After almost 13 years together, Gemma was whisked away to Turkey with Craig and their children, and their magical proposal happened on a scenic boat trip on Lake Köyceğiz. The perfect engagement, before planning their dream wedding at the Shireburn Arms!
About You
Please tell us a little bit about your relationship. How did you meet?
We met in September 2009 through a mutual friend who introduced us to each other in our local pub. Craig then came to do some joinery work on my house and we got on really well. After he had finished he asked me out for a drink and the rest is history!
About You
Where, when and how was the marriage proposal?
Craig proposed to me in August 2022, after almost 13 years together. We were on holiday in Turkey with our 3 boys and Craig booked a private boat trip, telling me we were having some family photos taken on it. During one of the photos Craig got down on one knee and proposed. We were on the scenic Lake Köyceğiz and the sun was setting so it was beautiful. It made it special that our children were there to witness the proposal.
Your Venue
What made you choose Shireburn Arms?
We wanted a venue with a relaxed feel and the Shireburn gave us that feeling as soon as we visited. The views over the Ribble Valley were just stunning and we knew this would make some great photos. We were also looking for a venue with accommodation for our friends and family and so this was another box ticked.
Your Venue
How was your experience with your Wedding Coordinator?
Our wedding coordinator, Sarah, made us feel welcome and valued as soon as we met. Everything was explained well and she was very responsive to correspondence in the run up to the wedding which was important to us as we only booked 5 months in advance so was under some time constraints.
Your Theme
Did you have a theme or colour scheme for your wedding?
We had a loose boho/rustic theme to our wedding and our primary colour was rust, which was on our chair sashes, bridesmaid dresses and stationary, with complimentary neutral tones.
Your Theme
Were there any extra special unique touches that you included in your day?
We liked the personalised beer pump that is available from James' Places and this made for a great photo of us pulling a pint of our own beer from behind the bar. We also wanted our children to be a part of our day and so they were involved in the ceremony by handing the rings to us and doing a reading. This made our wedding have a lovely family feel.
Entertainment
What song did you walk down the aisle to?
I walked down the aisle to ‘The One’ by Kodaline. This was sung beautifully by our wedding singer.
Entertainment
Tell us about your entertainment on the day?
During the ceremony and drinks reception our guests were entertained by Becky Chamberlain who sang our ceremony songs and also did a set outside in the sunshine afterwards. Our guests commented on her lovely voice and excellent choice of songs that fitted with the relaxed/romantic feeling we were aiming for during the day. At night we opted for a band. We wanted a band that gave an authentic gig experience and played indie / brit pop which is the type of music we enjoy. We found the Rock n Soulers who were amazing. They played our first dance which was ‘You and Me’ by the Wannadies and they also did the DJing in between their two sets and this worked really well.
Photography
Who was your photographer and why did you choose them?
We chose Stefan Willoughby based on a recommendation. When we looked at his work it was what we were looking for in terms of capturing lots of candid moments with some formal images as well. We also got a videographer called Anthony Horseman who produces cinematic footage and uses a drone to capture the day. The photography and videography were very important aspects of our day and both of these guys did an excellent job and were so lovely on the day too.
Photography
What's your favourite moment that was captured on camera and where was it taken?
We have so many amazing moments that were captured on photos that its hard to chose one! We love the ones from our speeches as they really capture the emotions and laughter on everyone’s faces. We have some lovely family shots in the grounds of the Shireburn with the amazing backdrop. We also have some great couple photos from Cromwell Bridge which is a short drive from the venue. The atmosphere at night was also captured perfectly with the band playing and everyone up dancing.
