Oh my, do I have a treat for you! I do hope you have nothing important to do this morning because today’s wedding from Taylor & Porter is going to have you thinking of nothing else all day! From the bride’s & bridesmaids‘ fabulous forties inspired updos and glamorous makeup to the vintage car and double decker bus; from the simply sweet reception decor in the historic town hall to the dapper groom in his navy uniform (who can resist a groom in a uniform??) and not to forget the fine art photography from Louise & Teo at Taylor & Porter, everything about these nuptials are sure to have you swooning!

It wasn’t love at first site for bride & groom Kara & Greg, but rather a friendship that grew to love and ended in their I Dos last April at the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Southport. Bride Kara explains “The first time we met Greg thought I was stuck up, I thought he was immature! We met several years later through our group of friends on an all-you-can-drink New Years Eve party. I thought he’s ok.  Greg thought, “she’s ok.” It was a slow burner but eventually, after several dates we grew to really like each other. Now we’re best friends. The proposal was a shock. On a fantastic holiday in South India. At the end of a great day watching kingfishers, climbing through coves and walking a moonlit beach, I was climbing into bed and Greg blurted out in one breath “I’ve been trying to ask you a question all day. Will you marry me!” He’d spent all day trying to ask me the big question, but a case of ‘Delhi-Belly’ had made it pretty difficult. Not the most romantic of proposals but very me and him nevertheless.”

Engaged for just over a year Kara & Greg planned their wedding to be “a big party with a touch of vintage” with all of their favourite people in one room celebrating happy times together…..and it looks as though their plan came together perfectly!

Kara’s beautiful dress is from Sophia Tolli – but with a twist “It was customized to match a teeny-tiny vintage dress I’d found online. There was no way I’d ever have fit into it, so found a similarly laced dress and had it customized by adding a shawl cowl back.” Such a fab way to achieve a vintage look with a modern day dress!

The reception was at Bootle Town Hall Ballroom, Liverpool “The town hall is a beautiful Grade II listed building built in 1882. The ballroom, whilst lacking some of it’s original features, still has the tall ceiling, wooden floors, stage and stained glass windows with the Bootle Coat of Arms with the Motto: ‘Respice, Aspice, Prospice’ (Look backwards, look around, look forward) Very fitting we thought!

The table centerpieces were sourced from various vintage and charity shops. The Vintage linens were a hand-me-down from my Grandma. The nik-naks, vintage tins and royal memorabilia that was placed around the room were all sourced from ebay but form part of a personal collection. I love HRH Queenie. I thought they would add a bit of interest to continue the vintage theme. We hired vintage tea-plates from Bridget & Betty. The mismatched floral patterns looked so pretty against the white-linen. They were used for the afternoon tea that was served pre-speeches. From the aptly named www.beautifulbunting.co.uk we hired bunting with a gorgeous mix of antique lace, cottons and silk. Appliquéd hearts and vintage buttons. We hung it from the balcony that overlooked the tables and it made the room look really special.”

“It’s difficult to pick just one favourite moment. But midway through the reception it was time to move some tables and chairs in order to clear a space in the ballroom for a dance floor. I was engrossed in chatting with various people I’d not seen in a long time but turned round to see many men (friends and family) helping out to move them. At that point I was reminded just how lucky we are to have such wonderful friends, willing to contribute to the fun of the day. I know it’s only a little thing. I suppose what I mean to say is just having everybody there, all our favourite people in one room wishing us well for our future together.”

For Greg, as if often the case, his favourite moment was slightly different “The moment when I finished my speech and I could finally have a drink and eat something without feeling sick. I’d been dreading it!” – Greg, Mr E knows exactly what you mean!

Pearls of Wedding Wisdom from the Bride….

“The best piece of advice I was given was Enjoy it! It’ll go by so fast so make the most of every minute. And I would say to brides-to-be ~ Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Ok, it may be a little bit stressful in the lead up to your wedding day but when it arrives, the pressure is off. The poor groom, however, he’s got a speech to read and several of his friends ready to heckle.” – you’re so right Kara, us brides have all the pressure on the lead up to it, but its the grooms I feel for on the day!

Such a beautiful wedding and simply stunning photos! A big thankyou to the lovely Louise & Teo at Taylor & Porter for allowing me to share Kara & Greg’s day with you, their photography just takes my breath away. And here’s what Kara had to say about them…..

“As two people who aren’t often comfortable having their photograph taken; Louise and Teo put us and our guests at ease the whole time. They were very inconspicuous when required and did so much research beforehand to find a local bandstand for extra special photos. They really went the extra mile. Everybody comments on the beautiful quality of our photographs. We will enjoy them for years to come”

Last but not least a huge congratulations to Kara and Greg – and soon to be happy 1st Anniversary!

Amy

x

Fine Art Photography by Taylor & Porter everything was shot on Fuji Pro 400 colour film and Ilford 3200 b&w film

Bride’s Dress ~ Sophia Tolli

Bride’s Shoes ~ 1980’s Vintage Clarks

Hair & Makeup ~ North-west based Alison at Kitty Wink Vintage

Groom’s Attire ~ Royal Air Force Uniform

Groomsmen ~ Heritage Tweed British-Made Brown Suit, Next. Burgundy Wool Tie, Primark

Bridesmaids Dresses ~ ASOS

Bridesmaid’s Shoes ~ Next

Bridesmaid’s Accessories ~ bridesmaid’s own – all vintage pearl

Hair & Makeup ~ Alison McMath of Kitty Wink Vintage

Wedding Cake ~ Tiered Victoria sponge with berries by Emma Krinks

Favours ~ I made ‘Ministry of Food’ Ration Vouchers entitling guests to two glasses of wine. Much more useful than a bag of sugared almonds, we thought.

Transport ~ Vintage London Routemaster Bus by www.classicbus.org.uk Guests and ourselves were transported to the town hall on the routemaster bus. It really got the party started.

Band ~ Gypsies of Bohemia

A fantastic band that we were so lucky to come across. Everybody loved them. The last thing we wanted was a cheesy DJ and as we’re both lovers of live music we really wanted to treat ourselves to a band. The fantastic arrangements of modern hits played with a double bass, guitars and drums to create an upbeat and unique 1930’s/40’s sound was perfect for everyone and continued the vintage mood. Perfect.