This gorgeous real wedding goes to show that dreams really do come true, with bride Charlotte marrying her beau Rich at the venue she had admired as a little girl – the fabulous Peckforton Castle, a fairytale setting outside of Chester, located within the enchanting Delamere Forest.
Hosting both their ceremony and reception at Peckforton, the couple chose a traditional theme for their big day with a modern twist, beautifully offset by a classic white and blush pink colour palette. Think peonies, roses and hydrangeas, not to mention magical blossom trees and lots of candles and fairy lights for those dreamy romantic feels.
Other details from their August wedding to inspire the brides-to-be among you include a fabulous ombré macaroon tower, confetti cannons and a saxophonist for something a little bit different on the entertainment front. But it’s their special guests that really steal the show – look out for the couple’s pair of adorable dogs, who shared their big day too.
With images by Madison Picture
Proposal
Charlotte says
: Rich proposed in the kitchen of our first home together, on Monday 7th May, which was a bank holiday. It was low key but just how I wanted it!Setting
We got married on Saturday 10th August. We chose this date as I had always dreamed of getting married at Peckforton Castle since I was a little girl and they had this date available, so it felt like it was meant to be! We held both our ceremony and reception there.
Theme
We went for a traditional theme with a hint of modern, complemented by a white and blush pink colour scheme. We chose these colours as they look gorgeous together.
Dress
I chose a backless Stella York ivory lace dress with a hint of blush pink underneath. I bought it from Brides of Chester and as soon as I tried it on – I knew it was the one.
Groomsmen
Rich bought a black tuxedo from Moss Bros Liverpool. Meanwhile, the groomsmen wore black tuxedos from Slaters Menswear.
Bridesmaids
The bridesmaids’ garland blush pink dresses were from Monsoon and the flower girl dresses were from Roco Clothing.
Beauty
My makeup was done by my new sister-in-law Katie Monaghan and her friend Sophie, and my hair was styled by Samantha Gannon.
Photography
Our photographer was Madison Picture – they were fantastic, and we would highly recommend them. They took the most natural pictures and made us feel very relaxed.
Styling
I carried a mix of white and blush pink flowers from Ian Lloyd, consisting of peonies, roses and hydrangeas.
We had blossom trees for the aisle and on our tables, as well as roses in blush pink and white, all supplied by Ian Lloyd.
Favours
For our favours, we gave the girls pink personalised lip balm and the boys got Skittle shots. The children were given their own personalised activity books and pencil cases.
Cake
We had an ombré macaroon tower in blush pink, fading down to a tier of white, with a Victoria sponge cake on top, made by Cakes by Francesca.
Dining
Our canapés included mini shepherd’s pies, spring rolls, lamb koftas and chicken satay.
For our reception meal we had chicken parfait to start followed by chicken breasts with dauphinoise potatoes, a mushroom sauce and vegetables. To round things off, we had a vanilla panna cotta dessert with a pistachio ice cream, a chunk of honeycomb and strawberry sauce. This was accompanied by Chardonnay and red wine and then Champagne for the toast.
In the evening, we served a hog roast.
Entertainment
This was provided by Hipswing – we had a saxophonist as we wanted something different to any wedding we’d been to before.
Special touches
As a special touch, we brought along our dogs to share the day with us. We also gave the girls flip-flops for the evening. We also had confetti cannons for after the ceremony and the first dance.
Hipswing also provided us with uplights throughout the castle, and we also had floor to ceiling fairy lights in the Great Hall.
Thanks to
Peckforton Castle is stunning and the team are so professional – everything about it is just perfect.
Best bit
My favourite part of the day was the ceremony. I had been dreading that part the most but seeing everyone there and Rich’s reaction when he seen me was the highlight of the day.
Honeymoon
For our honeymoon, we went to our family villa in Portugal and also travelled to Seville for the night.
Advice
My top tip for other Brides Up North would be, get married early to enjoy the full day, take time out for just the two of you, and enjoy every second!
