Becca and Jack celebrated their love with an elegant winter wedding at the stunning Hampton Manor in Birmingham.
Engaged during a cosy weekend in the Cotswolds alongside their dog Otto, the couple chose a short engagement and tied the knot on 30th December 2023, that magic ‘twixtmas’ period between Christmas and New Year.
Their vision of a black-tie, candlelit wedding came to life beautifully, creating a magical and intimate atmosphere with simple white roses and an intimate celebratory atmosphere. The bride wore a statement gown with detachable sleeves, by Badgley Mischka – which she discovered at the wonderful The Dressing Rooms Bridal.
Images by the wonderful Taylor-Hughes Photography. Enjoy!
Bridal Beauty & Accessories
My earrings were from Megan Therese. I love big earrings and wear statement earrings all the time so I wanted to incorporate in my styling for the wedding. I felt these were elegant and ‘bridal’ but still cool.
I also wore my Grandma’s diamond ring that she gifted me 10 years ago as my something old.
My perfume was Jo Malone and my shoes were Jimmy Choo pearl platforms.
The Dress
Badgley Mischka
From the first moment we got engaged, I knew I wanted big sleeves and an aline skirt. I wanted a dress that looked nothing like I had ever worn before and I will probably never wear again- you only get married once after all. As it was a winter wedding I wanted something thick and structured to tie in with the styling and the venue.
I wore the Frankie dress by Badgley Mischka. I had booked to visit two wedding dress shops in the Midlands and then two in London the following week.
A close family friend, Maya, works at The Dressing Rooms (TDR) Bridal in Birmingham so it was a given I was going to see her as part of my wedding dress search.
She was, of course, amazing and after two hours of trying on dresses I kept going back to Frankie. If I’m totally honest, I never had that ‘this is my dress’ feeling. I liked so many!
But, I knew I wanted big sleeves and a simple bodice so when I tried Frankie I didn’t really know what else I would’ve been looking for.
From start to finish, everyone I dealt with at TDR was brilliant, from the seamstress to the wedding dress packers- they were all friendly, professional and made me feel so special.
The Ceremony
My dad accompanied me into the ceremony, to the sound of Florence and the Machine’s ‘Stand by Me’.
We wrote our own vows which were so special. I really loved the process of writing them and reading them- a memory I will hold forever. Our reading was ‘Carrie’s Poem’ from Sex and the City.
My mum read this. She loves Sex and the City so it was super personal for us and the words are beautiful. Jack actually cried the first time she read it to him so that is when we decided the reading had to feature in the ceremony.
Our rings were by Marlow’s Diamonds. We definitely wanted gold rings as I wear gold jewellery and Jack loves gold too. I actually went for two rings in the end- a plain gold band and a diamond band – why not, hey?
The ceremony was our favourite part of the whole day – it was so emotional and I really didn’t expect that. I truly felt it was just me and Jack in the room and reminded me that it truly was about us on the day and thats all that matters.
Photography
Our photographers were Taylor-Hughes Photography – I had followed them on instagram for over a year and always loved their photos so as soon as I got engaged I contacted them immediately!
They exceeded all our expectations and the photos are absolutely incredible. The day was captured perfectly and their energy on the day was perfect. We were so relaxed and they really helped us capture those special moments. I would recommend them to anyone and I want another wedding so I can have them again!
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The Reception
Floral designer, Stephanie Saunders, came recommended in the supplier book from the venue and I really wanted someone who had worked at the venue before so I didn’t need to stress.
She followed my brief perfectly and the tables looked STUNNING. Everyone has commented on the beautiful flowers and the simplicity of the white roses really worked.
I wanted a cake that was a statement! We had four tier vintage style buttercream cake by Wedding Cakes By Jayne, and used inspiration from instagram to refine the design. I loved the cherries and each tier was a different flavour.
Words of Wedded Wisdom
I spent the planning process stressed, nervous and overwhelmed and I really regret that because even though everyone told me it would be, it truly was the best weekend of our lives and we have never felt happier so…
Enjoy and embrace every single second – it’s over before you know it.
And don’t stress about the small stuff!
Vendors & Venues
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Additional Credits
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Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
