Your North East Wedding - Page number 21 - November/December 2021 (Issue 47)

H olly and Jonathan first met while studying for a nursing degree at Northumbria University in 2013. After sitting at her first lecture, Holly noticed a good-looking guy sitting in a sea full of women. She says, “I was first attracted to Jon by his handsome looks, his ability to make me laugh and his Biffy Clyro band tee-shirt.” Jonathan knew Holly was special from the start. He says, “Holly is never afraid to get stuck in and she means the world to me. Her positive outlook and willingness to do the stupid things I enjoy doing, like plunging into the North Sea for a spot of surfing, really shows how much she cares.” The 15 th May, 2017, will always be a special date for the couple, as it’s when Jonathan proposed to Holly. During a walk in the rain at Bolam Lake, he started to say lovely things about her and their relationship. She says, “To my surprise, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him – I bursted into tears.” After accepting his proposal, the couple returned to the car and Holly called her mum to share the wonderful news. SETTING THE SCENE The lovebirds set the wedding date for July 24 th 2021, and after searching online for the perfect wedding location, Stanton Hall Gardens & Nursery stood out to them both. The property had everything they wanted, including the freedom to transform the spaces and a peaceful atmosphere with chirping birds. The venue’s coordinator Laura worked with the couple to bring their vision to life and recommended other local and trustworthy suppliers. The couple created a laid-back wedding to allow their guests to relax and enjoy the day. Holly says, “After all the hassle from the past year or two with the pandemic, I think we all deserved a bit of chill time. Hence our non-traditional and outdoor barn-style wedding with garden games, wheelbarrows full of beer and banquet-style dining.” Before the wedding, the couple decided to create their own wedding bands with help from The Glamorous Owl, who offers jewellery courses and classes. Holly says, “This was a great experience and made our rings very special to us!” Succulents sourced from the venue’s plant nursery were used for favours and matched the earthy colour scheme. These plants doubled up as place names and helped decorate the reception tables. Other venue décor included peacock chairs, Persian rugs, a wooden table plan created by Birdcages and Dragonflies and terracotta roof tiles for table numbers. A showstopping part of the wedding was the hanging installation of pampers grass in the barn. Holly comments, “We used a lot of dried flowers and pampers grass throughout the day, including in vases and as aisle markers. Our florist Muscari Studio also did such an amazing job with the bouquets, our mothers’ wrist corsages and buttonholes.” FOOD FOR THOUGHT The food was the main event in the evening with a three-course banquet-style dining from Lola Jeans. Canapés were served first with mojitos and beers, which was a big hit with guests, followed by charcuterie boards for starters, mains and a desert banquet with tasty treats. The bride says, “Nothing was too much trouble for the company and when the team states that they can cater to any property, they really mean it as our venue doesn’t have a kitchen or running water. She adds, “We couldn’t have asked for a more capable, adaptable and lovely team of people to help make our day extraordinary and special.” The couple hired Scream for Pizza to keep guests from going hungry in the evening. Holly says, “We had four pizza choices for guests to choose from and as the evening was still warm, everyone could mingle around the firepits and play on the grassy front.” The couple opted for a semi-naked cake by Cakes by Lottie McPhees, which featured patterned stencilling plus lemon, raspberry and Victoria-sponge flavours. REAL WEDDINGS 21