WHITE WEDDING Nice day for a

Lydia and Alexander chose a classic, traditional and sophisticated look for their big day

Lydia and Alexander met on a night out in Formby with mutual friends. By the end of the evening they’d already arranged their first date, having quickly discovered how much they had in common.

Alexander proposed in one of their favourite weekend break destinations, the Lake District. “We spend a lot of time here, so it’s a very special place for us with a lot of great memories, this topping them all,” Lydia says. When they entered their hotel room, Lydia found it full of balloons with a bottle of champagne and strawberries on the table. It was here that Alexander asked the all-important question, much to Lydia’s surprise. The couple had been together for three years at this point and it was an easy, “Yes,” for the bride-to-be.

Lydia and Alexander were quickly drawn to the intimate feeling of the grand estate, Dorfold Hall. “We viewed others, but they all seemed as though you could easily feel lost if there weren’t enough guests to fill the place. Dorfold didn’t have that,” Lydia explains. What sealed the deal for them though were the plans for a new event space, Le Curie. “It was only a building site when we booked, but we had trust in the venue that this would become a wonderful reality just in time,” Lydia says. So, the date was set for 27th August, 2022.

Join us as the bride tells us more...

I wore a simple and elegant A-line gown by Essense of Australia, with a diamanté belt and lace embroidered veil.

Alexander was dressed in a black tuxedo and bow tie, which matched the groomsmen. The only difference was that the groom’s shirt had black buttons, while the other gents’ were white.

The bridesmaids looked beautiful in baby blue satin gowns with a slight A-line and a split down one side. They wore their hair up in a low ponytail with a crystal hair piece.

A harpist played as I walked down the aisle. We then had Craig Owen perform on the piano and violin at the drinks reception and during the wedding breakfast.

We had personalised candles made scented with Jo Malone Peony and Suede, which is the perfume I wore on the day. We also had a box of two macarons for each guest tied with a white ribbon and topped with a white rose.

My dad owns a white Bentley V8S Continental, which he bought along for the day. We used it for some photos and a short drive, just the two of us, after the ceremony.

I found an ornate mirror and painted it white to create the table plan. I then printed off the guest list for each table to stick to it, topped with diamantés to accent it. It stood on an easel supplied by the venue.

Our bouquets too were themed in white and green and featured roses and peonies, which are my favourite flowers. The groom’s party wore white rose buttonholes with foliage, and we chose the same as corsages for our grandmothers.

The Cheshire Dining Experience were great, and the food was amazing. During our drinks reception we had canapés of arancini, satay chicken skewers and duck pancakes –some of our favourite foods. We wanted our wedding breakfast to be light and summery. For starter we had leek and potato soup, followed by a main course of chicken ballotine wrapped in Parma ham, and finished with white chocolate cheesecake for dessert.

Escapade Bars provided all the drinks and we chose a personalised cocktail called a Mr and Mrs Martini, which was our favourite, along with a lychee Martini and Pimms for the garden drinks reception.

We also had flower garlands on the top table with a flower arch behind the two of us. We wanted traditional white-wedding style blooms for our classy summer nuptials.

We wanted a large but simple cake. So, we went for a four-tier bake with each tier separated by clear acrylic stands, allowing each one to stand out. It was flavoured chocolate, vanilla and red velvet.

We had amazing suppliers who all made our day perfect, especially the Tall Toastmaster. He was there for every need and really looked after us.

Make sure all the small details are planned beforehand as they really stand out. That way you don’t have to worry about them on the day.

Our centrepieces consisted of white flowers, mainly roses with foliage. They sat on acrylic stands surrounded by floating candles.

During the evening six-piece band Motown Gold, including a DJ and sax player, entertained us all. We finished the night with a firework display set to one of our favourite songs, A Sky Full Of Stars by Coldplay, this was the highlight of the night.

THE W-DAY TEAM

Venue, Dorfold Hall, www.dorfold.com | Photographer, Sarah Horton Photography, www.sarahhortonphotography.co.uk | Dress and accessories, Liverpool Bridal Boutique, www.liverpoolbridalboutique.co.uk | Hair stylist, Hair by Hannah DeCosta, www.instagram.com/hannahhairstylist_ | Make-up artist, Daniella Robinson | Bridesmaids’ dresses, JJs House | Groom’s suit, Hugo Boss | Cake, Vanilla Nova Cake Boutique, https://vanillanovacakes.com | Flowers, I Do Events, https://idoeventsliverpool.co.uk Bouquets, Karena Floral, www.facebook.com/karenaartisanflorist | Entertainment, Heavenly Harp, https://heavenlyharp.co.uk Craig Owen, http://craigowenmusic.com | Mowtown Gold via Earcandy, https://earcandylive.co.uk | Catering, The Cheshire Dining Experience, www.thecheshirediningexperience.co.uk | Toastmaster, The Tall Toastmaster, www.thetalltoastmaster.co.uk | Fireworks, Blitz Fireworks, www.blitzfireworks.com | Videographer, GB Wedding Films, www.gbweddingfilms.co.uk | Bar, Escapade Bars, www.escapade-events.com

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