A wedding venue like no other..

By

Along with The Dress, your wedding venue will define the style and character of your wedding day. Opt for a castle, it will most likely be elegant, chose a barn and you'll probably go rustic. But what if you choose something completely different? Fran and Dave did just that. This adorable pair chose to wed in Manchester's Victoria Baths. The baths architecture is crumbling Edwardian decadence at its finest, with a maze of drained pools, exposed bricks and ornate features throughout. Along with its elegant lilac and green hues this venue comes straight from a Wes Anderson daydream. Trust me, it looks as extraordinary as it sounds...

Fran and Dave's Simple and Chic Wedding at the Victoria Baths, Manchester by Mr Sleeve | onefabday.com

Fran and Dave met online, went for drinks and hit it off. No glitches, no mishaps, just plain ole love found in the most modern of ways.

10 months later Dave surprised Fran with a New Years Eve proposal. "It was New Year’s Eve and Dave produced a really swanky bottle of champagne. Next thing I know he’s down on one knee in my crumby flat with an amazing vintage pearl and diamond ring. I was genuinely and totally shocked, but obviously said yes straight away - then we went out and ate curry at our favourite Indian restaurant and drank tequila!" I've started to love these two already..

Once engaged, Fran and Dave began to plan, chose their venue and sent out their save the dates. Everything was going according to plan until Fran got yet another (wonderful) surprise. Fran and Dave were expecting a baby, and it was due just 3 months after their wedding date. Taking life in their stride, Fran and Dave continued with their plans, altering them to make sure the wedding was now a celebration for 3, not 2.

The Manchester Baths venue was the main splurge for Fran and Dave and really set the tone for the day. A huge space Fran and Dave used every corner, including a badminton room to entertain the children. (If you're struggling to think of ways to keep the little ones occupied then check out our 11 Ways to Keep Kids Entertained at Weddings.)

The building inspired a "vintage, but very informal" look which suited Fran, David and new baby Evan perfectly.

Fran's embellished dress was bought online from China for just £150, then altered by a seamstress at home. What an incredible find!

Besides the unusual venue (...bargain dress and surprise baby guest ) the thing that sticks out for me from Fran and Dave's wedding is their east versus west wedding menu. "Our food was a huge part of how we chose to make the day unique for our guests. The main meal was a vegetarian Indian feast supplied by Zouk catering (they also supplied us with Indian-style canapes). For the evening meal we dressed one of the rooms as a cafe and served cones of fish & chips from a portable barrow. We are also both fans of real ale so we selected two ales, one from Yorkshire (like me) and one from Lancashire (like Dave), which were supplied by The Epicurean in West Didsbury, Manchester."

Once dinner was over it was time for cake which was made by Fran’s mum and decorated by her dad. Almost too good to slice into..

Vintage style wedding cake | Fran and Dave's Simple and Chic Wedding at the Victoria Baths, Manchester by Mr Sleeve | onefabday.com

Fallen for this alternative wedding? Fran has some advice on how to plan your own: "Do it how you want to do it. You might want a small do, or a big white wedding, you might want to go DIY crafty, or totally traditional. Everyone has an opinion about how, where and what you should be doing, but there’s no need to listen to all the advice, you know what you want. Go for it!"

Huge thank you to Fran & Dave for sharing their inspiring wedding with us and to Mr. Sleeve for sharing his work with us! To see more of Mr. Sleeve's work pop over to www.mrsleeve.co.uk

The Wedding Details