Today’s real bride Gemma recommends keeping the wedding plans simple in order to lower the stress, but that doesn’t take away from the unmistakable beauty of her and beau Craig’s big day.
Taking place on the stunning Boughton Hall Estate, Gemma and Craig focused their efforts on fine attire and flawless décor, with sparkling glassware and neat potted plants providing just the amount of detailing.
With images by Amanda Manby Photography.
gemma says:
We got engaged at home in November 2015. Craig decorated the house with hundreds of candles and Polaroids of his favourite moments of us together.We got married on 21st May 2016, with our ceremony taking place at the catholic chapel on The Broughton Hall Estate, in Skipton, and our reception being held within the Estate’s Utopia building. The Estate is in a fabulous location and offers accommodation for both the bride, groom and guests. We liked the modern and stylish look of Utopia and the lovely open spaces and well maintained gardens that surround it.
For the wedding colour scheme we went for lovely natural tones.
My wedding dress was by Rime Arodaky, which wasn’t available in the UK, and so we planned a trip to Ireland to go and pick up the dress.
Craig’s suit was tailor made in Saville Row. He works in the fashion industry and therefore knew exactly what he wanted.
On the day of the wedding we had a silver Mercedes to transport me, my dad and my bridesmaids to the chapel.
I carried a faux bouquet which was from Abigail Ahern, who is located in London.
When it came to decorating the venue we kept the styling quite minimal, with a focus on plants, rather than flowers, which we sourced in the weeks leading up to the venue.
As table favours we gave guests miniatures of our favourite tipples. Each table had a different drink. This allowed guests to buy a mixer from the bar or make up their own cocktails.
Our wedding cake was made by a family friend the day before the wedding in the accommodation where a large group of family and friends were staying.
The food for the wedding was taken care of by GFS Catering, who bended over backwards for us, and the service on the day was flawless!
To provide entertainment on the day of the wedding we hired band The Ushers, which we chose as they had both male and female signers which we required for our first dance to Home by Edward Sharpe.
Looking back on the day I’d say that my favourite part was the evening celebrations. All of the formalities were over at that point and we could just relax and enjoy. The band kept everyone dancing from start to finish and the atmosphere was electric!
Following the wedding we went on honeymoon travelling around Asia.
My top tip to other Brides Up North would be to keep everything as simple as possible – it leads to less stress on the day!
