How they met
“Dan and I started chatting online – and despite a bit of wooing by text, I was still incredibly nervous before we met,” remembers Tabitha. “However, when I saw him stood there in his skinny jeans and stripy top, I knew he was the one for me!”
The proposal
“Dan had bought me a ring, with the intention of popping the question during our annual Christmas trip to London,” explains Tabitha. “It’s something we do every year, and it always includes a shopping trip to Harrods where we pick out a new decoration for our tree. Unfortunately though, that particular year we’d booked into a very disappointing hotel and Dan wanted to hold off on the proposal. He ended up asking the question on Christmas day – my favourite day of the year. Although he didn’t get down on one knee, we were sat on the sofa together, surrounded by all our presents, and our two cats, and sealed the deal with a cuddle and a kiss,” smiles Tabitha.
The bride’s outfit
Tabitha’s wonderful short wedding gown has set our hearts aflutter, and it was perfect for her casual yet cute beach themed do. “I found a small business in Liverpool called Inspirational Bridal who specialise in short, vintage-inspired wedding dresses,” explains Tabitha. “It was handmade just for me, to my exact measurements, which turned out to be the greatest risk I’d ever taken. It was perfect for me in every single way,” she adds.
The groom’s outfit
To suit their sunny, laid-back theme, Daniel wore a shirt from Marks & Spencer, along with shoes and trousers from Next, finished off with a tie from Topman.
The bridesmaids
“My girls’ dresses were from high street store Phase Eight, in their Spring/Summer 2012 collection. It was a sell out, too, so we had to be really quick and order them straight away,” recalls Tabitha. “They might have cost nearly as much as my dress, but they were worth every penny, they all looked so wonderful on the day.”
The ceremony
This couple were lucky enough to fulfil their dream of getting married on a beach at Bournemouth, which is currently one of a kind in the UK. “I walked in to God Only Knows by the Beach Boys and we walked out to There Goes The Fear by the Doves from our favourite film, 500 days of Summer. We also had a reading from chief bridesmaid Katie of the poem The Owl and the Pussycat. It was very fitting because my name is shared with cats, and the owl plays guitar like Dan plus, they also got married on the beach, like us,” she smiles.
The flowers
Were arranged by local supplier Bouquets For You and had a vintage feel. The pastel colours fitted well with the seaside theme.
The reception
The couple’s wedding breakfast and speeches took place in the marquee on the beach. The evening party, which included their first dance, cutting of the cake and the disco, all took place at Old Harry’s Cellar Bar at the Marriott Hotel. The wedding breakfast menu was a rustic barbecue consisting of spiced sausages, chicken wraps, burgers and salads all made locally.
The details
Tabitha and Daniel put their hearts and souls into finding the perfect vintage and beach-themed finishing touches for their wedding – and their hard work has really paid off! “We bought lots of boats in bottles, collected shells, pebbles, and nautical trinkets to style our wedding,” recalls Tabitha. “We also had a special surfboard made as an alternative guest book, where everyone wrote well wishes and good luck messages. The best part of the wedding planning for me was definitely hunting around car boot sales and markets with Dan finding unique pieces that would reflect us as a couple, and all at bargain prices!” she adds. Tabitha also used her DIY skills to make their Scrabble place names – we love!
The cake
“Our cake was made by a friend’s mum. She made us a sandcastle cake, which had edible shells and a pair of mini deck chairs on top. It was gorgeous, it looked so real, guests were testing the shells with their teeth!” smiles Tabitha.
The honeymoon
“We went to Sorrento a week after the wedding,” says Tabitha. “The weather was scorching, and we enjoyed all the pizza, fresh pasta and wine we could handle! It was such a lovely trip.”
Tabitha and Daniel’s real wedding gallery
