Gemma & Gareth tied the knot at the Tithe Barn at Browsholme Hall on 9th September 2021.
“Gaz proposed in 2018 in Sri Lanka. I was around 20 weeks pregnant, and had insisted we go on a babymoon holiday, one final time just us two. I had no idea he had been to buy a ring which he carried around with him all week and finally proposed on our last night. It was a private dining experience on the beach, under four-poster drapes and surrounded by candles. I thought he was getting change out of his wallet and the next thing he was on the floor on TWO knees! I was so shocked. I said are you asking me or begging me! We laughed and then he got on one knee and said it again. He told me he had been to lay flowers on my mum’s grave after getting the ring and said he was going to look after me for the rest of his life, so there was a lot of tears.

When we were choosing our wedding venue, we both agreed we wanted to get married locally so we could invite all our family and friends. We came across the venue Browsholme Hall and went for a sneaky look around at a pizza night and fell in love with the barn and courtyard. We then went for an official viewing and met Amanda, Rebecca and the team – we looked at various other places, but nowhere else compared.
Gaz is a Building Surveyor so the venue was hugely important to him. He loves barns, and the Tithe Barn is renovated to such a high specification, it has the feel of historical grandeur with the high ceilings, beams, stonework and natural light – we both get goosebumps when we walk in there. It is somewhere between a rustic barn and a medieval banqueting hall. We also loved the courtyard area with the fairy lights and fire pits, and the wood-fired pizza oven was a bonus for the evening food.

On our wedding day the barn was changed three times and each section had a different atmosphere. The ceremony was beautifully serene and emotional, the meal and speeches were loud and vibrant, and the evening reception was a totally fun-filled party vibe.
We wanted our wedding to symbolise us and our life together – our love for each other, our family, friends, and parties, music, festivals and food, so the main inspiration was our passions and personalities.

Choosing a colour theme was hard at first, but once we found the perfect dresses the theme began to come together.
There were key elements that linked to our personalities such as the customised denim jackets that I made for my bridesmaids, and the coloured smoke flares inspired by my travels to India and the Holi festival of colour.
When it came to finding our suppliers, we were incredibly lucky to have very talented friends who played such an important part both in the prep stages and on the day. We also visited some of the Little White Books wedding fairs too.

One of my best friends and bridesmaid Kelly (at Fox and Flora), did the stunningly beautiful flowers.
My chief bridesmaid Claire (at We Love Creative) personally designed my invites and all the wedding stationery – including two banners with slogans. Gaz made the frames for theses and I got the fabric printed at work and did the cutting and sewing. Claire’s husband Luke is in a band and did me the honour of singing me down the aisle to an acoustic version of iiO Rapture, one of our favourite dance tunes.

Gaz DJs for an event called FEAST, so he and the other members did the evening music, each of them taking a turn on the decks.

Mr Wilson’s Second Liners are a band we have seen locally at Beatherder and various festivals, although they aren’t really a wedding band, their mix of 90s anthems crossed with New Orleans jazz style brought the ultimate party vibe.
Our photographer, Jules, came highly recommended, her work is fabulous and as soon as we spoke on the phone, we knew she was the one for us.
Music is a huge part of our lives so choosing the right song for our first dance was quite tough, but we narrowed it down to ‘Sister Sledge – Thinking of You’ not the original 70s version but the Dimitiri from Paris remix. Gaz played this on vinyl at the end of his DJ set and asked over the microphone for ‘his wife’ to go to the dancefloor – our timings had slipped a bit so many of our guests were outside eating pizza in the courtyard. We were both nervous about the pressure of a formal first dance, but when it happened, we were very relaxed and happy, especially with less people watching than we had anticipated – it was a song we had danced to so many times.
Even more important than the first dance to ravers like us, is the last tune!

We put the trust in Steven, one of our best friends and founder of FEAST DJs who played the final set of the night. He told us he had something up his sleeve but kept it a secret. When the lights came on in the barn signifying the end of the night, he quickly put this on and it was the most perfect ending to the whole day.
He played ‘Love is in The Air’ by John Paul Young, remixed by Milk & Sugar. All our friends and family crowded round us whilst we danced in the middle, it was like another ‘first dance’ but better – as soon as the chorus kicked in everyone started singing, hugging and jumping around together – it was such a special moment.

Organisation and planning were key for me in the run up to the day, I had a spreadsheet for everything. It really helped to get it out of my head and feel in control. After three delays due to Covid, 13 months after our original date, everyone was just so happy to be together finally celebrating. Walking down the aisle on my dad’s arm, who I hadn’t seen for 18 months, due to the regulations, was a once in a lifetime feeling. Our son, nephew and dog all walked down the aisle with my sister just before me. Seeing all our family and friends, and Gaz looking so handsome waiting for me at the end of the aisle, and knowing that finally we were getting married was very emotional. It was particularly poignant for us to have everyone we care about in one place.

Many thanks to:
Venue: Tithe Barn at Browsholme www.browsholme.com
Photography: www.julesfortunephotography.com
Dress: www.enzoani.com www.instagram.com/avarosehamilton
Flowers: www.fox-flora.com
Make-up: www.instagram.com/emilysimpsonbridal www.instagram.com/nalaandknot
For a full list of suppliers, read the full feature online and in your latest issue of the Little White Books magazine: https://littlewhitebooks.co.uk/magazine/
