Your North West Wedding- August/September 2020 (Issue 63)

REAL WEDDINGS Matthew and the groomsmen opted for suits from Next. They were velvet and classic black to create an elegant and sophisticated look. The bridesmaids chose gowns from Rene K Couture in Barrowford. I had followed them on Instagram for ages and always knew I wanted Carrie, the owner, to make the dresses. We had a girls trip to her gorgeous house where she has her showroom and drank champagne while the girls tried on styles and had measurements taken. We chose a dress with a plunging neckline, deep cowl back, fishline hemline and train. We had a string quartet perform while the guests arrived, during the ceremony and up until the wedding breakfast. There was also a caricaturist circulating who kept everyone entertained and provided keepsakes for our guests. My dress was a Riki Dalal design called Madonna from The White Gallery. They say you just know when you’ve found the perfect dress, but I think that goes for the shop as well. I just knew I would get my dress from there. The girls were amazing, and they made me feel so comfortable and like nothing was too much trouble. My gown was made-to-measure over several months and fit like a glove. It had long, detachable sleeves that I removed in the evening to create a different look. During the wedding breakfast, we surprised everyone with Singers 4 Supper. They were great and got everyone smiling and on their feet. In the evening, we had House of Sax perform. They were fantastic and filled the dancefloor. We decorated the space with a memory tree. The baubles had our loves one names, who are unfortunately no longer with us, written on the front. Instead of a guest book, we had a silver trunk with clear baubles for our guests to sign so that next Christmas we can dress our tree with well wishes from our friends and family. 25 