Laura & David
Sequins, flowers and fuel tanks come
together in a surprisingly stylish twist!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLA GUYAN PHOTOGRAPHY,
When you imagine who might have played cupid for Laura and David, you probably didn’t expect it to be Laura’s car. “I was in and out of David’s garage almost daily and, after crushing on him for a long time, I finally asked him out. He’d wanted to ask me too, but he was worried he might lose a regular customer!” David proposed to Laura twice, first when he came round from surgery following a motorbike accident and then again a few months later on New Year’s Day. “He’d always given me Baci, Italian chocolates with wrappers that feature love notes, so he commissioned a special box for me! He also designed a bespoke diamond engagement ring for me, choosing a rough diamond because even though sometimes relationships are rough, they are still beautiful. As I opened the chocolate I was telling him how much I loved the notes inside. He asked what mine said and I couldn’t reply because I was crying – it said, ‘Laura Dollimore, will you marry me?’ It was the most amazing moment and I hadn’t even seen the ring yet!”
The bride found her Watters Wtoo gown in Leigh Hetherington Bridal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
“I’d seen it elsewhere but was desperate to try it on in rose gold,” Laura explains.”
“It wasn’t what I’d originally thought I wanted, but as soon as I tried it on I knew I had to have it.” The ‘Pippin’ strapless design featured a gorgeous mermaid silhouette with a scalloped lace trim. “I went over budget on my dress so I cut back a little on the accessories, sourcing my tiara and Carvela shoes second hand and borrowing my earrings from a friend.”
David chose a three-piece suit sourced from Matalan. “He wasn’t interested in a tuxedo or a dinner jacket, it’s just not him. He wanted to feel comfortable, and it meant that we had the budget to buy the ushers and best man their outfits, rather than hiring them. I didn’t see him fully suited and booted until our wedding day, it was a real treat!”
Laura’s two sisters joined her for her big moment as bridesmaids, both wearing MissGuided floor-length fitted gowns in a simple blush pink.
Makeup artist Yasmin Choudry used MAC ‘Fanfare’ lipstick, Urban Decay and Ryolan products, and the bride’s good friend, hairdresser Jess Pagdin from Aubergine Hairdressing, styled their locks. “We tried lots of fancy up-dos before settling on something more classic – we felt that it needed to be subtle because my dress was so busy.”
Following their religious church ceremony, the couple and their guests tucked into a traditional Sunday roast, food which paid homage to their very first date. In the evening, in tribute to David’s Maltese heritage, they served pastizzi, the traditional Maltese pasties.
Not restricted by one rigid theme, this couple styled their wedding around themselves. “Out of everything, our table centrepieces reflected this the best. They were motorbike fuel tanks filled with flowers, but I can’t take credit for the amazing idea – it was all David!” Laura gushes. The couple also took the creative approach with their invitations, purchasing brown luggage tags, adding photographs and posting them out themselves.
“I’ve been reading Wedding Ideas ever since my sister got married – I love the featured weddings for inspiration!”
Bijou Venue Styling organised most of the decorations, providing illuminated letters, a sequin backdrop, table runners and chair covers. “It pays to shop around – she travelled from Yorkshire to do the décor for us, but even with the accommodation costs it still worked out better value than hiring someone local!”
SHOP hessian and lace ribbon
Becca from Charisma Florist, Wallsend, supplied the flowers, and the groom’s mother made their fantastic Casatella cake, a traditional Sicilian and Maltese recipe.
“We’ve kept the top tier of fruit cake for the baptism of any babies we might have together in the future!
CEREMONY St Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
RECEPTION VENUE Castle Gate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
DRESS Watters Wtoo at Leigh Hetherington Bridal
BRIDESMAID DRESSES MissGuided
GROOM Matalan
FLOWERS Charisma Florist, Wallsend
DÉCOR Bijou Venue Styling
ENTERTAINMENT Gotcha Wedding Band
HONEYMOON Jet2 Holidays
