ALWAYS

Lynda and Richard celebrated their magical nuptials at Bashall Barn with a Harry Potter theme

Images courtesy of Fish 2 Photography

Lynda and Richard met on a dating app. “We went to a board game café for our first date,” says Lynda. “We spent several hours playing various games and walking around Avenham Park. I loved how at ease I felt around him and I knew I could be myself with him. I enjoyed his company so much and knew I wanted to see him again. Thankfully he felt the same and I was able to see him two days later when he asked me to be his girlfriend.”

Richard took Lynda away for a surprise trip for her birthday. “I wanted to propose somewhere that had a bit of a geeky twist to it,” shares Richard. “As it was our second anniversary coming up, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity. I surprised Lynda with a trip to Alnwick Castle, which is the main Hogwarts set in the Harry Potter films, which was an initial bonding point for us. Before the trip, I had got a golden snitch box 3D printed, and when researching what ring to get, I paraded Lynda around the gemstone section of the Natural History Museum to get an idea of what type of style and stone to go for. On the day, when we were in a secluded part of the castle overlooking the countryside, I got down on one knee and asked the question.”

Here the bride shares some of her favourite moments from their big day...

We visited the restaurant at Bashall Barn and noticed that it was also a wedding venue. The team showed us around, and we fell in love with the rustic feel of the venue and the grounds, which made for amazing wedding photos. I had a room to use the night before with the bridesmaids, and we had exclusivity of the venue on the day. Since we are Harry potter fans, and it was an initial talking point for us, we decided to add this to our theme. We didn’t want to go over the top so we added little touches. We’re both in Ravenclaw, so we went for a navy-blue colour palette.

The favours were handmade wands that were slotted into the guests’ place cards.

Our table plan was The Marauder’s Map, which was an obvious choice for showing our guests where they should be on the day.

My dress was called Rebecca by Romantica from Kate’s Bridal Room. I was looking for a gown with sleeves and this came with a jacket attached that could be taken off if needed, which essentially gave me two looks for the day. I wanted to keep my accessories low-key, so I went with a veil, a necklace that had a photo of my grandparents in and customised Converse.

The bridesmaids wore navy cascading dresses with their own jewellery. Richard wanted a suit that was a mixture of traditional and modern, so he decided to go for a navy tail suit with a different coloured waistcoat and cravat to the rest of the groomsmen.

During the evening, we had a fantastic DJ from Dancefloor Couture LTD.

For our honeymoon, we went to Edinburgh for five days. We planned it together and visited lots of tourist attractions.

LYNDA AND RICHARD’S CONTACTS

Venue and catering, Bashall Barn, www.bashallbarn.co.uk | Photographer, Fish 2 Photography, www.fish2.co.uk | Bride’s dress, Kates Bridal Room, www.katesbridalroom.co.uk | Bride’s shoe decals, London Town Crafts, www.facebook.com/londontowncrafts | Bride’s apron, Sew Crafty Corner, www.sewcraftycorner.com | Dress alterations, Legend Bridal Designs, www.legendbridaldesigns.co.uk | Groom’s suit, Slater Menswear, www.slaters.co.uk | Hair stylist, Alisons Hair, www.alisonshair.co.uk | Make-up artist, Ashleigh Lauren MUA, www.ashleighlauren.co.uk | Cake, The 8 Bit Bakery, www.facebook.com/the8bitbakery | Flowers, Floral Derangement, www.floralderangement.co.uk | Stationery, Little Green Wedding, www.littlegreenwedding.com | Entertainment, Dancefloor Couture LTD, www.thedfcexperience.co.uk