Kate & Jonny’s Dalton Old Pump House Wedding With 80 Chandeliers & 3 Dresses

Fashion and music were always going to play a big part in Kate and Jonny’s wedding. Kate is Head of Buying at 4th & Reckless and Jonny, also known as DJ Krafty, is a designer and DJ. The couple married on 21 August 2026 at Dalton Old Pump House in Seaham, County Durham, a spectacular restored Victorian building with industrial architecture and some 80 chandeliers.

Inspired by Old Hollywood glamour and their shared love of disco, the couple invited their guests to dress in black tie for a celebration full of incredible fashion, music and theatrical touches. Kate wore three bridal looks from The Mews Bridal, including two fabulous Rime Arodaky gowns, while her eight bridesmaids looked incredibly chic in black. Their photographer, Polina of PLN Cinema, captured the celebrations on a beautiful mixture of film and digital, and I think you’ll really enjoy her cinematic approach to documenting this particular wedding.

There’s an enormous amount of creativity and personality in these photographs, and plenty for anyone who loves fashion to pore over. But beyond all the glamour, there’s a couple who clearly adore one another and who wanted to bring their favourite people together for one hell of a party.

I also want to acknowledge the incredibly kind things Kate said about Love My Dress. She told us that the weddings we’ve shared over the years encouraged her to be creative and stay true to herself when planning her own. I was genuinely moved reading that. I’ve spent so many years encouraging couples to trust their own instincts and not feel pressured into following trends or wedding traditions that mean nothing to them. Knowing that Love My Dress has played even a small part in giving someone the confidence to do that means the world to me.

Thank you, Kate. And thank you for sharing your story with us. I’m very happy to be able to share it here.

Our venue was Dalton Old Pump House at Seaham in Durham. Finding our venue took us ages – we needed to stay within a close radius of Jonny’s mum, who wasn’t very well, and we wanted somewhere that felt like the perfect mix of industrial and glam. We both love that raw, industrial aesthetic from the music events we’re involved in, but we also have a glamorous side, so we wanted a venue that brought the two together.

I actually found Dalton Pump House on TikTok while I was lying on a sun lounger in Crete. It was a newly renovated Victorian water house, with around 80 chandeliers and a real wow factor. We’d viewed so many venues that felt either too rustic or a little too cutesy, but this was completely different. The moment we visited, we knew it had something special.

The aisle was incredible, and then you walked into the main room, filled with all those different chandeliers — it was unlike anything we’d seen before. Jonny was particularly blown away by the VOID sound system, which was a huge selling point for him as a DJ. We wanted the day to look amazing but also sound amazing, and Dalton Pump House felt like it brought both sides of us together perfectly.

Accessibility and space were important to us when choosing the venue. One of the big selling points for me was the huge bridal suite. With eight bridesmaids, as well as me, I wanted us all to be able to get ready together at the venue, make the most of getting glammed up, have some fizz, take lots of pictures and enjoy that girly time without rushing from one venue to the next. We wanted the morning to feel like part of the celebration, rather than a mad dash to get ready.

It was also important that Jonny’s mum had somewhere comfortable and quiet to take some time out if she needed it. Having that extra space meant we could make the most of the morning together while also making sure there was room to think about everyone’s needs on the day.

Our inspiration was really about creating something that felt authentic to us, rather than following a particular wedding trend. We wanted a sense of Old Hollywood glamour, with the grandeur of Dalton Pump House as our starting point. White roses, mirrors, chandeliers and floating candles complemented the architecture and created a luxurious, elegant atmosphere. It felt timeless and glamorous, with fashion at the heart of the look.

But we also wanted to put our own stamp on it. We both love disco, ’80s and ’90s music, so we brought those influences into the styling through disco balls, glittering details and playful touches like Jonny’s ‘Now That’s What I Call a Wedding’ signage. We wanted to combine that polished, glamorous setting with something more playful and unexpected, reflecting the different sides of our personalities.

We had eight bridesmaids, and I always knew I wanted a really chic black-and-white palette. All the girls loved the idea of wearing black, which gave the bridal party a clean, understated look against the more glamorous setting.

Four of the bridesmaids wore the Ellen dress from 4th & Reckless, which was particularly special to me. The one-shoulder silhouette and neck scarf detail were exactly the kind of design details I love. For the other four, I chose different styles, including off-the-shoulder and one-shoulder dresses, so everyone could wear a silhouette that suited their figure.

It was important to me that the girls felt genuinely confident in what they were wearing. I’ve always felt that putting everyone in exactly the same dress doesn’t necessarily work for every body shape, so I wanted to give them some flexibility while keeping the overall look cohesive. The shared black palette brought everything together, while the different necklines and silhouettes gave the group a more individual, fashion-led feel.

We finished the looks with black sunglasses, which I bought for everyone from Gucci or Saint Laurent, depending on the pair, and simple white bouquets of roses. I also gifted the girls gold earrings on the morning of the wedding, which they wore with their own gold accessories. The beauty look was glamorous but understated, designed to work from the daytime celebrations through to the evening. The overall effect was clean, chic and a little less traditional, exactly what I wanted for the bridal party.

My sister was one of my bridesmaids, alongside one of our oldest friends, and they delivered a joint speech on the day. I was quite nervous about what they might reveal, as they know me so well and have plenty of old-school stories to draw from! They did bring a few of those out, but the speech was also incredibly loving and thoughtful. It struck the perfect balance between humour and sentiment, and it was really special having two people who have known me for so long share that moment with us.

Our eight bridesmaids walked in pairs and then I walked down the aisle with my Dad (Shaun Paul, yes his name is Shaun Paul, haha).

I wanted the aisle moment to feel iconic, so I walked down to a harpist’s rendition of Wagner’s Bridal Chorus. Whenever I’d imagined walking down the aisle, it was always to “Here Comes the Bride”, so I thought, why the hell not? I loved the idea of taking something so recognisable and giving it a more elevated feel with the live harp. I’d like to think it made for a bit of an iconic moment.

We had a civil ceremony with the registrar from the local council, and deliberately kept things quite short and personal. We didn’t have any readings; instead, we both wrote our own promises and shared them with each other in front of our guests. That was an important part of the ceremony for us and made it feel much more personal.

Our harpist played throughout the ceremony, including while we signed the register. We worked closely with her beforehand to select different pieces of music and hear how they would translate to the harp, so the music felt considered and suited the atmosphere we wanted to create.

We both wrote our own personal promises and shared them during the ceremony, in front of all our guests. We kept the ceremony relatively short and didn’t include any readings, but writing our own vows was important to us.

Mine opened with a little humour, reflecting on how I’d met a “tall, gorgeous Yorkshire man who was funny, kind, and a DJ”. I also spoke about our two years of long distance and making the move from London to Manchester, which was one of the best decisions of my life. My promises focused on the love, laughter and support Jonny brings to my life, and my commitment to always champion his dreams and be his safe place.

Jonny’s vows were equally personal, focusing on the positivity I bring to his life, the trust and respect at the heart of our relationship, and his promise to always stand by me. He finished with one of the most memorable lines of the ceremony:

“Those that do not believe in magic, will never find it. The day I found you is the day I started believing.”

It was a lovely reflection of both our personalities and our relationship: humour, honesty and a real commitment to supporting each other, with Jonny ending on a line that felt particularly true to us.

Jonny and I met in Manchester when I came up from London over the August bank holiday to visit one of my best friends. We’d planned to go to a gospel choir brunch with her and her new partner, and Jonny was meant to meet us there too. He’d played a gig the night before and was too tired to make it, so we went ahead without him — and had the best time.

During brunch, my friend’s partner, who was also Jonny’s best friend, posted a photo of me on Instagram. Jonny saw it and asked, “Who the hell’s that?” His best friend then persuaded us to go and meet Jonny, and the rest was history. Two years later, I moved from London to Manchester.

Glastonbury is one of our favourite places. We’d been together three times before getting engaged, and we’ve always loved the view from the top of the Ribbon Tower. In June 2025, Jonny somehow managed to close the tower for his proposal. Anyone who’s been to Glastonbury knows there are usually hundreds of people queuing to get to the top, so having it all to ourselves was pretty next level. I still have absolutely no idea how he pulled it off. He proposed up there with that incredible view around us — such a Jonny move, and a pretty hard one to top.

We started planning the wedding straight away, however it took us a while to find the venue of dreams, securing Dalton Old pump house in the November, so had 9 months to plan.

We wanted the decor to feel personal, playful and completely in keeping with the music-inspired theme of the day. Jonny made our welcome sign himself, creating three oversized hanging circles, each laser-cut with either a K, a J or our wedding date. He covered the edges in disco tiles and we added lots of flowers, creating a statement entrance piece that set the tone as soon as guests arrived.

He also designed and made our table seating plan and order-of-the-day signage, all inspired by the Now That’s What I Call Music theme. It was a great way to bring our love of music into the details, while making everything feel personal rather than relying on standard wedding signage.

We also hired several statement pieces from Freddie Douglas Events. The huge pink neon heart was one of my favourite details; I knew as soon as I saw it that we had to have it. It brought a playful pop of colour and became a real feature of the evening aesthetic.

Our flowers were by Wild and Wonderful, and we kept the palette classic and understated, with white roses and green foliage throughout. The florist took care of the entire setup, starting the day before the wedding to transform the venue. From the flower archway and arrangements running down either side of the ceremony aisle to the flowers cascading down the staircase, every detail was considered.

My bouquet was a long-stemmed white rose bouquet. I actually changed my mind at the last minute, as I felt the simplicity of the long stems looked chicer and more modern. My bridesmaids carried smaller versions, while each of the groomsmen wore a single white rose buttonhole, keeping everything cohesive.

For the wedding breakfast, we wanted the tables to feel more like a fine-dining experience than a traditional wedding reception. Our serpentine top table seated 40 guests, which was quite a feat, as the venue had never accommodated a serpentine table on that scale before. We worked together to make it happen, and we were so pleased with the result. We loved how it brought everyone together in one continuous, elegant setting, creating that intimate, fine-dining feel we had envisioned. With over 100 guests, we also had six round tables for the remaining guests.

We layered the flowers with plenty of candlelight and reflective details to create that luxurious, twinkly effect. There were lots of candelabras and floating candles, alongside silver disco balls dotted around the tables and incorporated into the welcome-sign styling. The contrast between the classic white roses and greenery, the glow of the candles and the silver disco balls gave the space the sense of drama we wanted.

The overall effect was a real wow moment: luxurious and elegant, but with a playful, party-ready edge. We wanted the room to feel atmospheric and full of sparkle, while still retaining the sophistication of a beautifully styled fine-dining space.

Outside, we set up beer pong in the garden, adding another relaxed, playful element for guests to enjoy. We wanted the decor to strike a balance between luxurious and fun, with thoughtful personal touches, statement details and plenty of opportunities for everyone to get involved. The aim was for the space to feel immersive and full of personality, rather than simply decorated for a wedding.

Lighting was a huge part of transforming the venue from the daytime celebrations into the party we had envisioned. We hired moving heads and freestanding lights from Purple Rain Audio, who we know well through the music events we organise ourselves. We wanted the lighting to feel more like one of our own parties, with the atmosphere building as the evening went on.

Through the venue, we also had dry ice for our first dance, creating that floating-on-clouds effect, alongside firework lights on the dance floor. Combined with the moving heads, lighting and music, it created a real moment when the evening celebrations began. We wanted the dance floor to feel immersive, high-energy and a little theatrical, with everything coming together at once.

Lighting and effects were just as important to us as the flowers and tablescaping. We loved the contrast between the elegant, candlelit setting of the wedding breakfast and the full-on party atmosphere later in the evening. It felt like the venue had transformed into a completely different space, while still retaining all the details that made it feel like our wedding.

Catering was provided in-house by Dalton Pump House, and the food was a really important part of the day for us. We started with a selection of gorgeous canapés, including goat’s cheese and caramelised onion tarts, beef burger sliders and ham and cheese croquettes.

For the wedding breakfast, guests had a choice of three mains: pan-fried sea bass fillet with white bean, spinach and chorizo cassoulet; braised Northumbrian beef feather blade with truffle pomme purée, tallow-roasted carrots, crispy fried onions and red wine jus; or heritage tomato risotto with Parmesan.

We also had a selection of desserts to finish. For the evening food, we served a selection of sourdough pizzas and chips. Pizza is one of my absolute favourite foods, so having it as our late-night food was a must. We wanted something relaxed and satisfying for everyone to enjoy once the party was in full swing, and it was the perfect way to round off the dining experience.

Our cake was made by Sherbert Moon. Jonny’s stepdad actually found our cake supplier, and we knew we wanted the cake to tie in with the disco-inspired theme of the evening. We went for a two-tier cake, with a larger bottom tier of Victoria sponge and a smaller lemon drizzle tier on top. Visually, we wanted something that felt more like a statement piece than a traditional wedding cake. It was finished with disco-ball tiling, silver dripping icing and lots of disco balls on top, bringing in the same mix of glamour, sparkle and fun that ran throughout the evening decor.

The cake fitted perfectly with the overall aesthetic and became another feature of the celebration.

We gave each guest a personalised thank-you card with a rose quartz heart crystal inside. Jonny and I both really believe in energy, love and positivity, so we wanted to give everyone something meaningful to take away with them, rather than a traditional wedding favour.

Rose quartz felt like the perfect choice because of its association with love and positive energy. We wanted the crystals to be a little reminder of the day, something guests could keep with them and that would carry a little of the feeling and energy of the wedding beyond the celebrations themselves. It was a small, personal gesture that felt very true to us and the way we wanted to share the day with the people closest to us.

We didn’t have a gift registry, and instead we asked for contributions towards our honeymoon.

Jonny is a designer, so it was important to us that the stationery felt personal and considered rather than something off the shelf. He designed the name cards, welcome signage and order-of-the-day details himself, carrying the visual theme consistently throughout the wedding.

We also gave each guest a small thank-you card, which had a QR code on the back linking to our wedding photo upload, making it easy for everyone to share their pictures and videos from the day. It was a simple detail, but one we loved, as it meant we could collect memories from everyone’s perspective.

We carried the personalisation through to the smaller details, with bespoke napkins, signature cocktail signs and engraved fans featuring our names. We wanted everything to feel connected, from the welcome sign guests saw on arrival to the details at their tables. Having Jonny design so much of it meant we could create a really cohesive look that reflected our personalities and our shared love of design, music and a good party.

We had a 360 photo booth with a glittery mirror backdrop, which was so much fun and fitted perfectly with the party atmosphere. We also hired an audio guestbook, which gave guests the chance to leave voice messages throughout the day. Listening back to those afterwards has been such a lovely way to relive the wedding and hear everyone’s messages in their own words.

The real transformation happened in the evening, when the main room shifted from glamour into a much more vibrant, carnival-inspired atmosphere. Neon-pink hearts, showgirls and carnival dancers, gems, disco lighting and smoke across the dance floor completely changed the mood. We also had an audio guest book and a 360° photo booth to make the experience interactive and give guests more to discover.

I changed into a Rime Arodaky evening gown covered in diamanté, with dramatic ruffles and sparkling details, which felt perfect for that next chapter of the night. We wanted the wedding to have a real sense of occasion, but also to surprise people and let them see another side of us. For us, it was that contrast between refined glamour and unapologetic party energy that made the day feel so personal.

Entertainment was one of the most important parts of the wedding for us. Music is such a huge part of both our lives, so we wanted the day to feel like a real event, with a different atmosphere at every stage and a soundtrack that built throughout the celebrations.

We started with Stephanie, a harpist from Yorkshire, which felt like a lovely connection to Jonny’s roots. She played during the ceremony, bringing an elegant, live-music element to the beginning of the day. For the drinks reception, our friend Rose Deluxe played an Italian house set, creating the perfect soundtrack for the aperitivo hour.

For our first dance, we had the incredible Samba De Janeiro dance troupe, who also performed two 40-minute sets throughout the evening. The performances featured female singers and sax, with a setlist packed with ’90s music. It brought a completely different energy to the room and marked the transition from the more glamorous daytime celebrations into the party.

Music then took over for the rest of the night. Jonny and I surprised everyone with a back-to-back DJ set, followed by a set from my best friend’s husband, Dudley. One of the groomsmen then took over before Jonny himself closed the night behind the decks.

Having so many different performances and DJ sets was exactly what we wanted. Rather than having one act or DJ carry the entire evening, we wanted it to feel like a proper party, with our friends and the people closest to us all playing a part. From the harp at the ceremony to Jonny closing the dance floor, the entertainment reflected us as a couple and our shared love of music. It was important that the wedding felt as much like an event as a celebration, and the music was at the heart of that.

Our first dance was to Madonna’s Like a Prayer, a song we both absolutely love and feel represents our relationship. Having it performed live by the singer made it even more special, and she completely smashed it. We wanted our first dance to be anything but traditional, so we went all out with dry ice, smoke and firework lights illuminating the dance floor.

Halfway through the song, we surprised everyone by bringing out the showgirl dancers. They came onto the dance floor and placed a huge, dramatic headpiece on me, taking the whole moment to another level. It was probably one of the most extra first dances ever, but that was exactly the point. The combination of the live vocals, the effects and the unexpected performance made it feel like a full production rather than a traditional first dance.

It was genuinely one of my favourite moments of the entire day. We wanted to create a moment that nobody would expect, and seeing everyone’s reaction while we were right in the middle of it was incredible. It set the tone for the rest of the evening perfectly.

I had two favourite moments from the day, and they couldn’t have been more different. The first was our ceremony, when we shared our personal vows. It made everything feel so intimate and real. In the middle of such a big day, it was a moment that was just about the two of us, and I loved that we had taken the time to write our own promises to each other.

The second was definitely our first dance. We wanted to do something completely unexpected, so we kept the showgirl dancers a total surprise. We made our grand entrance and the dry ice started rolling across the dance floor, and you could feel everyone thinking, wow. Then the firework lights came on, and the reaction was even bigger. But the best part was that nobody knew the showgirls were waiting at the back of the room, completely out of sight. When they came out and placed the huge, dramatic headpiece on me, the entire room erupted. Everyone was screaming, and the energy was just incredible.

It was such a theatrical, over-the-top moment, but that’s exactly why it felt so us. We wanted the evening to feel like a proper show and a party, rather than a traditional wedding, and that moment set the tone perfectly. I still find myself rewatching the video again and again because the reaction from everyone makes me so happy. It was one of those moments you wish you could bottle up and experience all over again.

My biggest advice is to enjoy it and stay true to yourselves. It’s so easy to get caught up in social media trends and aesthetics, but even as a buyer, I had to keep asking myself: is this actually me? Is this us? Just because something looks beautiful doesn’t mean it’s right for your wedding.

Be bold, be unique and be memorable. Your wedding is one of the few occasions where you can go completely over the top, so do it! Everyone will remember our wedding for the samba carnival performers and the energy they brought to the room. Don’t be afraid to do something unexpected.

And there’s no such thing as too many bridal looks! As a buyer, I could happily have had ten. Don’t let anyone talk you out of another dress, a dramatic accessory or an outfit change. Have all the dresses, all the accessories and all the moments – it’s your day, so go for it.

Love My Dress is one of the few wedding platforms that feels genuinely aligned with my personal style. I’ve always been drawn to its individuality and creativity, particularly the fashion-led weddings that don’t feel bound by tradition. Our day was a mix of old Hollywood glamour, statement bridal looks and a full-on disco and carnival-inspired party, so I wanted to share it somewhere that celebrates couples doing things differently.

For me, it was never about creating a wedding that followed a trend, but one that felt completely like us, with personality, unexpected details and a real sense of fun. Love My Dress has always championed that kind of individuality, which is why it felt like the perfect fit.

What I love most about Love My Dress is that it celebrates individuality and creativity. It’s one of the few wedding platforms that genuinely reflects my personal style, showcasing weddings that feel unique, fashion-led and full of personality. I’ve always loved seeing couples push boundaries and do things differently, whether through their outfits, flowers, styling or the overall atmosphere of the day. It was a real source of inspiration when planning our own wedding and encouraged me to be creative while staying true to ourselves.

I also love that the weddings feel personal, not just aesthetically beautiful. If anything, I’d love to see even more behind-the-scenes content, including the stories behind the creative decisions, styling and inspiration. It’s that combination of individuality, beautiful imagery and genuine personality that makes Love My Dress stand out.

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