Lucy and Ryan’s rustic green wedding

Lucy and Ryan first met at college in 2017. “We had a big discussion about Star Wars (our favourite movies) with a member of staff who worked with both of us, as we are both blind,” says Lucy. “After six months of talking we decided to go on our first date. We went to the cinema to watch Star Wars. We then shared a drink and a large popcorn. While we were there I had an epiphany, I LOVE THIS MAN!”

A romantic proposal

Ryan proposed when the couple had been together over a year. “He proposed on my 20th birthday, 16th December 2019, at my favourite restaurant, surrounded by our closest friends,” says Lucy. “It was a complete shock, as Ryan had told me early in our relationship that marriage is something he’s never really wanted. We had just eaten our main course, when he said he had a late present for me. As I mentioned, we’re both blind, so we rely a lot on touch. He pulled out a box but I couldn’t feel what it was. It turned out he was proposing but with the box upside down! I was so surprised that this man, a man who never wanted to get married, had asked me.”

Shopping for the dress

“I visited WED2B’s Norwich store and was greeted by the fabulous Nirvana,” says Lucy. “She understood my needs, as well as what I wanted and I didn’t want in a dress. She also worked amazingly with my disability. I loved the selection of dresses, all the different styles and textures. The store was so spacious, with lots of room to walk around without worrying about bumping into things. I didn’t feel body conscious at all, which is a big thing for me. She made me feel comfortable and looked after. It's one of the reasons I went back for my bridesmaids dresses. My bridesmaids are not very confident ladies and I wanted them to feel at home and special, just like I did.”

“I fell in love with Winona, a beautiful fit and flare dress,” says Lucy. “It fitted perfectly, like it was made for me and my body type. I also loved the off-the-shoulder sleeves and how well they complemented the dress.” (For similar styles try Milani, Delia and Claudette)

Dream venue hunting

The couple were looking for a quiet venue when they came across Burgh Hall in Burgh Castle. “They have a beautiful wedding chapel and lovely reception room, and it made us feel so much better knowing that we wouldn’t have to travel after the ceremony,” says Lucy.

“They also supplied most of the decorations, so that meant there was a little less stress on mine and Ryan’s shoulders. For the wedding breakfast they serve a carvery, which also got a big tick from us. You can never go wrong with a roast! We originally booked the venue for the 20th of March 2021 but obviously, due to Covid, we had to rearrange. We rebooked for the 19th of March 2022, when we finally got to share our special day with friends and family."

The big day

“My two bridesmaids and I got ready at my home,” says Lucy. “My maid of honour is a qualified makeup artist, so she made sure we all looked our best. The hairdresser turned up at 9:30am, followed by the photographer and florist. Our photographer Jim was with us in the morning, photographing us from the best possible angles and making us feel very comfortable with lots of giggles and jokes.”

“I arrived at the venue a little early, so we hid round the corner in the car while Ryan finished with the registrar,” says Lucy. “I disobeyed the rule that the bride should always be late! As the guests entered the chapel, my father met me outside. I will never forget how he held me and cried. We walked down the aisle to 'You Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Nina Grannis. Our registrar gave a reading for us called ‘The Legend of the Wedding Ring’ which was absolutely beautiful. The biggest surprise was when Ryan read a little poem for me, as we had agreed we weren’t going to make our own vows to each other. What he said was absolutely lovely, as it pretty much summed up our relationship.”

Photos and confetti

"After the ceremony we had group photos and we were hit with a hurricane of confetti,” says Lucy. “Then it was time to go in for a lovely roast dinner, then speeches. Our first dance song was ’It’s Always Been You’ by Phil Wickham, because when we first met I was in a very bad place with my mental health. Ryan saved me from more than he will ever know. The second sentence of the song, 'You let me in when I was at my worst’ sums us up perfectly.”

A rustic green wedding 

“We share a love of Monopoly, so we had place cards, table names and a seating plan as a Monopoly board and cards,” says Lucy. “For wedding favours, we chose shot glasses for the men, decorated with two birds and our names. For the women, we had wooden log candles with our names and the date on them. Our colour theme was rustic green wedding with touches of gold. So we had green bridesmaids dresses from WED2B (Laila) and yellow and white roses with daisies.”

“Our DJ was absolutely amazing,” says Lucy. “He understood all our music likes and dislikes and he even had a brilliant idea of how we could involve our guests in an activity. We played a game of Mr and Mrs to see how well Ryan and I  knew each other (quite well I hope). Our guests absolutely loved it and were properly involved with the fun.”

“We had a two-tier wedding cake, with a tier of chocolate cake and a tier of carrot cake, covered with white chocolate icing. Down one side were white fondant roses and, as a cake topper, we had a ‘Mr and Mrs Woods’ sign with the date in a heart.”

The best bits…

“One of the most memorable moments was playing Mr and Mrs, which got everybody laughing, booing and cheering,” says Lucy. “And when we had our sunset photos, as they are absolutely beautiful. It’s hard to pick the best moments. The whole day was absolutely perfect, but getting in the car with my two best friends helped make the day amazing. Knowing they were by my side every step of the way.”

My top tips…

“Go dress shopping with an open mind and open your horizons to new ideas and possibilities,” says Lucy.

“The staff at WED2B are brilliant and know what's best for you and your body type. They won’t try and swerve you from a decision, they’ll just help you make the best possible choice. Go with what makes you feel happy and beautiful, and don’t care what anybody else thinks. It’s your day, it’s your choice. If you love it, you wear it!”

Lucy’s Dream Team

Photographer: Jim at Just Big Smiles

Venue/Catering/Planner: Donna at Burgh Hall 

Wedding Dresses Norwich: WED2B

Cake: Cake Maker Ltd

DJ: Paul Allan Wedding Services

Car: The Wedding Car Hire People

Flowers: Flowermania

Hair: Sherry at Hair Workshop 

Makeup: Megan, maid of honour

If you would like your big day to be one of our real weddings like our rustic green wedding please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Or click here for more details about WED2B’s bridal shops Norwich