Soft romance and roses for Philippa and Sam’s Harrogate wedding

ROSE VINES | SPARKLING BEADED SWEETHEART NECK GOWN | LANTERNS | BLUSH PINK | EMBELLISHED HALO CROWN | LAPIS BLUE GROOMSMEN | FLORAL CANDELABRA | RAINBOW CLUB POINTED LACE BOW SHOES

How did you meet?

Sam asked to buy me a drink and I politely declined. Sam then picked me up and took me out for dinner for our first date.

How did the proposal happen?

We were walking in Roundhay Park before dinner on Sam’s birthday. He decided last minute to propose in the park rather than the restaurant, not planning for the lack of light on a late autumn evening – but it was very sweet!

Where did you find your gown?

I found my Mori Lee dress in Ava Rose, Silsden. It is the best wedding dress shop I have ever seen – it’s so girly, classy and romantic, it feels like a real treat every time you go in!

Describe your gown

It was an ivory Angelina Faccenda dress by Mori Lee, with sparkling beads and pearls on Chantilly lace with tulle ruffles at the bottom of the skirt. I tried it on for fun really but I liked that it was dramatic, different and special and I knew that I would never wear a dress like it again. I wanted my wedding day to be girly, romantic and fun – and this dress reflected that!

Tell us about your accessories

My veil was my ‘something borrowed’ from my friend. I also wore a stunning halo crown made from pearls also from Ava Rose and a pair of gorgeous Rainbow Club shoes.

The Groom

Sam wore a navy suit from Next, together with a white shirt, gorgeous pale pink patterned tie and brown shoes. He looked very handsome!

The Bridesmaids

I had three bridesmaids who were friends from university as well as my two gorgeous baby nieces who were flower girls – they held hands walking down the aisle as Eloise had only started walking two weeks before!

Hair and Makeup

I hired Abigail Konechny, a MAC makeup artist and Carly Aplin, a hairdresser from Westrow hair salon. Deciding on hair and makeup was actually one of my hardest decisions!

The Ceremony

We had a religious Church of England ceremony at St Robert’s Church, Pannal, Harrogate. My dad walked me down the aisle and my two brothers each gave readings. Sam taking a cheeky sneak peak at me walking down the aisle even though the vicar told him not to was a lovely moment.

The Reception

Our reception was at Rudding Park, Harrogate and had a theme of soft romance with gentle lighting and feminine touches. I loved planning and buying bits and bobs. We had fairy lights draped from the ceiling, a lit up 6ft love heart, white draping, rose vines and lanterns.

For our wedding breakfast, we had poached salmon mousse, roast chicken breast wrapped in bacon and a white chocolate and raspberry torte.

The Cake

The cake collapsed the day before the wedding – it was a disaster! We were rescued by Mama Doreen’s in Harrogate who literally worked through the night to bake us a brand new amazing cake. It was a lovely act of kindness and no doubt required a lot of hard work!

The Flowers

Flowers by Colette provided our flowers – she is Rudding Park’s on-site florist and was absolutely lovely. The flowers were gorgeous.

The Stationery

We got our stationery from The Hummingbird Card Company. I absolutely loved the stationery and went over budget but it was worth every penny!

The First Dance

We chose Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ because it was the love song of the year really leading up to the wedding. I didn’t want anything too soppy that might induce tears!

The Honeymoon

We went to Venice. Sam kept the location a surprise and I absolutely loved it, it’s the perfect honeymoon destination.

Memorable Moment

The look on my three-year-old niece’s face when she saw me in my dress – I think she thought that I had turned into a Disney princess!

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