Le Petit Chateau - Lauren and Simon

Lauren and Simon chose Le Petit Chateau in Otterburn, Northumberland for their wedding.  They were won over by it's quirky decor, beautiful gardens and friendly feel.  The weather sadly wasn't on our side and rain poured down the entire day. As we let our creative juices flow, Lauren and Simon were only too happy to play along to make the rain a thing to remember, and it all turned our rather well in the end!

How did you meet? What is your story? 

"We met at school, we were friends from first school but actually got together as a couple at high school."

How did you get engaged? 

"It was the night before my 30th birthday.  We were living with my parents at the time as we were in the middle of moving house. When we got back from the cinema I went upstairs to check on our daughter Fearne and found the ring box and a card in her cot and in the card it said ‘Mammy please will you marry my Daddy?)"

Tell us about your venue. Why did you pick it?

"We chose Le Petit Chateau because after having lots of friends weddings over the last couple of years we liked that nobody we knew had been married there before. We loved how different and quirky the venue was, it had a lovely feel about the place and the staff were all so friendly. We loved the inside and the outside and also that we had plenty of rooms for people to stay, however it was definitely the ceremony room that really won us over."

What was your absolute favourite part of the day? Does your spouse have a different favourite?

"I just loved every minute of it!!  His favourite part was the morning, the build up when all of the lads turned up and the adrenaline started before they went in for the ceremony."

Why was photography important to you and why did you choose 2tone Photography ?

"Photography was important because although we will always have the memories, the day really does just go so quick and we wanted some great pictures to be able to look back on over the years and remember. We chose 2tone because we loved the photos they did for my sister and friends wedding and liked how there was Nigel to be with the boys in the morning and Chrissie to be with the girls to get a picture of the whole morning both sides. We also love how relaxed they make everyone feel and the natural pictures they capture."

Do you have any advice for brides and grooms who are currently in the planning process?

"Just dont stress about the little things. Everything will come together in the end."

What is your favorite part of being married now?

"Feeling slightly closer as a family now we all have the same surname."

Venue: Le petit chateau

The wedding dress: Accent bridal

The men's suits: Moss bros

Wedding cake: Gillian banks

Flowers: The Flower Shed

Hair stylist: Reflections

Stationary: Myself

Entertainment: Proctor entertainment & Helena Pearson harpist

Crook Hall - Gill and Grant

Gill and Grant - what can I say about these two!  I could talk for pages about what a joy their wedding day was, however I am going to leave that to Gill, her own words expressing so much more than I could ever do.  Such beautiful souls, they share a deep love and respect for one another which not only is marvelled, but also inspiring.  I knew from the moment that we met that I wanted so very much to photograph their wedding.  Grant, is sumed up simply as a gentleman, charming and courtious, to everyone but not least of all to Gill, naturally graceful and warmhearted.  Their story could have been taken right out of a romance novel.  I adored working with and getting to know Gill and Grant, their children and their extended families.  What a joy it was, a day that we won't ever forget.

What is your story?

"We met when we started infant school when we were 4 years old in 1967. In 1974 we moved into the same street as Grant, opposite end. Our parents still live there. We went through infant and junior school in the same class, and secondary school in the next class to each other. We left school at 16, I started work at Barclays Bank, and Grant at Rolls Royce Engineering. We never saw each other for over 30 years. We both got married, Grant had a son and I had two daughters. In 2011, when our circumstances were different, I saw Grant's name pop up wishing a mutual friend on face book Happy Birthday! I was really pleased to see it!" 

"I'd always liked him at school, he even went out with my friend for a while, and I thought it would be nice to see where his life had taken him. He could have been living in Australia, with 10 children for all I knew, so I sent him a message! He was really happy to hear from me ......... and that was the start."

"We chatted on FB for ages hearing each other's love stories, and eventually met up. We still had so much in common. The same memories of school friends, our teachers, favourite music & old tv programmes. We never stopped talking. Our dads, both electricians, had worked on different sites together years ago, and our mum's were happy to get to know each other better."

"In 2014 we moved in together. We got on so well settling in to our new home, and went on lots of lovely holidays to Kraków, Budapest, Prague, Barcelona, Madrid and as many weekends away as possible. Living life to the full. We had dancing lessons, played table tennis, went walking and generally squeezed as much as possible in to our new life. In August 2016 we went to the Greek island of Santorini, famous for its glorious (romantic) sunsets. The last full day of the holiday was my birthday. I was opening my cards on our balcony that morning, and Grant went down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He gave me a little wooden box with 2 wedding rings that he'd made himself from titanium. I said yes :-)"

What was the inspiration behind your wedding?

"Crook Hall was the main inspiration. I'd been to a friend's wedding there in 2010 and loved the place - though as I was married at that time, I never dreamt what would happen there in the future! It's gardens are stunning and the medieval hall is so small and atmospheric I knew the backdrop wouldn't need dressing in any way."

"We knew we'd like Gareth as best man, Megan and Holly as our bridesmaids, and just close family at the ceremony, with a party for friends afterwards. The girls and I love navy, so their dresses were easy, and we chose the the boys blue tweed checked suits to go with them. My mum loves making cards and crafty things so she made all the invitations and favours with me. And anything else I saw in magazines or Pinterest that I loved the look of."

"I love white hydrangeas so our bouquets were full of them. And candles - we had candles and fairy lights everywhere."

What was the most memorable or your favorite part of your wedding day? 

"We both had the happiest day of our lives, which I think is obvious from your amazing photos, but Grant says his favourite moment was me walking into the room with my dad, and mine is probably the ceremony itself and saying our vows, closely followed by our first dance."

Why was photography important to you and why did you choose 2tone Photography ?

"Photography has played a significant part in my life particularly, and I have even helped photograph a couple of weddings myself. Crook Hall is beautiful, and we think each other are too ;-) so we knew we wanted lots and lots of memories of the day. We hadn't given our photographer any great thought though. Then we came across 2tone Photography at a wedding exhibition at The Sage Gateshesd. Their pictures stopped me in my tracks. We stood looking at the albums for a while. I instantly loved the style and the light in Nigel & Chrissie's photos. We wandered off and looked at other stands. No one else there came close. (Or at the other 2 exhibitions we went to later). We chatted to N&C and liked them both a lot, such a lovely couple passionate about their jobs, and I felt Chrissie & I clicked within that first few minutes."

Do you have any advice for brides and grooms who are currently in the planning process?

"The music ever throughout the day was important to us, and we took a long time to put playlists together for different parts of the day - took us much longer than we expected."

"If you're on a budget, decide what's definitely necessary, and what's just be nice to have, and spend in that order."

"It was definitely worth a few dance lessons as our first dance was one of our favourite parts of the day."

What is your favorite part of being married now?

"Although nothing has really been changed, everything feels even better. Plus we have beautiful photographs and memories of our day for always. And it is pretty lovely being a 'Mr & Mrs'."

...and anything else you feel like you would like to add.

"Just that you, Nigel and Chrissie will always have a place in our hearts for your lovely part in our day. You helped make it perfect! xx"

Venue: Crook Hall, Durham

Venue styling: Just me - but not too much needed as the place is perfect

The wedding dress: Anna Sorrano - from WED2B

The men's suits: Master Debonair are East Boldon

Wedding cake: Best friend, Linda

Flowers: Charlotte's House of Flowers, Sunderland

Hair and Make up: Hair, Show Beauty in House of Fraser (Marie) Make-up Marissa Bennett

Entertainment: Lovely friends Neil and David Atkinson singing with their guitars, and DJ Colin Cook

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

Langley Castle - Charlotte and Paul

It's been a long while since we were last at Langley Castle in Northumberland.  The medieval fortified towerhouse with it's crenulations and ancient achitecture dates back to the 1300's and speaks of a distant northern lifestlye of days gone by.  The people who once lived there almost blending into mythology in our minds.  

Charlotte and Paul fell in love with the ancient building, it's history and the stunning countryside that Langley Castle sits within.  It was the perfect location for their traditional wedding last summer.  Married in the picture perfect village church of St John's in Snods Edge, they went on to enjoy a wedding breakfast and evening reception at the castle with all of their family and friends.

I asked this beautiful pair to tell us about their day in their own words...

How did you meet? How did he propose? What is your story?: Oddly our families knew of each other long before Paul and I met.  We met, working at the same store but didn't become a couple until almost 18 months after I upped and left for university in Manchester. Transpennine Express has a lot to thank us for, buying many train tickets to and from Manchester until I eventually came back home to the North East. 

We eventually moved into our first home together which we've filled with love, laughter and many happy memories over the years. A long awaited (on my part) engagement came as a surprise after 7 years together, back in Manchester where it all began. Perfect and private, Paul proposed on one knee with a dazzling ring and a joke of whether I thought he'd ever get around to it!

What was the inspiration behind your wedding?: Our wedding was about celebrating a new chapter.  Reflecting who we are as a couple but also how we have become the individuals that we are because of our families and what they mean to us.

What was the most memorable or your favorite part of your wedding day?: Speaking for myself, arriving at the church, a bag of nerves but then turning to walk down the aisle and suddenly feeling nothing but excitement to get married.

Why was photography important to you and why did you choose 2tone Photography ?: The photographs of our wedding capture all of the 'moments' of the day, to look back on in years to come.  Being transported back to our most memorable day.  We chose 2tone Photography based on a family recommendation.  The fact that we would have two fantastic photographers and two angles of everything for the whole day was a real draw for us!  They have the style that we were looking for, modern and fresh but with the potential for a mix of traditional shots to keep the family happy and more adventurous ones too.

What is your favorite part of being married now?: As the best man said, marriage changes nothing inwardly about how we feel, but changes everything outwardly. The fact we're married and share a name means people see us in a different light and that unity gives us a stronger sense of togetherness.  Our own new family unit starting out!

Do you have any advice for brides and grooms who are currently in the planning process?: Know what you want your day to be and look like, and then do your homework.  Find the suppliers who can offer what you are looking for and will share your passion to achieve your dream day. Having that will take a weight off your mind to focus on all the other parts of the day.

Venue: St John's Church, Snods Edge and Langley Castle, Hexham

Venue styling: Simply Bows & Chairs

The wedding dress: La Sposa (designer) from Eve & Ellis (boutique)

The men's suits: Ted Baker at Moss Bros

Wedding cake: Sara's Kitchen

Flowers: The Enchanted Florist

Hair and Make up: Hunter & Dublin (Hair), Kate Alexandra Howlett MUA

Wedding video: Michael & Alice from Bennett Media

Entertainment: Dan James McClew and Groove Central Station from AMV

Wedding stationery: Silverbirch Designs

Transport: ATW Wedding Cars in Washington.

Beamish Hall - Anna and Adam

Anna and Adam were married in St Patrick's Church in Consett, heading over afterwards to the grand 12th Century Beamish Hall in County Durham.  Anna and Adam were both not only warm hearted, loving and two of the kindest souls, but they were also alot of fun to work with.   

Here is Anna to tell you all about their day...

How did you meet? How did he propose? What is your story?: "Adam and I met through a friend when I was at university in Liverpool. We got on really well straight away and started to spend a lot of time together. Before we met, Adam had booked a trip to travel around Australia for a year, so we only had a few weeks together before he jetted off! Luckily while he was away we stayed in touch, racking up some expensive phone bills (sorry mam & dad). When he got home we became a couple. After 5 years together Adam booked a trip to Rome. When we arrived he was spending a lot of time on his phone, trying to get us to destinations he had researched. He used his phone to direct us to the Church that my grandparents had renewed their wedding vows at 10 years ago. Typical me, did not recognise the church and had no idea why Adam was so stressed! Because Adam was then unsure whether or not this was 'THE Church' he took us to the restaurant he had planned to go to after the proposal! Still unaware I ordered a big salmon dish & tried to chat away to Adam while he again was on his phone (frantically texting all of my family to find out whether this was the correct church). We finished our meal and Adam decided to give the church another go, and with our left over salmon boxed up, off we went, me still non the wiser! Adam took us back to the church and when seeing it from a different angle I realised it was indeed the Church we came to with my grandparents 10 years ago. A relieved Adam got down on one knee, salmon in hand and popped the question! We had a few cheers from the people passing by & I was very surprised and excited! The surprises did not stop there as Adam had asked my parents & his parents to come to Rome the next day to celebrate with us! It was a really special trip that we will never forget!"

What was the inspiration behind your wedding?: "We didn't really know what we wanted when we started to plan the wedding - both of us had only been to a handful of weddings, years ago so we didn't have a lot of ideas. After going to a few wedding fairs & reading some wedding mags we decided to go for a simple & classic look, mainly white as the colour scheme with a little bit of pink and grey throughout. Luckily I had a very helpful wedding planner (my mam again) who did lots of research & alongside the rest of our families, helped to plan a wedding which was perfect for us!"

What was the most memorable or your favorite part of your wedding day?: "We loved the whole day! Both Adam & I really enjoyed the morning of the wedding - the excitement of getting ready with our families & friends. A really special part for me was coming down the stairs in my dress to see my Dad, that was a lovely moment! We enjoyed the mass, the speeches and just spending the whole day surrounded by people we love!"

Why was photography important to you and why did you choose 2tone Photography ?: "Photography was really important to us because we wanted to capture all of the special moments throughout the day so that we could see the day from every angle & have lots of memories to look back on. We were recommended 2tone photography from a friend and after meeting Nigel & Chrissie, speaking to them & seeing their work we knew they would do a fantastic job! They made us feel at ease from the beginning and answered any questions we had. We loved the idea that we would have 2 photographers so the day really would be captured from every angle - and that it was. We absolutely love our wedding pictures, 6 month on and we are still trying to decide on an album as there are too many beautiful photos to choose from!"

Do you have any advice for brides and grooms who are currently in the planning process?: "Think about what is really important to you and your day, you don't necessarily need all of the expensive 'wedding props' to make it special. And on the day try to take it all in and don't stress because it's over before you know it! Just enjoy!"

What is your favorite part of being married now?: "Not having to plan a wedding!! Haha!
We love being married now, enjoying the special memories of our wedding day and looking forward to many memories to come!"

Venue: Beamish Hall

Venue styling: Beamish Extras - Beamish Hall

The wedding dress: Accent Original Newcastle

The men's suits: Swarbricks - Manchester

Wedding cake: Burnett4cakes Tanfield

Flowers: Flower Style Consett

Hair and Make up: Lynsey Charlton - Hair & Roxy Mann - Makeup

Entertainment: The Fusion Dukes - evening band & Saxophonist from Soul Control for reception