The Bride & Groom: Laura, age 32 is a Human Resources Officer and Alex, age 33 is a Bricklayer – they live together in Hull.
In February 2015, the couple decided to book their wedding ceremony and celebration at The Mansion in Roundhay Park, Leeds – just a couple of months after getting engaged around Christmas time. There is something about a Christmas proposal that makes it extra special!
Date and location of wedding: “10th September 2016. The Mansion, Roundhay Park, Leeds”
The proposal: “Christmas Day 2014. We both have birthdays near to Christmas, so had decided not to buy Christmas presents for each other that year. While we were getting ready on Christmas morning to go visiting family, I went back into the bedroom to find a little box in the middle of the bed with a gift tag, so my first thought was that I’d not got Alex anything! I had no idea what was in the box, until I turned the gift tag over to see the words ‘Marry me?’ I rushed downstairs with the box to find Alex waiting for me nervously. I opened the box to the perfect engagement ring and said yes!”
The dress: “I went dress shopping with my mum and my sister, and had been to every wedding dress shop in Hull, and was beginning to think I might not find one that felt right. There was so many gorgeous dresses that I tried on but always found something I didn’t quite like about them. The new season styles came out so I went back to The Bridal Boutique and tried on the Justin Alexander, style 8811, and this time I couldn’t find a single thing I didn’t love about the dress.”
The cake: “Our cake was made by Dominique who runs Poppy Pickering. We had a three tier rustic iced cake, and chose a different flavour for each tier, which was decorated with fresh flowers by our florist. It looked stunning and tasted amazing!”
Photography: “Joel Skingle was recommended by The Mansion, and we met him at a wedding fair a few weeks after we had booked the venue. He really is such a talented photographer. His photos capture the love, happiness and emotion of the day and there are plenty of amazing photos that we will treasure forever. We couldn’t recommend him highly enough!”
Honeymoon: “We went to the Cotswolds after the wedding on a ‘mini moon’ for a much needed break to relax. We are currently planning our honeymoon to go to Australia early next year.”
Groom’s outfit: “Alex bought his suit from Hugo Boss, and we hired the rest of the groomsmen’s outfits from Greenwoods.”
Flowers: “Our florist was Zara from Floral and Lace she is an amazing florist and we were so pleased with the flowers on the day, they were better than I could have imagined!”
Menu: “One of the reasons we booked The Mansion, was because we knew the food would be good. We had a starter of Baked Prawns, followed by Sirloin of Beef, and Eton Mess for dessert. The food that Dine produce is so tasty and everyone commented on how much they enjoyed the food.”
Hair and make-up: “Rebecca from Jodie Smith did the hair and make-up for the bridal party on the day. It was so nice to have her there, so we could relax and enjoy the morning together.”
Entertainment: “We booked ‘The Livewires’ through Alive Network. The band was amazing, and had everyone up on the dance floor from the first song!”
What was the most memorable part of your day? “The emotion on my Dad’s face when he saw me in my dress for the first time is a moment I will always treasure. The photos of that moment speak for themselves, everyone was in tears! I was worried I would be a bit emotional during the ceremony, but on the day I couldn’t wait to see Alex and say our vows together. We both really enjoyed the ceremony and there was a couple of funny moments too that made it all the more memorable. Above all, seeing all of our family and friends there to celebrate with us was overwhelming and meant so much to us.”
Would you recommend Dine to friends and family? “Definitely.”
Do you have any wedding planning advice for couples? “Try not to get too wrapped up in the little details in the run up to the wedding. Remember to enjoy the day and take it all in, as it goes so quickly that it almost seems like a dream when you look back.”
If you are interested in getting married or hosting a private event at The Mansion, get in touch with our Events Team by calling: 0113 269 1000 or emailing: themansion@dine.co.uk
