We're firm believers that your wedding ceremony can set the tone for the rest of your day, and so are the couple from today's real wedding, Lisa & Tim. This pair, who live in the UK, saw their wedding at Bellinter House as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have everyone they love, from both sides of the Irish Sea, in one place. So from their emotional vows under a weeping willow tree to their spectacular firework finale, they pulled out all the stops and gave their guests a weekend to remember! The wonderful Annie Kheffache Photography captured all the fun!
Lisa & Tim are an early Tinder success story, meeting through the app in 2014. They say, once they realised how much they had in common, their relationship moved quickly, “We had our first date in a London pub, where we first met, and then went on lots and lots of exciting London dates in our first few months – meals in Soho, walks in Greenwich, going to theatre and gigs as well as meeting friends. Within a few months we introduced each other to our families and had booked our first holiday!”
Lisa wore a beautifully embellished Jenny Packham wedding dress, giving her a timeless, yet glamorous look for her big day.
The couple go to the Edinburgh fringe festival every August, which was where Tim decided to pop the question with a creative (and super romantic!) proposal, “We love the comedy, the theatre, the food and the countless late night bars. In 2016, Tim created a treasure hunt to take me around the city with eight different clues that eventually led to his rooftop proposal. Through poetry clues he revealed important pictures of us together, of special memories and adventures we had embarked on as a couple. The final clue in the adventure led me to the roof of the Balmoral Hotel where staff whisked us away and waiting at the top was a bottle of Champagne, an offer of a ring and a very special question. It was an incredible day!”
The bride and groom describe their day as an absolute dream, “We both work in marketing and events and so were very organised in the lead up to the day, making sure to have a run through with the bridal party the night before making sure everyone knew what everyone else was doing on the day, so there wouldn’t be any panic or confusion.”
The couple had been slightly concerned about their outdoor ceremony (and their lack of a Plan B!), but they were steadfast in making it happen, “We kept our fingers crossed for no rain! In the end, it was a glorious day and not only was it warm, the sun was shining! We were able to have the ceremony we put so much effort in to planning and dreaming about. As a bride I expected to feel nervous, but I was so calm and excited at the same time. Everyone had told us how important it was to be present and in the moment and I think we both made the effort to do that throughout the day, and take in every bit we could.”
The couple placed a big emphasis on their ceremony, and put a lot of work into making it perfect, “It’s the moment we married each other and so we gave it as much thought and consideration all along as possible. From choosing the right spot - under the ancient weeping beech tree at Bellinter House - to the right celebrant, who could make the whole event as inclusive for all of our guests, no matter what their faith, to the seating arrangements and the music.”
The couple created their ceremony together with their celebrant, “We wrote our ceremony to carefully craft how we wanted to represent our relationship. We chose each reading and song very carefully and really enjoyed that process. We wrote our own vows and had two different versions!”
This thoughtful pair also put a lot of effort into giving their guests a great day, “We kept asking ourselves what we would like if we went to a wedding and what is important to our family and friends. This included asking those family and friends to read, sing and exchange gifts."
Lisa tells us how she and Tim had some help creating their epic confetti toss, “So many friends and family contributed to our day but Tim’s sister, Sian, handmade 100 metres of bunting for use in our ceremony and around the venue – it lined the whole walkway across the lawn to the tree where we were married. That walkway then allowed us to create a really special ‘confetti’ moment after the ceremony to celebrate! We gave confetti petals to the flower girls and page boy to hand out and confetti cannons to the bridal party and as everyone lined the aisle, we walked through an explosion of confetti which felt amazing!”
Looks like all of Tim & Lisa's nieces and nephew got into the spirit of the festivities.
Babes in blue - love this colour on Lisa's bridesmaids!
For Lisa & Tim, Bellinter House had everything we wanted from a wedding venue, “A modern vintage vibe, great catering, lovely bedrooms but also the approach of the wedding team suited us down to a tee. It was clear from the beginning of our meetings with them, that they appreciated that no two weddings are the same and so they can accommodate whatever our needs were – not just a ‘one size fits all’.”
Lisa’s best tips for couples planning their wedding - make it manageable for yourself, “Just to take it stage by stage, rather than doing it all at once. It can become very overwhelming.”
She also advises not to rush into booking vendors, “It’s important to pick the right suppliers as they will very much feel like your team in the lead up. For instance, we hadn’t found a celebrant who was right for us and we were starting to get closer and closer, we didn’t panic, we just persevered and we found someone then who totally understood what we wanted and how to achieve it.”
Lisa & Tim say they took others’ advice as the wedding approached too, “Like we were advised, just be as present in the moment as possible in the days leading up and on the day itself. Lots of things might go wrong but you won’t be able to change that – all you can do is enjoy everything and everyone for the day that’s in it for the memories.”
Clearly thinking ahead, Lisa & Tim grabbed a shot for their thank you cards while they were having their photos taken.
Lisa & Tim say their wedding was a one time chance to have everyone from their lives in Ireland and the UK together in one place, “We were overjoyed to share the day with everyone. There was a real feeling of love and fun that carried throughout the day. From the ceremony to the drinks reception and our meal, fireworks, first dance, partying and the Irish sing-song til the early hours – it was more brilliant then either of us could ever imagined!”
With so many guests travelling from the UK, the couple were eager to make a whole weekend of it, “Which included Friday drinks and a meal on the Sunday. We could have all of that with Bellinter House and they made each of the occasions feel so special for us and all of our guests.”
The couple had a mini-moon straight after the wedding, “We had a short trip to Portugal immediately after the day but we are going on honeymoon to Sri Lanka and the Maldives in the new year.”
Oh I do love a firework finish - what an thrilling finish to a day! Thanks so much to Lisa & Tim for letting us behind the scenes on their beautiful wedding - and to Annie Kheffache Photography for capturing it so beautifully!
