Your Cheshire and Merseyside Wedding - July/August 2020 (Issue 52)

Melissa and Richard said “I do” at Ness Botanical Gardens on 15 th June, 2019 Images courtesy of Emma Hillier Photography AMONGST THE Romance roses 38 R ichard was already firm friends with the eventual father-of-the-bride through work, when he was introduced to Melissa. The mutual attraction was instantaneous, with Richard drawn to her smile. Melissa remembers, “The first thing I liked about Richard was his looks. He’s also naturally quite shy, so I saw that as a challenge!” Richard popped the all-important question when Melissa got home from work one night. He’d scattered rose petals and candles throughout the house, and had made a delicious three-course meal for them both. Much to Melissa’s surprise, he got down on one knee while serving dessert: “It was exactly how I’d have wished for it to happen. A public proposal for me would have been a massive no-no. This was intimate and it meant so much,” she explains. When thoughts turned to planning the nuptials, the initial idea was a destination wedding as neither were keen on a traditional celebration. However, as they both have family members who wouldn’t have been able to make the trip, they focused on local outdoor venues. When they laid eyes on the Rock Garden ceremony area at Ness Botanical Gardens, the couple were sold. “It’s small and intimate, which suited us perfectly, and it’s filled with the most beautiful flowers.” Melissa explains. Here, the bride shares her account of the big day...