THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

TIME OF THE THE MOST yearwonderful Clare and Daniel had a winter-themed wedding at Foxfields Country Hotel

Images courtesy of Toni Darcy Photography

Clare and Daniel met at college. “We were both studying IT,” says Clare. “Our relationship ended as Daniel moved away to university. A little over six years later, Daniel found a picture from the good old days which sent us down a rabbit hole, and the rest is history.”

Daniel popped the question while the couple were on holiday in Florida. “I’m a big Harry Potter fan, so he got down on one knee in front of Hogwarts at Universal Studios,” shares the bride. “Daniel looked so nervous that I said yes before he even finished asking the question. We then called my parents, and my dad congratulated us, but my mum thought it was a joke because Daniel is always winding her up.”

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

We’d eaten the food at Foxfields Country Hotel before and knew it was fantastic, so we were drawn to the venue right away. The staff were friendly, and we felt looked after and listened to. For our favours, we chose hexagonal discs, which doubled up as place names. We also gave our guests candy canes and the kids personalised Christmas stockings filled with goodies.

Our centrepieces were Christmas wreaths and rustic candles.

Daniel and I chose burgundy and white flowers with thistles and green foliage from Marshall’s Florist.

The cake from Cherry Blossom Bakery was simple and elegant at the front and decorated with Star Wars images on the back. Daniel describes it as a mullet cake; business in the front and a party in the back!

I had two wedding dresses, one for the ceremony, which was long with a small train and a shorter gown for the evening. I accessorised with a veil and beautiful earrings. Daniel and his groomsmen wore bespoke tailor-made tuxedos from Moss Bros.

The bridesmaids opted for navy floor-length dresses to match Daniel’s suit. To keep our guests entertained, we hired Yanthia who did face painting and balloon modelling for the children. The Photo Booth Guys provided a booth with props and our DJ Neil Kennedy A.K.A. The Ginge hosted a game of Mr and Mrs. I also pretended to be Santa Clause and handed out gifts to the kids.

Daniel’s favourite moment was entering the evening reception to the Star Wars theme tune, and mine was the impromptu rapping of Eminem’s Lose Yourself with Daniel in the middle of the dancefloor – we nailed it! We also loved having our dogs there and having them as part of our day. Sadly neither of them are with us anymore, so it means even more to us now.

Our first memory as a married couple was me forcing Daniel to take a shot of Black Sambuca, which ended up with a quick trip to the bathroom! Our caricaturist impressed all of our guests and stayed a lot longer than planned to make sure that everyone got a picture. All our suppliers went above and beyond for us. Foxfields Country Hotel moved their Christmas trees to make it look perfect for us, and Pure Elegance Weddings & Events Limited worked tirelessly throughout the day to make sure that everything moved around and changed seamlessly. Phoebe from Flossy & Leigh Bridal Styling Company was invaluable to us! She touched up make-up, fixed hairstyles and helped me change dresses and styles during the day.

CLARE AND DANIEL’S CONTACTS

Venue and catering, Foxfields Country Hotel, www.foxfieldshotel.com | Photographer, Toni Darcy Photography, www.tonidarcy.co.uk Bride’s accessories, Eleventh Heaven by Ann McKavney, www.facebook.com/eleventh-heaven-by-ann-mckavney-263468693688375 Groom’s suit, Moss Bros | Hair and make-up artist, Flossy & Leigh Bridal Styling Company, www.flossyandleigh.com | Cake, Cherry Blossom Bakery, www.cbbakery.co.uk | Flowers, Marshall’s Florist, www.marshallsflorist.co.uk | Stationery, Papier, www.papier.com | Styling, Pure Elegance Weddings & Events Limited, www.pureeleganceevents.co.uk | Entertainment, Neil Kennedy A.K.A. The Ginge, www.the-ginge.co.uk Photo booth, The Photo Booth Guys, www.photobooth.co | Caricaturist, Yanthia, www.facebook.com/yanthiamanchester