Real Weddings York: Rustic revelry in the Yorkshire countryside

After a lucky meeting online this couple’s wedding was full of dancing, drinking and twinkling lights. Our WED2B Real Weddings York feature reveals more:

A simple smile…

Ben and Aimee met online, although it very nearly didn’t happen. “A friend made me join up but it really wasn’t my thing,” says Aimee. “However, I was on holiday and bored while waiting for a friend. So I had a look at the dating site and Ben had sent me a ‘smile’. I’d had a few glasses of wine so I checked his profile and sent a ‘smile’ back. The rest, as they say, is history! We talked for months before finally meeting. Ben was late and the first words I said to him were, ‘Well, this isn’t a very good start for you!’ He said he knew then that I was the one. I could so easily have decided not to look at eHarmony that day – it was definitely fate!”

Ben proposed on a trip to New York. “It was magical,” says Aimee. “The timing was perfect. He proposed at sunset on the High Line and then we went for a lovely meal at a fancy Italian restaurant. It was the perfect proposal; he did a good job!”

Dress shopping fun

Aimee wore WED2B’s Ezra dress from The Signature Collection. “I’d been following WED2B on Facebook since we got engaged and I loved the dresses and how affordable they were,” she says. “I liked that there was no appointment system too. It made it seem really relaxed, which it was." Aimee visited WED2B Rotherham in Yorkshire, "All of the ladies were so friendly and helpful and couldn’t do enough to make sure I was ok. We all had a good giggle and they were great at giving advice.”

“I was keen on the Leah dress but it just wasn’t right, so I tried on some more. I’d been there a few hours when I decided to have one last look. That’s when I found Ezra. The moment I put it on, I knew I loved it. On the day I received so many compliments. I wish I could wear it every day, it made me feel so special!”

Aimee added a beautiful crystal bridal belt and a hoop under the skirt to complete the look. “That was all down to the sales assistant, who just knew what would work with the dress,” she says. “I never thought I’d wear a belt but it just made the whole look.”

The big day

The wedding venue was The Normans, a rustic barn just outside of York. “When we first saw it the ceremony barn was lit with twinkling backdrops and beautiful candles and there was a stunning courtyard,” says Aimee. “We went with the rustic theme and used lots of greys and soft pastels alongside decorations such as bunting, hop garlands and pretty flowers.”

The ceremony was held at 3pm in the barn and Aimee walked down the aisle with her Dad to ‘Tenerife Sea’ by Ed Sheeran, Afterwards, there were drinks, canapés and photos in the courtyard before a wedding breakfast of a Mediterranean platter, a hog roast and a selection of homemade desserts.

“We cut our cake (made of cheese – our favourite thing!) at about 9pm followed by my final dance with my Dad, to our song, ‘My Girl’” says Aimee. “My Dad then passed me over to Ben for a dance to his favourite song, ‘Stand by Me’ by Ben E. King before we danced the night away. Finally we headed to the York Marriott with many of our guests for late night drinks. Luckily Ben and I had made hangover kits for all the sore heads the next day!”

Did your wedding have the wow factor like our Real Weddings York feature? If you would like to be a part of our real weddings feature send your favourite photo to info@wed2b.co.uk and we’ll be in touch!