How did you meet and get engaged?
Myself and Jack met very young, in 2014 when we were just 17/18. I first met Jack at a mutual friend’s home and instantly I fancied the pants off him. Not only was this boy handsome but he cracked some of the funniest jokes and had the cheekiest grin. There was me giggling away thinking that I was unnoticed, thinking that I would never get a chance with a guy like him. After this I bumped into him more and more often, by accident or by fate, who knows? It didn’t take long for me to realise Jack was like no other boy I had ever met. He wanted to give me the world and treat me with kindness , he has done this every day since.
In July 2021 we got engaged. I knew that we had a trip to London coming up that Jack had organised (he’s a real romantic and this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for him!) . The train was mid-day so he told me to get ready for some breakfast, so I did. Little did I know we were going to a spot we love most for a picnic breakfast. A gorgeous woodland walk, Biddulph Grange that we visit through each season with our dog, Boss. The weather was beautiful and we sat and ate lots of delicious foods, talking about the London trop and thinking back about how our relationship all began. Jack then popped on our favorite song, Alecia Keys (duh of course!) , got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. In between smiling and laughing I said YES! This moment was so magical. Each time we visit we sit on the bench and have a natter.
Late, as always, we rushed to the station for a now celebratory weekend in Greenwich! The whole train journey it was only myself and Jack that knew the question had been asked. We sat hand in hand the whole way with smiles from ear to ear. basking in our bubble of love and happiness, it was our little secret.
How did you decide on Alcumlow as your wedding venue?
A few years back we had gone to Alcumlow for an ice cream, as always the staff were chatty and lovely. In conversation they asked if we would like to go and have a peak at the venue. The young, shy people we were we turned down the offer with a thank you.
When Jack proposed and we started wedding planning Alcumlow was the first destination we visited and instantly fell in love. The relaxed atmosphere , friendly staff, and beautiful star lit barn was perfect for us. We booked are selected date right there and then. We were 110% sure this was right for us.
It’s all about the vibes!
What were your favourite moments from the day?
The vows, the vows, the vows!!
Standing at the altar with the love of your life saying really sweet, personal statements that you believe in is something truly amazing. I wish I could have bottled up the emotions I was feeling then.
I thought I would be nervous and stumble on my words, but as soon as I was looking in Jack’s eyes I was the most confident I had ever felt in my life. I truly believed in the words that I was saying and embraced the importance of marriage. It felt like there was just me and Jack in the room, no one else mattered.
We added a few personal promises to add a little humor into our words, yet there were many times we were both choked up by the words and emotions we were feeling.
I was beaming with pride, looking out at the crowd so many with so many smiles looking back at us with tears of joy was moving.
One of my other favorites was busting a move on the dancefloor with my husband and all of our favorite people. You feel the need to catch up with everyone and make sure they’re having fun, but if you do that- it’s your whole night gone! You can catch up with those people any time, but you’ll never be able to hold your dress up and dance on your wedding night ever again. If they want you, they’ll join you!
What did you first dance to?
Alecia Keys- If I ain’t got you, sung by my amazing maid of honor Rachel Francis. We actually took the time out to learn a first dance routine which included 3 x 1.5 hour lessons through a dance school called All Steps First Dance LTD. Our dance teacher was called Louise. She was fun, patient and friendly the whole way through. Each night we practiced this dance and it was a real stress relief especially on those final days. I think this made some great shots and our family was so impressed, I can’t wait to keep this as a tradition for each wedding anniversary
Any tips for future couples planning their wedding?
Before reading, these are completely personal to me and our experience. Don’t forget I have only ever planned one so I am no pro. BUT whatever you decide to do/ don’t do your day will be perfect.
Prep as much as you can as early as you can. Anything I could craft I started early such as invites, favors, table plan stand, cake stand, etc. This keeps you excited for the wedding, your mind active and stops the stress getting too much at the last minute. Yet, don’t focus too much on the seating plan itself until closer to- people drop out/ change. It happens, don’t put pressure on that!
As I work in digital I used google sheets a lot rather than a wedding planner. I had a sheet for day/ night time guests, budget costs, food options and this worked really well. I could share this with Jack meaning we could both update and I could get this open on the move when new information came in. This also helped me when sending information over to my suppliers as they had everything they needed at their fingertips.
We decided on a little 5 week break in between the wedding and the honeymoon and wow, I feel that was a great idea. We now have time to catch up with friends and family who are excited to share stories and still have that high energy wedding feeling. I feel like if we went away straight away, by the time we got back- it just wouldn’t be the same. Plus my house is upside down- I have time to fix this before we go away!
Get your big suppliers booked as early as possible especially if you have a certain style or your eye on a certain person. For me this includes: photographer, hair and makeup. You may feel daft asking for a date in the next 2 years but they soon get snapped up!
Who were your suppliers?
Photographer- Sarah Horton
DJ- Dream.entertainment.hq
Singer- @Rachfrancis
Hair- @bridalhairbycleo
Makeup- @zoemountfordmakeup
Jewellery- @weddingfairyandfriends
Dress Bridal- @jjdesignsbridal
Dress Bridesmaids- @jaquelinelouisebridal
Suit groomsmen- @Moss Bros
Suit Groom- @Moss Bros/ Next (Jacket)
Catering team- @Ridgeway_caterers
Cake- @TheCakeHouseNUL
Flowers- @StaceysBouquets
Dance lessons- All steps first dance LTD
How did you choose me as your wedding photographer?
We found Sarah’s page via the Alcumlow’s tagged posts on instagram. Straight away we fell in love with Sarah’s work. How she captures the day and that day dreamy light and airy style that she has perfected so well.
We soon got in touch with Sarah as her dairy was filling up quickly. When chatting with Sarah she was relaxed and not pushy about booking. Sarah was kind and supportive at every step of the process and always got back to us promptly which made us feel as ease. Not only that but even from conversation you could tell Sarah was a genuinely great person and we really loved her passion for the protecting the environment. From start to finish Sarah has been amazing and I would recommend her to anyone planning their wedding.
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