For Jamie and Anne it just had to be Manchester; with it’s industrial cool vibes and Northern culture, Manchester Hall was the perfect venue for them to tie the knot. They opted for a traditional ceremony venue and a quirky reception which suited them and their personalities perfectly! With vintage vibes and intimate details we hear from them from first meet to planning their Manchester Hall & Fairfield Social Club wedding…
The Meeting/Proposal
Anne & Jamie met when they both worked at Spinal Injuries Association in 2010, 7 years later (and a little girl born in 2015) Jamie proposed on their anniversary at L’Enclume, in the Lake District. This was December 2017, and we were married on 1st September 2018, 9 months later.
Planning The Wedding
“We just wanted it to be really relaxed and informal, food and music are really important to us, so choosing a venue where we could bring in our own caterers was key. Fortunately, Fairfield Social Club (FSC) is renowned for its street food events and we actually met our caterer at one of these. Likewise, somewhere that could host a couple of bands, DJ etc made FSC perfect, along with its immense beer list! Lots of room for little ones to run around too.”
The Location
“It had to be Manchester, and to embrace the industrial background that Manchester has, as a result we chose both the traditional Freeman’s Hall for the ceremony in the heart of the city and then a disused railway arch or the party! Given Jamie is a wheelchair user, we wanted to choose somewhere that was accessible for him without lots of ramps, lifts… and hassle!”
The Dress
“The dress was Vintage 70s evening dress, I loved the fact it had a past and that I could give a new story to an old dress. I visited Elizabeth’s boutique and fell in love with ALL the dresses! I liked the idea that this was an evening dress rather than a traditional wedding dress, and it felt incredibly glamorous to wear. I always knew I wanted vintage, but originally thought I may wear a jumpsuit…but then I tried on my dress! In the evening I changed into a dress from Retro Rehab, a peach 60s number that cost £34!”
The Suit
“Jamie wore a brown tweed 3 piece suit which was made to measure by Tweed Addict and he had a Walker boot supplied by the NHS…Jamie broke his leg 5 weeks prior to the wedding!”
Flowers
“I always knew I wanted hydrangeas, just loved the colours and billy bob heads went perfectly with flower girl dresses”
Photography
“After we confirmed the registrar date, Lucy was the next person for us to confirm they could do it. Lucy had shot a family members wedding and taken photos of our little girl after she was born. She has an intimate, engaging style and every single person who saw our photos said she captured the feel day perfectly. I can honestly say we didn’t notice Lucy on the day, she has this amazing skill of immersing herself in the day and capturing the key moments. Plus the fact she is one of the loveliest folk you’ll ever meet! Feels like we are back there every time we look at our photos….”
The Best Part of the Day
“The ceremony was probably our favourite part, even though we did think beforehand that this was just the formal part and then the fun happened! It was a beautiful venue and seeing all our friends and family in once place, it was pretty overwhelming. Our registrar was really friendly and made it feel special for us, the music…the readings it all was just pretty magical.”
Why Choose Vintage
“We are both have always been lovers of all things vintage, for me I love the idea that any dress had a former life before I’ve worn it, my wedding dress was especially special given its history.”
Words of Wisdom
“Focus on the things that are important to you…for us it was music and food, so they were the first things we sorted, and spent most time/money on. Everything else just fell into place. It’s a cliché…but don’t sweat the small stuff, no one notices, no one cares…folk just want to celebrate with you. No one notices flowers, place cards, bunting….even though you think all of that is crucial in the lead up.”
The Suppliers – Northern Cool Vintage City Wedding at Manchester Hall
Photographer – Lucy Little
Day Dress – Elizabeth Avey Vintage Wedding Dresses / Evening Dress – Retro Rehab @retrorehabuk / Shoes – Rachel Simpson – Gigi Silver / Antonia hairband, Ivory & Co / Vintage bracelet from jewellers in Brighton / Earrings: Butler & Wilson from my bridesmaids store in USA @evabrynshoetique / Florist – Northern Flower @northernflowermcr / Rings – Anne’s ring – Stockport Vintage Fair / Jamie’s ring – his dad’s engagement ring, its engraved with date his mum & dad got engaged / Make up/Hair – Rebecca Anderton @rebeccaandertonmakeup / Grooms suit- Tweed Addict @tweedaddict / Bridesmaids – Rock the Jumpsuit @rockthejumpsuit / Venue – Manchester Hall @manchester_hall/Fairfield Social Club @fairfieldsocialclub / Caterers/Bars – The OttoMen – Middle Eastern & Mediterranean street food / Cake – ChouChoux / Little ones – Little Bird, Mothercare
If you’re looking for inspiration for your wedding then come along to The ECO Wedding Show – Manchester, 5th May 2024. BUY TICKETS HERE.
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