5 minute read
Look at the Stars
A proposal under the stars was Dan’s plan for Jessie – although it didn’t turn out that way! Images courtesy of Jess Lathan Photography and Dan met at work. “I had a meeting with Dan in my first couple of weeks and he was so formal I thought he hated me!” remembers Jessie. “Eight months later, he went on a business trip to the Philippines, and I heard him mention that he didn’t want to go. I reached out to him over our work chat to check in and ask how it was going, and we ended up talking non-stop the whole time he was there!”
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Dan proposed when the couple had been together four years. “We booked a getaway to a log cabin in the Scottish borders, where we were expecting to have amazing views of the stars from our hot tub,” says Jessie. “However, we actually ended up with a really cloudy night and couldn’t see a thing! Dan eventually asked me to marry him while we were sat on a bench in our coats under the clouds – but it was just as lovely. I had a feeling for a few months that a proposal might be coming, but I didn’t expect the ring he chose. It was a yellow sapphire, which was so unusual and special to me.”
The couple set the date for the 2 January, 2023, choosing Middleton Lodge for their big day. Here, Jessie tells us more…
Just The Two Of Us
Jessie and Dan had originally planned to elope to Gretna Green. “We talked a lot about waiting for five years and then marrying in front of a few of our closest friends and family,” continues the bride. “We then got Googling, and decided to visit one venue out of curiosity, as it was the perfect distance between Dan’s family and mine. We fell for Middleton Lodge completely! I love period properties and it has such gorgeous Georgian charm, including the big oval hall with curved staircase, where we ended up having our ceremony. The lady who showed us around made a joke that if we got married in January she’d do a good deal, and so we decided to go for it there and then! So much for the five year elopement we said we wanted – instead we ended up with six months to plan a big wedding!”
With little time to spare, the couple flew into action. “I reached out to Loved by Lucy for her handwritten stationary, as her style really complemented the beautiful house we were getting married in,” says Jessie. “She sent me a picture of the table plan a few days before the wedding on Instagram, and accidentally put a filter with little white stars over the picture. I loved them so much as it reminded me of our (very much not starry) engagement, so I asked her to draw them on to the acrylic! She also created our place names and table number signs in the same handwritten style as our plan; even adding pink ribbon to each place name to match the flowers.”
Flower Power
When it came to the couple’s flowers, Jessie and Dan trusted the judgement of the wedding photographer they’d chosen, who suggested a florist they’d worked with before. “We had no real idea of what we wanted, so asked her to go with whatever she thought would look best,” says the bride. “Hannah created an incredible look book for the day with a colour scheme, inspiration pictures, and a list of the flowers she was planning to source. It was better than anything we could have done! We also planned the other parts of our day, such as flower girl dresses and table styling, to match the look book she created for us.”
Cake-wise, it was down to Dan’s mum, Janet, to take charge. “You’ll find no better baker than Janet!” says Jessie. “She made her signature carrot cupcakes, as well as Bailey’s and chocolate and red velvet flavoured creations. They were way better than anything we could have bought! For the actual cake cutting, we ended up buying a plain two-tier design from M&S, sticking a few icing flowers on it. It was simple and effective; with all the guests tucking into Janet’s cupcakes instead.”
Opposites Attract
Jessie’s gown was the total opposite of what she was looking for. “I wore the Madison James Marlette design, which Danni at Sisters of Grace asked me to try on as her wild card. I was instantly sold! I really wasn’t looking for strapless, but the back of the dress was so beautiful that I had to go for it. The amazing seamstress at Diva Designs For You had the idea to add some flutter sleeves for a bit of extra coverage, and she made them detachable for the after-party. I was also able to buy the sample dress off the rail given the short notice of our wedding, so it turned out to be another huge saving!”
Dan also ensured he looked the part for the couple’s day. “He chose a dark green corduroy suit which was very fitting for the time of year,” continues Jessie. “Teaming it with a gold tie pin and sleeve garters to match his gold wedding ring, he also bought some black Oxford-style shoes for the day. He got tons of compliments on his suit, and we’re now looking for any occasion for him to wear it again!”
Sound Of Music
Music was a key theme throughout Jessie and Dan’s wedding. “Our pianist Ray played in the main house for the ceremony and drinks reception, and kept the music going throughout the wedding breakfast in the marquee,” says the bride. “We had a DJ play for a couple of hours after our first dance to Sigrid’s Home To You, but the real party started when we moved into the cellar bar beneath the main house. Our friends brought glow sticks, and the two barmen played DJ, picking the best tunes from a Spotify playlist to keep the party going until 2am. Those guys deserve a raise!”
As with all weddings, the day wasn’t without the odd hiccup. “The videographers were in the bridal suite while I got ready in the morning, and they mentioned they were going over to get some footage of Dan,” remembers Jessie. “I text him to let them know they were coming, and as a joke said not to get in the shower as they wanted some shower footage! About 20 minutes later I was just finishing getting ready, only to pick up my phone to find Dan had thought I was serious and was panicking that they still hadn’t arrived. He’d been waiting for them for his ‘shower shoot’ and was nearly late for the guests arriving!”
JESSIE’S TOP TIP
ROLL CREDITS
Photography, Jess Lathan Photography www.jesslathan.co.uk | Venue, Middleton Lodge https://middletonlodge.co.uk |Videography, Gravity Films www.instagram.com/gravityfilms_uk | Jessie’s dress, Sisters of Grace www.sistersofgrace.co.uk | Dress alterations, Diva Designs For You www.instagram.com/divadesignsforyou | Dan’s suit, Suit Supply www.instagram.com/suitsupply | Hair, Emma Lee Hair Design www.instagram.com/emmalee_hairdesign | Make-up, F.A.C.E Make Up Artistry www.instagram.com/f.a.c.emakeupartistry | Flowers, Blossom + Ash www.blossomandash.co.uk | Stationery and Table Plan, Loved By Lucy Designs www.lovedbylucydesigns.co.uk | Venue Styling Accessories, The Trove www.instagram.com/thetrove_ | Pianist, Ray’s Piano www.rayspiano.co.uk
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