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Oh my goodness.  Talk about getting the week off to gorgeous start on the wedding blog! Brides Up North Featured Supplier Damian Hall Photography and newlyweds Rebecca and Richard sent me this gorgeous wedding in Yorkshire recently, and I have been really looking forward to sharing it with you.  Rebecca is a wedding planning planner at her family’s wedding venue, the Crow Hill Country House Estate and boy, did she bring it for her own Real Wedding!

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Let’s hear from Rebecca:  We got engaged on Kos, the Greek Island in May 2010. Richard booked a surprise holiday for the two of us to a five star hotel on the sea front! He proposed on the last night on a sandy beach at sunset. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and drank Pina Coladas!

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We married on Saturday 3^rd September 2011 at St Bartholomew’s Church in Marsden, West Yorkshire and held the reception at Crow Hill Country House Estate.   I’ve always wanted to get married at home and had dreams of a marquee on the lawn (I am a Wedding Planner at my family’s venue, Crow Hill Country House Estate). The country house is the perfect setting for a vintage wedding and the Marquee was ideal for the reception. Crow Hill offers the wedding weekend, and all my guests stayed for two nights on the Estate. Our guests arrived to afternoon tea of handmade treats served on vintage cake stands and vintage china in the walled Victorian gardens followed by a rehearsal supper and a pre wedding pamper session. The Sunday morning after the wedding guests enjoyed a full English Breakfast cooked by our head chef served in the Red Dining Room followed by an Archery Competition for the men to finish the weekend off in style!

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I wanted my wedding day to be a celebration of vintage glamour with a dusky pink, gold, ivory, pearl and diamante theme.

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My dress was made and designed by Caroline Titterington Couture Bridal designer.

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The dress was made of silk, satin and chiffon encrusted with diamante. The bodice was made of handmade pearl lace with ivory ribbon lacing and a long train. The style was based on a vintage 1950’s ball gown design. Unlike most other brides, we went for more than five fittings to ensure the dress was a perfect fit! Throughout the process of making the dress, together with Caroline, we changed the original design to include a long train, a huge satin bow, a diamante and pearl brooch and the cape with a large satin bow, for the ride in the horse and carriage complete with a diamante buckle at the back, so it was truly unique to me.

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The two older bridesmaids wore Vintage Vogue inspired gold floor length gowns made from chiffon and satin. They featured handmade gold fabric roses which went from the top of the dresses to the hip and then created a waterfall effect of chiffon at the back. The two younger bridesmaids had individual dresses designed to suit them. One was a puff ball design with a large gold bow at the back and a chiffon waist band and the other was a 1950’s inspired dress with lots of net and again a large gold bow and a chiffon band. Both dresses also had corsages of handmade gold fabric roses and a large feature rose on the waist band.

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The dresses were also made and designed by Caroline Titterington Couture Bridal designer. I didn’t want the traditional kind of bridesmaids dresses in all the same style so having Caroline was perfect – the dresses were designed and fitted to suit each person individually, as well as featuring the handmade roses to add to my theme.

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My bouquet was all roses: ‘Avalanche’, ‘Pink Avalanche’ and ‘Norma Jean’ with large pearls, gold satin ribbon with a large gold satin bow and an antique gold and pearl brooch.

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The bridesmaids’ bouquets were a mixture of the same roses as well as freesias, ivory ’Bombastic’ roses, rosemary, mint and hydrangeas, all tied with an antique gold satin bow and with a pearl pin.

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The younger bridesmaids had pomanders full of small ‘Bombastic’ roses in pink and ivory, entwined with pearls and a gold satin ribbon.

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For the Church ceremony we had a string quartet who played as guests were arriving and during the ceremony. They also played during the drinks reception. Croquet was set out during the drinks reception for guests on the formal lawn. In the evening we had two casino tables as well as the DJ playing all the hits. We also had a video booth set up where guests could leave messages for the bride and groom. The evening entertainment, especially the casino tables proved to extremely popular, with a bottle of champagne for the winner!

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After deciding on several different cakes and changing at the last minute, we finally decided on a four tier cake! The bottom tier, a sponge cake, decorated with gold bows and swags, was surrounded by a wreath of the same fresh roses used in the bouquets. The next tier was a stunning double height chocolate cake with a baroque style gold scroll effect. The third tier was covered with delicate and intricate gold lace. The final tier, which stood on an antique crystal cake stand, had our initials iced in old fashioned scroll writing. It was topped with a beautiful arrangement of ‘Avalanche’ roses. The whole effect was truly stunning and had a serious ‘wow factor’!

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If I have to choose a favourite moment, I’d say walking down the aisle! Seeing all my family and friends together after so many months of planning was truly moving. I also thought the excitement and chaos of the wedding morning with bridesmaids, mums and grandmas, as well as photographers and videographers all in the bridal suite (luckily there was lots of room!) was one of my favourite bits.

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We spent our two week honeymoon in America. The first three days we went to Las Vegas, staying in Caesar’s Palace, the hotel which featured in ‘The Hangover’. The next five nights we stayed in Honolulu –a welcome break from hectic Vegas and the last four we spent in New York, shopping and taking in the sights! We were exhausted but had a fabulous time; I only wish we had longer in the paradise of Hawaii!

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My top tip for other Brides Up North is that you might think you can save money by cutting corners on the food but you have to look after your guests! Next to you and the bridal party, they’re your best friends and all your family so don’t let them go hungry in the drinks reception while you have photos taken and a menu that they will enjoy for the wedding breakfast!

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Little Black Book

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We used some amazing local suppliers including: Big Fat Wedding Videos for the wedding video, Damian Hall Photography Leeds for the Wedding Photography, Firenza Floral Design for the flowers, Stems Design for the thank you bouquets, Caroline from Delicate Elegance for the makeup, Joanne from Hairs and Graces for the hair design, The Northern Carriage Company for the Horse and Carriage, Style Wedding Cars for the Bridesmaids’ transport, Diva Cakes for the Wedding Cake, Jacks Casinos for the casino tables, Quadraphonic’s String Quartet, Joanne from Bake! for the cupcakes and favours, Caroline Titterington Couture Bridal designer for the wedding dress, the bridesmaid’s dresses and the mother of the bride outfit and Lindsay Salvini at Home and Away Travel for the bespoke Honeymoon.

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Congratulations Rebecca & Richard!

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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2011 Damian Hall Photography

Damian Hall Photography is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier, but this is not a sponsored post

Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier

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