Elegant pale pink and peachy tones radiate through today’s real wedding, providing gorgeous inspiration for those of you planning springtime celebrations.
Falling for the rural charm of The Coniston Hotel (an UNVEILED Network member!), nestled within rolling acres of Yorkshire Dales, Bethany and Robert, styled the venue with twinkling fairy lights, romantic blooms and special homemade details to put their own touch on its homely yet luxurious interiors.
Also benefitting from the Hotel’s stunning surroundings, the newlyweds’ photographer captured some truly breathtaking couple portraits along country lanes, lakeside and even upon cliff tops!
Another highlight for us has to be bride Bethany’s stunning attire, made up of a bodysuit, skirt, petticoat and belt to achieve her desired look!
With images by Hayley Baxter Photography
PROPOSAL
Bethany says: We went to Rome on a mini break in February 2017. Robert planned for us to go to the Colosseum one evening to see it all in lights… and then he proposed!
SETTING
We set the date for 26th April 2019. We knew we wanted the wedding to be on a Friday and in April and it just so happened that it was my parents wedding anniversary too!
We got married at The Coniston Hotel in Skipton where we had both the ceremony and reception. We really struggled to find a venue that we liked the feel of and had everything we needed. The Coniston Hotel was the last venue we went to look round and we knew it was the one as soon as we walked in and saw the amazing views…we were sold!
THEME
We didn’t really set out with a theme or style in mind. I’m very creative and Robert is good at DIY and making things, so we knew we wanted to try and do a lot of the decorations ourselves. I remember saying to my dad as we sat down to eat our meal at the wedding breakfast that it looked like a fairytale, so I guess you could say that was our theme!
I originally was convinced my colour scheme would be coral but struggled to find bridesmaid dresses that were just right. Instead I chose a blush pink and had a pop of peachy coral in my bouquet. It all tied in perfectly.
DRESS
After a couple of trips to wedding dress boutiques, I knew I wanted a dress that was fitted to the waist and a big skirt. I went to Ava Rose Hamilton to get my dress as my sister had already bought hers from there and it is just amazing! I chose separates, so I had an Enzoani bodysuit and Martina Liana skirt with a belt, petticoat (to make the skirt big!!) and a floor-length veil.
GROOMSMEN
Robert wore a navy Ted Baker three-piece suit from Moss Bros with a blush textured tie from Marks & Spencer. The ushers and dads all wore this suit as well.
BRIDESMAIDS
The bridesmaids wore a blush pink dress from Marks & Spencer. Their shoes were from Dorothy Perkins and they had matching sterling silver stud earrings and necklaces.
BEAUTY
Lucie MUA was our makeup artist. She is the best at what she does and makes you feel so comfortable and really does make you look the best version of yourself. I would recommend her to anyone!
PHOTOGRAPHER
Hayley Baxter was our photographer! I knew as soon as I saw her at the Coniston Hotel’s wedding fair, that we had to book her! The photos were all so natural and we don’t generally like having our photo taken(!) – she made us feel so comfortable. She also knew the venue inside out, so we didn’t have to think about a thing. We now have the most beautiful wedding photos which is the best memory of our day, which is why it is so important to have the best photographer. Thank you Hayley!
STYLING
Vanessa Wellock at Wildflowers took care of the blooms. She advised on colours and styles and got to know what kind of thing we liked. They were amazing and better than I ever imagined – the most perfect finishing touch.
For the ceremony there was a floral arrangement along the ceremony table and Vanessa also provided lanterns at the edge of the aisle. For the reception meanwhile, Vanessa created large flower arrangements on candelabras for the centre of each table, a long arrangement for the top table, an arrangement for our wooden seating plan board and bud vases. Vanessa also created our wedding cake decoration by putting the cake on a large circular piece of glass with flowers underneath and an arrangement on the top tier of the cake.
Creative Cover Hire provided the drapes and a fairy lit backdrop in the Bannister Suite where we had the wedding breakfast and the evening reception. They also provided the aisle carpet and the petals for the ceremony.
FAVOURS
As favours we gave guests small cellophane bags filled with fudge and tied with ribbon.
CAKE
A lady called Wendy made our wedding cake who bakes as a hobby but has done many wedding and event cakes before. Our cake was four tiers: chocolate fudge, lemon, Victoria sponge and chocolate.
DINING
We went for a menu taster before the wedding and selected a few different options to try. We eventually whittled the options down to pate to start, with leek and brie tartlet for the vegetarians, lamb or the main, with Mediterranean vegetable lasagna as the vegetarian option, and sticky toffee pudding as dessert.
Everyone commented on the amazing food and service and each table also was served red, white or rose wine with a toast drink of prosecco.
ENTERTAINMENT
We had a magician after the wedding breakfast which was organised by Robert’s parents as a surprise. For the evening reception we had DJ Mark Green who did a great job of keeping everyone on the dancefloor. Mark was also there throughout the day to do all the music, so we didn’t have to worry about making playlists and ensuring it all went smoothly.
SPECIAL TOUCH
Everything we made and crafted for the day and the suppliers we chose were all special to us as we chose them because of the personal connection we made with them. We felt so comfortable on the day and had so much trust in everyone, so we didn’t have to think about a thing.
THANKS TO
We would recommend our choice of venue to any couple. The team are so friendly and welcoming and will do anything they can to accommodate your ideas. The day ran so smoothly, and we didn’t have to worry about a thing. The venue has so many beautiful photo opportunities and is set in amazing grounds. The food was exceptional and bedrooms immaculate for any guests who want to stay with a luxurious spa. It has everything you need under one roof… we can’t wait to go back!
BEST BIT
I loved getting ready in the morning as I felt so relaxed and excited. I didn’t need to do a thing, just watch my ‘dream team’ hair and makeup artist get us all ready. It was such a lovely feeling and I got to share it all with my mum and bridesmaids.
HONEYMOON
We went on a cruise. We visited Italy, Malta and Greece for 11 nights. It was something we had never done before, and it didn’t disappoint. Amazing food, immaculate ship and lots of sunshine!
ADVICE
Make a list prioritising what are the most important things for you both to have on the day. We found this helped us to stay in a budget as we got the things booked that we really wanted then found cheaper ways of doing the things we were not so bothered about.
I also found Brides Up North helpful in the planning process. I loved looking at the real weddings and I signed up to receive emails, so I got updates of upcoming wedding fairs. We also found the site useful to look up suppliers.
