Northern Bride issue 1

NORTHERN Bride SUPPLEMENT ISSUE NO 1

Picture Perfect

photography We showcase some of the very best

Wedding suppliers in the North of England

Discover what’s available in your area

Yorkshire North East North West

An emotional

Real Life Wedding

See inside

on the feature front

Judges at Kirklevington Hall - ww.judgeshotel.co.uk

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Editor's W

letter

Contents 90 Wedding Services

elcome to our first supplement issue of Northern-Bride. Our new supplement is dedicated to our readers in the North.

From now on, each issue of National Weddings Magazine will feature wedding products and services available throughout the North of England. You’ll be able to pick up a copy from a specifically chosen selection of quality Wedding Fairs and Shows in the North including the largest and most popular; the UK Wedding Shows at Harrogate International Centre, St Georges Hall, Liverpool, Metro Radio Arena and Newcastle Racecourse, National Wedding Show at Manchester Central and Mercury Events ‘North West Wedding Fair.

As well as our print magazine, you will be able to view the supplement on line at www.northern-bride.com where we will have a website full of products, services, news and offers as well as our flip e-magazine.

Please get in touch with your recommendations, questions and send us your real life weddings pics and accompanying details and we will publish them for you.

Visit www.northern –bride.com to register .

Denise

95 Photography 100 North East & Yorkshire

Denise Russell Editor

NORTHERN Bride Contact us nikkie@nationalweddingsmagazine.co.uk www.northern-bride.com 01455 556957

Catching Your Dreams strive for perfection to make your Wedding Day extra special.

Our main aim is to take away your stress. We CATCH YOUR DREAMS and turn them into a reality by dressing your venue and ceremony room in a unique style creating lasting memories of a wonderful day.

www.catchingyourdreams.co.uk Tel: 0800 0588 191

105 North West

Slaley Hall….an elegant setting for a spectacular celebration.

With a charming moorland and forest location, choice of traditionally beautiful reception rooms, exquisite catering and extremely professional event planners, Slaley Hall creates an air of elegance and sophistication: the perfect setting for this unique occasion.

With elegant surroundings and wonderful period features, situated right at the heart of Northumberland, this is a harmonious combination of the best of contemporary British style and irresistible elegant charm. Whether it’s your wedding reception, your ceremony, or both, we’ll make sure your day is as individual, exciting and memorable as you have always dreamed.

T: 0871 2224688 | E: coordination.slaley@devere-hotels.com W: www.devere-hotels.co.uk/slaley-hall www.northern-bride.com 89

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25 Years of I Do’s

S

ilver Wedding Anniversary for Leighton’s weddings! Leighton Hall is raising a glass and celebrating its own wedding anniversary next month.

It will be exactly 25 years since the first Bride and Groom came to Leighton Hall to celebrate their wedding after bring married in the local church. Seven years later in April of 1995, the law changed, and couples could be married at “Approved Premises” other than churches or registry offices. Leighton Hall soon got its marriage licence, and ever since has used its stunning music room, complete with Steinway piano, to hold romantic ceremonies for up to 60 guests.

The first lucky couple to be actually married at Leighton Hall were Kevin Seddon from Morecambe and his fiancée, Pilar, from Madrid, who entertained their guests with speeches given in both languages before hosting a Ceilidh in the magnificent entrance hall.

Leighton is the kind of romantic location brides dream of. With total exclusivity, towers, turrets and 80 acres of beautiful grounds, there’s a red carpet welcome for all the guests and even a helipad should brides wish to arrive in film star style!

The co-ordination of weddings is the special responsibility of Leighton's owner, Suzie Reynolds, and over the past 25 years she has seen hundreds of couples celebrate their special day at this incredible venue. She also has seen weddings, fashions and wishes change over the years.

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She explained “When we first started organising weddings and ceremonies, most brides asked for the same sort of day; the format was quite similar and fairly formal. Nowadays, although there is a structure to each special day, our brides can literally have whatever their hearts desire. We’ve had couples who’ve opted to give their guests afternoon tea on vintage china, rather than a formal meal, wedding cakes that have appeared in all shapes, sizes and colours as well as peculiar modes of transport! One couple even left on a tandem, but the steepness of the drive defeated them!”

She continued “Themed weddings are also popular, my favourite was one with a Camelot meets Midsummer Night’s Dream feel. The garden was decorated with giant fantasy butterflies and the guests wore mediaeval costumes. The sun shone and it was a stunning day.

I feel honoured to have been a part of so many couples special day. It’s so much more than just a job to me. I love meeting potential brides, welcoming them into my home and helping make their wonderful dreams and ideas become reality.”

Leighton Hall has a brand new website with a whole section dedicated to dream weddings.

Visit www.leightonhall.co.uk For further information about exclusive weddings at Leighton Hall, please call Mrs Suzie Reynolds on 01524 734474.

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real life

Wedding Tammy & Tom

4th April, 2012

My little girl Tienna and I moved into Tom’s flat and then just before Christmas 2008 we moved into a house of our own. Tom lost his job shortly after so money was tight and times were hard.

Despite this, we were very happy and over the moon when our second little girl, Ziani was born in June 2010.

Tom managed to get a job with a maintenance team, doing very well and securing several qualifications, even being promoted to supervisor. During this time I completed a nail technician course in Manchester. It was a turnaround in fortunes and things were on the up. Life was good. Tom saved hard and on Valentine’s Day 2011, I came home to find a teddy bear holding a red envelope. This contained a love letter and a ring. Tom had also booked a holiday for the four of us in May 2011 to Lanzarote.

It was during this holiday that Tom first became ill. The pain he had been experiencing in his

neck and jaw became quite severe. Tom just took pain killers and got on with it. On returning home, back at work Tom was struggling with weakness in his limbs, dizziness and nose bleeds.

His boss was quite concerned and together they looked up the symptoms on the internet.

What they found was really worrying. Tom had previously been to see his doctor, who had told him it was just an infection and prescribed antibiotics. Tom’s boss was not happy with this and decided to take Tom to the hospital himself.

In August 2011 Tom had blood tests and a biopsy.

The news at work was bad. There was no funding left to employ Tom, and although his boss had been hopeful for a permanent position he was made redundant. The news from the hospital was far worse. We were told to prepare for bad news, and on the 15th September, 2011 Tom was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. The cancer had

spread to his neck, collar bone, lymph nodes and lungs. The consultant said that it was very rare. He had never seen it in this country before and certainly never in someone so young. Tom was 24 years old. In the midst of the pain and intense medication we refused to give in and we just got on with it. We went on that same year to pass our driving tests, both in the same week, and both with 6 minors each! We felt it was an omen. In November, 2011 Tom started an intense course of chemotherapy. He contracted a severe infection (PVL), and spent Christmas in hospital. The children spent Christmas with grandma and grandad, while I stayed by Tom’s side. It was touch and go for a while, and doctors were amazed at Tom’s recovery. He came home for New Year. There was nothing else that could be done for him. He was advised to go home and spend some quality time with his family. Tom resolved to do just that! {continued...} www.northern-bride.com 97

‘Making Precious Memories’

When Valentine’s Day came round again Tom There were offers of cars, horses and carriages, made a special effort. This time when I came dresses, suits, flowers, catering; everything home, there was a lovely candlelit meal waiting, from invitations to wine glass charms, hair, and Tom down on one knee proposing. Tom nails and make up, a cake, and everything else presented me with a beautiful new ring, and that you could possibly imagine for a dream the news that a family friend had offered the wedding. I was overwhelmed at the generosity loan of their villa in Portugal for two weeks. of complete strangers.

Time was not on our side and before leaving The date was set for 4th April, 2012. We for Portugal, I set up a donations page on didn’t really believe it. We thought that when Facebook to try to raise 4th April came we would "Donations and offers £1,000 pounds to enable discover it had all been just a us to have a modest dream. The day dawned cold, of help poured in from wedding day. I called my anywhere and everywhere." wet, blustery and snowing! cause ‘Making Nobody cared; everyone Precious Memories’. felt fit to burst with excitement. A lovely lady

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I felt a bit embarrassed about asking for money, and even more embarrassed to think that maybe nobody would be interested and there might be no replies. Amazingly, what happened next was just the opposite.

Donations and offers of help poured in from anywhere and everywhere. Family, friends, acquaintances and even complete strangers wanted to help. A local businessman, Wesley Hall, became involved co-ordinating a dream wedding for us. Towneley Hall, Burnley offered a venue for the service and The Oaks Hotel, Burnley offered a venue for the reception.

called Sue delivered two temporary wedding bands that very morning. They have since been collected to be returned, replaced by the real thing! Photographers were everywhere, filming among the dresses, suits, shoes, hairdressers, make up ladies, and the little girls all running around excitedly in their knickers. Zoie (one of the photographers) made me feel fabulous; she was so professional and confident and really put me at ease. Tom had a great morning at home with all his brothers and Daniel, his best man, all nice and relaxed and getting ready together.

a great time and the atmosphere was electric.

Alan (Images Photography) was amazing, he really Inside, the suite had been beautifully dressed, put everyone at ease and captured every moment with flowers and ribbons; there was a chocolate that we will treasure forever. Tom had a couple of fountain and a sweet stall. There was even a beers and felt great. Even the weather improved. It video booth and a photo booth for people to suddenly all felt real when I got into the beautiful leave messages. Alan miraculously captured it all. carriage with my dad. The horses were fantastic We can’t wait to see the photos. Everything was and the drive up to Towneley Hall will stay with me amazing. I was particularly impressed with the forever. I was nervous when I arrived and asked the young man who made all the wonderful food for registrar how many people were here. “Oh about 100 guests. I spoke to him as he half a dozen,” she said.

Tom said when he saw me was packing away. He was only When I entered the wedding suite and saw about 100 coming up the aisle, he had my age and he did a wonderful I don’t know how he pulled people there along with all to bite his bottom lip to stop job. it off. He was brilliant! During the photographers I was himself from crying. the speeches, Daniel the best just overcome with emotion. man, an old school friend of It had just been the four of Tom’s who is normally ultra confident, broke down us for ages. We hadn’t seen any of our friends and with emotion. He couldn’t finish his speech, so he here they all were; it was amazing. Tom said when gave it to us to read later. It was amazing and we he saw me coming up the aisle, he had to bite his will treasure it. bottom lip to stop himself from crying. We had to agree that every single thing was perfect. My dress donated by Lulu Brown of Whalley was stunning, the bridesmaids were gorgeous and the venue was beautiful. Tom said his three girls looked like angels and he was so proud.

There were white doves in cages which we freed with our two little girls, and the photographs were going to be amazing. During the photos I fell over.

Normally, I would have been so embarrassed but I was so happy I didn’t care. We all just laughed.

When the carriage pulled up at The Oaks Hotel we couldn’t believe our eyes. There was a bouncy castle and a play bus for the kids. There was a band playing in the reception area, a magician was performing tricks for the guests and an artist was drawing caricatures of people. Everyone was having

The whole day and evening through to 1 o’clock in the morning went superbly and amazingly without a single hitch. It was the happiest day of our lives. Our photographs are unbelievable and we can’t stop looking at them. What Alan did for us that day was unforgettable. We have no idea how we are ever going to be able to thank everybody who helped to make our wedding day so special. All the thanks in the world just doesn’t seem enough. We are so grateful we have been given the most precious of memories.

Photography by Alan Harding Photography www.alanhardingphotography.com email: alanhardingphotography@gmail.com Tel. 07885971211

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