Megan and Tom met at work and immediately felt comfortable around each other. They soon became fast friends having discovered plenty of mutual interests. “Mostly, we made each other laugh and really happy,” Megan says. Tom proposed to Megan in August 2022, while on a family holiday in Spain. “We were all out together enjoying a meal and Tom suddenly dropped to one knee. I’m not sure it was the most romantic of settings, but it was a surprise and felt very special having our family with us to celebrate,” Megan shares. The couple viewed a number of venues before they decided on Cranage Estate. “I felt it ticked all the boxes for us,” Megan explains. “It’s a beautiful building outside and in, the grounds are lovely, the function room was the right size for us, and most importantly, there were plenty of guest rooms meaning our family and friends could stay overnight.” The date was set for 7th April 2024. Here, the bride shares the story of the big day... SETTING THE SCENE Early on during the planning process, Megan was looking at save-the-date cards when she found herself attracted to a lavender themed version, and from there decided to roll with it as the palette for the whole wedding. The bouquets featured a mix of greenery, white, deep purple, lavender and light blue hues, which showcased the springtime vibe. The groomsmen all wore similar flowers as buttonholes. Sprigs of lavender were also tucked into the chair sashes on the chair backs, while large lanterns adorned the aisle. The couple’s florist, Caroline from Flowers at Dutch Barn, created some smaller bunches of blooms to be used on each of the tables as part of the centrepieces, which the couple organised themselves. They hired logs from Caroline and added vases of flowers to them with tea lights and jars full of fairylights. Table names were based on the many pubs the two have frequented over the years of their relationship. Meanwhile, the wedding favours were little bags of sweets put together by Megan and sealed with a personalised sticker bearing the couple’s initials from Etsy. They must have a sweet tooth, as they also hired a sweet cart for the evening, which we’re told went down a treat! The big-day bake was designed and made by Nicola at Boutique Bakery following the lavender theme using the palette and flowers provided by Caroline for decoration. “It looked brilliant and, most importantly, tasted amazing,” Megan shares. LOOKING THE PART Megan found her dress at The Bridal Lounge. “It was the first and last place I went, and my gown ended up being the fifth one I tried on,” she explains. The Sophia Tolli design featured lace detailing across the body, which carried down either side. The invisible back had buttons running down its length before the lace picked up again around the bottom. The bride accessorised with a pair of white strappy heels, a lace headpiece and a veil adorned in small crystals. The groomsmen all wore dark blue three-piece suits with white shirts and deep purple ties, along with a pocket square to match the bridesmaids’ dresses. Tom decided to wear a chequered waistcoat allowing him to stand out from the rest of his groomsmen. The gents all wore matching dark brown shoes, which pulled their outfits together. “Originally, I wanted my bridesmaids to wear lavender but unfortunately the colour just didn’t suit them, so we ended up opting for deep purple dresses,” Megan tells us. “These actually complemented the lavender theme better and really made the bouquets stand out.” The gowns were then expertly altered by Gwen, based in Northwich. The ladies finished their look with silver sandals and jewellery. TIME TO CELEBRATE Following “I dos” guests enjoyed drinks and canapés, while the couple headed off for their photo shoot. After everyone had enjoyed the wedding REAL WEDDINGS 23
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