These newlyweds enjoyed espresso martinis and free canapés at their stylish Sherwood Forest wedding in May…

“Jed and I grew up together and went to the same school,” says Lucy. “Then we started working at the same place at the age of 16. At 18 we started dating and, ten years later, we are now married with a seven-month-old baby boy!”

“Our first date wasn’t the most romantic,” says Lucy. “We actually went into Nottingham shopping and got a Greggs - yes, a Greggs! That was actually in my husband’s speech, so we laugh now. We had a lovely date planned but we were both too hungover. Oh well, he's made up for it with plenty of romantic dates since then.”

A holiday proposal

Jed proposed when the couple were in Lanzarote in 2023. “It was on our second night there, which was perfect as we had the whole week to celebrate our engagement.” says Lucy. “We went on a sunset walk and it was only us two around. He asked if he could take some photos of me stood looking into the sunset. When I turned around he was on one knee… it was perfect.”

Shopping for the dress

“My friend got her wedding dress from wed2b and she told me all about it,” says Lucy. “So, I visited the Hinckley store and it was perfect. The ladies were so lovely and made us all feel super comfortable. I didn’t even tell them what style I wanted. They asked all the questions they needed to and then picked out dresses they thought would be my taste. It just so happens they actually picked out ones I had already screenshotted - fantastic!”

Lucy chose Byron, a beautiful Mikado ballgown with a fabulous draped skirt by Sofia Cruz. “Everything about this dress drew me to it,” she says. “The detail on the dress, the defined waist, I loved everything. I always said to myself I would never cry over an outfit but tears did stream down my face before it was even buttoned up. The back of the dress was just a dream. I remember my mum saying to me, ‘Lucy, you only get one day in your life to feel like a princess’ and that really stuck with me, I knew it was ‘The One’.”

“I also bought a ballgown underskirt, an A-line Wunderskirt and a plain ‘Bride’ robe. Plus, a Mikado belt to sew on, which really made the waist stand out. It made the dress even more perfect than it already was.”

A Sherwood Forest wedding

The couple got married in May at The Pumping House, a Grade II listed Victorian building on the edge of Sherwood Forest. “With its high ceilings, it felt like I was hiring a mansion for the day,” says Lucy. “It had a homely feel to it, too. My husband is a man of very few words when it comes to stuff like this. He always says as long as I’m happy he’s happy, but he fell in love with it just as much as me.”

The big day

“I got ready with all my bridesmaids, the mother-of-the-bride and groom and my little six-month-old boy,” says Lucy. “It was a beautiful sunny day. The forecast was actually for cloud but it was sunny all day. My father, Simon Jarratt, walked me down the aisle and during the ceremony we had ‘You Are the Reason’ by Callum Scott.”

Afterwards guests were treated to drinks and canapés that were on the house. “We actually won canapés in a competition at Christmas from our venue!” says Lucy. “Then we had roast chicken breast or roast sirloin of beef for main, followed by steamed orange syrup pudding or dark chocolate Biscoff brownie for dessert. Our first dance song was ‘Wherever You Will Go’ by Charlene Soraia."

Stylish monochrome colours 

“Our wedding colours were black and white, with black bridesmaids dresses, pastel flowers and black tie for the groomsmen,” says Lucy. “My husband wore white.”

“We had a signature Espresso Martini called ‘Get Trolleyed’, dedicated to our Labrador, Cody,” says Lucy. “There was also ‘Our Love Story’ for everyone to read on the seats in the ceremony room, love story menus, photo props and a booklet for everyone to write us a note. Our table numbers were dedicated to dogs in the family.”

The best bits…

“Every part of it!” says Lucy. “Although, the standout moments were walking down the aisle and seeing my six-month-old baby boy stood with my ‘about-to-be’ husband. That memory will stay with me forever. Also, my Mamar, who unfortunately had days left to live. She was able to watch all of it on FaceTime. Unfortunately, she passed away a few days later, but I now have photos of us on FaceTime forever, which means so much to me.”

My top tips…

“The little stresses you have before the big day honestly won’t matter,” says Lucy. “It’s about the people around you who love you and celebrating your love for your partner.”

Lucy and Jed’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Alex Godber Photography

Sherwood Forest wedding venue: The Pumping House

Flowers and decor: Touch of Charm

Wedding dresses Hinckley: wed2b

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