Despite never hearing of any online-dating success stories, having a young son it was an easy way for Leanne to meet and chat to people in the evenings without needing to leave the house. It was here she found David and was attracted to his handsome and kind face. “I thought I had nothing to lose by sending him the first message, and here we are eight years later,” Leanne tells us.
David proposed in 2018, at home with their three children. “David is quite shy and doesn’t like a lot of attention on him, so the idea of proposing in a public place filled him with dread,” Leanne explains. So, he chose one Sunday in October, while Leanne was in her element, using her new carpet cleaner! She remembers, “From the doorway, David asked to speak to me and I shouted at him to get off the carpet as it was still wet. I turned around to moan at him some more and found him on one knee with a small box and a diamond sparkling at me. I immediately burst into tears and asked if he was winding me up!” Read on as Leanne tells us all about the big day at Broome Park Hotel on 21st August, 2021...
The couple were on the lookout for an exclusive-use venue with impact. They wanted to wow their guests with a spectacular backdrop for their dream wedding. Also on their checklist was somewhere with enough rooms to stay in as they would have guests coming from all over including Scotland and the U.S. "I stumbled across Broome Park on my 1,000th search of venues in the South and booked an appointment," Leanne remembers. "I remember driving through the woodland before turning a corner and – WOW! There it was. It gave me goose bumps every time we went there and always will. It's truly the most beautiful venue I've ever visited. The main house makes such a statement and the grounds are stunning," she continues.
Leanne dreamed of getting married since she was little and had always imagined a big white wedding filled with sparkle and touches of her favourite colour, pink. "I'm incredibly girly, so I wanted glamour and pretty combined," she explains. To complement the dream theme the bride chose pink roses for her bouquet. And as she was keen for the palette to flow seamlessly through the styling, the table numbers, place names and table plan were all designed to match the invitations – pink, sparkly and super-pretty.
The vision for the big-day bake was: showstopping. The pair enlisted the services of a very talented cake maker who designed five tiers of pink and sparkle. "It was so beautiful, I was gutted to cut it, but it tasted yummy," Leanne recalls.
Thoughtful finishing touches included confetti cones, flip flops for the evening, a toiletries table complete with deodorant, plasters, paracetamol and hair spray, all of which were very well received by guests. The newlyweds also treated their loved ones to a sweetie table, and other decorative elements featured a gift table with memory tree to honour lost loved ones. Plus, a light-up LOVE sign filled with pale pink and white flowers made for a great backdrop to impromptu snaps and selfies.
Leanne chose to wear Cherie by Ronald Joyce – a princess-style ball gown, sparkly from head to toe, with a dipped back. She says, "My mum sewed two petticoats together as I didn't feel it was big enough, so I ended up with about 24 layers on the day!" She completed the look with glittery Jimmy Choos and a cathedral-length, two-tiered veil adorned in gems, plus a tiara.
David wore a navy two-piece suit with a grey waistcoat, white cravat and white pocket square. His buttonhole was a white rose with a thistle to honour his late dad. The groomsmen were all dressed in the same navy suits and waistcoats, but accessorised with pink cravats and pocket squares with a single pink rose buttonhole each.
The bridesmaids looked beautiful in pale pink, full-length, chiffon dresses with a small train.
All assembled were entertained by a DJ in the evening and the bride was on the dancefloor all night! She'd been worried in the lead up that they might not be able to have dancing due to Covid restrictions so was understandably elated when the rules were eased. There was also a white bouncy castle, which the children loved, but was an even bigger hit with the adults after a few glasses of bubbly! A sparkle station stocked with hair and face glitter, light-up flower crowns and glow sticks made for a the most glammed-up guests you're likely to find, not to mention a super-fun dancefloor. What's more, the photo booth added to the festivities and the couple loved the fact that they got a copy of each photo in a guest book to keep.
Leanne shares: "Since the wedding was postponed from the year before due to the pandemic, I was incredibly stressed in the run up, fearful that it would be cancelled again. David was much more chilled though, and had faith it would happen this time. When the big day finally arrvied I was so relieved and just tried to take in every moment, but when the make-up artist and hair stylist arrived I felt overcome with nerves and emotions.
"We'd planned an outdoor ceremony in the Italian gardens, but it began to rain about an hour before. Neither of us cared though, we just wanted to get married. The big doors opening to the ceremony room and seeing David standing at the end of the aisle is a memory I'll never forget – it was magical. Everyone else in the room seemed to fade away and all I could see was him. The day went by in a blur. Everyone says is goes so fast, but you don't realise how true that is. Each and every supplier, every family member, every friend, our bridesmaids, our best men, our children and our wonderful parents all added to the most perfect day."
"My top tip is to search for suppliers local to the venue. Also, find a photographer whose photos you fall in love with, someone you feel comfortable around, and can laugh and joke with. The photos are all you have in years to come and you're so busy on the day, you miss parts. A fantastic photographer will capture all those moments for you."
