Rebekah and Philip filled their industrial chic, cotton mill wedding venue with baby pumpkins, cosy feel-good food and beautiful autumnal flowers to suit the season…

Rebekah and Philip both work for the emergency services and met through work a number of years ago. “However, when Covid came around, we were part of a smaller group sent to work from an alternative location, as a contingency plan,” says Rebekah.

“As lockdown came and went we enjoyed slow days walking in the countryside and soon became each other's bubble. Our first date was a socially distanced dog walk with my cockapoo, Murphy. Before we knew it we were three peas in a pod!”

A surprise Scottish proposal

“Having spent the best part of our early relationship walking, talking and laughing together, I knew that I wanted to marry Philip,” says Rebekah. “However, I had told him early on that marriage wasn’t on the cards for me, so I knew I would be the one to ask him and tell him that he had changed my mind entirely.”

“To celebrate our 30th birthdays, we want on a camper van road trip round the far north of Scotland,” says Rebekah. “I distracted Philip with kite flying on the beach whilst I nervously recorded the moment. Then I passed him a letter and a pocket watch engraved with ‘Will you marry me?’”

Shopping for the dress

Rebekah found  her dream wedding dress at wed2b Nottingham. “It was a wonderful experience,” she says. “I had a lovely few hours with my bridesmaids and my mum trying on dresses. The staff were super helpful. The store was quite busy but the girls took the time to help me in and out of dresses until I made up my mind.”

Rebekah chose Maud, a soft tulle A-line by Heidi Hudson, with a  semi sheer bodice decorated with beautiful floral lace. “It was absolutely nothing like I imagined I would wear,” she says. “But I got ‘the feeling’ when I put her on and knew I couldn’t leave without this dress! I didn’t make any other purchases purely because my veil was borrowed from a friend and I also wore the wed2b hair clips my sister wore at her wedding. They were truly lovely accessories!”

A cotton mill wedding venue

The couple had their ceremony and reception at The West Mill in Darley Abbey, Derbyshire, on 23rd October. “Our cotton mill wedding venue was seamless, spotless and absolutely gorgeous,” says Rebekah. “Think exposed bricks, fairy lights, zero turnaround time with a floor for each part of the day and sprinkled with charm and a whole lot of character.”

The big day

“I got ready with my bridesmaids at The Coach House in Darley Abbey,” says Rebekah. “It’s a totally gorgeous B&B with the most comfortable beds and a totally relaxing atmosphere. We had a delicious cooked breakfast and were looked after very well.”

After the ceremony guests enjoyed mulled wine from the converted horse box bar and reception drinks on the ground floor. “We had the confetti photos and group shots, which were super relaxed and a lot of fun,” says Rebekah. “We then all sat down for an intimate breakfast for only 40 guests.” 

“The food was incredible. We enjoyed arancini starters followed by fillet steaks and a sticky toffee dessert. The menu was perfect for our autumnal feel, with cosy feel-good food at the centre of our choices. We were able to speak with all of our guests and feel the love in the room!”

Autumnal oranges and baby pumpkins

“Our colour scheme was autumnal oranges and we spent a lot of time making lots of personal touches, including confetti hand-cut from leaves and centrepieces made from covered books with the spine stamped with our names and the wedding date." 

"We also had a handmade ‘Mr and Mrs’ banner made from cotton gifted by my grandmother, ‘In Loving Memory’ photo frames, hand picked and dried posies for the tables and various displays, plus much more."

"Not to forget the 300+ baby pumpkins grown by my wonderful father-in-law! We loved the experience of making things together and seeing it all come together on the day.”

The best bits…

“The most memorable moment of the whole day was during our wedding breakfast, when I looked at my husband and said how wonderful it was to see all of our nearest and dearest mixing, talking and laughing together,” says Rebekah. “Groups of our most loved ones, who wouldn’t usually be in the same room, smiling and hugging filled us both with joy!”

My top tips…

“Enjoy every minute, it really does go fast,” says Rebekah. “Take some time with your other half, even if it’s only 15 minutes or so. Lastly, celebrate your vows and the love you have shared with one another!”

Rebekah and Philip’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Simon Dewey Photography

Wedding dresses Nottingham: wed2b

Cotton mill wedding venue: The West Mill

Hair and makeup: Nikki Burke

Flowers: Bramble and Twine

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