Seaham Hall - Steven & Derek
Steven and Derek chose to tie the knot at the lavish and elegant Seaham Hall in County Durham. Surrounded by family and friends, their day was relaxed and joyful. An event which combined style and red carpet glamour with celebration and love.
How did you meet? How did he propose? What is your story?
"As we work for the same company, we met on a flight from Shanghai China to London, Derek proposed on our hotel balcony at The Atlantis Dubai, both in our bathrobes with a bottle of champagne."
What was the inspiration behind your wedding?
"Classic, with a modern twist. Especially with our suits, we wanted more of a red carpet look than wedding attire."
What was the most memorable or your favourite part of your wedding day?
"We both loved spending the morning in the hotel spa with our closest friends and having best friends and family in the room whilst getting ready, the favourite part was when everybody was dancing the night away."
Why was photography important to you and why did you choose 2tone Photography ?:
"We looked across a lot of work by different companies but fell in love with the work you guys produced and also we loved how you work together as a couple."
Do you have any advice for brides and grooms who are currently in the planning process?
"Make memories of the whole process as once the day is over it’s nice to look back on how it all came together."
Venue: Seaham Hall
The men's suits: Dixon Anderson Tailoring
Wedding cake: Ivory Cake Company
Flowers: Fleur Couture
Hair and Make up: Amanda Bell Makeup Artist
Entertainment: WDC Entertainment
Wynyard Hall - Stephanie and Nathan
A beautiful setting for a beautiful couple. Stephanie, a nurse married software developer Nathan last summer at the stunning Wynyard Hall in the Tees Valley. They were married in the gold gilded mirror room, before sharing their first meal as husband and wife, with their family and friends in the hall's ballroom. After dinner, the clouds broke and the sun came out, giving us a perfect excuse to head up to the walled gardens for a leisurely stroll and a few pictures.
The Proposal
"December 25th 2014, Christmas Day. The ring was sitting on a new bauble on the Christmas tree (I love Christmas and decorating the tree so I was so impressed the bauble matched the colour scheme!) initially I just saw a pretty new bauble then I saw the ring on the top of it, Nathan got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, of course, I said yes! "
The Dress
"The dress was a Maggie Sottero. A fitted dress with sweetheart neckline and handstitched sheer lace over the top with tiny pearls bought from yap bridal in Newcastle (who were fantastic!)"
"Bridesmaids wore two birds dresses in colour putty"
THe Venue
"Our ceremony took place in the mirror room at Wynyard hall, followed by a drinks reception with canapés wedding breakfast in the ballroom then evening reception in the conservatory. We had a special remembrance table to honour my grandma and Nathan's great auntie who unfortunately are no longer with us and were a huge miss."
The cake
Our cake was from Burnett's 4 cakes. It was a 4 tier cake with place white icing and edible orchids for decoration, bottom tier chocolate orange, next tier madiera, next tier lemon cake then top tier red velvet."
THe photography
"We met Chrissy and Nigel at a wedding fair initially, the amazing work they had previously done at Wynyard hall made us choose them and their relaxed and approachable attitude. They did an amazing job while making us laugh and feel at ease."
The honeymoon
Dubai for 4 nights then Mauritius for 10 nights
The suppliers
Suits - slaters
Flowers - floral quarter
Hair and makeup - the face house
Lartington Hall - Beth and Luke
Beth and Luke chose elegant Lartington Hall in Co. Durham for their wedding. Dashed with champagne and gold, their day had a regal feel while still being relaxed and fun. Here is Beth to tell us about it...
How did you meet? How did he propose? What is your story?
'Luke and I had the most amazing engagement. We had booked to go away to Disney World Florida in 2015. The last day of our holiday was my birthday and Luke had organised for us to watch the firework display at Cinderellas castle from a private garden viewing area! I had already had my birthday presents early that morning and wasn’t expecting anything else! As the fire works began, they played a song which started with the lyrics - ‘wishes do come true’ to which Luke then got down on one knee and the fireworks were going crazy in the background! It was just magical.'
What was the inspiration behind your wedding?
'When we started planning the wedding we knew we both wanted quite a big wedding with the wow-factor to go with it, and we definitely got that with Lartington Hall. We wanted everything to be that little bit extra, but still classy. We wanted a neutral and champagne colour theme, which happened to match perfectly with the venue – it was fate! I’d almost say we wanted a regal-feel to it, from the tall, rounded centrepieces and the large cake to the gold painted pillar-cases in the ballroom. Everything was just how we imagined – perfect!” We couldn’t recommend Lartington Hall enough to future bride and grooms.'
What was the most memorable or your favorite part of your wedding day?
'Without a doubt our favourite part of our wedding day was the Singing waiters! When planning the wedding we knew they were definitely going to have to be part of our day! We felt that sometimes at the wedding breakfast there is a bit of a lull and everyone becomes a bit tired after a big meal so it was just the perfect thing to get everyone lively again and up on their feet. The atmosphere they created was amazing, everyone was up dancing, singing and having a fab time! So many of our guests commented on how unique and brilliant it was to have at a wedding breakfast!'
Why was photography important to you and why did you choose 2tone Photography ?
'Our photos of the day were one of our main focuses when wedding planning. We found 2tone photography at a wedding fayre and instantly knew nigel and chrissie were for us! We knew from looking at their past albums that they had captured some amazing pictures of other bride and grooms special days and that’s exactly what we wanted! Their pictures seemed so crisp, clear and deep in colour, and that was exactly what we were looking for, something that said bold. Nigel and Chrissie are so lovely too. They work with such a relaxed attitude and it’s almost like having friends photograph your wedding. I would definitely recommend having a pair of photographers, that way, so many more images from different angles are able to be captured and I would not hesitate to recommend 2tone to any bride and groom.'
Do you have any advice for brides and grooms who are currently in the planning process?
'Our advice for future Bride and Grooms would be to go ahead with any plan or factor that you really want on your day. You only get to do it once, so bite the bullet and book it! Even if it means saving those few extras pennies, you wont regret it!
What is your favorite part of being married now?
'Our favourite part of being married now is planning our future together! We cant wait to see what the next couple of years bring for us! Our least favourite part is not having a wedding to plan haha! Enjoy every single minute of it.'
Venue: Lartington Hall
Venue styling: The Whole Schbang
The wedding dress: Bespoke Victoria Kay - Happily ever after Darlington
The jewellery - Ivory & CO
The hair: Hair by Jordan Simone Darlington
Makeup - Heather Francesca Pro artist and studio
The bridesmaid's dresses - Tracy Wilson Bridal specialist
The men's suits: Slaters - Newcastle
The wedding cake: Creations by Paula Jane
The flowers: The whole schbang
The stationary - Linda Whyte @ The Wedding Stationery Company
The magician - Stephen Knight
The singing waiters - Main course singing waiters
The day time musicians - Amici Musicali
The evening band - Hip Hop Hooray
The photobooth - Party Pics photobooth hire
The videographer - One Digital Image
Wynyard Hall - Rachel and Kenny
As a recommended photographer, Wynyard Hall is a regular haunt of ours - but even after so many years, it still doesn't fail to wow us. The stunning stately north east wedding venue stops you in your tracks from the moment that you arrive. The Regency architecture with it's towering pillars invite you into the enormous octagonal statue gallery. A huge domed stained glass skylight and crystal chandelier above your head. The feeling is something like walking into a palace. Amongst its many other delights, Wynyard Hall also boasts the most stunningly beautiful private chapel, which last year, became the setting for Rachel and Kenny's wedding, and what a day it was!
In her own words, Rachel talks about their day.
THE PROPOSAL
'Kenny had travelled out to the United States where I had been working at the time. We had taken a short holiday on the Californian coast and one afternoon he had planned a trip to Newport Beach where we took a gondola ride around the canals to watch the sunset. I had absolutely no idea whatsoever that a proposal was coming my way!'
THE VENUE
'We were initially wowed by the statue gallery and it’s incredibly stunning stained-glass ceiling and imposing chandelier. As soon as we stepped in to the chapel, the deal was sealed: I couldn’t imagine being married anywhere else. The chapel is sensational in every sense of the word.'
'The wedding co-ordinator Ashleigh and master of ceremonies Ryan were there for us every single step of the way and on the day they were like my right-hand men (& woman)! There was no decision made alone and the help and guidance provided by the wedding team at Wynyard Hall was a godsend in areas where we felt we needed further advice.'
HER MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
'I wish I could rewind back to that moment where the Wynyard Hall chapel doors swung open, I could hear Canon in D playing and saw my husband-to-be waiting at the altar. I’ve never seen or experienced such emotion from so many people in one moment in my life, and that is something I’ll forever cherish.'
THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
'We spent a lot of time browsing bridal magazines that were specifically focused on the North for initial inspiration, and used social media to find the photographer who we believed would suit the overall tone of our day. We kept hoping that we would find a team that could work naturally around us and capture those beautiful shots without us even realising! We wanted the laughs, our smiles and even our tears. That’s when Nigel and Chrissie at 2Tone Photography came along…'
'Nigel and Chrissie are two of the nicest people we have ever met and so passionate about what they do. The whole experience felt incredibly personalised.'
'We received our beautiful wedding images when we were in the middle of the Eastern Cape on Safari in South Africa with the most hopeless Internet connection. We spent hours of our honeymoon “ooh’ing and aah’ing” with laughter, tears and the biggest grins on our faces reliving the day over again.'
THE DETAILS
'We envisaged a classic elegance at Wynyard Hall, combining ivory and sage green. We had enormous vases of fresh Roses on each table that filled the room with the most beautiful scent, and a carried a gorgeous bouquet of ivory Roses.'
THE DRESS
'I fell in love with a half satin, half lace Allure Bridals gown that I found at First Glance Bridal in Sunderland. The long train fluted out and accentuated my waist allowing me to feel demure, elegant and beautiful at the same time. I could never imagine getting married wearing anything else.'
THE SPECIAL TOUCHES
'I created and designed all of the stationery that we used on our wedding day with the help of my Dad. We spent hours together fussing over fonts, alignment and paper choices, eventually seeking help from the team at Prontoprint who ordered paper samples and printed our designs. The hard part was when we got to work tying over 200 ribbons and bows!
We had a range of spirits as favours – as you can never go wrong with a good old G&T – but tied a personalised tag for each guest around the bottle neck advising its exact use depending on the recipient: a truth serum, courage builder, love potion, or of course, the pain killer!'
RACHEL AND KENNY'S BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION WAS FEATURED IN ISSUE 08 OF UNVEILED.
The Suppliers
The Venue - Wynyard Hall
The dress - Allure Bridals at First Glance Bridal
Hair - Show Off Salon
Make up - Katie Robson Make Up
The suits - Baker's Tailoring
The bridesmaids - Dessy
The flowers - Ashbrooke Florists
The cake - Joanne's Cake Creations
The cheese wedding cake - Blacks Corner
The band - The Andy Usher Trio
The photobooth - Party Pics
The Videographers - One digital Image
Crathorne Hall - Lesley and Matthew
Lesely and Matthew's wedding took place at the beautiful Crathorne Hall near Yarm. I asked Lesley to tell us more about their day...
"Matt & I met on a friends 21st in Durham, in 2011. From our first date I knew he was the one, I have had butterflies ever since."
"Christmas 2014, Matthew proposed to me in the most amazing way! We’d finished opening our presents on Christmas morning sat by the tree, he said to me “Do you think that’s everything?” He passed me a large, flat box. I thought “what on earth could this be...” it was a Millie’s cookie with pink writing asking me to marry him! First thing I did was question “REALLY?”, I couldn’t believe it, so excited! I Immediately said YES after that! I was pregnant when Matt proposed to me. Millie was born in 2015, she will always have the story that she was named after a cookie!"
"We wanted our wedding to be a happy and unforgettable day. It truly was one of the best days of our lives, we had everyone around us who cared, friends and family, each other and our little girl, Millie. Unfortunately we have lost some loved ones over the years we have been together and beforehand. We wanted to try and include as much as we could so they were with us that day also."
"There was so many memorable parts to the wedding! Walking down the aisle and seeing Matthew standing there, and our first dance. At the end of the night feeling accomplished, we had the most amazing day and I’d like to think everyone had a great time!"
"Photography was massively important to us. We wanted to treasure our memories and what better way can we do it?
We chose 2tone photography as both Chrissie's and Nigel's photography skills are brilliant. What a lovely couple to work with, they listened to everything we wanted and they followed through with it on the day. The quality and thought that goes into their work is unbelievable. I recommend them to friends who are getting married all of the time."
"My piece of advice to couples getting amrried is don't get stressed. Your day will be amazing. Everyone says it but it’s completely true. Your day goes so quick, so make sure you take five minutes just both of you to take it all in."
Here is a look at their amazing day...
Venue: Crathorne Hall Hotel
Venue styling: The First Class Wedding Company
The wedding dress: Northallerton Bridal Outlet
The men's suits: Bakers Tailoring
Wedding cake: Mother in Law
Flowers: Claire Metcalfes
Hair and Make up: Hair: Ashleigh Bennett. Makeup: Emma Christie
Entertainment: The Ultimate wedding DJ
Beamish Hall - Jenny and Jim
Jenny and Jim's winter wedding at Beamish Hall was a day filled with love and beautiful moments. They were married in the Moubucher Suite at Beamish Hall, set in the beautiful North Durham countryside, later sharing a wedding breakfast with their friends and family in the Hall's winter gardens.
Here are a few images from their day...
