VERY VINTAGE

Emma and Joe styled their relaxed and informal wedding day in a palette of pink, cream and gold, with a nod to the fabulous 1950s

Images courtesy of Danielle Flynn Wedding Photography

When Emma went to see a friend’s band play at the Matthew Street Festival in Liverpool, she never imagined she’d meet the love of her life. She got chatting to bass-player Joe after the gig and they headed into town together. He fell in love with her confidence right away, and had enjoyed watching her having such a great time at the show. Although initially attracted to the musician, Emma found herself seeing beyond that as the evening wore on, falling for Joe’s intelligence, love of animals and mutual interest in music, film and travel. Plus, she says, “We’d both been in prior relationships where our partners had sadly passed away, so we had this in common too.”

After nine happy years together, Emma and Joe started discussing the possibility of marriage. “It seemed like the next logical thing to do! Getting married was the last thing on the to-do list. Getting a dog, and becoming parents as well as homeowners had already been ticked off,” Emma explains.

Apparently, Emma loves a good staircase, and the one at The Racquet Club is so showstopping that it was enough to seal the deal when it came to choosing the wedding venue. The location also more than fitted the bill when other must-haves were ticked of the list: history, a great exterior and nothing too modern! “The staff couldn’t have been more accommodating when answering our questions, so we went ahead and paid the deposit,” Emma remembers.

Read on as the bride tells us more about 25th September, 2021 – W-day...

I wore a backless tea-length dress by White Rose Bridal. I always wanted a dress I could easily dance in, so a short one was the only option for me. My hair was up in victory rolls – very 1950s in style to complement the vintage theme. Both groom and best man (our four-year-old son, Nathaniel) wore matching grey and brown pin-stripe, three-piece suits. Nathaniel had a pink paisley bow tie, while while Joe had a regular tie in the same pattern.

I felt absolutely fine all morning while getting dressed, but the nerves finally kicked in about an hour before the ceremony. Joe meanwhile, was calm as a cucumber the whole day. I changed into personalised Doc Marten boots after the ceremony. I can’t walk in heels for love nor money, so comfy boots it was!

The flower arrangements were kept green and beautifully fresh with dusky pink tones to match the bridesmaids’ dresses. Our centrepieces were gold birdcages with simple greenery and fairylights. The bridesmaids were given a brief: soft, autumnal colours. They both have very different body shapes, so I didn’t want either of them to wear anything they were uncomfortable in. I wasn’t even too fussed if they were matching, but they did end up finding and liking the same dress.

Our son and Alaskan malamute Samson had matching bow ties.

The highlight for me was the hour or so we got to spend alone together after the ceremony, just chatting and being ourselves. We ended up going into town afterwards to all the clubs where Joe works as a musician and didn’t get back to the Racquet Club until 5am! We hired VW Campervans to get us from A to B to suit the vintage vibe.

We knew our younger guests wouldn’t be bored as we had a wedding crèche run by Starkiz Entertainment, and instead of a wedding cake we opted for a doughnut wall and sweet table.

We wanted our wedding to be user friendly. A lot of our guests were musicians and had lost a lot of money over the last couple of years due to the pandemic. So, we explained to everyone that they were welcome to come and go as they pleased throughout the day allowing them to have a good mingle and sit wherever they wanted. Joe’s band played at the reception and the dancefloor was full all evening. A few of our guests got up and sung or played instruments too.

We’d already been together for a while, so I suppose ours was quite an informal day. After a difficult couple of years with Covid we just wanted everyone to have a good day and hold a great party.

My tip would be to make sure you keep in contact with your suppliers. And, while easier said than done, do your best to relax. Your suppliers are in business for a reason and they love what they do. They want to see your big day go according to plan as much as you do!

EMMA AND JOE’S SUPPLIERS Venue, The Racquet Club, http://racquetclubhotel.co.uk Photographer, Danielle Flynn Photography, www.instagram.com/danielleflynnweddings Venue styling, The Celebration Company, www.instagram.com/the_celebration_company Dress, Natalie Ann Brides, http://natalieannbrides.com Bride’s boots, Kate Illustrate, www.kate-illustrate.co.uk Engagement rings, wedding rings and necklace, Golden Craft Jewellers, www.goldencraftjewellery.co.uk Hair stylist, Leigh Moncur at Yoyo Hairdressing, 0151 255 1211 Make-up artist, Natural Beauty by Emma, https://naturalbeautybyemma.co.uk Nails and beauty, Alternative C.K Beauty Salon, www.facebook.com/Alternative-CK-Beauty-Salon-144125422355820 Suits, Sirri, www.sirri.co.uk Flowers, Liverpool Flower Company, www.instagram.com/liverpoolflowerco Transport, I Do Campers, www.idocampers.co.uk Crèche, Starkidz Entertainment, https://starkidzparty.co.uk

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