The love of my life

Posted by Melissa Barker on 4 February 2021

Martha and Daniel met at a pub in Meriden. "Since that first meeting, we've been inseparable," says Martha. "We met up every day following our first date and found we had lots in common. We love rugby, with Dan supporting Wasps RFC and me supporting Exeter Chiefs, so we spent our third date at a local game." Daniel popped the question during a trip to Rhodes for Martha's birthday. "The day before my birthday we went quad biking and planned to drive down to Lindos, but it was so hot, and the bike was quite slow, so we didn't make it," shares the bride. "Dan then suggested we go back out in the evening, which I thought was strange but went along with it.

We went to Kallithea Beach and found a cliff you could climb up, so we made our way to the top to watch the sunset. We were taking pictures of the view when Dan asked me to stand on the edge so he could take a photo of me. I didn't think anything of it, and when I turned around, he was on one knee with the ring in this hand. I was so shocked and instantly cried. It was perfect."

Celebrant "We originally wanted to get married at Kalithea Springs, which was next door to where we got engaged," explains Martha. "We spent a couple of days there and had our big day booked for May 2020, however, the pandemic meant we had to cancel. We were heartbroken, and unfortunately, our travel provider wanted extra money to change it to next year, which we couldn't afford.

The couple decided to give their guests Cancer Research pins as wedding favours. "Cancer is something that's affected both our families," Martha adds. "It meant a lot to us to be able to give money to them."

Due to the pandemic, the lovebirds were unable to have a traditional table plan. "Since we had limited numbers, we decided on a U-shaped table, so that all our guests could interact with each other," says the bride. "For our cake, we chose to have a fruit cake and Victoria sponge and a tier for each."

Fisbowl centrepieces Martha and Daniel chose fishbowl centrepieces. "We found them on Facebook Marketplace," explains Martha. "I decorated them with artificial flowers and lights that looked great. For our flowers, we chose traditional roses and alstroemeria from The Village Flower Shop. I wanted soft colours and the pinks and whites went well with the bridesmaids' dresses."

To decorate the space, the couple hired Twinkles and Tiaras to put up a lace backdrop, blossom trees and cream carpet for the ceremony.

"I wanted my dad to drive me to the venue, so we arrived in his car," says the bride. "We only live 10 minutes away, so it made sense, and I didn't want to wear a mask in the car."

Bride's dress flows on venue steps Martha wore a dress from Cotton and Lace. "I loved it so much, and as soon as I put it on I just knew it was the one," says Martha. "I had no idea what style I wanted and thought I wanted a fitted gown, but this dress was so different and made me feel amazing."

Groomsmen Dan chose a tailored suit from Moss Bros. "He was originally going to wear it in Rhodes," explains the bride. "It even had the original date stitched into the jacket."

Bridesmaids The bridesmaids opted for grey floor-length dresses with straps and sweetheart necklines.

Mr & Mrs "We kept it quite simply and just had a Spotify playlist which I put together," shares Martha. "My brother also created a game of Mr & Mrs that we played with our shoes, which kept everyone entertained after the speeches."

Couple pose infront of venue "I was so nervous that I didn't sleep the night before," Martha shares. "I just couldn't believe it was finally happening. You dream about your wedding and never did I think that a global pandemic would cancel our plans. It just felt so surreal, during all the panic you forget that you will actually be married and that night it hit me, and I was so emotional. As soon as I saw Dan, I felt a sigh of relief, not that I didn't think he would be there, just that he made me feel instantly relaxed and happy."

Smiling newlyweds The weather turned out perfect for their big day. "We were able to take some amazing photos in the garden with Alice & Grace Photography," adds the bride. "Macdonald Ansty Hall were also fantastic throughout the whole day. Every little detail was planned to perfection, and we were over the moon with how everything turned out."

Couple kiss "We, unfortunately, didn't get a proper honeymoon due to the restrictions," shares Martha. "Instead we spent two nights in Norfolk, which was perfect. We were so tired and just needed time to relax. We're hoping to have a proper honeymoon in 2021."