These newlyweds could feel the love at their intimate County Durham wedding for close friends and family…

Sarah and John met online, just as Covid lockdowns were starting to lift. “Our first date was a socially distanced walk on Roker seafront,” says Sarah. “We had planned a little stroll but ended up walking for hours. It felt like we had known each other forever.”

John proposed on Roker Pier in September 2023. “We went for a walk one sunny morning,” says Sarah. “Along the pier he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him, with the most beautiful emerald engagement ring.”

Shopping for the dress

“I'd heard about wed2b from my hairdresser,” says Sarah. “I found the whole experience at the Newcastle store so professional and laid back. The super friendly staff sat patiently and listened to the type of dress/style I thought I might like. They were also superb at picking designs for my shape and had me score dresses I tried on, so they knew if they were going in the right direction. There was no pressure and I was able to try on the dress I eventually bought a few times. The whole process was seamless, and I would not hesitate to recommend them. All in all, I had great fun, and bought a dress I could only have dreamed of.”

Beautiful beading and the perfect accessories

Sarah chose Fynn, a showstopping lace sheath with a wow-factor beaded back. “I chose it without hesitation,” she says. “The dress was beautiful and, for the back, there are no words. It was simply stunning. I loved how figure hugging it was, the lace under layer and gorgeous sequins. It also had the most fantastic train, just breathtaking. I felt absolutely amazing on our wedding day. The dress was truly magical.”

“The staff also helped me pick out a veil, as the back of the dress was a key feature, and I wanted to get the veil just right,” says Sarah. “I went for the Loulou veil, and it was perfect with my dress.”

A County Durham wedding

The couple chose the Black Horse Beamish, a boutique hotel and restaurant, for their County Durham wedding. “We knew the venue, as we live locally, and we wanted a very small and intimate setting,” says Sarah. “It has the most amazing room with original stone walls, two open fire places, high ceilings and bare oak beams. It was the perfect setting for our February wedding day. The venue is set in panoramic views of the valley, so it was simply idyllic for photographs too.”

The big day

“I got ready at my parents' house, with only my Mam, Dad and my little boy,” says Sarah. “It was a very calm and laid-back morning, and we even fitted in some time for a scooter ride with my son. I had someone come to the house to do my hair and makeup, which was lovely and made the whole day much easier.”

“The weather was sunny but oh so cold,” says Sarah. “Although, we were very lucky for a winter wedding, we couldn't have wished for better. Walking down the aisle was very emotional, as I had both my Dad and my seven-year-old son, Sebastian, with me. I don't think I've ever felt more proud. We walked down to an instrumental of ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay. There were two readings, one by my Mam called  ‘Love' by Roy Croft and one by the mother of the groom, 'I Belong In Your Arms’ by Deborah Brideau. There was a bit of a Coldplay theme too, and we walked out to ‘A Sky Full of Stars’.

Let’s celebrate!

After the ceremony everyone went outside for confetti, photographs and champagne. “We were so lucky, it was a sunny cold day and we managed to make the most of the beautiful surroundings,” says Sarah. “After the photography we had a three-course wedding breakfast with a fishcake starter, traditional Sunday lunch and then classic sticky toffee pudding."

"Our first dance was to ‘Falling Like the Stars' by James Arthur. We just love the lyrics of this song, as it sums up our life to date perfectly. Our first dance was extra special, as we also danced with our little boy, Sebastian.”

A beautiful burnt orange theme

"We picked burnt orange as our colour scheme, with flowers and ties and confetti bringing it all together,” says Sarah. “Decorations were simple with ivory chair coverings and plain candles on the tables and windowsills. The room was covered in fairy lights and the open fire was lit. Ideal for a February wedding.”

“Our wedding cake blew us away, as my lovely friend made this for us. I still cannot get over how perfect it looked and how absolutely amazing it tasted. It felt extra special for our cake to have such a personal touch. As our wedding was so small and intimate, we opted for no DJ or entertainment. We just had music from the iPad playing in the background, which was low key and ideal for us.”

The best bits…

“The most memorable moment of the whole day was our little boy Sebastian, being overcome with emotion during the ceremony,” says Sarah. “There were many tears from all of us after walking down the aisle."

My top tips…

“My top tip would be to keep it simple,” says Sarah. “No added pressure on the day made it all the more enjoyable. We kept it small and low key but, boy, could you feel the love.”

Sarah and John’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Jamie Mac Photography

County Durham wedding venue: Black Horse Beamish

Wedding dresses Newcastle: wed2b 

Decor: Bloomilicious

Flowers: Leaf & Bean

Hair: Keep it Pinned

Makeup: Sarah Stephenson Makeup 

Cake: Kathryn Eccles

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