I don’t know where to begin with Lauren and Tom because they’re just brilliant. When you pick up the phone to chat to a prospective couple and within a minute it’s like you’re talking to one of your oldest mates, you know you’re onto a good one. They chose to hold their wedding at The Gaddum at Brockhole on Winderemere and I love that their choice of venue was not only rooted in it’s location (let’s face it, it’s incredible with views stretching over Windermere to the Langdales) but also supporting the upkeep of our national park. They planned an intimate day with 20 guests for the ceremony and dinner before heading to a local hotel for an evening party, but as their guests headed back to Kendal for party, we headed down to the lake for portraits and they’re some of my favourite pictures EVER… We just don’t mention the bit where I nearly left a camera on a rock in the lake… 

Here’s to more sunny weddings on Windermere this year.

HOW DID YOU MEET?

We met at Hull University. I was one of the lead members of a society (3rd year) and he was signing up to it as a first year. Funnily enough, I actually typed out his email address wrong so he never received any of our first few emails, it was only after a few weeks where he had the urge to get in touch and chase me for further information about what we as a society were up to next (Human Rights Action).

A few months later, despite me being a 3rd year and him a 1st year, we started dating.

Coincidence, kismet, who knows.

TELL ME YOUR PROPOSAL STORY

Forever I have envisioned my proposal at the shores of Grasmere, it was the first place in the Lake District I fell in love with when I arrived 12 years ago as a city girl from west Yorkshire…

On the morning of the proposal, Tom said we should go to the lake somewhere, and allowed me to pick. I was craving a Hot Cross Bun Doughnut from the Apple Pie Bakery in Ambleside, so we chose to have breakfast and wander down to Borrans Park in Ambleside. I was eight months pregnant, hadn’t done my nails, make up or hair, but the big criterion was met – nobody could see it happen other than us.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE YOUR WEDDING AT THE GADDUM?

We’d obviously been over the years several times, but our wedding at The Gaddum at Brockhole just sung to us because of how unusual it is, and the fact that nobody we knew had ever had a wedding there. Speaking to Mataya too, it seemed like everything clicked.

I knew that the building was a Lake District National Park one, but knowing the money we’d spend would go back into the building and the area made it so much special for us, especially as locals. They weren’t there to make a huge profit all for the sake of the word ‘wedding’.

It’s such a special family place, so it’s one that we will be going to for years to come… Plus, those views. Amazing.

WHAT WAS IT YOU LOVED ABOUT YOUR OUTFITS AND ACCESSORIES THAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THEM?

I’m not the typical bride, and ASOS was just the one for me, I didn’t want to waste money on something i’d never wear again.

I chose the trainers because I live in trainers or boots, I am tall enough as it is, and I couldn’t do it without a designer like Ralph Lauren.

The big shout out has to be my hair by Hayley at Room Ten in Kendal, We truly collaborated to what we had and after trying out probably 6 hairstyles, we settled on my classic Hollywood look. From that came the lipstick which was a Hollywood Red one.

TELL ME ABOUT THE VISION YOU HAD FOR YOUR WEDDING

The Gaddum was built around the lake views so i wanted to honour that. From this, I chose to have blue vases and bring the lake inside, the sort of dream clear blue glass that you envision when you think of the lakes.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST DANCE AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE IT?

You’ve Got the Love by Florence and the Machine, sung by the band we hired. Our friends joined us after the first verse and it was such a great memory.

WHAT WERE THE MOST WONDERFUL PARTS OF THE DAY FOR YOU?

I loved looking out at all of our favourite people during lots of the parts of the day and thinking ‘wow, they’re all here for us!’ – that was so special! And everyone was just so happy all day!

Tom: Seeing Lauren come down the aisle to The XX – our first band

Lauren: The hour with Hannah and Rhys after everyone left. It was just fun. We had private moments, we had laughs, we had the views. It was just a moment for us to enjoy the moments we had. Also, we did more PDA in that hour than we had in the last year!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE HANNAH HALL PHOTOGRAPHY AS YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER, AND WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE DAY?

I loved Hannah’s portfolio and as soon as I had a phone call with her, I was in love.

In the nicest possible way, the traditional photos that I see a carbon copy of in each house was not for us. Tom and I are the equivalent of Monica and Chandler, we would not do well with that pressure of getting it right.

Photography on the day was amazing, I knew even before we saw previews that she’d captured the real us. As soon as I heard that she’d taken photos of the playstation being played, I knew she had us nailed. There are so many moments from the photo album that she’s captured that true friendship that Tom and I have. Sometimes they’re only milliseconds, of looks between us, or giggles. Nobody usually notices those moments we have, but Hannah did and captured them perfectly.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BEST BIT OF ADVICE TO OTHER COUPLES PLANNING THEIR WEDDING?

Think outside of the box from the normal photo locations. If the lake is calling, take off your shoes and get in!

LAUREN + TOM’S WEDDING AT THE GADDUM HAPPENED WITH THE HELP OF THE FOLLOWING SUPPLIERS

Hair Room 10 Kendal / Makeup Kacey Walker / Bride’s Outfit ASOS

Flowers LiliLou’s of Ambleside / Venue The Gaddum at Brockhole on Windermere / Videography Rhys Beddoe

Suppliers please drop me a line for image use!

HELLO, IS IT ME YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?

If you’re planning a Lake District wedding, or having your wedding at The Gaddum at Brockhole on Windermere, I’d love to chat some more.

SEEN ENOUGH? DROP ME A LINE.