Joanne and Martin Foster met in traditional fashion through friends on a pub crawl! “We bonded over our love of music and spent early dates going to see live music and bands locally,” shares Joanne. After romance blossomed, a relationship began and a young family started, Martin’s surprise proposal for Joanne was on a pram walk with their baby daughter. “He dropped down on one knee on a quaint bridge with the water rushing by underneath,” recalls Joanne. “He did however open the box upside down and so there was a bit of a scramble to make sure the ring didn’t fall out into the river!” Luckily that didn’t happen, and Joanne was delighted with the antique-looking diamond and sapphire ring. It was a sunny summer afternoon, and the happy couple celebrated by going for a drink in their local and meeting friends there – just like how they met! “We are not into big or loud gestures, so this was perfect in every way,” adds Joanne. “Unfortunately, my cancer diagnosis the following month meant the wedding planning had to be delayed, though when this restarted the following year, it felt extra special given everything we had been through as a newly engaged couple with a small baby!” The big date was set, 13th July 2024 with the ceremony held at Croston St Michael’s and All Angels Church, followed by a reception hosted at Croston Old School. Here we find out more about their day... SETTING THE SCENE With a shared love of quaint, picturesque, riverside settings, Croston Old School ticked all the boxes for Joanne and Martin; with the added bonus the venue was on the couple’s doorstep. “It was very much a beautiful blank canvas that we could turn into our own for the day,” shares Joanne. For the finer details, the couple opted for a donation card for the MS Society for each guest, in honour of Martin’s late mum, Maureen, which were their table favours and placenames. Also on the tables were floral displays matching the theme, while the table plan itself was a creation of flowers and fairylights. For the bouquet and buttonholes, supplied by The Window Box, these were in blue, white and green hues secured with hessian. The big-day bake was a traditional three-tier fruitcake decorated with flowers and a hessian and lace ribbon; while the rest of the food provided included an afternoon tea comprising handmade savouries and cakes, then fish and chips in the evening – the chippy van was a real hit with the guests! Finally, the couple travelled in a cream, vintage Rolls Royce which also provided picture-perfect photo opportunities. LOOKING THE PART Keeping her bridal look classic, Joanne opted for a white, traditional, lace dress called Hera. Martin also kept it classic, in a smart navy suit teamed with a dusty blue tie and buttonhole; this look was mirrored in the groomsmens’ attire and complemented by the bridesmaids’ dresses that matched the style of the bride’s dress, but the blue accents of the groom’s suit. The flowergirls had white lace dresses completing the on-the-day colour palette. TIME TO CELEBRATE Music has played an important role in the couple’s journey together, so it was only apt that they would play their favourite songs throughout the day, “Each one had a special meaning or memory linking back to our early relationship to present day,” shares Joanne. “We had a saxophonist/DJ combo for the evening which the guests loved! They played both old classics and more modern dance-style music and were fabulous. “We also hired a wedding illustrator, and she was great! Guests loved having their pictures painted and went to the stall throughout the afternoon to guess which guest featured in the completed ones. It was unique and brilliant.” MEMORABLE MOMENTS On the day, the couple were surprised at how calm and relaxed they both felt; they were relieved to have finally been able to get married after the previous year 19 REAL WEDDINGS
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