Your North West Wedding - Jun/Jul 2019 (Issue 56)

REAL WEDDINGS 43  R achael and Andrew met at their local bar. “It was Christmastime,” says Rachael. “Andrew was wearing a Santa hat, and we started talking.” Andrew popped the question during a trip to Lisbon. “I had taken him away as a surprise for his 30 th birthday,” recalls the bride. “Little did I know he was planning to propose! We visited a rooftop bar that offered lovely views of the city, and as the sun began to set, he asked me to be his wife.” SETTING THE SCENE “We spent a lot of time looking at wedding venues in the Ribble Valley,” explains Rachael. “The Shireburn Arms was stunning. It has a relaxing atmosphere, a reception room and unspoiled views of the countryside. We also liked the fact that all of our guests could stay in the on-site accommodation.” The lovebirds gave their friends and family mint imperials as favours. “They were my grandad’s favourite sweet,” shares the bride. “I placed them in jars that were adorned with foliage.” They decided to make their table plan themselves. “Instead of a traditional design, we included pictures of our loved ones,” adds Rachael. “We spent a couple of evenings with a glue gun, string and wooden pegs putting everything together. To finish, our florist added some blooms to the frame that we had purchased from a charity shop.” For their centrepieces, they chose greenery and candelabra. “I wanted out floral arrangements to incorporate lots of soft flowers,” says the bride. “We chose white peonies for my bouquet and placed eucalyptus and ribbons that matched our invitations in the church.” The couple’s big-day bake was made by Finch Bakery. “Our cake was a semi-naked creation,” says Rachael. “It was a four-tiered design made up of chocolate, Victoria sponge, coconut and lemon.” Andrew is a big fan of Blackburn Rovers, and the club was incorporated into the wedding. “We named our tables after the top players,” laughs the bride. “We also matched the table numbers with the players’ shirts.” The lovebirds placed wooden crates embellished with quotes from J.R.R. Tolkien around the venue. “He was known to have stayed in the area and taken inspiration from the countryside,” explains Rachael. “Outside the venue, we had a cartwheel from my Grandad’s workshop, which we decorated with foliage. We also had a personalised beer pump, a sweet cart, a Polaroid