Sam and Mark’s Romantic Winter Wedding

Mark proposed to Sam in November 2021, thinking that they would enjoy a year or two of being engaged before starting wedding planning, however they started viewing venues days after getting engaged and had the venue, caterers and photographer booked within two weeks!

We came across Thirsk Lodge Barns quite early in the process. We saw there were only a few weekend dates available in 2022, and so we booked a viewing, fell in love with the place, and snapped up a date pretty much straight away! 

We then had around 11 months to plan, which we think is a good amount of time – just long enough to get everything done, but not so long that you have time to overthink everything.

Like many couples, Sam and Mark had different approaches to wedding planning. One was keen to know exactly what was happening, and liked lists of tasks to complete and the other preferred an ‘it will all fall into place’ attitude. This combination helped them balance each other, and enjoy the planning.

The couple also relied on spreadsheets, family support and made use of our list of recommended suppliers to help!

Throughout the planning process Sam and Mark had a clear aim in mind…

We both knew one of our main priorities was to centre the day around our family and friends, and making the most of having all the people we love in one space and making memories together.

They loved the addition of the on-site accommodation and even chose to have a small gathering with their nearest and dearest the evening before the wedding. Inviting family over for some food and drinks in a place that ‘felt like home from home’ set the relaxed tone for their weekend of celebrations and allowed them to fully dive into the wedding bubble.

The venue itself is perfect – spacious enough for our guests to be comfortable and move around, but cosy enough to feel intimate. We loved the history of the venue, and how it had been so lovingly restored and redeveloped. Everything is decorated and designed with quality in mind, giving a sophisticated feel whilst also being cosy and homely. We were also very impressed by the accessibility of the venue for our guests requiring wheelchairs and walkers. In terms of the service, we felt welcomed from the first time we set foot there. It was clear that the team truly wanted to support you in making the best choices for your wedding, and knew their venue inside-out. We loved having the flexibility to choose our suppliers whilst also being supported by the TLB team at every step, who had a wealth of experience and knowledge.

Although you can’t tell from the photos, Sam and Mark’s wedding was mid-november. Their choice of jewel toned reds and pinks complimented the time of year perfectly, and looked stunning in the winter sun.

Sam’s gorgeous dress was from Happily Ever After in Darlington. As Sam is a Diabetic, it was important that she could access her insulin pump during the day without compromising the look of the dress, and tailor Kim Serra achieved this perfectly. Mark’s dapper suit was from Paul Smith with pocket squares colour matched to the bridesmaid dresses from WED2B to add the finishing touch.

When asked about their favourite moments from the day, Sam did not hesitate to say hers was the ceremony.

Without doubt my favourite moment was the ceremony. It was the part of the day where it felt like time really did stand still, and in a way felt like it was just Mark and I in the room, though it brought me so much joy to look around and see so many of our loved ones smiling back at me. Exchanging the vows we wrote was so special. Whilst the whole day reflected us, this part of the day did that the most.

Mark struggled to choose just one, but particularly enjoyed the speeches!

Sam and Mark’s biggest piece of advice to future couples is to remember the day is about you and your partner and to make sure you do what makes you happy regardless of other’s opinions.

Sam also passed on that she was told to take the time to stop and take in what was happening around them, she found this helped her to feel more present and stopped the day rushing by as quickly as it might have.

It was an absolute pleasure to host Sam and Mark’s special day, they had joyous smiles on their faces all day. A big thank you to them for submitting their wedding to be featured, and for leaving us with the following kind words…

Just to say another huge thank you to the team at TLB. Whilst they are very professional and clearly very experienced in what they do, every interaction we had with them felt personal. It was clear they did care about us as an individual couple, not just “wedding number whatever”. They made the planning as stress-free as it could be and kept us on track. On the day, they were constantly on hand, be that to get me a glass of orange juice just before the ceremony when I was having a low sugar level, or to chase the flower girl around! We can’t thank you enough.

A special thank you to Charlotte for sharing all of these stunning images with us. Visit her website here: https://charlotteevephotography.com/

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