Charlotte and Steve met at work. “He came in for a job interview at the insurance broker I worked for,” says Charlotte. “Steve said that I was the first thing he saw when he walked into the office. He successfully joined the company, and we hit it off straight away.” Steve proposed during a Caribbean cruise. “We booked it for January 2019 to celebrate our 10th anniversary,” shares the bride. “We’d docked in St Thomas on the morning of our anniversary and had gone to get some breakfast whilst we sat on the deck enjoying the view. Steve said he felt unwell and needed to go back to the room. He returned shortly after and said he wasn’t feeling great, so could we go back to the cabin. Unknown to me, he was perfectly fine but had taken the opportunity to run half the length of the cruise ship and down four flights of stairs to prepare the cabin for the big question. When we got back, Steve walked past pretending not to know where it was so I’d enter first. I walked in, and it was completely dark apart from a small ring box on the end of the bed, open with a single bright LED shining down on the contents. I immediately broke down as Steve told me how much he loved me and what I meant to him. We got engaged then and there.” SETTING THE SCENE “We’d originally planned to get married on a cruise, but due to COVID-19, we decided to choose somewhere local that meant something to us,” explains Charlotte. “Lytham St Annes is a place close to our hearts that we visit regularly. We wanted a venue that had a sea view and a welcoming feel to it. The Clifton Arms Hotel was perfect! It’s an independent family-run hotel that was refurbished in 2020. Bernard, our wedding planner, has worked at the hotel for more than 45 years and was amazing! Nothing was too much trouble.” For their favours, the couple gave their guests candles and home-brewed beer made by Steve. “He designed and printed the labels for the bottles,” adds the bride. “He also created our table plan based around an imaginary cruise itinerary with ports of call being the table names such as Barcelona and Gibraltar.” “Our centrepieces were tall cylinder vases containing dendrobium orchids and floating candles,” recalls Charlotte. “Our flowers were orchids, ivory roses, and blue thistles finished with navy ribbons from Bond & Bloom.” Charlotte and Steve chose a two-tier cake from Treats of St Annes. “It had a Mr & Mrs topper and dangly bride and groom figures,” says the bride. “It was decorated with navy drip icing and made up of vanilla sponge and strawberry jam.” “We decorated the space with a fairylight backdrop, ivory blossom trees, light-up letters, lanterns and petals from Sophisticated Events,” shares Charlotte. “Clifton Arms Hotel were kind enough to arrange the chair covers and sashes for us.” DRESSED TO IMPRESS “I wore a Stella York wedding dress from Ava Rose Hamilton,” explains the bride. “I loved the lace slim fit style, beaded REAL WEDDINGS 25
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