the day.” For their décor, Ashleigh and Joe went for a set of vases for their centrepieces. “The glass vases mirrored the frames we used for the table names,” shares Ashleigh. “We also added discoballs to the ceiling of our party room for the evening; we hung them from the beams with fishing wire at varying heights to bounce light like a traditional disco ball.” DRESSED TO IMPRESS “I wore a princess dress covered in glitter,” explains the bride. “I knew I wanted a sweetheart front and something off-the-shoulder. I ended up with the most beautiful dress called Feliciana by Morilee, which was everything I had been looking for. I had a great experience at Elizabeth George Bridal in Middlesbrough. The girls were supportive and honest with the choices I had made. I accessorised with a gold necklace with a single diamond, which matched the single drop diamond earrings I had loaned from my nanna as my something borrowed.” Joe opted for a timeless black tuxedo. “We want to be able to look back at our photos in years to come and for them not to look dated,” recalls Ashleigh. “We also wanted all the groomsmen to match, so we went to our local Suit Direct, who helped us out massively; they made it easy for all of the groomsmen to go in and get measured.” The bridesmaids chose green satin floor-length dresses from Pretty Lavish. “They all said the gown made them feel amazing,” adds Ashleigh. “They finished the look with black open-toed shoes with block heels.” TIME TO CELEBRATE “One of our biggest focuses was keeping the guests entertained,” explains Ashleigh. “We are big music fans and love going to live concerts, so we both knew live music was a must. I came across an amazing eight-piece disco band, aptly called Discography. We loved their energy and the fact that their repertoire is a bit different from other wedding bands out there. They were a massive hit with all the guests, as their music suited all ages. We then liked the idea of entertaining guests during the canapés, so through a recommendation of somebody I worked with, we contacted the magician, Tim Lichfield. Tim’s communication was great, and he had some great reviews online, so we booked him for after the ceremony. Tim was fantastic with all our guests and was a massive talking point for the rest of the day. “We started to think about the time after the wedding breakfast and before the evening reception,” continues Ashleigh. “This can sometimes be a part of the day when guests are full and might start to get a bit tired, so we wanted to keep things as upbeat as possible. After asking for recommendations on Facebook, we were given the name of DNR Acoustic Mayhem. They were very upbeat and a bit quirky, which we loved, so we booked them immediately.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS The couple was excited on the morning of the big day. “I decided to go to the driving range with my dad, brothers and some friends,” explains Joe. “Around 20 minutes in, I received a phone call from Ashleigh’s man-ofhonour, Stuart, saying that Ashleigh had left her bouquet at home! This was around 10:30am and only three hours before the ceremony. It’s a two-hour round trip from the venue to our house, so we knew it was going to be tight. Luckily, our two friends Martin and Stuart offered to drive back to collect it for us, arriving back with 45 minutes to spare!” It was important to Ashleigh and Joe that the day was full of personal touches. “We decided to write all our own vows and promises for the ceremony,” says Ashleigh. “Our good friend Stuart also did a reading during the ceremony, which was really sweet and emotional. We were also really grateful for our photographer, Carn, who went above and beyond throughout the day. His attention to detail was brilliant; he made everyone feel so relaxed behind the camera and he even stayed later than expected to capture more of the evening party and sparklers, which we can’t thank him enough for.” 33 REAL WEDDINGS
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