Kaylegh and Darran
Darran had planned to take me away somewhere sunny for a sunset beach proposal, but because he had just come back from a three-month tour with the army I didn’t want him to have to jet off again. Instead, we settled on a spa weekend in York. As I was getting ready for dinner, Darran said there was something missing and the next thing I knew he was on one knee! It was a massive surprise and I was over the moon.
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The dress
I’d booked lots of boutique appointments with my bridesmaids, but we decided to call into Wed2B beforehand. They have so many dresses we thought it would be good to get some inspiration – I never thought I’d find my dress so soon! As soon as I set eyes on it I knew it was the one though and my bridesmaids cried. My dress was a white, floor-length gown with a ruffled silk skirt and sweetheart neckline. The black sash made it so glamorous I just couldn’t resist – I was overwhelmed!
The accessories
I had been hunting for months before I finally found the perfect shoe. The answer was shoe clips! I purchased some black bow feather clips and paired them with Benjamin Adams champagne glitter peep-toe shoes. Alan Hannah jewellery and Ted Baker lingerie completed my bridal look.
The groom
Darran bought a three-piece black Ted Baker suit with a white shirt and gold tie to complement our wedding theme. He wanted to look smart and classy, but not over the top. When I saw him, Darran was smiling from ear to ear and I just wanted to run over to him!
The bridesmaids
Our intimate wedding meant I didn’t want too many bridesmaids, so I chose my sister and friend. Their floor-length, strapless black gowns came from Fairytale Brides in Prestwich – simple but elegant. We’d been to ten shops beforehand, with all the dresses being too fussy or not the right shape, but as soon as they tried these ones on they were ecstatic.
Hair and makeup
Michael J Hairdressing, my hairdresser for years, did my hair for the wedding day using real hair extensions – he’s brilliant with a curling wand. After a few makeup trials I still didn’t like the results, so I had a lesson from Bobbi Brown instead. I then used their products to do my own makeup and the finish was so natural and amazing!
Best beauty tip
My auntie made me a ‘save the day’ bag filled with everything I could possibly need – think makeup, hairspray, safety pins, plasters, mints, wet wipes, even a tooth brush and paste! It came in so handy and my guests loved it too.
The ceremony
Our civil ceremony took place at 10:30am so that the day wouldn’t fly by quite so quickly. My dad wouldn’t tell me what he was wearing until the big day. When I saw him on the wedding morning in a full kilt I burst into proud tears, he looked amazing! There was Bucks Fizz on hand afterwards so everyone could relax with a drink while our photos were taken. A double decker bus took us from the ceremony to the reception venue.
What did you have for your wedding breakfast?
Darran and I are both big foodies so we didn’t want a standard wedding breakfast. Instead, we offered everyone a choice of three starters, mains and desserts, followed by liqueur coffee or brandy to finish. Darran and the best man gave their speeches before the meal. It really took the pressure off so they could relax and enjoy the food, too.
Inspiration
Our first venue choice was black, white and gold, and, while the venue fell through, it did inspire the colour scheme for our glamorous wedding.
Reception decoration
I’m not a flowery person so I didn’t want our décor to be filled with them. We had giant tassel balloons and hundreds of jam jars filled with tea lights, all decorated with ribbon, glitter, feathers and buttons. My auntie made our seating plan from an old mirror, we dressed the chairs with champagne tiebacks and we sourced light up ‘MR& MRS’ and ‘LOVE’ letters.
Steal their style and add these gold ostrich feathers to your table tops and centre pieces. Tuck into your place setting or fan out in a vase for show-stopping glamorous wedding style.
The flowers
Brooch and button bouquets and buttonholes were the perfect choice for us. My mum passed away when I was 17 and I had one of her rings incorporated in the bouquet – it was my something old, borrowed and blue because of the sapphires in it!
The cake
My bridesmaid Jeanette made my cake from a design I put together – it was sensational! The four tiers of gold leaf and ruffles complemented the venue perfectly, as did our gold custom cake topper.
The stationery
Wanting something a bit special and different, we sent out tea towel invitations! They were brilliant and a great surprise. We wrapped them with the wedding menu in brown paper and twine, adding gold decorations in a nod to our theme.
The entertainment
A swing singer had guests dancing as soon as the meal was finished. A little later into the night our DJ swapped over and the party never stopped! We didn’t want to interrupt everyone’s fun and make them watch us slow dance, so we didn’t bother with a first dance and instead had a few staged dancing shots with our photographer beforehand.
The favours
Guests received handy hangover kits, each one hand stamped with ‘just married’.
SUPPLIERS
CEREMONY Worsley Court House, Manchester
RECEPTION VENUE The 7th, Landing Building, Blue Tower, Salford
DRESS Wed2B
BRIDESMAID DRESSES Fairytale Brides, Prestwich
GROOM Ted Baker
ACCESSORIES Benjamin Adams, Alan Hannah, Ted Baker
PHOTOGRAPHER Lisa Bancroft, Bancroft Photography
