Sep 21

Sep 21 My Wedding Day: Hayley & Joel

When it comes to planning your wedding it’s always good to hear what the experts have to say. We’ve spoken to some of the best Venues, Photographers & Wedding Planners to find out what weddings they remember most.

The Cheshire Magazine’s good friend, Hayley Murray from Wren Kitchens tells us all about her perfect day

When I started planning my wedding day all my dreams came true. I’ve known exactly what I wanted since I was a little girl, from the dress to the type of venue, bridesmaids, flowers - my list went on, but I had it all in hand, and I was so excited.

I visited many venues, and a most quite have that extra something I was looking for that ‘wow’ factor. Then I came across the most beautiful venue in the form of Rudding Park in Harrogate; the Radcliffe Room was just perfect: exactly how I’d envisiged my day. That was it: I booked Rudding Park for the 3rd September 2016. Thinking that its always good weather at the start of September, how wrong could I have been. It rained, no, bucketed it down all day!

Luckily I had picked the right venue for needing to stay inside too. I hired a white baby grand piano for the day, had fairy lights on the pillars, and the entire room was white and gold with a hint of blush. My flowers were incredible: the fantastic Red Floral (Manchester) dressed the room for the ceremony and the wedding breakfast: it was truly breathtaking.

After I had found the venue, I set off to London in search of the perfect dress. I headed to Vera Wang and Browns Bride. Vera Wang was beautiful, and I thought I’d found the one, until I arrived at Browns and the fantastic ladies had me try on the Crystal gown by Galia Lahav. As soon as I put the dress on, I felt like a princess - and on my wedding day, my couture gown fitted like a glove. My dress was entirely beaded and had a vast statement overskirt.

My bridesmaids and I had our makeup done by the talented Richard Harvey, and hair by Richard Harrison Hair. We were all set after a couple of glasses of Champagne.

I walked down the aisle with my dad while a pianist played Endless Love on the baby grand piano. The ceremony was short and sweet and, before I knew it, I was Mrs Murray, now married to my dream man, Joel Murray.

It was then on to the celebrations: I had an impressive magician – Mr Dominic Anthony – to keep everyone entertained inside, along with plenty of Champagne and canapés. The wedding breakfast was broken up with some very impressive speeches from my dad, the four best men and my new husband. The food and service from Rudding Park were remarkable.

The evening began with Rebecca Louise Porter – an incredible tribute to Adele, who recently starred in the BBC tribute show, Even Better Than the Real Thing. Her fabulous voice brought us gently to my first dance, where one of my best friends friends, Richard, surprised everyone by playing the piano while Rebecca sang How Long Will I Love You? by Ellie Goulding. As soon as the slow song finished, it was time to start the party. I had Six15 Events turn the Radcliffe room into a club with the best sound and lighting, along with the fantastic DJ and Gilo on percussion. Joel picked me up and spun me around while all our friends and family danced around us till 2am.

From start to finish my day was perfect. We then took off to Vegas for some fun, before a week of pure bliss in Bora Bora, the French Polynesian island. Truly fabulous!