Bride and groom walking down aisle with confetti in the air

Jen and Rick first met in Manchester in June 2016. “We've been inseparable ever since,” says Jen. “Our first date was the 8th June 2016.”

Bridesmaid in green dress holding bride's veil

A lockdown proposal

"My poor husband had so many proposal plans ruined by Covid!” says Jen. “His Plan A was to propose in Barcelona, but the Spanish lockdown thwarted that. Plan B was to hire a Yorkshire hot tub cabin for the weekend to propose under the stars but then the UK national lockdown put paid to that idea too! "

Bride stood holding green and white bouquet

"Eventually, he couldn’t wait any longer, so he took me to a beautiful wildflower nature reserve in Cheshire on our one lockdown daily walk. He proposed in total seclusion on 26th March 2020 and it was perfect.”

Oak barn wedding venue

Bridal shops Manchester 

Jen found her dream dress at WED2B’s Manchester store. “I bought the last Adora dress in stock,” she says.

“I was going for the classic 1950s' Hollywood look and this silhouette was perfect and showed off my curves.”

(For similar wedding dresses try Frankie, Tate or Magnus and also our Infinite collection for sage green bridesmaids dresses)

Inside wedding barn guest chairs either side of aisle

A stunning barn venue

The couple chose Mill Barns, in Shropshire, for their wedding. “It was the second venue we saw and we cancelled all other viewings after this one,” says Jen. “The exclusive-use, oak-framed barns, pond and gardens wowed us completely. We got married on 7th February 2022."

Bride walking down aisle with father

The big day

“My dad walked me down the aisle to Canon in D played by a violinist and pianist,” says Jen.

“Our theme was white blossom and sage, so there were white blossom trees everywhere. It was just like a fairytale!”

Bride and groom holding hands outside wedding venue

“Also, we had double figure temperatures and sunshine, which was a miracle for February. So, after the ceremony, we were able to have our champagne drinks reception both inside and outside on the Mill Barns' magical, over-water terrace, serenaded by our violinist and pianist duo.”

Bride and groom stood together posing for pictures in garden

Comfort food and sparklers

“As it was a winter wedding we had a huge roast dinner as our meal,” says Jen. “The dark winter night also meant we took lots of sparkler photos outside, which looked amazing.”

Bride and groom stood together with bouquet

The theme was blossom and sage, so there was lots of winter greenery and white blossom trees. “The look went really well with the venue’s huge oak-framed ceilings and barns,” says Jen. 

Bride and groom cutting cake

“There were fairy lights everywhere, which also looked very twinkly and pretty as the night drew in. Our cake was three tiers covered in greenery and blossoms."

Bride and groom dancing at night outside lit up wedding barn

Top tunes

“Later in the evening we had a band who were from Manchester, like us,” says Jen. “They played lots of music that our friends, and Rick and I, grew up with, which was fab."

Bride and groom on dancefloor surrounded by guests

My top tips…

“Have a wedding spreadsheet for your budget, totals and to do lists,” says Jen. “It is such a stress-saver. I’m a project manager by trade, so this helped me plan so much.”

Bride and groom holding sparklers with guests either side

Jen’s Dream Team 

Photography: Lee Webb Photography

Venue: The Mill Barns 

Bridal shops Manchester: WED2B

Catering: Jenkinsons Caterers 

Cake: Bake It Special 

Hair and makeup: Hannah Louise Field

If you would like your big day to be one of our real weddings 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 Manchester