Sophie & Paul

By :

ANDREA BEAULIEU

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OUR PROPOSAL ALWAYS MAKES ME SMILE.

PAUL AND I HAD BEEN TOGETHER JUST UNDER 6 YEARS AT THE TIME. IT HAPPENED ON JULY 21ST 2018 AND WE WERE HOLIDAYING WITH FAMILY IN THE BEAUTIFUL AND PICTURESQUE NORTHUMBERLAND. WE HAD GONE FOR A WEEK AWAY WITH FAMILY. IT WAS JUST A NORMAL DAY, I WAS CHILLING OUT AROUND THE HOUSE. PAUL ASKED ME TO GO FOR A WALK, WE WERE SURROUNDED BY GLORIOUS COUNTRYSIDE BUT I WAS NOT REALLY DRESSED FOR WALKING IN FIELDS! AS WE WERE WALKING AROUND, I PLAYFULLY COMPLAINED AT THE AMOUNT OF SHEEP DUNG THAT WAS ALL OVER THE FIELDS, I COULD SENSE PAUL’S FRUSTRATION, OBVIOUSLY NOT REALIZING HE WAS LOOKING FOR A NICE SPOT TO GET DOWN ON ONE KNEE.

WE THEN MADE OUR WAY BACK TO THE HOUSE, SHEEP DUNG FIELDS ARE NOT THE MOST ROMANTIC OF SETTINGS. WE WENT INTO THE GARDEN BEHIND THE HOUSE AND HE STOPPED AND SAID ‘ARE YOU READY?’ AND THEN GOT ON ONE KNEE AND PRODUCED SUCH A BEAUTIFUL RING. IT WAS LOVELY AND JUST THE KIND OF PROPOSAL I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN. WE WERE SURROUNDED BY FIELDS OF THISTLES THAT NOW HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEART AND FEATURED SUBTLY THROUGHOUT THE WEDDING.

WE THEN WENT ON TO HAVE A LOVELY BOTTLE OF BUBBLY WITH OUR FAMILY. THIS PLACE FEELS SO SPECIAL NOW.

KATEY [GHOST ORCHID BRIDE] IS WONDERFUL AND HER SHOP IS GORGEOUS! I STUMBLED ACROSS DAUGHTERS OF SIMONE ON PINTEREST AND QUICKLY FOUND YOUR INSTAGRAM PAGE, THAT WAS IT, I WAS HOOKED! I HAD WATCHED ONE OF YOUR VIDEOS WITH THE ‘EZRA’ GOWN AND IMMEDIATELY KNEW THAT WAS THE DRESS FOR ME. I LOVED HOW UNDERSTATED AND ROMANTIC THE DRESS WAS, IT WAS BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE BUT HAD SOME SASS WITH IT’S STUNNING LOW BACK. I SOUGHT A STOCKIST IN THE UK. I KNEW IT WAS MEANT TO BE WHEN THE STOCKIST WAS BASED IN HULL. MY MUM AND SISTER LIVE IN A TOWN CLOSE BY SO IT WAS A PERFECT EXCUSE TO SPEND GIRLY WEEKENDS DRESS SHOPPING AND HAVING A GLASS OF FIZZ. I DON’T GET TO SEE THEM OFTEN AS I LIVE FURTHER SOUTH, IT MADE MY WHOLE DRESS EXPERIENCE EVEN MORE SPECIAL.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR SPECIAL DAY?

IT IS VERY CLICHE BUT IT WAS ENJOYING IT ALL WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I LOVED THE CEREMONY AND COULD FEEL THE HAPPINESS IN THE ROOM. WE WERE SO LUCKY TO HAVE OUR WEDDING, IT WAS TWO WEEKS BEFORE LOCKDOWN CAME INTO FORCE IN THE UK. MY FATHER WAS SADLY HOSPITALIZED THE WEEK OF THE WEDDING SO WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND AND GIVE ME AWAY. MY BRIDESMAID WAS ALSO HOSPITALIZED THE NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING SO WAS ALSO UNABLE TO BE THERE. FRIENDS, FAMILY AND SUPPLIERS ALL RALLIED ROUND AND MADE THE DAY SO JOYOUS. THEY REALLY SUPPORTED ME. WE SCRAMBLED AROUND THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING AND GOT A GOPRO TO FILM PARTS OF IT FOR THOSE WHO WERE NOT THERE. OUR WEDDING WAS THE LAST DAY WE SAW AND HUGGED MANY OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, SO IT FEELS EVEN MORE SPECIAL. OUR PHOTOS HAVE TRULY CAPTURED THE JOY WE FELT THAT DAY.

IT TOOK US A WHILE TO CHOOSE OUR FIRST DANCE, WE NEVER REALLY HAD ‘OUR SONG’. WE STARTED TO THINK ABOUT FILMS WE LIKED AND LISTENED TO LOTS OF MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS. WE REMEMBERED HOW MUCH WE BOTH ENJOYED LA LA LAND SO IT ONLY SEEMED RIGHT TO CHOOSE ‘CITY OF STARS’. MAKES ME SMILE EVERY TIME I HEAR THAT SONG NOW.

ANY BIT OF ADVICE FOR FUTURE BRIDES?

GO WITH YOUR GUT AND LESS IS MORE. IT IS VERY EASY TO GET CARRIED AWAY WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT TRENDS AND FEELING LIKE YOU NEED ALL THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS TO MAKE YOUR DAY SPECIAL. I PROMISE YOU, YOU DON’T. WE FOCUSED ON A FEW KEY AREAS THAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT TO US, FOR EXAMPLE, SOURCING QUALITY FLOWERS AND FOOD AND DRINK. OUR VENUE WAS STUNNING AND IF WE HAVE FILLED THE VENUE WITH DIFFERENT THEMES AND IDEAS, WOULD HAVE MADE THE VENUE FEEL OVERCROWDED. WE WANTED TO COMPLIMENT THE VENUE AND FELT THAT WE COULD DO THAT WITH A FEW ADDITIONS TO ADD OUR PERSONALITY. FINALLY, DO NOT OVERSPEND! IT IS EASY TO GET CARRIED AWAY WITH HOW MUCH YOU NEED, HOWEVER, WE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE WE BOUGHT ITEMS FOR THE WEDDING THAT WE WOULD USE AGAIN. EXAMPLE, WE BOUGHT SOME GLASS CANDLE HOLDERS WHICH, AFTER THE WEDDING, WE PASSED ON TO SOME FRIENDS AS A THANK YOU GIFT AND KEPT THE REMAINDER FOR OUR HOUSE. HAVING ITEMS DOTTED AROUND THE HOUSE OF INVENTORY YOU USED ON THE DAY BRINGS BACK WONDERFUL AND WELCOMING MEMORIES.

SHOP THE EZRA GOWN

PHOTOGRAPHER: @ROSIEMAYKELLY //BRIDAL BOUTIQUE: @GHOSTORCHIDBRIDE//GOWN: @DAUGHTERSOFSIMONE//VENUE: @ASWARBYRECTORY//FLOWERS: @NUMBERTWENTYSEVEN_//STYLIST: @THISWILLBEFOREVER//CATERING: @SALTEDORANGEFOODCO @LAITHWAITES.WINE//HAIR: @HELENSUTCLIFFEHAIR//MAKEUP: @CAROLINEKENT.MAKEUP//TABLE PLANNING AND SIGN: @PIPIRADESIGN//BOTTLES SOURCED BY: @LUCYVINTAGELIFESTYLE

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