Your Cheshire & Merseyside Wedding - Mar/Apr 2020 (Issue 50)

25  REAL WEDDINGS T he modern world of online dating brought Amy and John together in the first instance. They soon found themselves delighted by each other’s general “geekiness,” and the more they got to know each other the more mutual loves they discovered, including music, animals, and the countryside to name but a few. “Based on past experience, we were both wary of something coming out of the woodwork, as it all seemed too good to be true, but the moment never came,” Amy remembers.  Given Amy’s passion for Christmas, John chose December 25 th as the day to pop the question. In a bid to surprise his bride-to-be, he wrapped the ring and put it alongside her other presents, which would have been a great plan if Amy hadn’t been wise to it. She’d already worked out what was inside the little box and wanted to save the best for last, making it very difficult for poor John to keep his cool. All’s well that ends well though: of course, she said “yes,” and the venue search was on.  Ness Botanical Gardens was a natural choice for the couple. Amy had been to a wedding there several years before and had fallen in love with it. “The gardens are beautiful, and the wedding set-up feels private and intimate. It’s peaceful and relaxed, and the entrance for the bride is incredible. What more could we ask?”  Choosing The Little Fox for the reception was the simplest decision they made throughout the planning process. Amy explains, “It was the place we had our second date and many more after that. It’s one of our favourite spots due to its beautiful countryside surroundings, great food, and relaxed atmosphere.” The date was set for 21 st September 2019, and we caught up with the bride to find out more about the day… SETTING THE SCENE Nature served as the inspiration for the venue’s styling, with a colour palette of navy and teal. The centrepieces featured log slices with jam jars full of flowers sat atop, surrounded by little log tea light holders. Amy adores flowers and Vivid Floral Design did an incredible job of including all of her favourites – roses, scented stocks, freesias, wax flowers, and veronica in shades of cream and purple. As you can imagine, not only did they look beautiful, they smelled divine.  The mother-of-the-bride is to thank for many of the lovely little touches. She suggested the navy tablecloths to make the flowers stand out and give the room an air of elegance. She also found the little wood-effect favour boxes, which she filled with Lindor chocolates, as well as the seed packets, which were gifted to guests to continue the nature theme.  The cake topper was one of Amy’s favourite styling elements. She says, “It featured an adorable pair of peg dolls, painted to look like us. The suit, dress, hair, and flowers were all personalised to match our wedding. It was too cute for words!”  Amy’s mum ran with the natural theme and crafted the seating plan from wallpaper samples, a foam board, string, and printed cards. “She’s a clever lady who’s watched a lot of Blue Peter,” Amy laughs.  LOOKING THE PART The bride wore a Stella York gown. It was simple and elegant, but Amy