The one for me

Posted by Melissa Cullen on 9 January 2023

Karen and Danny met in the waiting room of a car garage. "Danny was waiting for a tyre to be changed, and I was there having a puncture repaired," says Karen.

"Our eyes met across the room, and I gave Danny a cheeky grin, and it was fireworks from there. It was his unshaven, rugged look and the glint in his eyes that attracted me to him. For Danny, it was the cheeky but innocent look that I gave him."

Happy couple Danny proposed during dinner at one of Karen's favourite restaurants. "One of the first things he did before asking me to marry him was visit my parents and ask for their permission," shares the bride.

"He then booked a table at an Italian restaurant, and once we'd had our meal, he got down on one knee and popped the question. I was blown away and must admit there were one or two tears."

Venue exterior "Chadkirk Chapel is surrounded by rose gardens and lawns that create a relaxing atmosphere," explains Karen. "The chapel itself, is a wonderful Grade II listed building that has been fully restored to its original look and is steeped in history. It gave us the perfect setting to dedicate our lives to each other."

Cake

The happy couple gave their guests chocolates in boxes that looked like Cinderella's carriage as favours.

"For the centrepieces, we had small goldfish bowls placed on mirror plates," recalls the bride.

"We placed weights in the bowls for the burgundy, blue and gold balloons, and we wrapped the strings in lights.

We finished the look with burgundy and white roses and royal blue flowers from Grestys Florist."

Karen and Danny purchased a three-tiered white-iced sponge bake from Precious Cakes.

"It was made up of red velvet, chocolate and Victoria sponge," reveals Karen.

"The decorations were silver pearl drops, blue ribbons and a diamanté broach.

This was topped with a bride and groom silhouette with our surname on.

"To transport the bridesmaids and ring bearer to the venue, we hired an Imperial Landaulette from Horgans Wedding Cars," adds the bride. "We also booked a Regent Tourer for Danny and I."

Walker's Retreat provided the couple with homemade cakes and coffee for their drinks reception, and Karen and Danny organised a selfcatered buffet at Burnage Rugby Club for later in the day.

Dressed to impress "I wore a Morilee design called Kaitlyn from Dream Dress Bridal," says Karen. "It wasn't what I would have originally chosen, but as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one. I accessorised with handmade diamond earrings and a matching necklace from Andrew Lever Goldsmith. They made all my jewellery and our wedding rings, which were faultless."

Danny chose a blue three-piece suit with tails from Freedmans.

"The groomsmen had blue ties, the ring bearers gold and Danny opted for a burgundy version," shares the bride. "My bridesmaids wore dark red chiffon dresses from The Prom Shop & Bridal Boutique."

First dance "The house DJ played a variety of music which all of our guests loved," explains Karen. "Everyone also had great fun with the green screen that our photographer, Ian John Cook Photography, provided. Our friends and family played with the different props and backgrounds and got to let their hair down."

"I felt very calm and relaxed on the morning of the wedding," recalls the bride. "The day ran perfectly without any glitches.

One of my favourite moments was walking into the chapel and seeing all our friends and family ready to celebrate our big day.

There were so many tears of happiness from our guests which made the year's delay due to COVID-19 worth the wait.

The chapel was beautiful, and having everyone there on the day made it perfect.

Our son, Theo, has complex special needs, and the fact he was able to be a part of the wedding ceremony was so perfect. All of our kids had a role in the wedding, Jessica our eldest was a bridesmaid, Michael and Eathan were the best men, Charlie and Joe were ring bearers, and Theo walked up the aisle at the start and gave Danny a cushion with a lucky sixpence on it.

We were able to have family photographs with Theo included, and then he carried on his day with his carers."

Bubbles

The couple hired a minibus for people that didn't drive.

"The first group that were dropped off got lost," reveals Karen.

"The driver took them past the chapel and ended up down a dead end. He then got all the passengers to get off the bus and said they would have to carry on by foot!

They ended up in a field with a farmer chasing them in a tractor asking where they were going and sending them back down the road in the right direction!

Fortunately, the guests on that trip saw the funny side of it, and it certainly gave them something to remember from the day

"Ian John Cook Photography had some great ideas that we wouldn't have thought of in a million years," adds the bride.

"The wedding coordinator from Stockport Events, Heidi, made sure that everything at the chapel was perfect and ran like clockwork.

She had a wealth of knowledge and experience in coordinating everything.

Dawn, the owner of Walker's Retreat, provided delicate touches in the tea room, which made the setting perfect. Nothing was too much trouble for her, and our guests didn't want for anything.

We enjoyed the amazing variety of homemade cakes that she made, and she was honoured to host that part of our wedding. We knew that she would bend over backwards to help make the day perfect before we even met in person."