Love and joy was in the air during this intimate, chic and incredibly sweet UK real wedding. Alison and Michael said 'I do' surrounded by 37 of their favourite people with a natural and relaxed celebration with wonderful style. They tied the knot at Lancaster Town Hall before their reception at Silverdale Village Institute which had a village fete feel. It was brimming with fresh flowers, lovely food and excellent wine to toast to their happily ever. There is so much to look forward to including a jaw-dropping hot pink wedding dress, a city chic ceremony, florals curated by the bride, fabulous DIYs, reception styling with a hint of festival spirit, and a gorgeous photoshoot immersed in nature. Prepare for endless joy-packed images from Megan Maxwell below.
There is no better place to start than with their love story and our fabulous couple met 33 years ago in a dark Lancaster nightclub. Alison is from Shropshire and Michael is from Lancashire and they live in Cumbria. Alison surprised Michael by popping the question on top of a mountain in the Lake District! They tell us, "It which involved carrying a large, secret bottle of champagne seven miles uphill! An onion ring was presented in a ring box to seal the deal. We always said we’d never get married but as time went on, Alison realised how short and precious life is and that we should celebrate what we have. We told our family when we were out for dinner and it was worth it just for the absolute jaw dropping surprise."
The bride is a talented gardener and she curated the fabulous flowers by buying them from a wholesale flower nursery. Her stunning spring bouquet married white and blush pink blooms and included hydrangeas and gooseneck loosestrife.
Dapper groom Michael opted for a relaxed spring look and he sourced his vintage Paul Smith suit on eBay. He styled the elegant navy suit with a ditsy floral print shirt and tan leather brogues.
The couple exchanged vows in the council chamber at Lancaster Town Hall and the atmosphere of pure joy absolutely pops from their gorgeous photos.
Songs make such emotive and heartwarming ceremony readings. Their moving ceremony included a reading of How Long Will I Love You by The Waterboys.
While the couple has been together for over three decades they still had friends and family who had never met each other. So they thought it was about time they had a celebration! "Formalising this in front of our loved ones by making vows and to bring all our favourite people together in a celebratory, happy and relaxed day. We wanted to arrange things ourselves and to focus on what was important – our love for each other and family and friends."
We are so in love with their full-of-joy confetti moment.
Being surrounded by their loved ones made their happy day so magical. Alison says, "Seeing everyone mixing and chatting and laughing. My dad passed away a few years ago but my brother carried his photograph in his breast pocket – so it felt like he was there with us."
Bold and colourful wedding dresses are the perfect choice for any bride that wants to be different on her big day. We were wowed by Alison's bridal look which comprised of a hot pink satin Rewritten gown which she styled with vintage dance shoes from Vinted and vintage Aurora Borealis jewellery which she sourced on eBay and Vinted.
"We were aiming for a natural, relaxed, intimate day with our very favourite people, lovely food, wine and fresh flowers," they reflect. "We wanted the vibe to be a little like a village fete – sunny, bright and outdoors."
As for the hunt for their dream venue, "Most of the ‘official’ venues we looked required set numbers that needed to attend, whereas we only needed a small venue. We were also on a tight budget. We wanted somewhere that was not overly formal – we wanted a natural, outdoors vibe, ideally set in nature. The village hall was great as we could have it for the whole weekend and it was set in a large field."
Their reception styling was effortlessly chic with loads of fresh flowers, festoon lights, a firepit and bunting.
They have great advice for couples who are planning their own DIY do. "Do what feels right to you. Doing a DIY wedding was great but it took a lot of time - so we had to work out how to share the planning amongst us, otherwise it would have felt overwhelming. Make sure you keep discussing it – we had weekly planning meetings and catch-ups to agree what needed doing and by whom. Do a detailed budget in advance and try and stick to it but also be clear what is most important to you both and focus on that. For us, that was a ceremony location that was personal and to us, flowers, good food. Pinterest is brilliant for ideas."
Their help-yourself drinks set up cemented their wonderful relaxed atmosphere and later they hit the dancefloor for the first time as husband and wife to Let’s Stay Together by Al Green.
The couple celebrated tying the knot with their honeymoon in Istria in Croatia surrounded by beautiful unspoilt mountains and lush forests.
Congratulations Alison and Michael! A huge thank you to our wonderful couple and to Megan Maxwell for the absolutely dreamy images, you can see more in the gallery below.
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