How did you meet?
In true 21st century fashion we met online (on Bumble!) and after our first date on a cold January night we never looked back. We clicked straight away and consider ourselves best friends as well as husband and wife.

What made you choose Haarlem as your wedding venue?

We were looking for somewhere warm, welcoming and relaxed where we could have all our celebrations - including our humanist ceremony - in the same place as the partying! Haarlem was the perfect mix of rural and industrial and the setting of the beautiful mill building against the Peak District countryside was the perfect balance for us. We felt at home right from our first visit and knew it was the right place for us to celebrate. We loved the character of the building and the space available - there is a perfect mix of comfortable lounge areas and bigger banquet/ceremony rooms but these all feel linked and interconnected - nowhere is shut off or ‘out of the way’. Additionally, Shannon and the team were so organised and friendly. We know we were in safe hands.

What has been your favourite part of planning your wedding?

We loved having a project between the two of us, for the two of us! For us the most important thing was the people who we had invited to celebrate with us, so amidst all the decisions about clothes, food, music etc. we kept being reminded about all the people who were coming to join us and felt so excited about the day.

Tell us a bit about your theme or colour scheme? What inspired you, have you made anything yourself or added any personal touches?

Originally we thought we would have a neutral colour scheme of whites, yellows and greenery. Haarlem is such a beautiful setting that we knew we could keep things minimal. However, in the midst of our planning on a grey winter’s afternoon we completely changed our minds and decided to go for a brightly coloured theme. We didn’t regret it - from the beautiful flowers, to the decor (we made all the signs and our ‘Islay Whisky’ themed table plan ourselves), through to the bridesmaids’ different coloured dresses, we were thrilled with how the aesthetic came together on the day.

What was the most memorable part of your wedding day?
Looking into each others’ eyes and making our vows (all part of our wonderful humanist ceremony, led by Meg) was definitely the most special point for both of us, but everything came together (massive thanks to Shannon!) to make it the most amazing day from start to finish.

Full list of suppliers:
Photographer - @carolinegooseyphotography
Stylist - N/A
Florist - @jjweddings
Hair - @lakelliotmua
MUA - @lakelliotmua
Dress - @emilybridalwear
Suits - DKNY (groom)/M&S/Next
Music - @jonnyrossmusic
Entertainment - as above
Anyone else you want to shout out - @megseniorceremonies (humanist celebrant) & @victorialoubridal (bridesmaid dresses)

Bethan & Andrew