Most of us dream of just one perfect wedding day, but for Hannah and Alex, they were lucky enough to have two! Ultimate wedding goals; with a funfair Blackpool wedding where the official marriage took place to an utter chic shindig in the Italian sunshine. With vintage vibes running through both days, from dress to transport! Here we catch up with Hannah who chats to us about the most perfect wedding day(s)!
Blackpool Wedding Bash
“As a Blackpool lass born and bred, and a vintage bride to be, it only seemed fitting to say the big I DOs on the prom, with all of our family cheering us on. Our original plan was to get married in Italy but with my grandmothers not being confident enough to make the journey we decided to make our marriage official up north and celebrate in style in the way only us northerners know how (BTW my new husband is a southerner so any excuse to wind him up!)”
“As the typically grey day dawned, I donned my vintage style dress complete with a pink peony in my hair, and my mum’s vintage cameo necklace. My dad and I pootled our way up to the Festival House, standing proud opposite the Tower, in my mum’s vintage Figaro.
In only ten minutes we were married – complete with a certificate telling us we were officially the new Mr and Mrs McKenzie and outside there awaited a horse and carriage fit for a king and queen.”
“As we paraded down the prom, stopping off for candy floss treats and a retro game of hook a duck on the pier, I thought back to how exciting the whole wedding planning journey had been. Now nothing else really mattered, apart from being surrounded by the love and support of my friends and family – and of course, my brand new husband.”
Images by: Agnes Black Photography
Italian Extravaganza
“This is our Vintage Wedding Part 2, Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy, May 27th 2017. Our very special place. Another coastal town but this time involving all of our best friends and family, a Samba band, two castles, 3978 bottles of prosecco – for each guest – pints of gin with the first course, grown men crying at emotional speeches, DJ Risco spinning the decks for the best party EVER, a pole dancing Master of Ceremonies, a green wedding cake, a near death experience at the edge of the clifftop, two silly brothers sailing out to sea in a stolen canoe to the theme of Baywatch, lobbing sweets at old ladies, losing the key to the castle and losing our marbles to boot and then laughing till we cried…all against the most beautiful backdrop you could ever imagine. As our friend Simon kept saying, if Carlsberg made weddings….”
“My husband Alex and I knew we had found the place for our very vintage wedding when we did a road trip along the Italian Riviera back in 2015. There is a reason why the Italian Riviera has long been a haven for poets, artists, celebrities and even royalty since the 1800s. It oozes with old school vintage glamour. It is irresistible in its romantic allure. Simply put, it is the place to be for the ultimate “La Dolce Vita” experience.”
Bridesmaid Dresses: ASOS
“You may have seen photographs of the dazzling blue Mediterranean Sea flanked by its colourful houses on the rocky coastline. You may have seen the lush green vegetation in those photographs and the pristine beaches…but what you may not have seen was the little things inside this most fascinating and charming of Italian regions, the things that make it so unique. We fell in love instantly with the winding alleys in a mass of rabbit warrens that led us along the panoramic vista routes between the villages. Then there were the picturesque little marinas where we lay lazily in the sun staring out at the glittering sea…and the quick train stops between each village which meant we could play and explore all five villages fully.”
“After visiting Al Castello (the castle) restaurant nestled into the cliff top we knew we had found the place and I set about planning and organising a vintage extravaganza with the local tourist board who welcomed us so kindly and wholeheartedly. After months of nerves, excitement and anticipation we celebrated the best day of our lives and felt so lucky to share such a unique and quirky place with all of our best friends and family.”
Dress: Ivy and Aster at Heart Aflutter
Want more Italian inspiration? Check out our blog post An Italian elopement styled shoot with moody romantic blush tones
