Jennifer and Mark had a glorious, family-filled wedding day on the Isle of Man – we love the vintage-inspired touches and the pretty pinks!
How they met
“We met each other at work and were very close friends for a couple of years before we got together,” explains Jennifer. “I had moved to work on the Greek island of Skiathos in 2006. When I was out there, Mark came out to see me on holiday and out of the blue one night, in the middle of a bar, he told me that he loved me. I didn’t believe it at the time as we were just friends and I thought he had drunk too much, but he said it again the next morning! I knew I loved him too and we have been together ever since.”
The proposal
“It happened in December 2010 by the huge Christmas tree next to the Academy of Flowers in Covent Garden. Mark got down on one knee and said ‘I’ve been meaning to do this for a while…’ opened a box with the ring inside and said ‘Will you marry me?’
I screamed and screamed like an absolute lunatic before Mark finally said ‘Is that a yes?’ to which I said ‘yes’ and screamed some more! The director of The Academy of Flowers heard me screaming and came running out to congratulate us and invited us in for mulled wine, mince pies and then gave me the most beautiful bouquet of roses,” smiles Jennifer.
The bride’s outfit
“I actually bought two wedding dresses,” explains Jennifer. “I hadn’t tried on any wedding dresses but had my heart set on a gorgeous Diane Von Furstenberg gown called ‘Antoinette’. I searched high and low for this dress and finally found it on eBay. The dress was paid for but, to cut a long story short, it never arrived.
“Thankfully I got a full refund and after being massively fed up, I realised it just wasn’t meant to be and that I should probably try on some gowns in store.” Our bride eventually walked down the aisle in a mesmerising Jenny Packham design called ‘Eden’.
The groom’s outfit
Mark wore a slim-fit, Italian wool suit, in a charcoal grey colour. “We didn’t realise until afterwards but the back of Mark’s waistcoat was navy blue, which matched the blue of the bridesmaids’ dresses perfectly!” says Jennifer.
The bridesmaids
Jennifer was joined by three pretty bridesmaids and one very cute flowergirl. “Emma was my chief bridesmaid. I have been best friends with her since I was three years old. It was Emma who I moved to Skiathos with and she is now in a relationship with Mark’s brother, Chris, who was best man. They met at our wedding!” smiles Jennifer.
“Lisa was another of my bridesmaids. Lisa and I met when we were working in the same bar in Skiathos. She also met her lovely husband who came over on holiday to Greece the same week Mark came over on holiday to see me! Finally Katie was my third bridesmaid and has been a very close friend of mine since primary school. It was very touch and go if she would be able to be my bridesmaid as she gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy, Jack, just a week before the wedding!” adds Jennifer.
The ceremony
The couple’s religious service took place at the Baptist church where the bride and groom’s family all worship. Because Mark’s family are Irish his dad gave an Irish Blessing.
The flowers
When it came to flowers and decor, laced jam jars and milk bottles with blooms in them were the order of the day. “We had our friends and family collecting jars and bottles for months leading up to the wedding!” says Jennifer. “It was wonderful for guests to take away a decorated jar with flowers in them at the end of the evening.” 
The reception
“Bradda Glen is a beautiful venue on the coast with stunning views out to sea. For our wedding party, we wanted a venue with great food, that was casual, decorated tastefully and had room for us to dance! So this place fitted the bill perfectly,” smiles Jennifer. 
The favours
Jennifer bulk-bought pashminas as practical favours for the women. “Because Mark grows a ridiculous moustache every November to raise money for charity, we got chocolate moustaches made by Creighton’s Chocolatier for the men,” explains Jennifer.
The honeymoon
Jennifer and Mark went to Bali and stopped off in Ireland to visit some of Mark’s family on the way home.
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