Simply Bows Real Life Bride: Lucy and her beautiful Wynyard Hall wedding

What are your first names?

Michael and Lucy (Summersgill)

Where and when did you get engaged?

July 7th 2010 in Altea, Spain. We went out for a lovely meal, there was a fantastic atmosphere in the town as Spain had just won their place in the World Cup final. When we got back to the villa, Mike walked me to the balcony, which had been decorated with lanterns and flickering candles. There was chilled champagne and chocolates waiting for me - the whole thing was completely unexpected!

What was your wedding date?

Saturday 19th May 2012.

Where did you get married?

Wynyard Hall.

                                                        

Why did you choose your venue?

My parents live at Wynyard, making Wynyard Hall the perfect location. No other venue was even considered! Mike knew that Wynyard Hall was the only place for us so when he proposed in Spain he not only presented me with a fabulous ring (from Green & Benz in Manchester), he also gave me an invitation to our wedding! He had asked for my Dad's blessing and together they secured a date at Wynyard. Victoria Kelley, one of the wedding co-ordinators at the hall, was fantastic and I would have been lost without her!

Did you have a “theme”?

Antarctica! Our table plan showed the route we took on our recent Polar Circle Quest. We named our 18 tables after the wildlife we saw and the various landing sites we visited in Antarctica. We used our own photographs on each of the tables.

What was your wedding colour scheme?

Sapphire - a month after we got engaged, I went to Dublin with my sister and spotted a pair of sapphire Manolo Blahniks... that was the colour scheme decided!

Why did you choose Simply Bows and Chair Covers and what were they like to work with?

An old friend from school (Lucinda Thompson) used to work for Simply Bows and Chair Covers and I bumped into her at a Wynyard Wedding Fayre. She mentioned that she worked closely with Adam Prest (who did our amazing flowers) and I was keen to have high-quality suppliers working together who actually knew each other. By the time our wedding came around she was no longer working for Simply Bows and Lesley Nockels had taken over. Lesley was fab - she met with me a couple of times; once at the hall itself and once at my parents' home to ensure everything was spot on. The Conservatory Room looked stunning on the day! We went for a mixture of blue organza and satin bows with silver brooches for the Wedding Breakfast and white organza bows on the pew ends in the chapel.

What sort of dress did you choose and where from?

I wore a Blue by Enzoani gown called Calistoga and I bought it from Dreamcatcher Bridal in Kirkham where Mike's sister bought her wedding dress back in 2006. It's an A-line gown with a 'fan' neckline and large details below the bust, on the hip and on the lower back. The ladies at Dremcatcher were fantastic and knew exactly what would work. When they picked my dress out, I didn't think it looked particularly special on the hanger but I decided to give it a go because it was clear that they really knew what they were talking about. As soon as I put the dress on I felt fantastic and when I walked out of the changing area it was great to see that everyone liked it as much as I did.

What did your bridesmaids wear?

My four bridesmaids wore floor-length, sapphire, satin Dessy dresses and they looked gorgeous. Two of them went for strapless and the other two went for a scoop neck. It took a little while to sort out as they are all different in height, shape and hair colour... but we got there!

Who was your photographer?

Rob Jones and Brian Holden of Holden and Jones photography. We couldn't have picked better photographers. They were so professional and they were friendly, putting us both at ease. A pre-wedding shoot was included in our package which meant we were able to get to know them beforehand and talk through everything in detail. Having two photographers meant that we could have photographs of both of us in the morning, which was really important to me. We are so happy with our photographs - Rob and Brian really captured the moment... without me even realising that they were in the room half the time!

What “special touches” did you add to your day?

We had a photobooth provided by Picture Blast, casino tables, a big screen showing the Champions League, the Aaron Bayley Band and fireworks through 21st Century Fireworks.  We had fantastic entertainment and a great crowd. The two really came together and created an incredible atmosphere, our guests really threw themselves into the day and embraced everything that was going on. This was so important to us because we always wanted our wedding to be about having fun and spending time with all of our friends and family.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Without a doubt, the London Community Gospel Choir singing O Happy Day and the vicar getting the whole congregation swaying and clapping! This was an emotional point in the day and made the ceremony so unique and personal to us. The choir sang 6 songs in total, all of which we chose. Their voices were unbelievable.

Where did you go on honeymoon?

Nowhere! I went back in to work on the Monday because I'm a (dedicated!) primary school teacher and it was term-time.

What would be your top tip for another bride to be?

It sounds like a cliche, but the day is ultimately about you and your husband-to-be celebrating your relationship, so it is bound to be a big day for the two of you. It's also a big day for your friends and family, so there can be a lot of (sometimes conflicting) ideas and opinions thrown into the melting pot. It can be difficult to consider everyone's view and ultimately you just have to go with whatever the two of you feel is right. Again, it is a cliche, but it was genuinely the best day of our lives... so we must have managed to get everything right in the end!