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I went to school with today’s real bride, albeit that Lucy is a couple of years younger than me (ahem!), so it was a pleasure when she contacted me telling me how much she enjoyed the website when planning her wedding and would I consider featuring her wedding photographs? Er… would I ever!
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Lucy and Michael’s wedding at the gorgeous Wynyard Hall – with images by Holden Jones Photography – is a study in how to pull off a quirky theme with elegance. It’s also oozing with good old North East charm, and was a joy to put together for you this morning.
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Enjoy.
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Lucy says: Mike proposed on July 7th 2010 in Altea, Spain. We went out for a lovely meal, there was a fantastic atmosphere in the town as Spain had just won their place in the World Cup final. When we got back to the villa, Mike walked me to the balcony, which had been decorated with lanterns and flickering candles. There was chilled champagne and chocolates waiting for me – the whole thing was completely unexpected!
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We were married on Saturday 19th May 2012 at Wynyard Hall.
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My parents live at Wynyard, making Wynyard Hall the perfect location. No other venue was even considered! Mike knew that Wynyard Hall was the only place for us so when he proposed in Spain he not only presented me with a fabulous ring (from Green & Benz in Manchester), he also gave me an invitation to our wedding! He had asked for my Dad’s blessing and together they secured a date at Wynyard. Victoria Kelley, one of the wedding coordinators at the hall, was fantastic and I would have been lost without her!
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We chose Antarctica as our theme! Our table plan showed the route we took on our recent Polar Circle Quest. We named our 18 tables after the wildlife we saw and the various landing sites we visited in Antarctica. We used our own photographs on each of the tables. It really was the trip of a lifetime!
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Our colour scheme was sapphire. A month after we got engaged, I went to Dublin with my sister and spotted a pair of sapphire Manolo Blahnik heels… that was the colour scheme decided!
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I wore a Blue by Enzoani gown called Calistoga and I bought it from Dreamcatcher Bridal in Kirkham where Mike’s sister bought her wedding dress back in 2006. It’s an A-line gown with a ‘fan’ neckline and large details below the bust, on the hip and on the lower back. The ladies at Dreamcatcher were fantastic and knew exactly what would work. When they picked my dress out, I didn’t think it looked particularly special on the hanger but I decided to give it a go because it was clear that they really knew what they were talking about. As soon as I put the dress on I felt fantastic and when I walked out of the changing area it was great to see that everyone liked it as much as I did.
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My four bridesmaids wore floor-length, sapphire, satin Dessy dresses and they looked gorgeous. Two of them went for strapless and the other two went for a scoop neck. It took a little while to sort out as they are all different in height, shape and hair colour… but we got there! As for the men, they wore silk grey suits by Cameron Ross. They all looked fantastic in their tailcoats. I bought their cravats from Dessy so they matched the bridesmaids’ dresses perfectly. All of the outfits were from Grace the Weddings Co in Darlington.
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My dad and I travelled to Wynyard Hall by horse and carriage. The two Black Friesians, William and Harry, are the most handsome horses I have ever seen and it was a pleasure getting to know their owners, Glenda and Robert of Greencroft Classic Carriages.
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I carried a bouquet consisting of roses and calla lilies. It was perfect for me, as I wanted something small, simple and easy to carry! Adam Prest did a spectacular job with all of the flowers from the buttonholes (which had a magnetic fastening!) to the eye-catching centrepieces. Adam is so friendly and creative and he has a real passion for what he does.
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The ceremony itself was hugely important to us and we wanted to make it really special and personal. My uncle is a retired Catholic priest and Mike and I knew from the start that we wanted him to be as involved as possible in our ceremony. Although he was unable to actually marry us, he was able to do a reading and say a few words, which made the service incredibly special.
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Without a doubt, my favourite part of the day was the London Community Gospel Choir singing O Happy Day and the vicar getting the whole congregation swaying and clapping! This was an emotional point in the day and made the ceremony so unique and personal to us. The choir sang six songs in total, all of which we chose. Their voices were unbelievable.
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Rob Jones and Brian Holden of Holden Jones Photography were our photographers. We couldn’t have picked better photographers. They were so professional and they were friendly, putting us both at ease. A pre-wedding shoot was included in our package, which meant we were able to get to know them beforehand and talk through everything in detail. Having two photographers meant that we could have photographs of both of us in the morning, which was really important to me. We are so happy with our photographs – Rob and Brian really captured the moment… without me even realising that they were in the room half the time!
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After a delicious cake-tasting session at Robineau Patisserie, we chose a 5-tier chocolate rose and sugar flower wedding cake. We chose different fillings ranging from lemon sponge to hazelnut praline. Jane Robineau was fantastic throughout the whole process. We loved our cake so much that it has its own 2-page spread in our wedding album!
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In the evening, we had a photobooth provided by Picture Blast, casino tables, a big screen showing the Champions League, the Aaron Bayley Band and fireworks through 21st Century Fireworks. We had fantastic entertainment and a great crowd. The two really came together and created an incredible atmosphere, our guests really threw themselves into the day and embraced everything that was going on. This was so important to us because we always wanted our wedding to be about having fun and spending time with all of our friends and family.
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We didn’t have a honeymoon. I went back in to work on the Monday because I’m a (dedicated!) primary school teacher and it was term-time.
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However, we did manage to visit my sister in Cologne a couple of weeks after the wedding and I may have already booked our first anniversary trip to make up for it!
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My top tip for other Brides Up North would be this: It sounds like a cliché, but the day is ultimately about you and your husband-to-be/wife-to-be celebrating your relationship, so it is bound to be a big day for the two of you. It’s also a big day for your friends and family, so there can be a lot of (sometimes conflicting) ideas and opinions thrown into the melting pot. It can be difficult to consider everyone’s view and ultimately you just have to go with whatever the two of you feel is right. Again, it is a cliché, but it was genuinely the best day of our lives… so we must have managed to get everything right in the end!
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Congratulations Lucy & Michael! 
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Contact me to see your own Real Wedding featured on the wedding blog.
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 Holden Jones Photography
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