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Happy New Year! Over the festive period I’ll be recapping some of my very favourite Real Weddings from the last 12 months on the wedding blog. It’s been a tough choice! In true Brides Up North style, each wedding featured on these pages is unique, beautiful and gorgeously personal. It’s been an exceptionally fabulous year! Enjoy…

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Starting 2013 off feeling fresh, introducing Brides Up North reader Carolyn’s fabulous unvintage vintage (you’ll see) Real Wedding, with images from the lovely Karen McGowran and a super cool urban location.

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Carolyn says:  We sort of skipped the engagement part and just decided to book our wedding!  We got married on 9th May 2012 at As You Like It, Jesmond.  We wanted somewhere a bit different from the norm. Somewhere a little cool and quirky! As You Like It has all that and because it is just outside the city centre it was handy for all of our guests.

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We didn’t really have a theme. Although I love the vintage look, it seemed like it had been done before and I wanted to be different. I worked together with Charlotte from Simply Bows and Chair Covers to come up with something that would fit in with our colours of Navy and Pink. We had sweeties on each table which added a bit of fun

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I went for a Maggie Sottero, satin a-line dress with beaded shoulder straps from Wedding Essentials on Dean Street. I went there because I knew they stocked the dress I had my heart set on but when I tried it on I was so disappointed! It didn’t suit me at all and my Mam and bridesmaids agreed. The assistant asked me to try on one of her recommendations and I instantly felt like a bride. The dress, although not something I would have picked myself, was classically beautiful and it suited my shape perfectly. My advice to any bride would be have an open mind when you go looking for ‘the dress’ because you could miss the right one by just looking at it on the hanger!

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My bridesmaids wore midnight blue chiffon maxi dresses from Coast. I bought them chunky necklaces to wear with them and their beaded Accessorize bags.

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The men’s suits were from Blades Formal Menswear in Berwick Hill, Ponteland.

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Nick at nd make up artists did mine and the bridesmaids make up. She is a friend of mine and I would recommend her to anyone.

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Myself and the bridesmaids got ready at Jesmond Dene House where I had stayed the night before. A BMW and a Jaguar I booked through Grosvenor cars picked us up from there to take us the short distance to As You Like It.

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Wendy Reed at By Wendy supplied our Wishing Tree which we had instead of a guest book. It looked beautiful lit up with it’s fairy lights.

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I went along to a wedding fair at As You Like It the week before the wedding. Although I was convinced I had everything I needed I just couldn’t help myself! It was there that I met Annette from White Flight Moments and fell in love with the idea of having a dove release after our ceremony. The doves were next to us while we said our vows so the guests could see them and afterwards we set them free as our guests watched on. The release of the doves symbolises the start of your married life together and we loved the fact that we were the first to have one at As You Like It.

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There were so many great parts of the day! I remember sitting outside on the terrace having a breather with my new husband and looking through the window at our friends and family having a ball! We smiled knowing that we had put the day together ourselves and it was EXACTLY how we had hoped it would be.

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Karen McGowran was our photographer and she was AMAZING! I have recommended her to lots of others since the wedding.

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We had a three tier sponge cake which was made by a friend. After looking through lots of magazines we picked something quite simple which fitted perfectly with everything else.  We also chose lots of fun sweety favours!

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We had a DJ in the evening who played our favourite songs from a playlist I had put together. It seemed to go down a treat with our friends!

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The fun didn’t stop after the wedding! We went to Las Vegas for 5 nights and Riviera Maya in Mexico for 10 nights. Loved it!

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My top tip for other Brides Up North would be to read wedding magazines and wedding blogs to help you with ideas. If you think of something in your head that you want, Google it. The chances are someone, somewhere will be able to help you with it. Enjoy the organising, it’s your day you can have it just the way you want it.

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Congratulations Carolyn & Jon!

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Would you like to share your Real Wedding memories with Brides Up North?  Contact me today. 

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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 Karen McGowran 

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