FIRST ATswipe Love

Like most modern couples, Amy and Jake met online and their relationship quickly blossomed Images courtesy of Fish 2 Photography

Likemost modern couples, Amy and Jake met online. “It was 2015, and I had just downloaded the famous Tinder app,” says Amy. “After many swipes, Jake and I were a perfect match. After months of talking as friends, we never thought we could make the distance work or even be able to meet until one day my mum said: ‘Why don’t you go on a date?’ They were words I never thought my mum would say, but I decided to ask the question. We set a date and met up in Manchester. With Jake being a little bit hungover after a previous night out, he wasn’t the most impressive catch, but he did something right. Many months later, Jake decided it was time to ask me to be his girlfriend while we were watching some fireworks. I agreed, hoping that one day he would ask me to be his wife.

“A few years later, after I had graduated from university, Jake took me to my favourite holiday destination, The Lake District,” adds the bride. “Whilst travelling to our hotel, Jake stopped at Waterhead, complaining of a cramp in his leg from driving. We parked up, and it was safe to say I wasn’t very impressed at the price of parking or that we had to stop early, but I took it all in my stride, and we went for a walk around Waterhead Park. We stopped at a little beach on the shores of Lake Windermere. I was taking pictures, and when I turned around, Jake was on one knee asking me to be his wife. All Jake could say was: ‘Will you marry me?’ The tears started, and I struggled to say an answer, but I eventually said: ‘Yes’. We spent the rest of the day visiting places around the Lake District and our favourite restaurant for tea. Three years later, we became husband and wife.”

Setting The Scene

“We were on holiday in the Lake District trying to find the perfect venue,” explains Amy. “After looking online, we decided to go for a venue with a jetty leading onto Lake Windermere and beautiful views from every angle. We wanted to use natural materials and local businesses where possible, so for our favours, we chose Kendal cake hearts because they are one of Jake’s favourite things. We also gave each guest a personalised pack of love hearts and a beautiful wooden place name, which they took home at the end of the evening.

“We opted for an e-shaped table as we thought it would be a cosier set-up,” continues Amy. “We decided to name each table after one of our favourite places in the Lake District. We found it harder to find a pre-made seating plan because of the shape, so we made it ourselves using brown kraft paper, twine, a picture frame and mini pegs. In the centre of each table, we used signs to represent places that meant something to us. Each name was engraved onto a wooden sign created by Jake’s dad. The base of each sign held a handmade decorated jar, gypsophila and a picture of Jake and I.”

After finding Willow & Fig through a wedding show, the couple decided to use their equipment and accessories for their wedding. “They provided the beautiful Chiavari chairs and hessian table runners,” recalls the bride. “This meant that on the day, Carlie (the head of Willow and Fig) organised everything, and we did not have to meet several suppliers as we were getting ready. After speaking to Carlie, she could picture exactly what we wanted and she did not disappoint.

“The bridesmaids had beautiful gypsophila bouquets and I had a neutral bouquet full of pinks and whites to complement the girl’s dresses,” continues Amy. “We knew we wanted to keep our budget small, but flowers were a very important part of my vision and I knew I wanted to have real blooms on my wedding day.”

The cake was made by Jake’s mum. “We chose a simple design, made with vanilla sponge and filled with buttercream and strawberry jam,” remembers Amy. “The cake was decorated with sprigs of gypsophila, fresh fruit and Lego sheep. We love Lego, and my favourite animal is a sheep, so our fantastic photographer gifted us some Lego sheep after we first met, and we knew it had to be a big part of the day. It was safe to say the cake looked amazing, tasted fantastic and was decorated perfectly!

“Most of the decorations were bought from various shops and some of the larger signage was from Mally’s Crafts Limited,” adds the bride. “We looked for wooden accessories and used crates filled with blankets, glow sticks and flip-flops as extra gifts for our guests. Jake’s dad, Andrew, created a wedding postbox from a letterbox and a piece of driftwood found on our favourite beach. Everything that was bought or made was important to us, and we loved getting crafty before the day. We also purchased a ladder which was sanded down to create a rustic effect and decorated with jam jars, battery-operated tea lights and pictures of us.”

Dressed To Impress

“I wore an ivory, asymmetric draped ballgown with pockets by Sincerity Bridal,” shares Amy. “It wasn’t what I’d ever imagined wearing, but after trying it on, I knew it was the one. I had always dreamed of looking like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and this dress reminded me of that. The simplicity made me love it even more and the detail on the bust meant it pulled in my waist. The best thing about it was the pockets! We added a beautiful diamond-styled belt to finish off the look, and as I don’t wear heels, I wore white plimsoll shoes decorated with diamonds. The look was finished off with an ‘I do’ bag, a jewelled hairclip and a beautiful necklace that Jake bought for me.”

Jake and the groomsmen chose navy three-piece tweed suits from Moss Bros with light pink ties, pocket squares and brown shoes.

“My bridesmaids went for beautiful, sequined pink dresses from Quiz,” explains the bride. “They styled it with diamond headpieces and a choice of their own silver shoes. The dresses perfectly matched our colour scheme, and the girls looked stunning.”

Time To Celebrate

“We spent time creating a playlist of all our favourite songs for the evening reception,” recalls Amy. “Every guest had a song request card with their invite and all of those songs were added to a playlist. We bought small party lights, which the venue kindly allowed us to use on their speakers to create a party atmosphere. We loved that we could dance the night away to our favourite music while keeping the wedding small and intimate.”

Memorable Moments

“Surprisingly, we both felt very calm on the morning of the wedding,” shares Amy. “It was everything we had dreamed of, and we knew we had to make every second count. It was extra special when Christina, our photographer, took us to the jetty for photographs. As we were there, we loved looking at our favourite place, and when a boat of tourists passed us waving and cheering, we felt lucky to be where we were.

“My dress came undone as I was walking down the aisle,” laughs the bride. “I noticed instantly and started to mouth to Jake that my dress was undone. Our amazing photographer realised there was a problem and quickly came to my rescue. There was also a missing speech during the ceremony. My mum had given my best friend, Sam, the speech and not knowing which part of the day it was for, she put it safely in her daughter’s pushchair. When it was time to read the speech, Sam started to run, and everyone thought she was leaving until she came back with the speech!

“It was the best day of our lives because of everyone around us,” adds Amy. “We cannot thank everyone enough for their support throughout the planning process and the amazing people we were able to meet along the way. Christina, our photographer, was the most wonderful person and saved me when I had a mishap with my dress and my hair stylist, Lisa, kept me calm and helped me to relax and enjoy the preparations on the morning of the wedding.”

AMY AND JAKE’S CONTACTS

Venue and catering, Cragwood Country House Hotel & Restaurant, www.lakedistrictcountryhotels.co.uk/cragwood-hotel | Photographer, Fish 2 Photography, www.fish2.co.uk | Bride’s dress, Dress The Bride Ltd, www.dressthebride.co.uk | Bride’s accessories, SHEIN, www.shein.co.uk

Dress alterations, Cupids Treasure, www.facebook.com/cupidstreasure | Groom’s suit, Moss Bros, www.moss.co.uk | Bridesmaids’ dresses, Quiz, www.quizclothing.co.uk | Hair stylist, His n Hers Hairdesign, www.facebook.com/hisnhershairdesign | Make-up artist, KK MUA, www.facebook.com/kkmua1 | Flowers, Aspen & Ivy, www.aspenandivy.co.uk | Styling, Willow & Fig, www.willowandfig.co.uk

Invitations, VistaPrint, www.vistaprint.co.uk | Stationery, Mally’s Crafts Limited, www.mallyscrafts.co.uk