Your Yorkshire Wedding - March/April 2021 (Issue 47)

REAL WEDDINGS 25 W hen Briony and Mark first met through mutual friends, sparks flew immediately. “We instantly clicked,” Briony said. “I knew I’d be with him forever. It felt like we’d known each other for years and he soon became my best friend.” So it was no surprise that one day Mark would be planning to pop the question. “For years we’ve gone on holiday to Cornwall with our beloved cocker spaniel, Charlie,” Briony tells us. “2017 was no different, and we set off with our two good friends, Hayley and James.” When they arrived, Mark explained that he had booked a lovely dinner at Lewennick Lodge in Newquay. After the meal, he asked Briony to join him on the balcony, which looks out across the ocean and an amazing sunset. “I refused to go out because it was too cold,” Briony laughs. “So a disgruntled Mark said he was off to take the dog to the toilet in a nearby field.” He soon rang Briony to ask her to bring him a poo bag. “Naturally, this wound me up. What sort of dog owner doesn’t take a poo bag out with them?” Briony says. “I marched across the car park, and when I got there he gave me an envelope. Inside was the most thoughtful love letter.” Luckily, her friend had arrived at this point, and after peering over Briony’s shoulder and seeing the letter she frantically got her camera out, just in time to capture the moment Mark got down on one knee. “We all cried and squealed with excitement,” Briony says. “I couldn’t believe it!” Back at home, the pair set the date for 30 th May, 2019. We caught up with Briony to get the lowdown on how they planned their dream day at Wharfedale Grange… THE PERFECT SETTING As soon as the couple stepped foot in Wharfedale Grange, they knew it was exactly the luxurious barn feel they were looking for. “The venue was breathtaking and every single detail had been thought of,” Briony says. “The North Barn, which was filled with hundreds of twinkling fairylights, had an intimate feel for our ceremony, while the South Barn was brimming with luxurious touches, from the bespoke wooden tables and crystal chandeliers to the huge rose gold mirror ball.” The wedding planners, Claire and Zach, even created a bespoke gin bar for the day, and the bottomless prosecco tap in the ladies’ bathroom was a winner! PUTTING THEIR STAMP ON Briony and Mark knew from the beginning that they wanted a classic, luxury feel with neutral tones accented with gold and silver touches. “We wanted our flowers to be very natural in colour, with lots of creams and greenery in a loose style,” Briony explains. “My bouquet was made up of peonies, hydrangeas and David Austin roses, complete with eucalyptus and herbs. On the tables were urns filled with cream flowers and greenery spilling out, alongside candlesticks and tea lights. Over the top table hung a beautiful floral installation. We also kept a family tradition of having small corsages for every lady at the wedding, which were handmade by my mum.” There were lots of lovely personal touches throughout, as friends and family helped make the day extra special. “My uncle is a talented chef, and he kindly handmade fudge and personalised it with our names and wedding date for the favours,” Briony says. “One of my best friends made all of our wedding stationery for us, my aunty created a beautiful doughnut tower and Mark and I created a sweet table for the kids.” There was also a special table with photographs of the