We’d love to show you Tracy and Mark’s magnificent day. They tied the knot on a sunny day in June with friends and family in Newcastle upon Tyne. The pair added classic and vintage elements to their day, plus minimalistic and subtle details to make it even more personal.
Even though the pandemic threw a spanner in their wedding-planning works, they kept their heads high and hearts in the right place and stayed true to the wedding day they wanted. With restrictions on guest numbers but no restrictions on love and magical moments, they had a wonderful day.
Childhood sweethearts… nearly, Tracy and Mark were destined to be together. We loved hearing all about their relationship journey and how they made their wedding day, THEIR wedding day!
Incredible photography from Stephen Beecroft Photography
How did you two meet?
We lived in the same street since a very young age and Tracy asked Mark out when we were about 10 years old but he said no as he liked football. Tracy asked him again when we were 30 years old and he eventually agreed. We went on our first date on 4th June 2011 to a local pub and have been inseparable since.
Tell us about the proposal…
It was on the 4th of June 2015, 5 years after we went on our first date. Mark booked us a table for afternoon tea at a place called Matfen Hall. Following our lunch, Mark suggested a walk in the garden, then got down on one knee and proposed. As I was so shocked, my reply when he went down on one knee was “eee no”, obviously I meant to say “Yes”!
How did you choose your wedding venue?
The Parlour at Blagdon was the only venue we viewed and fell in love with it as soon as we saw it. It had the perfect vintage style that we had in mind.
Did you have a style or theme?
The style we initially had in mind was a rustic barn, but when we viewed The Parlour at Blagdon, we decided the vintage style was exactly what we wanted.
How did your wedding reflect you as a couple?
Our wedding was very relaxed, surrounded by our close friends and family who made our day extra special.
THE BIG DAY:
Tracy and her bride tribe had a gorgeous morning, getting ready together with matching slippers and PJs. Delicately draped in silk and sipping bubbly, they had their hair and make-up done in a relaxed environment, building anticipation for a spectacularly memorable day.
The bridesmaids wore stunning floor-length pastel pinky-peach gowns with soft arm details for a beautiful finish. Tracy’s dress was a lacey dream! With stunning button detail at the back and a statement round train, it was the perfect fit for Tracy’s big day.
Who joined you for your big day?
Initially, 65 guests were invited to our daytime wedding and approximately 120 were going to be invited to the evening, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic this was reduced to 28 guests. Although a lot of our friends and family missed our wedding, we are now grateful as our wedding was very intimate with our close family and friends.
My two brothers Lee and Craig gave me away, my daughter Paige was chief bridesmaid, my cousin Louise and best friend Donna were bridesmaids and Mark’s best friends Graeme and Adam were best men.
Tell us about…
The Dress
My wedding dress was purchased from Wed2b in Gateshead, staff were very helpful and my dress was exactly what I had in mind.
The Suits
Suits were hired from Waltons in Newcastle upon Tyne. The staff at Waltons were lovely and very helpful as the suits were tailored to Mark as he wanted something slightly different.
The Weather
Amazing, we couldn’t ask for better weather. The sun was shining all day.
The Honeymoon
Originally we booked the Maldives but this was postponed until August 2021 due to Covid-19 so we booked a 4-day luxury retreat to a converted old tractor shed called “The Old Tractor Shed” in a small village called Dadlington, Leicestershire which was amazing, very peaceful and relaxing.
Who did you pick for your wedding entertainment and how did you choose them?
Both Mark and I have always said we would like a live band to perform at our wedding and we both found The Penny Kings separately so we knew instantly that was the band for us.
What did your entertainment bring to the big day?
The Penny Kings played in the evening which was very special to us as we always wanted a live band to perform at our wedding and The Penny Kings went out their way to make our day extra special. They learnt and performed our first dance but also learnt a request on their break in the car park. Thank you The Penny Kings you were amazing.
How was it booking entertainment through Entertainment Nation?
Entertainment Nation’s customer service was great, very easy to book and we had excellent communication with them throughout.
Your Wedding Playlist:
- Processional: Callum Scott & Leona Lewis – You Are The Reason
- Signing The Register: Jasmine Rea – When I Found You and Emily Hackett/Will Anderson – Take My Hand
- Recessional: Shania Twain & Martin White – From This Moment On
- Afternoon drinks: Garth Beddard, wedding singer, performed to our guests during reception drinks
- First Dance: The Penny Kings performed From The Ground Up by Caleb & Kelsey – they were amazing!
- Final Song: The Penny Kings performed Wonderwall by Oasis
What was your favourite wedding moment?
To be honest we don’t have a favourite moment. Our wedding was amazing from start to finish.
Is there anything you’d change?
We wouldn’t change anything and although we couldn’t invite as many guests as initially planned, 28 guests were sufficient as our day was very intimate with close family and friends.
Any funny moments?
Mark has a love for cake and our sister-in-law announced whilst cutting the cake that “Mark is used to cutting cake”. This made everyone laugh which is evident in the photographs!
What tips do you have for other couples planning their wedding?
Try to be organised and enjoy every second of their day as it goes far too fast. Don’t be put off with only a small number of guests. I would say a maximum of 50 guests at a wedding is an ideal number.
Thank you to Tracy and Mark for the insight into their love story and all of the magical moments they shared on their wedding day. We’re so pleased that The Penny Kings could bring so much happiness and fabulous music to your celebrations.
And a special thanks to all of their amazing suppliers…
Wedding Suppliers:
- Venue – The Parlour at Blagdon
- Band – The Penny Kings
- Afternoon Singer – Gareth Beddard
- Cars – Campbell Cars – Mark’s car was a VW Camper and Tracy’s car was a Regent Classic
- Flowers & Event Planner – Karen Alexander Weddings
- Photographer – Stephen Beecroft
- Videographer – Peter and Simon Watkinson
- Cake – Infinity Cakes
- Hair & Makeup – Wedding Angels – Tynemouth, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Suits – Waltons Suit Hire
- Dress – Wed2B
- Shoes – Dune
- Accessories – Swarovski
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