A beautiful Cheshire wedding filled with love and laughter. Our WED2B Real Weddings feature reveals more:

Rachel and Lee met at work in 2015. “We spent two years as argumentative work colleagues!” smiles Rachel. “We used to clash over most things but Brexit in particular, although it was actually the Brexit debate that really sparked things for us. It took a while but we had our first date in March 2017.”

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

 

The big question

Lee proposed in June 2017 while the couple were in Liverpool having dinner at the London Carriage Works. “He then took me to choose an engagement ring myself the following weekend,” says Rachel. “We hadn’t been dating long but we’d known each other for two and a half years by then.”

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

Finding the dream dress

Rachel visited WED2B’s Bolton store in October 2018, specifically to see the Tara dress. “I’d seen it online and when I tried it on I loved it, even though the only one in the store was a size 22,” says Rachel. “I knew that it was the one for me, so I bought it from another WED2B store over the phone there and then, and had it delivered to Bolton. I didn’t need to try it on to know that it was the one for me! It was so simple yet the heavy satin felt luxurious. It really did make me feel like a princess. I also chose a belt, which I had attached. About four months later I visited the Manchester store too and chose the Willa veil. It was exactly what I had in mind; light, slim and very elegant.”

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

The perfect Cheshire wedding venue

The couple married on 5th May 2019 at Crewe Hall, a Cheshire wedding venue. “I’d previously visited Crewe Hall and knew that Lee would absolutely love it there,” says Rachel. “He was blown away with the décor and it completely suited us and our love of castles and old properties. There were so many beautiful rooms and so much history but the addition of the chapel was the icing on the cake.”

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

Let’s get married!

Firstly the couple had a civil ceremony with just 17 guests in Crewe Hall’s Carved Parlour. Then, after a short champagne reception, they headed to the chapel where a local priest conducted a beautiful blessing. "We had a small intimate ceremony, which was perfect for us and exactly how we wanted it,” says Rachel. “My Dad walked me down the aisle to a piano instrumental version of Christina Perry’s ‘A Thousand Years’. My favourite memory and I think everyone else’s as well, was when our eight-month-old daughter, Florence, was wheeled in by her older sister Willow in a wedding wagon. She certainly stole the show!”

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

Drinks and canapés

The ceremony was followed by more champagne and canapés and then speeches and dinner at 7 pm. “I wanted clean and crisp décor, with a feel of chic, Hollywood glamour. So we went for all white with a hint of glitz and plenty of candlelight,” says Rachel. “I hired a venue dresser to prepare the room for the ceremony and then to turn the room around for the meal. We also had a boardroom-style table that we could all sit around. My Mum made our rose gold, white and blush pink cake decorated with handmade sugar paste roses. It was lemon cake with lemon curd filling. My Mum’s cakes are amazing and I wouldn’t have anyone else make our wedding cake.”

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

Happy memories…

“My most memorable moment was marrying my soulmate and the father of our baby girl and then making our promises in the chapel at the blessing,” says Rachel. “There was also the amazing four-course bespoke dinner, which we'd designed with the chefs. One funny moment was when I nearly lost my Jimmy Choo heel down the cattle grid on the driveway when we went for an adventure with our photographer!”

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

Top tip…

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” says Rachel. “Everything was perfect. Having a small wedding allowed us to spend time with everyone and also to spend plenty of time together, just Lee and I. We even snuck away before dinner with a glass of wine and sat in the gardens to really take it all in. It was such a wonderful day and one that I will remember forever.”

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

Rachel’s Dream Team:

Photographer: Esme Whiteside Photography (esmewhitesidephotography.co.uk)

Venue: Crewe Hall (crewehallcheshire.co.uk)

Florist and Décor: Vintage Venue Dressing (vintagevenuedressing.co.uk)

Hair and Makeup: Bridal Hair and Makeup of Cheshire (themakeupcheshire.com)

Real Weddings Bolton: Rachel and Lee’s small Cheshire wedding

Did your wedding have the wow factor like our Cheshire wedding? If you would like your big day to be one of our real weddings then click here to share your beautiful wedding story and photos and we’ll be in touch!