Your North East Wedding - November/December 2023 (Issue 59)

standard size and didn’t want to spend a fortune on a dress I’d wear once,” she says. “I knew I wanted a lace, boho feel with sleeves, and found a design on Etsy which I adored. However, there were no samples in my size, so I shelved it for a bit and started looking elsewhere. In the end nothing lived up to the one I’d seen, so I sent over my measurements, with my BIBILUXE Maya dress arriving a few weeks later. The first time I tried it on I cried tears of happiness. I could move in it, I could dance and I felt really beautiful, which I guess is the point for a wedding dress. Everyone said how ‘me’ it was – even my mam, who at first was hesitant about ordering a dress online.” It was then down to Robs to find the perfect suit, with the couple agreeing they’d keep their outfits from each other until the day. “There’s actually a big hole in the market for androgynous suits,” says Robs. “In the end I found a cropped-style jacket and pair of flares from ASOS, with a vibe of Harry Styles meets Fleetwood Mac. Hannah says she’d never seen me look so amazing.” A PLACE IN THE SUN The couple asked their venue if they could organise Spanish-style catering, as opposed to a more traditional meal. “Hannah’s dad had a house in Spain, which she visited regularly before he passed away,” continues the couple. “He loved a good party and was a great entertainer, so we wanted that feel to remember him by. Our coordinator suggested tapas, which was insane! We had boards brought to the guests’ tables piled with olives, meats, cheese and patatas bravas, followed by bowls of paella. It was perfect for a later wedding, leaving room for pizza from a local company later on in the evening. We had stacks left at the end of the night, which loads of people took home. We also had some sent to our room to eat later on!” Another nod to Hannah’s late dad was hiring a Spanish guitarist to play at their reception. “Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it in the end, so the venue suggested we make our own playlists, which they could pop on,” say the brides. “We took this very seriously, including having an emo hour and the very best of female power singers while we ate. We also had a band booked as a surprise for the evening, buying glow sticks for friends and family to use as Acoustic Clubland did their thing. They were exactly the vibe we were going for. One of our guests said it felt like they were sitting in a bar in Ibiza – what more of a compliment do you need?” MAGIC MOMENTS There are many memories of Hannah and Robs’ wedding that will stay with them forever. “We asked Robs’ little cousins, Luke and Joey, if they wanted to be our ‘wedding security’; a task they enthusiastically agreed to,” say the couple. “We ended up with stricter security than Geordie Shore! People were getting turned away as we’d forgotten to give them an evening guests list; and Joey even added extra tasks to his role, such as taking people’s snack orders. He even made some tips! Everyone loved them, and people were still mentioning them weeks after the wedding.” Seeing each other for the first time as they were about to become wife and wife is also something Hannah and Robs will never forget. “Waiting outside with my mam, who walked me up the aisle, felt like an eternity,” says Hannah. “I knew Robs was already in there and I just wanted to see her, then the minute we were in the room together we locked eyes and didn’t look at a single other person. I ugly cried the whole way!” Robs, who’d spent the day being super-calm and collected, also fell apart when she first saw her future wife in the ceremony room. “I sobbed like a bairn!” she laughs. “I’ll also never forget the music in the evening, which was totally our vibe. I got to dance with Hannah as my wife, with our friends and family, then my brother and I did a perfectly choreographed routine to Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus!” HANNAH & ROBS’ TOP TIP “Book yourself a foot massage for the next day. Your body will ache!” 31 REAL WEDDINGS

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