Your Wedding Day Dream Team
Photographer: Esther Louise Triffitt (@essieloutriffittphotography)
Florist: EverWild (@_everwild)
Musician/DJ: Nathaniel Brooks (@nathbrooks) & Jackstar (@jackstarweddings)
Cake: Rock’N’Roll Baker (@rocknrollbaker)
Props: Sass Weddings (@sass_weddings) & Bride & Groom’s own
Tell Us About Your Incredible Outfits
What and who did you wear? Hannah/Bride – Essence of Australia Dress (@essenceofaustralia) from Bridal Suite (@bridalsuitenotts)
Accessories: Hannah/Bride – shoes from Office (@officeshoes) & earrings from Etsy (@etsyuk)
What and who did your partner wear? Byron/Groom – tux from Hawes & Curtis (@hawesandcurtisglobal), shoes from Loake (@loakeshoemakers), bow tie & pocket square from OTAA Brothers (@otaa.brothers), cufflinks from Badger & Brown (@badgerandbrown)
What and who did your wedding party wear? MoH & Bridesmaid – black dresses from Mayleen (@mayleen.co.uk), Groomsmen – black tie, shoes from Loake (@loakeshoemakers)cufflinks from Badger & Brown (@badgerandbrown)
Your Love Story How did you meet, was it love at first sight? Tell us about the proposal!
We met when I (Hannah) was delivering sandwiches as a job after university and I delivered to Byron’s office – he always bought a cake as an excuse to talk to me! I asked him for a drink for our first date 10 years ago to our wedding month (December 2012) and the rest is history! Byron proposed on his 30th birthday in September 2019, and we had our gorgeous daughter Etta in April 2021, before booking our wedding in December 2021 for the following winter.
Your Wedding Day Vision & Inspiration What was your inspiration and vision for your day?
I had always wanted a winter wedding and we loved the idea of monochrome, dark greens, dried flowers and twinkly lights – touches of Christmas were a bonus! We wanted a classic look, with dinner suits, party dresses and simple styling with modern twists. The most important part for both of us however was having all our family & friends with us and partying! The day was everything we wanted!
Why did you choose The West Mill Venue?
We wanted something a little different than a typical venue and were inspired by the industrial look, and weddings we had seen in warehouses & New York lofts. We wanted to mix this with somewhere that felt homely and welcoming for us and our family & friends in winter. As soon as we visited The West Mill for the first time we knew it was special…!
Did you do any DIY projects?
I (Hannah) styled the venue fully with our own décor & props purchased or from home (aside from flowers as above and glitter balls from Sass Weddings – and with help from the fab Tamara who created my vision perfectly!). I also created all stationary myself (printed by a lovely local printer called Sherwood Universal) and handmade the name cards/favours which doubled as personalised Christmas tree baubles. I also did my own makeup & hair for the day!
Tell us about the details – Flowers, Cake, Decor, Stationary….
Flowers: gorgeous dried florals in natural winter tones with black, white & pops of green and lots of pampas – this included the most amazing aisle & top table backdrop created bespoke for us by the amazing Tarnya at EverWild.
Cake: our cake maker unfortunately had to cancel last minute and we found Sonia (the Rock’N’Roll Baker) – we are so extremely pleased we did! We gave Sonia creative freedom with a request to include monochrome, gold & texture and the delicious two-tier cake with EverWild flowers included was just perfect!
Décor & Stationary: see DIY Projects above!
Alcohol. Because No Great Story Started With A Salad (…or did it?) What was on your food & drinks menu?
Food – we opted for The West Mill’s tapas as it is a favourite of ours and we have so many memories of eating at different tapas restaurants across the UK & the world! We had so many compliments from guests and were able to provide something for everyone, which we loved. We picked Bakewell Tart for pud – it is a firm favourite of ours and a nod to getting wed in Derbyshire!
Alcohol – we had LOTS! We wondered if Tamara thought we were a little bit bonkers when we dropped off our drinks the day before the wedding – and we do now have wine & fizz to see us through a good few months of 2023 (goodbye dry January)! We had a delicious white, red, Prosecco & Champagne from Laithwaites, plus bottled beers, cocktail cans & mulled wine to ensure guests felt cosy & wintery during our Reception – yum!
The Hangover Only Lasts A Day But The Memories Last A Lifetime Can you sum up your wedding day in 3 words?
Memories, magic & more (than we could have wished for)!
What are your favourite memories or highlights of your day?
So many nerves but so much love waiting & walking down the aisle – & that first look at each other. Not minding that we couldn’t get outside for photos due to rain & cold as the venue was such a dream. Sharing our first dance with our daughter & partying the night away with the best family & friends in the world.
Do you have any advice for future Brides & Grooms?
Take a moment together to take it all in – it’s hard to do with so much going on, but it’s worth it. And a cheeky kiss in the lift won’t hurt either!