Happy Monday Lovely People!

Hope you all had a good weekend.

Helen and Jamie lived in China for 3 years so when Jamie popped the question in Hong Kong in 2011, of course their wedding was going to have a strong link to this amazing country. They used Chinese lucky red as their main colour and this was infused in their flowers, the bridesmaid dresses as well as the festival flags, bunting and Helen's shoes. They also hung Chinese lanterns around the venue gardens and incorporated a traditional Chinese Lion Dance during their ceremony.

Held at the beautiful Woodthorpe Hall and full of so many handmade details such as their wedding cake and photo bunting, Helen and Jamie's Chinese Inspired Wedding certainly captured the heart of their relationship.

Over to Helen and Jamie.....

We got engaged in June 2011, in Hong Kong. We were living in a city called Zhuhai in mainland China at the time and Jamie whisked me away to Hong Kong as a surprise to celebrate 9 years since our 1st date. Despite a typhoon and last minute customs issues with the ring J's plan came together!

My dress came from a shop in Manchester, I was after something a bit different and once I saw it I knew I'd found the right one. It was a bit of an ordeal because I had sorted something from China that didn't work out in the end so it was quite a last minute find but it was all ok in the end!

A really special moment was when three friends sang a song during the ceremony. A school friend, uni friend and neighbour got together for the first time the morning of the wedding and by the afternoon were playing beautifully during the ceremony!

We chose the venue because of it's stunning location. We were showed round the house by owner Dick and he was so friendly and his wife Sue was brilliant. We had the freedom to choose anything we liked, bringing in our own suppliers and spend the week before customising the whole place.

We had a Chinese theme due to our time spent out in Asia. The colour scheme was therefore Chinese lucky red and we decorated the gardens with lanterns. We chose a small element of a Chinese ceremony in ours (the lion dance). We aimed to blend a relaxed outside wedding with the Chinese style.

Mike and Tom were brilliant! Attentive but not intrusive. All the photos caught a moment. They were very natural and their shots reflected the day well. Thank you!

Impossible to choose. The ceremony, speeches, lion dance surprise, the dancing! ...and taking a few minutes out from the busy day to have a moment as husband and wife admiring the beautiful countryside surrounding with mike and tom taking a few snaps.

The Chinese Lion Dance was a complete surprise to all involved apart from the bride and groom so when the drums started in the distance they caused quite a stir! The father of the bride shocked the marquee by taking his suit trousers off to expose some lycra during his speech. There was a 'excessive' musical build up o the walk down the aisle, getting married by a cider press meant cider toasts and cider pints afterwards for some (at a ridiculous 14%) and there was a shopping trolley on fire...

DO WHAT SUITS YOU AS A COUPLE. Don't be afraid to do something that isn't quite the norm. Negotiate with venues to discuss about the freedom to do your own thing (you can save money this way too). Enjoy the process, It's amazing!

Well said guys - couldn't agree more!

Photography: Mike & Tom

Venue: Woodthorpe Hill

Bride's Shoes: RSPCA Charity Shop

Groom's Suit: Marks and Spencer

Bridesmaid Dresses: Tailored in Guangzhou, China

Flowers: Joanna Price

Catering: PJ Taste

Chocolate Treats: Cocoa Wonderland

Marquees: Ascot Marquees and Totally Gazeboed

Lion Dancing: Sheffield Chinese Lion Dance Team

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