Here's One I Made Earlier.

I'd always left the Prince Charming and dropping down on one knee proposals to chick flicks and romance novels until one day whilst shopping in Leeds it happened to me.

While he was looking at watches in a jewellers, to relieve the boredom I was looking at rings. (as you do!) He suddenly took me by the hand and led me inside where he went down on one knee and said. "I love you. Let's set a date!"

Like all future brides, my body shape was going to determine what style wedding dress I should go for, except for me this was going to be a little more of a challenge. I was going to be one of societies biggest taboo brides. The one with a baby bump!

Maternity dresses are specially tailored to accomodate a growing bump and I needed to estimate how much of a bump I would have by the time the big day arrived. So, I opted for a wonderful gold shimmer satin fabric and cut the dress on the bias allowing it to fall naturally over my curves. A gold organza stole completed the outfit.

My husband to be chose a soft, grey suit from Jeff Banks and teamed it with a black shirt and burgundy tie to co ordinate with the chosen colour scheme.


I'd always wanted a pair of expensive beaded shoes and found this wonderful backless pair from Bombay Stores in Bradford. Except they weren't expensive. At £30 they cost more than my dress!!
I made the tiara by twisting together some thin gold wire and crystal beads. I'm a believer in if I can make it myself I will. I also made the bouquets and buttonholes from flowers purchased at the local supermarket and ivy pinched (well, not really as it was hanging over the wall) from a neighbours garden. I then bunched it together and tied organza bows around the stems.



The Red Lion at Burnsell, our wedding venue, is in the heart of Calander Girl country. Infact, the scene in the movie where they are eating the Marks and Spencer cake on a bench is where we stood to have our photographs taken. (All on a budget of course where our guests took the pictures and passed them on to us on a disc.)

The tables were sprinkled with glitter and dried rose and pansy petals. Small tea-light candles were arranged along the tables in little frosted glasses.
The menu was a selection of locally produced meats, game and vegetables. It was a little luxury we were happy to spend however saving on the pudding we were alowed to bring in our own dessert cakes we'd bought from Asda!

We entered the room to Louis Armstrong "What a wonderful world" and then toasted our new life with our close friends. We didn't have the politics of relations and family to contend with.

With a light dusting of snow on the Yorkshire Dales our day could not have been more perfect.

Our day was our way.

http://www.redlion.co.uk/index.cfm