Your East Midlands Wedding - October/November 2019 (Issue 34)

REAL WEDDINGS 33  J ames and Hannah first met at the age of seven when they attended the same school up until University. Throughout the years the couple would bump into each other as they lived in the same area but it was only a friendship and nothing more until fate had something to do with it. Hannah was in Australia travelling down the East Coast with her friend when they fell in love with the country and decided to apply for a second-year VISA. Little did Hannah know this decision was going to create a completely new wonderful journey as she bumped into James out there and rekindled their friendship. “Call it cabin- fever or fruit-picking madness, but we started to realise we fancied each other a little bit more than friends,” Hannah says. The new trio left the farm and continued travelling together and Hannah adds, “We will forever be grateful to our friend Taylor who allowed herself to play third-wheel during that time.” Fast forward, the couple have had so many incredible moments and memories together as they travelled the world. But while Hannah wanted to take that next step in the relationship she wasn’t sure James was ever going to propose. “We’d seen so many of our friends get married and engaged, I honestly started to think that we would just be life partners rather than a married couple,” she says. However, when the couple took a trip to Skiathos in Greece James had something big planned. They decided to hire a boat for the day. The lovebirds walked along the sand hunting for shells to keep as a memento but couldn’t find a single one. “As I turned around he was behind me on one knee, his hands were clutching a beautiful diamond ring and I said it’s about time!” shares Hannah. STUNNING SURROUNDINGS The nearlyweds decided that the best option for them was to get married at St Helen’s Church in the next village from them as they were worried about the weather and both sets of parents lived in the area. The couple met up with the rector Stephen Monk and knew this church was the perfect choice. Hannah says, “He was just so lovely, instantly put us at ease and joked along with us. He teased me about being a project manager and how James wasn’t going to get a look in any decision making.” With the vision of their reception being relaxed and in the county, they settled on a venue that meant something to them both. “James has been an rugby player most of his life, and still has strong connections with the local team.” Hannah adds, “We decided to hold it in ‘familiar’ surroundings at Matlock Rugby Club, with the addition of a marquee and use of the club house.” To get to and from the venue the choice of transport had to be something British and what better than a Jaguar Royale. As favours the couple gave guests little hangover kits. Hannah says, “It included plasters, painkillers, mints, coffee and sweets in a ‘hangover’ labelled bag, tied to bottles of water for people to take away with them as well. We know what some of our friends and family are like.” Flowers were important for the bride, she wanted spring and summer colours placed everywhere including birdcages used for the centrepieces. Hannah says, “We had flowers everywhere you looked; on coffee tables, in milk churns, on bookcase ends and wrapped around the poles of the marquee – they really helped bring the outside inside.” For the cake Hannah and James chose a three-tired cake that included a lemon drizzle layer, carrot cake and Victoria sponge with an extra fruit cake too. “Kat our baker was amazing and even created an iced figurine of our beautiful dog, Toby,” Hannah says. The couple’s dog Toby was a vital part of the big day as he had been in their life for so long. “He’s such a big part of our family, he even had James’ surname before I did!” Hannah had been collecting corks for some time to make place names and had hand-stamped lettering for each guest. “Tying into the theme, they were cheap (if you don’t count the amount of Prosecco I drank just for the cork), and looked beautiful!” To keep with the English country wedding theme, the table names where places in the country where the couple loved to take a walk with Toby. The top table was Lumsdale Falls and each name was written on a mini blackboard on the table.