sold it for us!

There was no specific theme. We very much wanted a classic, elegant wedding. Tones of ivory, blush pink and antique gold were used in our wedding stationery and blooms.

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When it came to wedding dress shopping, I told myself that I would try on literally every style! Of course, I liked some styles more than others, but I really wanted to get the perfect dress that suited my figure and that I felt amazing in. So many of my friends have said they chose a dress that they never would have thought they would go for – so this fuelled my thought process!

In the end, I went for a very elegant satin ivory gown with a strapless, sweetheart neckline. There was a mermaid tail littered with diamond and it had buttons down the back. I chose a diamond belt to add some more sparkle. My dress was from Abigail’s Bridal in Leeds and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Margaret and the whole team were fabulous and so accommodating!

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Dave wore a traditional navy morning suit. He was not a fan of wearing blush pink (surprise surprise!) so instead we opted for a light silver/ grey waistcoat and gunmetal grey ties.

The groomsmen wore the same as Dave; meanwhile the bridesmaids wore blush pink multi-way dresses that they looked beautiful in!

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I travelled to the venue in a vintage Rolls Royce supplied by Elite Wedding Cars – it was fabulous!

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We booked photographer Jenny Maden. I would 100% recommend Jenny. She is so friendly and made Dave and I laugh so much on our engagement shoot and on the day itself. She is so easy to be around and was really flexible on the day, too.

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My bouquet consisted of peonies, roses and eucalyptus in blush pink, pink and ivory tones. Nicolla Florist in Wetherby provided them. The groom and groom’s party wore a single white rose with eucalyptus.

I was very particular about how I wanted the floral centrepieces to look. This was the main decoration in the marquee so they needed to be impactful. The flowers were peonies, roses, hydrangeas with greenery and contorted witch hazel. They provided depth and height and looked fab! Nicolla Florist did a wonderful job!

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We didn’t give out favours, purely because we’ve seen them been left at so many weddings. We did put a single heart shaped chocolate fondant on everyone’s napkin though, which were demolished!

We chose a three-tier cake of vanilla, lemon and carrot cake. We chose a ruffle and marble design in ivory and blush pink and it was decorated with roses. Sweet Charlotte Cakes made this and it was delicious; we wasn’t any left with any after the wedding!

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Everyone commented on how delicious the food was, which is a testament to Middleton Lodge. For the main event we started with crispy duck egg with British asparagus and a hollandaise sauce. This was followed by beef cheek with parsnip, mashed potatoes and a jus. The meal was rounded off with a caramel delice with caramel ice cream and popcorn. This was all accompanied by a Malbec and Chenin Blanc.

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In terms of entertainment, we had a string quartet for the drinks reception and then for the evening, we hired a band.

Our first dance was a mash up of John Legend All of Me into Rhianna and Calvin Harris We Found Love which was a surprise!

As a special touch to the day, we asked our parents and grandparents to give us a picture from their wedding day and we framed them all and put them on the table in the main house for everyone to see. Our selfie sticks went down a treat too!

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We would absolutely recommend Middleton Lodge to others, especially if you’re looking for exclusive use in fabulous grounds.

The church ceremony was my highlight from the day. Reverend David Lewis gave a heartfelt service and that was the most special part for us both.

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Following the wedding, we went on honeymoon for three weeks, touring Sri Lanka for five nights and then chilling out in the Maldives – it was amazing!

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My top tip for other Brides Up North would be, take your time – it’s easy to say but don’t get stressed! Start planning early and do bite sized tasks bit by bit so you don’t get overwhelmed.

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