Touch down on UK soil and make your way to Rothbury in Northumberland, as Vicky and Jack travel from their current home in Malaysia to tie the knot in her family’s hometown.
Incorporating their own personal style, a touch of Asian charm, the groom’s Scottish tartan, a Spanish bridal style, English garden beauty and plenty of local Northumbrian suppliers, Vicky and Jack have really thrown out the rulebook. Let them inspire and show you how to make your big day your own, reflecting your individuality as a couple and your lives together.
Choosing to say their vows in a church that meant a lot to Vicky’s family and then celebrate with a party in a family friend’s garden sounds utterly idyllic to us and just goes to show that you don’t always have to go with a conventional wedding venue. Put those feelers out and you never know what you might find. After all, they do say “shy bairns get nowt”!
With photography by Rosie Davison Photography
Proposal
Vicky says: Jack proposed a few days after Easter 2018, on Lady’s Bridge, just outside of Rothbury. We have been living and working in Malaysia since Sept 2017, and were just back in the UK on holiday to see family and friends. Jack popped the question on a rainy walk, halfway across the bridge surrounded by nothing but the glorious Northumberland countryside, with Simonside visible between the clouds in the background. We then went back to celebrate with my family, who live in Rothbury.
Setting
We were married on the 3rd of August 2019 as we wanted a summer wedding. With Jack being a teacher, it seemed a sensible time to enjoy the build-up back in the UK, but also time for a honeymoon afterwards.
The ceremony was in All Saints Church, Rothbury. My grandmother had been married there and my mum was christened there, along with other family members too. I knew I wanted to get married in the village, so the church was a no brainer, it’s such a beautiful building. The reception venue proved more challenging. We ideally wanted a marquee wedding, but after a lot of internet research from home in Malaysia, we didn’t find anywhere that suited us. That was until some family friends offered to host the wedding in their back garden. It is such a beautiful location on the edge of the village. As soon as we saw it, we could picture the most perfect day there.
Theme
We really wanted a classic countryside wedding, with a few touches from Malaysia. We also wanted to showcase our love of nature. We made the most of the beautiful 14th Century architectural backdrop and gardens with clear span marquee sides, bringing colour and wildlife indoors.
The colour scheme was a real mix of pastels, brighter pinks, with green ferns which complemented Jack’s Ancient Hunting Macintosh family tartan. This all blended in beautifully with the surrounding garden and countryside.
Dress
I have always admired Jesus Peiro’s wedding dresses and I loved the idea of having a Spanish designed wedding dress, having lived in Mallorca until I was 14. I loved the Spanish simplistic yet elegant style of my dress, with the added character of subtle polka dots.
I got the dress at Bridal Wish in Blagdon and they were great in getting all my alterations done in the three weeks before the wedding that I was actually in the UK.
Groomsmen
Jack wore Ancient Hunting Macintosh tartan trousers with a waist coat and morning jacket tailor-made in Malaysia.
He was happy with the groomsmen wearing whatever they wanted, just giving those not in tartan a matching tartan tie, and those in tartan (his family) a blue tie to fit with his.
Bridesmaids
I bought the bridesmaid dresses from ASOS on sale for £14 each! I then altered them, giving them a new back, and hand-sewing on some beaded lace which I bought in Singapore.
I designed and made the flower girl dresses myself after finding some beautiful Liberty print fabric. Fortunately, I work in fashion design, so it was nice to save a few pennies and make something for my nearest and dearest to wear.
Beauty
Hair was done by Sheri and Mo at Mo-Hair Salon, Sandyford, Newcastle. Makeup was by Amy from Rose & Bird, Newcastle. They were both fantastic and I would highly recommend them!
Transport
Jack’s godfather lent his Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite for us to drive away from the church. My dad gave me a lift to the church and everybody else either walked, or grabbed one of the minibuses we hired.
Photographer
Rosie Davison Photography. She captured our day in the most magical way possible. Every photo we looked through after the wedding, we were overwhelmed with laughter and joy. It totally relived the whole day for us and gave us a lifetime of fantastic memories. We would highly recommend her, not only because her photographs are fantastic, but also because she was so easy to get along with.
My mother, Susan Barwood, is also a wedding photographer, but obviously we wanted her to enjoy the day, rather than looking at it through a lens.
Styling
The flowers were provided by Chris Cann, a family friend, who used to own a florist. The bouquets were a mixture of pastel stocks, freesias, David Austin roses and ferns.
I absolutely love flowers and Chris did such a fantastic job!
Chris provided table decorations and hanging floral/fern chandeliers. The clear-sided marquee also helped incorporate the vibrant garden. We also hired a few lanterns and vases from the Finishing Touch Company.
I painted and designed all the wedding stationery myself. Partly to save money, but also because we wanted the wedding to be as personal as it could be.
Favours
Jack’s mum made some small bottles of homemade sloe gin for each guest. We also told guests to take home their custom-made napkins – these were made from Malaysian batik featuring traditional patterns. I also laser cut the individual guest names from wood, which we used as place names and guests took those home too.
Cake
Well, we weren’t overly bothered about a wedding cake, so planned to just buy something from M&S. However, a few days before the wedding we realised we had totally forgotten to go through with the order. It was too late to get anything substantial, so we got the only thing we could get delivered in time. It was ridiculously small and probably only fed 20 people, but at least it got a good laugh and is a great memory of the panic of last minute planning!
Dining
Food was provided by Wilkins Fine Dining, based in Rothbury. We wanted to use as many local suppliers as we could and chose fresh local produce. We had a smoked salmon & crayfish starter, fillet of Northumberland Beef for main and pavlova for dessert. The evening food was sausage and bacon baps and cheese. The wines were bought by Jack’s parents in France, and we had personalised Champagne bottles.
Entertainment
We hired Redwings and they were brilliant! We had already seen them play in Newcastle and booked them well in advance. Many guests have commented on how good they were.
Thanks to
Massive thanks to our wonderful friends for hosting our wedding at their house!
Best bit
We can’t possibly pick! The whole day was incredible from start to finish.
Honeymoon
We went to Italy on honeymoon. Living in Malaysia, we wanted to enjoy our time in Europe, eating good food and drinking good wine. So, there was no better place to go! We spent 10 days in a few different locations, with a good mix of relaxation, hiking in the Alps and exploring Milan.
Advice
My top tip for another bride would be to make sure you do it your way. Even though it is a bit more hassle, it is totally worth it in our eyes. Spend money on the things that matter to you and save on the things that aren’t as important.
