A NI woman and her husband have shared a look into their beautiful wedding day at Leighinmohr House.
Heather Workman (28) from Ballymoney and Buckinghamshire man George Howson got married on March 14, 2022 at the Ballymena hotel.
The pair met virtually on Xbox back in 2013, meeting three months later - and say "the rest is history".
Read more: Co Down couple's beautiful wedding day at Bellingham Castle
Heather said: "We got engaged on September 25, 2021 - only took him eight years, one month, five homes, several jobs, one pet and a move across the water to do it!
"George took me to Benone Beach right before sunset and walked along until the sun hit the right spot in the sky, before dropping to one knee and proposing."
Heather has told us all about their big day!
Tell us all about your wedding day!
I know 'magical' is cliché, but that's what it truly was. From my own account, I couldn't sleep the night before and yet when I got out of bed at 5.30am, I was calmer and more peaceful than I had ever been.
We had the wonderful Leigh Gillen arrive at 6am to beautify me and my three bridesmaids before our photographer Paul Davis arrived to capture some fantastic candid shots - we even managed to get one or two with me and my daddy in his New Holland tractor.
[When we arrived at the ceremony] I took a strong hold of my daddy's arms and prepared myself to meet my groom when the music began, Sweet Disposition - 'The Temper Trap'. Stood on his own at the front under a huge cherry blossom tree, George was there wiping tears from his eyes. Those moments stood with him were surreal. We both knew the room was filled with our loved ones, yet our focus was only on each other.
After the main photos had been taken, George and I felt we could finally relax and run around, enjoying the company of our guests. This was the point when a magician called Rodd Hogg arrived and boy was he worth it.
At roughly 4pm, George and I were escorted to our function room. The guests were rounded up by our fantastic master of ceremonies Laura Clarke and asked to find their seats, before the shock arrival of the bride and groom to The Darkness - 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love'.
Once the cake was cut, it seemed no time at all until we were being shooed out of the room in order to turn it around for the evening entertainment.
We made our way to the dancefloor to the sound of Chris Stapleton - 'Tennessee Whiskey', our first dance. After pleading for months to practice our dance with an uninterested George, we must've looked like two three-year-olds trying to dance.
This was when the surprise came. My sister, cousins, best friend and I grew up more or less in each others lives every day so we just HAD to do something to mark the day. Cue the Hey Mickey music... it got some laughs from the crowd but mostly from ourselves!
How did you begin planning your wedding?
On the day we got engaged, I headed home and created a multi-tabbed spreadsheet covering all the essential bits for the wedding as well as working out the priority of each bit. In my defence, this is just good organisation skills. Strangely, we started with our wedding rings that we bought one week after we got engaged.
How did you decide on your venue?
Our venue was one that I had never heard of but my mum mentioned it one day so we decided to book an introductory meeting to talk numbers, packages, costs, etc. When we arrived at the venue... it just felt right. We had already decided before the meeting was over, through one shared look, that this was the venue for us.
Tell us about your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses and suits.
My dress was really the only part I was dreading about the whole wedding. I began looking online to try and figure out what I wanted. I had already convinced myself early on that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be a mermaid shape and it had to have straps at least.
The first dress I actually came across online was a Lillian West gown at the Bridal Company NI, Templepatrick and I seemed to find nothing else that I liked. After debating for days whether it was worth the £20 bridal appointment, my bridesmaids pushed me in the right direction and we headed up. When we got there and I saw the dress on the mannequin, my heart sank... I felt so deflated.
My bridesmaids could sense this and immediately grabbed as many dresses from the racks and before I knew it, I was in at least seven dresses before deciding to give the Lillian West a try. When I was zipped up, it felt like it was made for me. I had felt so right in it and knew there and then that it was the dress for me.
My bridesmaids were a bit trickier. I had one bridesmaid in Hereford with no way of travelling after just giving birth in September 2021 but our luck paid off as every item of clothing, shoes and jewellery that we sent seemed to fit like a glove! We ended up purchasing the dresses through Amazon after trying loads of bridal shops with no luck.
George said: "My best man, Adam advised me to go to Tweedy Acheson for rental suits after using them for his own wedding that we attended five years prior. Thankfully, his recommendation could not have been better.
"It was super quick and easy, the tailor simply advised to come back two days before the wedding to collect everything."
What was the best part in the build up to your day?
We both kept saying that we couldn't wait for March 15. That way, all of the stress and hard parts would be over and done with.
We quite liked the build up as for three weeks, we had something going on.
One of the best bits was also the anticipation of being married.
What was the best moment of your day and your other favourite parts?
My favourite part was seeing George stood at the top of the aisle. I have to admit, it's a big bonus that he was crying. No bride wants to meet a dry eyed groom! I was also immensely proud and excited to see my mum there.
I also liked bouncing from group to group after the ceremony, chatting and making sure all of our friends and family were comfortable. I just like talking to people, and when else will I see all these people in one room?
George said: "For me, it was seeing Heather walk up the aisle and the overwhelming surprise of finally seeing her in the dress."
What would you tell other bride and grooms to plan first and what are your top tips?
For us, it was the venue and the date. We had no specific suppliers in mind from the get-go so it wasn't a problem if we had to shop around.
Top tips
- If there's something you want but it doesn't come included in a package, don't be afraid to ask about it. They may be willing to substitute or work something out.
- Don't get too worked up over the planning. It's only one day and you won't remember the small mishaps.
- Do share your ideas. Don't assume your other half feels the same way about a theme, talk it through before you confirm plans. It's for you both.
- Talk to each other. Make sure you both feel comfortable throughout the planning process. It will get stressful so you'll need one another to get through it.
- Don't spend more than you can afford. It's one day, you don't need to break the bank to have an incredible day. Your stress levels will stay much lower when you keep the budget down and remain realistic. Stressing about having a grand wedding when your focus will be on your partner will seem like a waste of money in the long run.
- Think through your themes and ideas before purchasing. I wanted to buy everything early on in the planning (decor, flowers, sparklers, confetti, etc) but in hindsight, it all wouldn't have fit our theme and therefore would have been a waste of money, time and space.
- Check your venue's policies before paying your deposit. Some venues won't allow alcohol, whether that be at all, for gifts on your top table or for guest favours. Some will not allow candles, confetti, etc. If these things are a deal breaker for you, make sure you discuss this with your venue before signing.
- Guest list. Your wedding is for you and your partner. Don't invite people you feel you HAVE to, to appease someone else. You don't want to spend your wedding day feeling awkward.
What were the hardest parts to plan?
Initially finding the suppliers, simply based on the fact we had such a short engagement.
Tell us about your theme.
We knew early on we wanted simple and natural colours for the wedding. We both love the quiet countryside so it was just more in keeping with us. Our colours were a mix of green, white and purple and we had a few farm bits dotted around the room - the odd tractor, trees and some signs.
My ultimate favourite theme was The Office/Parks and Recreation. We had tissues all individually wrapped for our guests with the Ron Swanson quote: 'Keep your tears in your eyes where they belong', which still cracks me up.
Our table plan had a Michael Scott quote: 'Webster's Dictionary defines wedding as the fusing of two metals with a hot torch', which to anyone else just sounds ridiculous but it brought a smile to our faces.
Our general vibe was relaxed.
Would you do anything different or wish there was anything you didn't worry about?
There is not one thing I would change. I don't think there would be any way to improve on our day. It was literal perfection from start to finish. I wish I didn't worry about everything! I spent the week before the wedding going out of my mind - stress eating and having horrendous wedding related nightmares, and it was all for nothing. It goes by so quickly that you may as well just ride the wave and enjoy every moment.
Do you want to tell us all about your wedding day? Email be@belfastlive.co.uk to be featured!
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