Joleen and Shane’s intimate restaurant wedding reception

Joleen and Shane met at their local gym. “Our first date was at a restaurant called The Queen and Castle in Kenilworth,” says Joleen. “I knew when I first met him he would be ‘The One’. We bought a house together and went on to have two beautiful girls, before we finally said 'I do' five years later."

Shane proposed when Joleen was pregnant with their first daughter. “We were in Verona, Italy,” she says. “He carried a rucksack all day, trying to find the perfect spot, but he didn’t think anywhere we went was perfect enough. Instead, he choose to do it that night. We were in a restaurant and he told me he had to rush back to the hotel, as he wasn’t feeling very well. However, it was actually to collect the ring he'd been carrying around all day, so he could propose!”

Shopping for the dress

“I visited wed2b Hinckley when we first got engaged and I knew it was the place to purchase my dress,” says Joleen.

“The store experience was amazing and I knew, when I had my dress on, that I had to have it.”

Joleeen chose Henriette, a striking off-the-shoulder, fit and flare design by Anna Sorrano.

“It just felt and looked incredible,” she says.

“I didn’t need to get a lot of alterations and on the day I felt and looked gorgeous. I also bought a wedding robe with ‘Bride’ on the back and an underskirt, so I was able to walk comfortably around without my legs or feet hitting the dress.”

A restaurant wedding reception 

The couple held their ceremony on 1st June at Stratford Registry Office, followed by a restaurant wedding reception. “The restaurant was called The Woodsman and we celebrated with champagne and a feasting platter.”

The big day

“We didn’t get married till 4pm, so we had plenty of time to get ready,” says Joleen. “I had both of our daughters and my sister, Claire, with me. Afterwards, my dad met me outside the hotel and an open-top, VW camper van took us to the registry office. Shane arrived in a vintage VW Beetle. During the ceremony we both did readings and I did very well, considering I can’t speak in front of crowds! We played a piano version of ‘Wonder Wall’ by Oasis as guests took their seats and I entered to ‘I Get to Love You’ by Ruelle.”

Let’s celebrate!

After the ceremony there were group photos outside the registry office before the newlyweds went to meet the driver of the camper van. “Then we opened a bottle of champagne and headed to the restaurant to meet our guests and enjoy a lovely feasting banquet.”

Special memories

“I made sure that my mum, nan and grandad were with me, as they have all passed away,” says Joleen. “I had photos attached to my bouquet and my husband had a tie pin with his grandpa on. We made the wedding intimate, only inviting 31 guests, and we allowed children in these numbers.”

The best bits…

“The most memorable moment of the whole day was celebrating our marriage with our girls, our family and friends,” says Joleen. “Not making the wedding too big and it being such a beautiful sunny day.”

My top tips…

"I would always say keep your wedding to a minimum,” says Joleen.

“You can have a day that is beautiful and fantastic, even on a small budget. We are not in any wedding debt and our day was so magical. I would also always say, when you get engaged you don’t need to marry your partner straight away. Plan, prepare and buy things. It took Shane and I five years before we got married!”

Joleen and Shane’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Jodie Swain at Blonde Shot Photography

Restaurant wedding reception: The Woodsman

Wedding dresses Leicester: wed2b

Flowers: Emmie Rae

Camper van: Silk and Satin

Mr & Mrs Lights: Warwickshire Wedding Hire

Hair: Hair by Laura

Makeup: Gemma MUA

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