I don’t know where to begin with Em & Luke, but getting to know them over the course of their wedding planning journey was such a joy that we’re all now firmly friends and there is a constant insta-message thread going on between us virtually 24/7. Their wedding at The Lancrigg was so special, carefully curated and perfectly executed (if you don’t mention the cake topper, IYKYK.) They’ve taken such care in filling out my questionnaire for this blog that I’m going to let them do the talking but safe to say I’m looking forward to ticking off some more Wainwrights with them very soon.

If you’re planning your own wedding at The Lancrigg, or another incredible Lake District wedding venue, I’d love to chat some more; please do get in touch.

How did you meet?

We met at the Newcastle University water polo club Christmas meal in 2012. Luke was a PhD student and Em was a fresher. We met again a couple months later at Luke’s flatmate’s birthday drinks. Em initially wasn’t sure who he was when he added her on Facebook as ‘Ekul Sniktaw’. For their unofficial first date in September 2013, Em invited Luke round to build her Billy bookcase. A few days later she did not stumble into his arms on the finish line of the Great North Run due to a mix up on where the meeting place was, however the following week he cooked her fried rice and introduced her to Takamaka white rum (courtesy of his cool older bro Si who has a penchant for living on exotic islands) and the rest as they say is history.

Tell me your proposal story

We got engaged on Saturday 17th February 2024 at the top of the Old Man of Coniston – on what was possibly the wettest day for a hike with absolutely no views due to the cloud cover. The day had already been marked in the shared calendar as “Engagement Hike” as there had been several aborted attempts after being over ambitious in how many Wainwrights we could cover in one day. When we got to the summit of the Old Man we sat down on the cairn and Luke went into his backpack and said “will you… eat a banana” and pulled out a banana. Which I accepted. I then noticed that Luke was shivering from the cold and his raincoat was absolutely saturated, which when he unzipped it his gilet looked like it had come out of the washing machine so I immediately told him to take it off and put on his puffer jacket. Whilst he was changing I remembered I had some peanut butter sandwiches in my bag and having had my hunger sparked by the banana I decided I would sit and eat them. Luke became inpatient and asked me if I could eat any quicker, so whilst choking down the rest of my sandwich he then said he wanted to change his socks(!!). This was Luke trying to throw me off the scent as the ring box was hidden in a pair of socks. Next thing I knew he said “can you hold this for me” and he placed the ribbon from the ring box on my gloved hand. I immediately recognised it from where I had found it hidden in Luke’s bath bomb collection some months previously… when he asked me “Emily Yolland will you be my wife?” the first thing that came out of my mouth was “I didn’t think this was ever going to happen” and lunged for the ring and tried to ram it on my hand but the cold had caused the ring to shrink so it was a tight fit. Luke then said “are you going to give me an answer then?” and I said “YES! 100 times YES!” and we took some photos with the cloud backdrop and took the ring back off and walked back down the mountain, smiling all the way. We left puddles on the floor of the Black Bull where we celebrated with plates of scampi and chips. As Luke was in the middle of a month long course at work we agreed we would not start planning the wedding in earnest until the first weekend of March when we visited the Lake District Wedding Fair, completely unprepared…

Why did you choose a wedding at The Lancrigg for your big day?

We fell in love with Lancrigg at first sight – it’s hard not to go as it is a gorgeous venue in a stunningly scenic location. The exclusive estate hire package allowed us to have an intimate wedding day where all guests were able to stay either onsite or a short walking distance to Thorney How next door and then in the evening have a larger party – with guests spoilt for choice of accommodation a short drive away in Grasmere village. As it was a March wedding, we always knew we would get married in the barn. Although an outside ceremony on the lawn would have been stunning, we didn’t want to risk tempting fate with the weather Gods and also wanted to make sure the ceremony was comfortable for all of our guests ranging from 1 to octogenarian. With the help of Lancrigg team, Emma Jane Events and Ash at In The Meadow Floral Design we were able to personalise the barn which served as our backdrop for the ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening reception. As we were very fortunate with the weather – despite what weather forecasts predicted the week leading up to the wedding – we were able to be outside for the drinks reception and guests were able to spend their time mingling in the grounds and meeting the special guests Carmelo and Jura from Wreay Syke Alpacas. Watching back the wedding film, Luke’s dad commented he didn’t remember it raining and that it was sunshine all weekend when he saw the footage from the golden hour portraits.

What was it you loved about your outfits and accessories that made you choose them?

Em: I discovered my wedding dress on Instagram long before we were engaged and knew it was the one for me which a jaunt to Sheffield with both mums confirmed. Lunaria gown from Kate Beaumont. I loved the champagne hammered silk which I paired with a fingertip pearl studded veil by Helen Martin which perfectly reflected the fabric of the dress. As a naturally cold person who was getting married in the Lake District in March, I knew I would need some bridal knitwear. Thankfully Kate had designed a gorgeous mohair shrug which I re-wore on our mini moon at Another Place, The Lake and look forward to wearing again and again.

After the group portraits I changed into my teal Darn Tough socks and blue Scarpa hiking boots for our photoshoot down at the bridge. I originally bought the boots with the wedding in mind back in the summer of 2023 with the intention of getting engaged in them as the blue would coordinate with my engagement ring. (In the end I did not wear them when we got engaged as it was a soaking wet day in February and I did not want them to get obliterated with mud).

I adored my light blue Disco Space pyjamas from Their Nibs which I wore for getting ready in. My bro/Man of Honour Stephen kindly gifted me these for Christmas. The print was very on brand with the wedding decor. I also treated members of my bridal party (including the kids) to pyjamas from Their Nibs – one my favourite lounge wear companies. I intentionally avoided anything personalised with roles/dates on etc. The only items that broke this rule was a pair of hot pink Man of Honour socks for my bro from Rock on Ruby and personalised “in my flower girl era” tees from Retrostate Ltd for our nieces who changed into them after the group photos.

I stuck to a blue theme for my accessories. An Elizabeth Scarlett “W” floral pouch embroidered with my new initials ECW, blue Scarpa hiking boots, teal blue Darn Tough socks, blue sunglasses from Cubitts, my original plan for footwear for the evening do was to wear pearlescent Air & Grace Cru trainers with blue laces and Sweaty Betty baby blue trainer liners but unfortunately due to an ongoing foot injury I ended up wearing my seafoam pastel HOKA trainers.

For me the most difficult thing to decide for the wedding was choosing new glasses. The blue Cubitts sunglasses were a no-brainer which in the end I think only my childhood cuddly toy Flopsy ended up wearing on the day. Thank goodness for free returns as I ended up buying 3 different pairs of reading glasses.

It would be remiss of me to mention the Mrs Watkins cape by Let Us Pretend which I had previously worn on my hen do at ABBA Voyage. Inspired by my bridesmaid Amy who had a locket with her late dad’s photo attached to her wedding bouquet, I knew I needed to have a locket with my late grandad and great uncle. To reflect my “bookish” personality I purchased a book shaped locket.

My brother surprised me on the morning of the wedding that he was wearing a pair of shoes belonging to our beloved grandad, Derrick, which he had restored. Our wedding should have been sponsored by Scarpa and Darn Tough as we both wore their products on the day. I bought Luke, his best men, ushers, both dad’s, my Man of Honour and his partner “Cumbria” socks by Stand4Socks. I thought they were fun and would be a good memento of the day. I love the ethos of the brand – for every pair bought they donate a pair to charity. I love Hannah’s pictures of the socks peeking out. Luke didn’t get to wear his on our wedding day as he wore his Scarpa hiking boots all day with olive green Darn Tough socks.

Luke: I wanted to wear my walking boots for the ceremony so I had less chance of falling over… Em picked me out a floral print shirt to change into for the evening which featured flowers that were included in our wedding flowers.

Tell me about the vision you had for your wedding including your theme/colour scheme/styling/flowers

My enquiry to Hannah included the words: relaxed, colourful and quirky. Green featured very heavily in our wedding colour scheme. Inspired by the setting of The Lancrigg itself – the quirky faux foliage, the emerald ceiling in the dining room, the bar #HEAVEN. The olive green bridesmaid dresses from Rewritten Bridesmaids were one of the earliest things ordered. We then ordered matching ties, sashes for the flower girl dresses and hair bows for the bridesmaids and flower girls. I loved them so much I have since bought a Rewritten olive green dress to wear as a guest at another wedding.

Our flower boy wore a sailor suit made by Alfie & Dot in homage to Luke’s job building submarines. I had previously agreed with his mum before he was even born that he would wear a sailor suit at our wedding. This was also partly inspired by the outfits worn by the Cambridge children for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for QEII.

We decided on New Years Eve 2025 watching Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s New Year’s Eve Disco that we wanted mirror balls on our wedding day… Thankfully Emma Jane Events who was our fabulous wedding coordinator was able to provide, as well as waterfall fairy lights which enhanced the barn’s natural beauty. Em had already much earlier in the wedding planning process ordered a personalised mirror ball from AllHerGlory to display. This ended up being a centre piece in The Poet’s Bar displayed on a vase provided by the hotel and we’ve since bought a duplicate vase to display the mirror ball at home.

Em had been collecting wedding ideas on Instagram and Pinterest since circa 2020 (long before we were engaged). Two of these ideas were a banner and bibs by Tanya at Daydreamer Creative Studio, as well as Sara Nelson’s Grasmere gingerbread. Once we had booked Lancrigg this was a no brainer and a popular choice for couples getting married there. The personalised plastic pint glasses were one of the best wedding purchases and we paid Happy Cups to design the graphic. When I asked Luke what he wanted he said “sheep”. So the brief I gave them was “our names, wedding date, location, olive green, mountains, sheep”. These worked brilliantly with the “pour your own pint” bar. Nothing makes me happier than seeing photos of the glasses “in the wild” when friend’s send pictures of them after the wedding. My Uncle Phil even took one up to Easedale Tarn the day after the wedding.

We kept the styling for the wedding breakfast intentionally laidback. Emphasizing the rustic trestle tables with the gorgeous pops of colour from the floral arrangements reused from the ceremony. Each guest had a mini wooden mountain place setting and Sara Nelson’s Grasmere gingerbread as a wedding favour. Table names were displayed on mini log stumps. The table names were named after some of the Wainwright fells we’ve hiked together – it was a no brainer our sweetheart table was The Old Man of Coniston, where we got engaged. My parents were sat on Helm Crag (situated behind the Lancrigg) and Luke’s parents on Haystacks (Wainwright’s favourite fell). We even seated our usher Manaz on Causey Pike which is a fell we hiked with him back in 2021. Luke wanted to name them after traditional Cumbrian phrases for counting sheep but I drew the line at having “pimp” and “dick” on the table plan, which was a gorgeous calligraphy mirror table plan.

Em’s brother Stephen’s partner Aaron was responsible for illustrating The Lancrigg for the wedding stationery and designing it up in Canva. After lots of back and forth on the design, for the font we took inspiration from the lettering on the banner and bibs for the final designs. Tanya also provided valuable advice on what to select when printing the welcome sign. Not to gatekeep: display boards – 5mm foamex – Printed.com.

I’ve always wanted my own train set, so buying one for the wedding to keep the younger guests entertained was a no-brainer. We set this up on a coffee table in the lounge in Lancrigg and it was enjoyed by guests of all ages.

Sustainability was at the core of our wedding day. Our flowers by the incredibly talented Ash at In The Meadow Floral Design, who created the most wonderful bouquets and displays using seasonal locally grown flowers. I adored our wedding flowers and I am so glad I booked Don’t Throw the Bouquet and Lancaster Flower Press so that they live on, not just in the pictures and on film. For the majority of things purchased for styling the wedding, we wanted to be able to use them after the wedding as memories of the day. The welcome sign, mirror ball, “Watkins Wedding” brown tourist sign are all on display in our living room and the banner hangs in our bedroom.

What was your first dance and why did you choose it?

Our first dance was to Take My Breathe Away by Berlin… continuing the Top Gun theme of the day as Emily walked down the aisle to the Top Gun anthem. We asked the DJ to mix it into Danger Zone: another classic from Top Gun… and a dancefloor filler! Why the obsession with Top Gun you may ask? Luke’s nickname from uni was Cougar after the film. Iceman, Merlin and Jester were also in attendance for the evening and serenaded the bride with You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.

What were the most wonderful parts of the day for you?

Em: Hanging out in the grounds of The Lancrigg with Carmelo & Jura the alpacas. Luke and myself being doused in a sea of flower petals leaving the barn. Dancing the night away with so many loved ones at our own private disco!

Luke: All of it.

Why did you choose Hannah Hall Photography as your photographer, and what was your experience of your photography on the day?

Why? Em found Hannah on Instagram when she started following her and she recognised her from her own wedding photos. Prior to discovering The Lancrigg, and when we thought we wanted a much smaller wedding, Em was very keen to view Hause Hall Farm because of the Instagram post of the sheep looking through the window.

We had a discovery call and bonded over a love of statement glasses, outdoor adventures and dogs! Aside from falling in love with her style of photography, we knew Hannah was the one for us – a kindred spirit who is also attempting to hike all 214 Wainwrights before her 40th birthday like Em. Hannah and Rhys also had a banner made by Tanya at Daydreamer Creative Studio at their wedding. Hannah provided much needed advice on what colour to go for when Em had decision paralysis because they all looked so good and didn’t know what would look best.

The experience: Hannah was an absolute dream of a photographer to work with and exactly who you want on your team for one of the biggest days of your life. (Her husband Rhys, our videographer is pretty amazing, too! Spoiler: Lake District wedding supplier power couple alert!!). We loved having Hannah photograph our wedding and be part of our day and feel so lucky that she was free and we love that we’ll always be her OG Lancrigg wedding.

At the time of booking we also booked an engagement shoot on Gummer’s How for September 2024. Unfortunately the rain disrupted play but by postponing 2 weeks we were able to mark the official 6 month countdown to the wedding. The postponement was worth the wait and the photoshoot put us both at ease being in front of the camera and we had a fun afternoon being windswept.

Based on the pictures from our engagement shoot we knew our wedding day pictures would be amazing. Those pictures absolutely blew our minds and I still haven’t changed my laptop wallpaper from a Gummers photo to a wedding photo. During the planning process, Hannah shared a wealth of wedding planning knowledge with us. Her planning doc was super helpful and definitely made us think of things we hadn’t thought of. Hannah captured our day perfectly – our pictures are a riot of colour and raw emotion – and quite simply, will be treasured forever. I especially love how Hannah was able to make sure that all the small details were carefully documented so that I can revisit them again and again. We’ve already pre-paid for our album but I have no idea how we’re going to be able to choose the pictures to go in it – there are just too many amazing ones to pick from!! So in the meantime I’m going to take her advice of enjoying the photos for 6 months first…

What would be your best bit of advice to other couples planning their wedding?

Em: Talk about what you both would like from your wedding BEFORE you attend a wedding fair/venue open day! We didn’t and were quickly flummoxed when asked questions we couldn’t answer because we hadn’t really discussed it. Hire a wedding coordinator – worth every penny of the investment and means family and friends can enjoy the day as well. Remember it is YOUR day – make it as authentically YOU as possible.

Luke: Consider high quality sound equipment & music experience. Provide earplugs for staff/guests (safety first!). Bring a change of shirt to freshen up for the evening!

Em & Luke’s wedding at The Lancrigg happened with the help of the following suppliers…

Hair Hair by Emma Brennan / MUA Makeup by Polly W / Venue The Lancrigg / Dress Kate Beaumont

Veil Helen Martin Veils / Rings Flinn & Steel & Charlotte Rowenna / Suits Next / Bridesmaids Rewritten London

Flowers In The Meadow Floral Design / Cake Bramble & Wild / Caterer Karen Rhodes Weddings & Events

Styling & Coordination Emma Jane Events / Videographer Rhys Beddoe / Confetti Shropshire Petals