WATERHEAD HOTEL | WEDDING story of Kirsty & Andy

How did you both meet?

At work! I (Kirsty) am a Primary School teacher and Andy is the site manager of the school.

Tell us about the proposal

It was my 30th birthday in December 2011, so we took a few days in Conwy, North Wales just before Christmas. On 20th December, we were walking round Conwy Castle when Andy set up the camera on the tripod at the top of the tallest turret for what I thought was a ‘selfie’. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, all the while clicking the remote control and getting pics of the whole thing! Incredibly romantic!

Why a lake district wedding?

We are keen walkers and have a love of the Lakeland fells. Last year, we walked Wainwright’s Coast to Coast and felt a special connection as we walked through the challenging terrain and spectacular scenery. We knew this would be the perfect place to say our vows.

Tell us about your wedding venue and why you chose the Waterhead Hotel?

The Waterhead Hotel ticked all the boxes – at the foot of the Old Man of Coniston fell that we climbed in the snow in February, beautiful gardens leading down to the tranquil lake, its own jetty, and a ceremony room the perfect size for a small wedding!

What was the colour scheme or wedding theme

We chose turquoise (which in hindsight is the most difficult colour in the world to match up!). We had a seamstress make the cravates, pocket squares, ties for the fathers and sash for the bridesmaid out of the same fabric so that everything matched!
The flowers were artificial from Flowergems4u and were ivory roses and gerberas with turquoise gems and turquoise ribbon.

Tell us about your dress

A simple design in ivory with a slight bateau neckline and lace upper with beaded detail and a beaded crystal belt on the waistline. The dress was ‘backless’ forming a deep V from the shoulders to the waist and an A-line chiffon floor length skirt with small train completed the dress!

Did you have ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?’

Not really. Though if I think about it, my necklace was a birthday present so technically ‘old’, my dress was new, I had borrowed some special make up and my husband’s eyes are blue! Does that count?

Which was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?

Oh, where do I start? All of them! Every single photo has a special meaning because they all have a memory of words spoken, jokes told, emotions felt. However, we both absolutely LOVE the photos in the Langdales with the stunning scenery in the background and also down by the lake.

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?

Generally, searching the web, although no sites in particular. I think Google got a bit of a hammering!

Do you have any advice for future brides?

Don’t get hung up on small details!

What was the best part of your wedding day?

How relaxed it was! There was no rush, the 11am wedding meant that no-one went hungry before the wedding breakfast! Our trip out for the couples shoot allowed guests a little relax time of their own and the champagne evening cruise on Lake Coniston was an informal, special round up of the day.

Was Steve from Derwent Photography the right wedding photographer for you?

Absolutely. It has been wonderful to see the wedding from another viewpoint and I genuinely cannot remember him running around to get the different angles and shots that he managed to get. Steve wasn’t intrusive but just captured the emotions and the story of the day in a way which made us very emotional when we saw the photos as we were able to relive every moment. The creative shoots and couples shoot were simply spectacular and we felt at ease at every point.

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