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Maisie and Ques were engaged during the pandemic and, after watching others schedule and reschedule their weddings or opt for elopements, the two decided to quickly tie the knot. Two weeks before their wedding, the United Kingdom announced that wedding numbers would need to be reduced from 30 guests to just 15. The change was set to kick in weeks before their planned wedding date.
Maisie pulled her wedding forward and reorganized the event—in one hour. They had their wedding ceremony at a venue built in 1609, Tissington Hall with a reception in the rose garden. Maisie looked stunning in her gown with thousands of flowers stitched in.
We’re so glad Natalie J Weddings was there to capture this intimate Tissington Hall wedding. Keep scrolling to see the perfect English micro wedding planned in an hour.
The Couple: Maisie and Ques
The Wedding: Tissington Hall, Peak District, England
Incorporating Themselves Into The Wedding
We wanted our wedding to represent us both as individuals and as a couple. I wanted people to walk in and say “oh that’s so them.” We didn’t cater to anyone else but us—it was a day dedicated to Ques and I, the way a wedding should be, and I actually believe our guests enjoyed it more because of that. There was no worrying about what other people wanted. We stayed true to ourselves completely and it paid off.
A Tissington Hall Wedding Memory
After we were married and we’d just had a few moments to ourselves, we were announced into The Carriage House for our Tissington Hall wedding and we walked into the room to see all the faces of the people dearest to us, all bursting with love. It was quite surreal as we’d hardly seen anyone for most of the year after being in lockdown. That image sticks in our minds and we talk about it all the time.
Building The Dream Wedding Team
When I selected the vendors I wanted to use, I made sure I had a good connection with them all. I believe that every detail for your wedding is important, no matter how small. It’s the finer details that bring it all together. So don’t just pick someone for the sake of it. For example, even our cake was carefully selected for its style. I didn’t just pick a cake because we needed to have one, I’d followed BAKE Ashbourne for ages. I knew she was the lady for our wedding cake because she suited our style. The same goes for every wedding vendor we used.
Get Organized Early On
Being super organized helped me a lot, I had lists, schedules, apps which all came in handy when Boris Johnson changed lockdown restrictions which made me move the date last minute! We were very lucky that we found a venue with a wedding planner. Fiona, the wedding planner at Tissington Hall saved my life. She saved me from having wedding and personal meltdowns numerous times.
Personalized Wedding Favors
We had beautiful personalized boxes made by The Cross Eyed Fox who I found on Etsy and filled them with a packet of wildflower seeds. I adore flowers and wanted guests to take these away and plant them and see them grow. We also included delicious Macaroons (inspired by Marie Antoinette) made by Petit Pithivier from Etsy—but local to Derbyshire. She also included a couple of vegan cupcakes for our vegan guests.
Working with Natalie J Weddings
Natalie was an absolute dream to work with. I feel honoured that she took our booking. I was totally fangirling when she arrived. She just knew everything, had so much advice to offer, and was so professional. Natalie whizzed around all day and looking back on the photographs I can’t even remember her being there snapping half of them, she wasn’t intrusive at all. Everyone felt comfortable around her and she was just perfect.
Congratulations to Maisie and Ques on their beautifully intimate Tissington Hall wedding! Special thanks to Natalie J Weddings for sharing it with us. If Maisie and Ques’ intimate wedding has you feeling inspired, you’re in luck. Whether you have a small or large guest list, we can show you how to make it an intimate affair to remember.
Denise and Lee had a rustic goth enchanted garden wedding at The Poe Museum, and their wedding featured handfasting ceremony with beautiful handfasting cords. If you’re curious about handfasting, Offbeat Bride has a massive archive dedicated to handfasting ceremonies and weddings, but today we’re going to share Denise and Lee’s handfasting ceremony script. If you’re thinking of doing a handfasting ceremony, this script will give you ideas for your vows and ceremony wording. This ceremony script uses the words bride and groom to reflect Denise and Lee’s wedding, but of course the language could easily be tweaked for a wedding with folks who identify as LGBTQ or nonbinary.
Wedding ceremony introduction
Today, this couple comes before us to enter into the sacred covenant of marriage, vowing to be partners through the trials and triumphs of their shared life.
They are declaring to each other and to all of us present that they will be by each other’s side, no matter what life brings their way.
The marriage ceremony has been an important feature of nearly every culture, religion, generation, and society.
We have thousands of important moments that happen throughout our lives, but this one is regarded as one so meaningful that we acknowledge its special status by sharing it with others.
Why this moment?
Because, despite all our unique differences, love is what we all share. Love is the great unifier — our one universal truth. No matter who we are, where we have come from, what we believe, we know this one thing . . . love is what we’re doing right.
Love is why you both are standing here. That’s why you all have been invited to watch them stand up here at this moment and be reminded that the ability to love or to be loved unconditionally is the most precious gift a person can give or they can receive by someone.
Handfasting ceremony
As I ask the two of you these questions, please respond together, making your promises before this circle of witnesses.
[Bride] and [Groom], will you honor and respect one another? (We will)
Will you support and assist each other in times of pain and sorrow? (We will)
Will you be present in the difficult and challenging times so that you may grow strong in this union? (We will)
Will you share each other’s laughter and joy and look for the brightness and fun in life and the positive in each other? (We will)
Is it your intention to bring peace and harmony into your everyday ways of communicating? (It is)
And when you falter, will you have the courage and commitment to remember these promises and take a step back towards one another with an open heart? (We will)
Are you willing now and always to make this commitment to each other? (We do)
This cord represents the marital bond. It is strong enough to hold you together during times of struggle yet flexible enough to allow for individuality and personal growth.
Please join hands.
And now, as your hands are bound together, I ask you to declare your vows to each other, repeating after me.
Handfasting Vows
[Groom], please repeat after me as you look at [Bride].
I, [Groom] Promise you, [Bride] That I will be your husband from this day forward, To love and respect you, To support and to hold you, To make you laugh And to be there when you cry, To softly kiss you when you are hurting, And to be your companion and your best friend, On this journey that we will now make together as one.
[Bride], please repeat after me as you look at [Groom]. I, [Bride] Promise you, [Groom] That I will be your wife from this day forward, To love and respect you, To support and to hold you, To make you laugh And to be there when you cry, To softly kiss you when you are hurting, And to be your companion and your best friend, On this journey that we will now make together as one.
As your hands are now bound together, so shall your lives be bound as one.
Keep this cord as a visible reminder of your promise to one another, and let no one unbind it as long as you both shall live.
Ring exchange
Who has the rings?
We all understand the gesture that you are now making. To reach out to someone and be acknowledged, held, and loved is what we all want. Taking the hand of the one who loves you is the symbol of that unspoken bond.
You fell in love by chance, but you’re here today because you’re making a choice. You both are choosing each other. You’ve chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile, and makes every day brighter.
Every day, as you look down, you will see a brief flash of light, a sparkle as the ring place on your finger today will shine. It will remind you, again and again, over and over, of your promise to your loved one. Every time you take hands, you will feel that wedding ring on your partner’s hand, and you will both be reminded again in turn.
It will always be with you, visible, worn openly, and with pride. It will say to the world that someone loves me enough to make me a promise to share a life.
[Groom], please take [Bride]’s hand, place the ring on her finger, and repeat after me as you look at her: I give you this ring in token and pledge of my abiding love. [Bride], please take [Groom]’s hand, place the ring on his finger, and repeat after me as you look at him: I give you this ring in token and pledge of my abiding love.
May you enjoy a lifetime of love and peace, happiness, and prosperity.
Go in peace. Live in joy
By the authority vested in me by the [State or Region], I now pronounce you husband and wife.
When it comes to the 90s, we think about AOL Instant Messenger, scrunchies, and VHS tapes, right? With that nostalgia in mind, Junebug Member Nikk Nguyen Photo and his talented team created a vibrant and fun 90s wedding inspiration shoot. With colorful, rainbow streamers and clear inflatable chairs, wedding planner XO Moreau Weddings elevated the 90s vibe by adding stunning florals by The Farmer & I Flower Co and minimalistic table decor.
To stay on the 90s trend, the bride rocked a two-piece, puffy, off-the-shoulder gown from Unbridaled while the groom wore a striped t-shirt under a Bonobo’s grey suit. Plus, they added narrow, rectangle sunglasses to complete their ensembles. Trust us when we say that you’ll want to grab your Walkman and Pop Rocks for this one.
The Photographer’s 90s Wedding Inspiration
With this 90s wedding inspiration shoot at The Riley Building, we wanted to create a chic and modern throwback to a classic decade. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The vendors went all out with a playful 1990s-inspired wedding design. It was really important for the designers to mimic the fashion, colors, and vibe of the 90s. With stunning streamers from Pop & Drop, neon flowers with butterfly accents from The Farmer & I, and the inflatable lounge rentals from Bee Lavish, this 90s wedding inspiration shoot was rad!
When lowkey couple Katarina and Reed got engaged, they knew they wanted a small elopement with just the two of them. The elopement in NYC was complete with a ceremony at Long Dock Park overlooking the Hudson River, portraits around the Big Apple captured beautifully by Junebug member Villetto Photography, and a relaxing afternoon at Nomad Hotel.
Although the affair was the epitome of laidback, we love every casual detail–from Katarina’s stunning Banana Republic skirt and sweater combo to the simple bouquet from Flora Good Times.
As if the easygoing elopement wasn’t enough, the day ended with a serendipitous performance from a jazz band in Madison Square Garden. Read on to see how these two proved that your wedding day is less about the party and more about celebrating your unconditional love!
The Couple:
Katarina and Reed
The Wedding:
Beacon and Manhattan, New York City
Shop similar bridal looks:
No Regrets At This Small Elopement in NYC
We will never regret that it was just the two of us with our amazing photographers who captured everything to show to our friends and family. We believe the vows and day are between the couple, not the entire world.
We didn’t make one single plan other than our vows with the mayor. I’m very type A, and not having a plan for anything is my actual nightmare. I’m proud that we were able to live in the moment and enjoy every second of it–best decision I’ve ever made.
Aside from the photos of our vows, my favorite would be the snap of us right after our first dance in Madison Square Garden. I remember the feeling I had walking away from the band, and Villetto Photography captured it. I’ll be able to look at that picture for the rest of my life and remember that feeling then seeing my husband right next to me with the same look on his face. We were on cloud nine.
A castle, a rain shower, and a ceremony full of song–what more could you want in a wedding? Mel and Eugene’s Tuscan castle wedding at Castello il Palagio was the perfect combination of elegant and lively. While they could’ve let the rain during their music-filled outdoor ceremony get them down, the couple kept spirits high when they moved indoors to continue the nuptials.
After rain-soaked “I do’s” and taking stunning portraits in the vineyard, the newlyweds partied the night away with friends and family at a reception fit for royalty. With the help of CG Wedding & Event Designer, the couple transformed the space into an Italian dream using eucalyptus and olive leaves, candles galore, and gold decor. And of course, we can’t forget to mention Mel’s forest green one-shoulder Sarah Boadu reception gown and Eugene’s all-white outfit change–talk about taking wedding fashion to the next level.
One look at these photos beautifully captured by Benni Carol Photography, and you’ll be ready to galavant around the Tuscan countryside.
We are really proud of the choice we made for our wedding venue. Just when we thought we had found our dream location, Claudia encouraged us to see one more–Castello Il Palagio–and we fell in love. It was classic, romantic, and surrounded by vineyards. It was crucial to have a venue that could host our wedding both inside and outside, with stunning options in both cases. Even though the weather proved to be quite unpredictable on our wedding day, we were able to relax and have a great experience without worries or regrets.
Wedding Advice From The Bride
During our wedding planning process, we struggled a lot with COVID restrictions. Nevertheless, amid a pandemic, we had the most beautiful wedding in Florence. Looking at world events today, we cannot believe that we were even able to have our wedding. Not to mention flying out 90 guests from London—no one caught COVID due to our planner’s diligence and safety precautions—and us having the best day of our lives. Claudia–of CG Events–was nothing short of amazing. Our wedding was originally scheduled for June 4th, 2020, but took place–by nothing short of a miracle–on September 20th, 2020. So my best advice to all the couples out there would be to try and stay positive even if things don’t go as initially planned. And trust your wedding vendors.
Traditional Italian Wedding Day Vibes
We were looking for a typical “Tuscan vibe.” This meant lots of green with eucalyptus and Chianti olive leaves along with some white and champagne elements with a touch of gold. The stunning castle grounds and the surrounding chianti hills helped us realize what we were looking for–a romantic, warm, and earthly atmosphere.
Congratulations again to Mel and Eugene on their Tuscan castle wedding! We’re so thankful that Benni Carol Photography was there to capture the beauty of the day. Don’t forget to check out these six destination wedding tips before jetting off for your own destination “I do’s!”
