When Karen and Paul got engaged on Mother's Day they already had 3 gorgeous sons and had been together 11 years - so they knew their wedding had to be super child friendly. With this in mind they chose The Millhouse as their ceremony and reception venue and got their boys as involved as possible. The result? A super laid back family wedding, all captured by Martina California, perfect to inspire any of you who have children on your guestlist.
Karen and Paul met serendipitously 11 years ago. Paul was working in a local pub, paying his way through college, while Karen was working as a beauty therapist. One day Karen called in for a drink...11 years and 3 kids later they decided to marry.
Already a fully formed family, Paul kept his proposal simple - asking Karen to marry him on Mother's Day.
Mother and father to three adorable boys, Karen and Paul wanted to make sure their wedding was as much about them as it was about their relationship. Karen told us..."Our priority was the kids, we didn't want to be confined to a room, we wanted them to have the freedom to be able to run around. Once they were happy that was half the battle! We also didn't want your traditional, formal, 3 course wedding dinner."
To ensure this kid friendly vibe Karen and Paul chose The Millhouse as their ceremony and reception venue. Karen explains what made The Millhouse the perfect choice for them..."We were blown away by The Millhouse when we first saw it, it's such a beautiful place. It was perfect for the kids as it was ours for the day and they had the freedom to do what they wanted. Also the option to have a BBQ for dinner, the pig on a spit was spot on, it was lovely to have something a bit different."
To keep the boys involved Paul and Karen gave a little job to each of their sons, which Karen proudly told us - "to have our 3 boys involved was fantastic, we were so proud of them, they all had their own jobs to do and they carried them out perfectly."
Others got involved to make the day personal too, a gesture that meant a lot to both Karen and Paul..."People were so generous, Paul's mum's partner, Willie did our wedding invitations and played music with The Cherry Pickers as our wedding gift. My wedding band was my father's partner's engagement ring which I had remade into my wedding band, she passed away last year so it's lovely to have. Also to wear my grandmother's watch who’s no longer with us but was definitely there in spirit!"
Keen to capture each detail and moment, for both their boys and themselves to remember, Karen and Paul enlisted photographer Martina California to document the day..."Martina California our photographer, was just brilliant, her photos speak for themselves!"
For their honeymoon Paul and Karen again put their kids first (followed by some proper honeymoon indulgence)..."We brought the kids to Legoland a few days after the wedding, after all their hard work they deserved it. 8 weeks after the wedding we went for a child free week to Sirmione, Lake Garda, Italy. Bliss!!!"
Big congratulations to you all and thank you for sharing your wedding day with us all. A big thank you also goes to Martina California for sharing her work with us. To see more from Martina California visit www.martinacalifornia.com
The Wedding Details
- Wedding Dress & Headpiece: Ciara Bridal
- Shoes and Boys Clothes: Debenhams
- Flowers: Little Daisy Flowers
- Groomsmen’s suits: Dorian Black
- Cake: Eric @ Cafe Jacques
- Stationery: Louise Quigley
- Hair: Ashley Skelly, Head to Toe, Skerries
- Wedding Bands: The Cherry Pickers
- Decorations: Pretty Fabulous Things
