Christina Davison 14/02/2018 Christina Davison 14/02/2018

Matfen Hall - Emma and Richard

Married at Matfen Hall last summer, Emma and Richard went all out to wow their guests with spectacular visual effects. Their elegant and minimalist day took on a different tone as we progressed into the evening. A dance floor filled with dry ice created a dreamlike setting for their first dance as husband and wife, and a crowd-stopping firework display ended the day with a bang. We were even treated to a red arrows fly past!

Here's a few words from Emma...

How did you meet? How did he propose? What is your story?

'We met at work (Cooper BMW Durham). 'Richard took me back to our first holiday location in Gran Canaria and proposed on a boat in the middle of the sea before we went parasailing.'

What was the inspiration behind your wedding?

'The inspiration for our wedding was minimalistic accessories with a modern look. We wanted the wow factor so we booked dry ice for our first dance and fireworks to end the night.'

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

'I loved each and every bit of our wedding... I wish we could do it all again but if I had to pick my most memorable part that would have to be our first dance. Walking down that staircase with my husband onto a floor filled with dry ice! I will never forget that feeling and how happy I was at that moment in time with all of our family and friends around us.'

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

'We chose 2tone photography because we liked the idea of having 2 photographers on the morning of the wedding. It was very important for us to have photographs of both myself and my now husband on the morning of the wedding. When we met up with Nigel and Chrissie we instantly knew that they were the photographers for us. We felt so welcome and you could see the quality of their work how passionate and enthusiastic there job was to them! We absolutely love the photographs that you took of our day; the album and photo frames are spectacular!'

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

'Get a good wedding planning book and create a spreadsheet with amounts and dates things need to be paid. Just have fun! It might feel like there is loads to sort but try not to get stressed and enjoy every bit of it as your wedding date will come around so quick!'

Venue - Matfen Hall

Venue styling - The Finishing Touch Company

The wedding dress - YAP Bridal

The men's suits - Moss Bros

Wedding cake - The little elephant company

Flowers - The finishing touch company

Hair and Make up - Hair - Lisa Cameron Make Up - Gabby Walker

Entertainment - Luke Howell - magician

Fireworks - Spectrum - fireworks and dry ice

Christina Davison 12/02/2018 Christina Davison 12/02/2018

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

Christina Davison 11/02/2018 Christina Davison 11/02/2018

A 'home made' wedding - Ashleigh and Richard

Filled with so many personal touches and sentimental mementoes, planned and formed with careful precision, along with a lot of creativity and a whole lot of hard work, Ashleigh and Richard's 'home made' wedding was a joy to attend and a highlight of our year.

The Proposal

'Richard and I met on a night out in Newcastle and were introduced by friends. Richard proposed in 2016 during a weekend away in Warkworth, one of our favourite places in the North East. We were walking our Border Terriers, Penny and Ellie, on the beach and he suddenly got down on one knee. I said yes immediately!'

The wedding

'There was never any doubt about where the reception for the wedding would be. With Ashleigh having grown up on the family farm and being somewhat obsessed with gardening, nothing would make her more happy on the big day than being able to pull on a pair of wellies and being surrounded by flowers which she had grown herself. We were looking for something classy whilst also being relaxed at the same time. Having the wedding reception at Ashleigh's family home meant that we had control about every aspect of the day - styling things in our own individual way. Ashleigh had a crazy idea about erecting a wall of flowers and after many months in the plannng, packets of seeds and hours spent watering.....the dream became a reality. It was truly stunning. Of course, Ashleigh insisted on making all of the wedding stationery, chairbacks, table-centres and many other things. This involved drafting in a number of very hard-working bridesmaids and famly members!'

Favorite moment

'Ashleigh carrying a tree over her shoulder through the marquee the day before the wedding was pretty memorable..... she got told off by pretty much everyone as they were worried she'd be covered in scratches!! '

'The whole Wedding Day was fabulous from beginning to end. Being surrounded by family and friends meant so much to us and we have special memories to last a lifetime. After a super busy week with very little sleep trying to get the venue and grounds ready we were just so pleased for everything to turn out just as we'd planned. All our hard work paid off and seeing everyone enjoying the day meant so much to us! The children spent hours running around in the meadow and the day was topped off by Storm Function Band getting everyone up on the dancefloor and we partied until the early hours..... after all that dancing we were ready for some sleep!'

The Photographers

'Capturing special moments to create a long-lasting memory of our Wedding Day was very important to us. 2tone had photographed our friends' wedding and we knew that there was no one else for the job. From the first moment that we contact Chrissie and Nigel we knew that we were in safe hands.'

Any advice?

'We knew that we could 100% trust everyone involved in our wedding to deliver and to make our dreams a reality. You just get that gut feeling when you meet people that these are people you can work with and rely on - trust your instincts! We were lucky to have attended quite a few weddings over the past few years and that really helped us with our wedding planning..... we knew who had done a good job for our friends!'

THE SUPPLIERS

The Venue - Whitburn Parish Church. Reception - bride's family home. Marquee provided by Fairbairn Marquees

The dress - A Pronovias gown from Mia Sposa, Newcastle

Hair and Make-up - Wedding Hair and Make-up North East

Venue styling - The bridal party

The suits - Moss Bros

The cake - The cake was made by a family friend, with real flowers provided by florist

The flowers - Blossoms and Bows - East Boldon

The music - Jessica Avison

The band - Storm Function Band

The videographer - The Big Day Productions

The dessert - Afternoon tea - with all cakes provided by Beckleberry's

The rings - Both Ashleigh and Richard's wedding rings were made from their respective grandfather's wedding rings.... 'it was lovely to know that they were with us on the day and will remain with us throughout our married life!'

Christina Davison 09/02/2018 Christina Davison 09/02/2018

Chinese wedding at Matfen Hall - Jordan and Yvonne

Jordan and Yvonne's spectacular wedding last summer took place over two days. Surrounded by all of their family and friends, they said their vows and became husband and wife at the True Jesus church in Newcastle. Arriving early to Matfen Hall ahead of their guests, together we explored the gardens, took in the sunshine and enjoyed creating some beautiful portraits before heading inside. Sweeping down the grand staricase, Yvonne and Jordan were greeted with a grand reception, followed by ice-cream, a bite to eat, and of course games, fun and frolicks.

Day two found us in Newcastle's china town, and popular restaurant, Palace garden, for a cultural celebration filled with colour and love for the newlyweds.

We have worked with the Newcastle chinese community, photographing weddings for many years now. We have come to know this group of people very well, seeing many of them time and time again. They welcome us with open arms and treat us as a part of the family. It is an absolute honor and a joy to spend time with every one of these warm, loving and welcoming individuals. We too, think of every one of you as part of our extended family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for inviting us into your lives once again. We look forward to seeing you all again at Deborah and Justin, and Fiona and Rico's weddings later this year!

Christina Davison 06/02/2018 Christina Davison 06/02/2018

Matfen Hall - Rachael and Mark

With the grand reveal of the east wing refurbishment at Matfen Hall less than two weeks away, my mind skips back to this beautiful wedding last summer. The sun was shining, everyone looked amazing and Rachael and Mark didn't stop smiling all day. I honestly don't know if this day could have been better.

THE PROPOSAL

"We first met at Northumbria University in 2008, where we lived in the same halls. We quickly became friends, and after a couple of years we started our relationship. Mark proposed to me shortly after moving into our first home on my birthday in 2015, it was such a romantic day."

THE INSPIRATION

"We wanted our day to to be simple but elegant, with a relaxed atmosphere and a rustic/vintage theme."

THEIR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

"We loved every minute of our wedding day, especially having all our family and friends celebrating with us. Our most memorable part of the day was just after the wedding breakfast had finished and we got some time to ourselves, It was the first time that we were completely alone and it gave us a chance to take a few deep breathes and take everything in."

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

"We first met Chrissie and Nigel when they photographed our best friends wedding and got to see their work first hand. When it came to picking a photographer for our day it was an easy decision to make. It was important to have our specical day captured in a way that told the story of the day. Weddings are a busy day and full of moments that will be remembered for the rest of our lives. Looking back through our album now, every photo brings back a memomy."

ADVICE

"Enjoy every minute of planning your wedding and don't get stressed about the little things."

THE SUPPLIERS

The Venue - Matfen Hall

The dress - Accent Original

Hair - Lisa Cameron

Make up - Kitty Kerry

Venue styling - The Final Touch Company

The suits - Moss Bros

The cake - Kelly Ann's Cakes

The flowers - Fleur Couture

The photobooth - Snaparazzi

The light up letters - Coco Luminaire

Christina Davison 31/01/2018 Christina Davison 31/01/2018

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.