After a quick online search for small wedding venues in Manchester, we found The Portico Library. We both studied literature at university, Matt is an English teacher, and I write for a living, so it made a lot of sense! We got in touch with Michelle at the venue, and she invited us for a visit. As soon as we walked in and saw the rows of old books and stunning domed skylight, our minds were made up. It was the first and only venue we saw, as nothing could match up to that! When discussing the wedding with our families, one of the main things they were interested in was the food. So, we decided to make sure they were well-fed throughout the day with some heart-shaped vegan shortbread from What Leila Bakes – Vegan Bakery. As we only had 29 guests, we wanted to give them something personal as a memento of the day. Sustainability was also really important to us, the wedding industry can be really wasteful, so we wanted something people could keep and use. We found some dark green recycled leather bookmarks on Etsy from a company called Undercover UK with gold bees on them that could be personalised with initials. These were paired with literature-themed postcards from Bookishly, on which we handwrote individual messages. Grand Pacific Manchester provided our catering. We booked them mainly based on their Instagram pictures. It seemed dark and moody and in keeping with the romantic look of The Portico Library. Fortunately, it was just a five-minute walk too! They gave us a stunning private room, which was panelled in dark wood with lots of atmospheric lighting. Our flowers were created by Jilly at Into the Garden. We wanted to hire a local florist who works as sustainably as possible, and Jilly’s practice fit the bill perfectly. We went to her studio and had in-depth conversations about the kinds of flowers and colours we liked, what would be in season, and how we could commemorate members of our family that we had lost. We left the bridal transport to my dad, who smashed it with an old VW Campervan from Boho Brides. Matt and his family were transported by a minibus from local firm, Belle Vue Manchester Limited, who were so accommodating and professional. 24
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