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Patchwork Couples

Emily and Steve on their Canadian honeymoon. Selfie shot with lake and mountains in background.
Honeymoon InspirationPatchwork Couples

A relaxed Staffordshire wedding and Canadian Honeymoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork couple Emily & Steve first met in October 2010 at university in Reading. They were in the same halls kitchen, becoming good friends first, and then getting together half way through their first year (with much help and encouragement from their friends!) They’ve been together ever since. Both originally from the Midlands, they’ve slowly moved back up the country, since leaving university and are now settled happily in Banbury. Today they tell us all about their gorgeous wedding at The Cowshed at Woodhall Farm, Staffordshire and the amazing Canadian honeymoon adventure they had – with a little help from family and friends!

How did you get engaged?

We were on holiday in San Francisco – Steve was there for a work trip and I joined him for the second week. He’d planned a hike at the Marin Headlands which he’d done with his work pals the week previous saying how amazing the views were. I thought something was going on as we approached a bench near the top and he said ‘let’s just wait for those people to move…’ Once it was quiet, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He’d made a temporary wooden ring which he’d managed to keep hidden. I, of course, said yes! We took in the view and ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we’d made for the walk.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We wanted a wedding that we would have been excited to go to ourselves. The most important things to us were tasty food and everyone having a dance (if they wanted to!) Neither of us like being the centre of attention so we wanted it to be a relaxed day, for us and those invited too. We asked family and friends to help make decorations and set up the day before which meant everyone felt involved in our day – even if it was just cutting out paper leaves!

Did you have a first dance?

We danced to ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’ by The Police. We didn’t really have a ‘song’, so we put together a playlist of our favourite songs and this one won.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Getting to have all our family and friends in the same room – finally! It was lovely chatting to people and catching up. We haven’t had such a big gathering since pre-covid. Having to cancel twice due to the pandemic meant this had been a long time coming. When I asked Steve he said his favourite part was getting to jump to the front of the queue for Disco Fries!

Why did you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

I found Patchwork on a wedding blog that was recommending alternative gift giving websites. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t drawn to Patchwork because it looked good. It wasn’t ‘wedding-y’ and we could make our page our own. The best bit was feeling like people were part of our honeymoon planning. It can be a bit awkward asking people, especially friends and family, for money. However this felt fun, and it was great to chat to people about the trip.

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

We asked for money to put towards our honeymoon in Canada. It was somewhere we’d always wanted to visit and felt like a perfect honeymoon location for us. We put together a list of things we wanted to do whilst we were away – bigger activities like a whale watching trip and smaller items like poutine or brunch – so guests could chose what things they’d like to contribute to.

What did your friends and family think?

They loved it. We had lots of comments about how they hadn’t seen anything like this before and how easy it was to use.

Where did you go on your honeymoon and what were the highlights?

Our adventure started in Vancouver and we spent a few days exploring the city. We walked the coastal path around Stanley Park, and went whale watching off the southern gulf islands. Seeing orcas and humpbacks was just incredible. We took a train through the rockies, arriving the next day in sunny Jasper. The next week was spent exploring the canyons, lakes and mountains of Alberta, finishing in Banff. It’s hard to choose a highlight – every place we visited was amazing, the people so friendly and the food delicious. We had the best time.

How did it feel knowing your friends and family had made it happen?

It was lovely. It felt like they were really part of it too. It was nice to share it with everyone.

And finally, what’s your no.1 top wedding planning tip?

Work out what you both really care about first, and prioritise. It’s your day, you can’t please everybody, so do what you guys love and try not to worry about everyone else.

Thanks so much Emily and Steve for sharing your beautiful words and gorgeous photos of your wedding day and Canadian honeymoon adventure. We’re so glad Patchwork could help you have the trip of a lifetime. If you’d love more love and less stuff for your wedding, you can set up your own honeymoon fund for a Canadian honeymoon or browse our 100s of other honeymoon destinations and start getting excited about your trip!

Here are some of the amazing suppliers that made Emily and Steve’s day extra special:

Venue: Cowshed at Wood Hall Farm

Food: Baked in Brick and Disco Fries

Drinks: Thirsty Nomad Bar

Photographer: Kate Jackson

Flowers: Flowerology

Cake: Made by Steve’s sister!

Outfits: Bride and Bridesmaids Monsoon and Groom and Groomsmen Slaters

Band: The Royale

Hair: Hair by Ellis

Makeup: Soie Makeup Georgina

p.s. you can listen to Emily and Steve’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Two white women on their wedding day, standing inside a whitewashed brick structure with a rustic feel and an open window behind them. One of the women has short blonde hair and wears a dark trouser suit and a white shirt. The other has long blonde hair and wears an ivory dress with an organza skirt and sleeveless bodice. They are both looking down at a large bouquet of flowers that they hold between them.
Patchwork Couples

A Kent wedding and Miami and Florida Keys honeymoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Today on the blog we put the big questions to Carlie from South East London and Sophia from Essex. They met on Tinder 6 years ago, have been together ever since and got married in Canterbury, Kent in summer 2021. The couple decided they didn’t want to just ask for money as a wedding gift, so they chose Patchwork for their wedding registry. They invited their guests to contribute towards some amazing experiences on their Miami and the Florida Keys honeymoon where they could really enjoy all the area had to offer, knowing their family and friends had helped make it happen!

How did you get engaged?

Carlie: Long Story. But I made a video, I went to all our favourite places, holding up a book with different things I loved about Sophia, at the end of the video I asked her to marry me. To show the video I surprised her by hiring a massive house out with each of our closest friends. When she arrived at the house thinking I was at work she came down into the cinema room where I was with lots of candles and flowers, I played the video and that is where she said “yes”. Then all our friends came out and surprised her and we partied all weekend together celebrating.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We planned a summer wedding in Canterbury, Kent and a unique venue with family & friends, where the drinks flowed and the dancing didn’t stop. It was small and personal to us.

Did you have a first dance?

We did, London Gramma “Baby it’s You“

What was your favourite part of the day?

Getting married and dancing with the phenomenal band we had; especially the 10 minutes of old school garage!

Why was Patchwork the best wedding registry choice for you?

A friend used it for their wedding and we thought it was such a good idea, very personal. We didn’t want to just ask for money for our honeymoon. It was important that it felt personal to the individual who was gifting us. We liked the fact that they could donate money knowing they had contributed to a part of our honeymoon: a couple of beers, some cocktails, money towards the flights. We enjoyed guests telling us what they had bought us.

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

A Miami and Florida Keys honeymoon. It made our honeymoon even more special and memorable with contributions from our friends and family for us to enjoy.

What did your family and friends think?

All our guests found it easy and simple to use with no questions. We liked choosing the different contributions our family and friends could make: a boat trip, a meal, a bottle of wine. We really liked we could do set pricing too, from £5 to £150, with different price ranges so people didn’t feel pressure as to how much to give. Guests appreciated having varied price points and choosing the different activities they could pay for us to enjoy on our honeymoon.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We went to Miami and Florida Keys. Among the highlights were: the ice hockey game, the beautiful beach, the basketball game in Miami, hiring a jeep and driving to the Keys, where we Kayaked, snorkelled and drank lots of wine. It felt great to know our family and friends were a part of it, and how they made it special in helping us making memories as a married couple.

As a recently married couple, do you have any top wedding planning tips?

Writing lists to tick off and help keep track! But most of all try to enjoy it, smile through it, go wine tasting if it is offered to you. You will only do this once, it comes round fast, so enjoy it and make the most of it.

Thanks so much Carlie and Sophia for sharing your wedding day and amazing honeymoon adventures with us! If you’ve been inspired to set up your own honeymoon fund to the USA or anywhere else in the world, sign up to Patchwork today!

Here are some of the wedding suppliers that helped make Carlie and Sophia’s wedding extra special:

Venue: The Night Yard, Canterbury

Photographer: Lisa Jane Photography

Flowers: Dove and Myrtle

Carlie’s Suit: King and Allen

Sophia’s dress: Rock the frock

Wedding stylist: Idyllic days

Stationery: Lynda Watson

Ice cream bike: Treats on a Tricycle

Band: Groove Zoo

p.s. You can listen to Carlie and Sophia’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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A white woman and a white man on their wedding day. They are outside sitting in the back of a vintage land rover with the rear door open, on a country lane in the sunshine. The bride has long fair hair and wears an ivory lace dress with a flower garland in her hair. She carries a bouquet of flowers. The groom has short fair hair and wears a dark suit.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A Peak District wedding and California honeymoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Meet Jess and Joel. Both from Sheffield, our latest Patchwork couple have been together since 2014. They both love the outdoors, and spend most of their free time walking in the Peak District or visiting National Parks further afield.

Jess tells us they first met as teens in the Air Cadets but love didn’t blossom until their first term of university when Joel, who was studying in Birmingham, went to visit Jess in York for a couple of days. “By the end of the weekend, we had declared ourselves ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ but were both so shy about it that we didn’t tell our families for several months… Following that, we spent most of our three years of uni on CrossCountry trains going backwards and forwards to see each other! After we graduated, we started our life together in Sheffield and wouldn’t change it for the world.”

How did you get engaged?

Jess: We got engaged in March 2020 on a trip to New York (just before the first UK Covid lockdown!). We got a train out of NYC into the Hudson Highlands State Park and went for walk on a wooded mountain trail overlooking the Hudson river, which was absolutely beautiful. Joel had a rather suspicious ring box-shaped bulge in the pocket of his skinny jeans, so I had a feeling he was going to pop the question when we reached the scenic viewpoint at the top of Mt Taurus. He did and it was so special. We celebrated that evening by going to a jazz club back in the city.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

Jess: When we got engaged, we agreed on two things straight away: firstly, we wanted to get married in the Peak District and secondly, we knew we wanted to throw a big party in the evening and have a night to remember with our family and friends. We certainly got both of those things!

We got married at The Maynard, a hotel nestled in the Peak District with beautiful views across the Hope Valley. Our wedding coordinator, Soraya, was absolutely fantastic and the day felt really personal to us – we even had our favourite foods on the menu (hello arancini and sticky toffee pudding!) The ceremony and garden reception, soundtracked by a string duo, felt so magical!

In the evening, a local indie rock band, the Front Runners, played for us and kept the dancefloor packed all night. There were also sparklers, a photo booth, impromptu karaoke and crowd-surfing! At the end of the night, the guests who made it to the end took a survivor’s photo. (N.B. The Maid of Honour, Jess’s sister, did not make it!)

Did you have a first dance?

Joel: We did – the indie rock band who played at our evening reception played an incredible cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Holy Ground’, which is one of our favourite songs. Jess is a big Taylor Swift fan and had planted several Taylor easter eggs throughout the wedding!

What was your favourite part of the day?

Joel: We really enjoyed our quick trip to Froggatt Edge (a scenic location in the Peak District, just a stone’s throw away from our venue) where we went to have some photographs and videos taken during golden hour. It was lovely to have a chance to be alone together for a little bit and reflect on how the day was going.

It was also special because we drove to Froggatt Edge in a Series One Land Rover that Jess’s Grandad had restored for her. Sadly, Grandad passed away a couple of months before the wedding, so it was a nice way to remember him and feel like he was a part of the day.

What did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

Jess: Very soon after we got engaged, family and friends were asking, “What would you like as a wedding gift? Are you going on a honeymoon?” We were always clear that we didn’t expect gifts and that their presence on our special day would be the best present we could ask for, but we knew many of our loved ones wanted to contribute to our honeymoon – our first adventure as a married couple! We stumbled across Patchwork when we were scouring through wedding websites researching registry options and we loved how personal and customisable it was.

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

Jess: Patchwork allowed our family and friends to contribute directly to an experience on our honeymoon, which we set off for straight after the wedding. We went on a road-trip in a Ford Mustang across California and our guests contributed to so many different fun experiences, including whale-watching in Monterey Bay, stargazing in Yosemite, and a trip to Alcatraz!

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

Jess: It was so fun creating our Patchwork and it definitely made us extra excited for our honeymoon! Aside from it being a great registry, it also meant we were able to share our plans with our family and friends which prompted so many conversations about our itinerary. Whilst we were on the honeymoon, we loved sending the digital postcards to our guests to thank them for their gift! Everyone was really complimentary about our Patchwork and several people commented how much fun they had going through each of the patches and picking out the experience they wanted to contribute to.

Where did you go on your honeymoon and what were some of the highlights?

Jess: We started our road-trip in San Francisco and travelled down the coast to Los Angeles, stopping at Monterey Bay, Big Sur, Santa Barbara and Malibu. We then travelled up to Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park, before heading back to San Francisco. It was a busy trip!

Our favourite memory is seeing a mother black bear with two cubs in Sequoia National Park on Joel’s birthday. We had been on a long hike to a beautiful waterfall and were on the final leg of our return journey when we saw the bears! They were happily tearing bark off a tree, completely disinterested in us.

We also went to see our favourite band, Haim, play at the Hollywood Bowl, which was a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.

How did it feel knowing your family and friends helped make it happen?

Joel: Our honeymoon was extra special knowing that our family and friends had treated us to so many of the wonderful experiences we had. It’s the best present they could have given us because the memories will last a lifetime – they really are the best!

What’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Jess: Enjoy it – your wedding day really is the best day of your life and, when it’s over, you’ll miss your evenings and weekends spent doing ‘wedmin’!

Also, try and carve out some time for just the two of you at some point during the day, even if that’s just ten minutes whilst you’re getting your photographs taken or some stolen moments following the ceremony.

Thank you so much Jess and Joel for sharing these lovely words and gorgeous memories from your wedding day and California honeymoon! We’re so glad that you had the wonderful day you wanted and that Patchwork could help your honeymoon dreams come true ?

If you’ve been inspired to set up your own California honeymoon fund, check out our easy to customise template that you can edit to make your own. At Patchwork we’re giving 50% of our sign up fee to your choice of environmental charity so you can have fun and do good too!

Here are some of the suppliers who made Jess and Joel’s day extra amazing:

Venue: The Maynard
Photographer: Sharon Trees Photography
Videographer: Rather Lovely Films
Wedding band: Front Runners
String Duo: Southdene Strings
Flowers: Flourish Florists
Décor: Glamourpuss Events
Bride’s Dress: Love Spell Design
Alterations: Leann Marie Design
Groom’s suit: Master Debonair
Photo booth: Bliss Booth
Wedding cake: The Pink Cake Box

p.s. you can listen to Jess and Joel’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Laura and Ed leaving their wedding ceremony at Cripps Barn, Cotswolds. Laura is a white woman with long blonde hair and Ed is a white man with short fair hair, a short beard and black framed glasses.They are both smiling as guests shower them with petal confetti
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A vegan-karaoke-Christmas wedding!

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Meet Laura and Ed who got to know each other first as friends while working for a national newspaper in London during their early 20s. Laura admits “we don’t have one of those ‘love-at-first-sight’ stories – Ed doesn’t even remember the first time we met!” After a year or so of being friends they ‘officially’ became a couple and had been together for over 8 years before getting engaged in July 2021. They took on quite a challenge organising their amazing wedding in just 5 months. But in their words their ‘100%-vegan-karaoke-Christmas-wedding!’ was perfect and they wouldn’t change a thing. After searching for a registry that ticked all the boxes they found Patchwork and created a unique list combining honeymoon activities, charity donations and pledges so that guests had non-monetary options too. A fun couple and a very fun wedding. Read on to hear more about their day.

Ian Jeffrey Photography

How did you get engaged?

We got engaged during Covid times when international travel was off the table. Ed booked a London staycation at a very swanky Hyde Park hotel under the guise of a work celebration and popped the question! 

Ian Jeffrey Photography

Nice one Ed! And what kind of wedding did you plan?

The easy kind! The idea of planning a wedding is not something that either of us like the sound of (which is why we put it off for so long) so we wanted something simple and easy. The result? A 100% vegan-karaoke-Christmas wedding that we managed to pull together in five months. Not quite hitting the brief, but we discovered the incredible venue Cripps Barn in the Cotswolds who were a dream to work with; they made the process very straight-forward and made the day run without a hitch. The food was also a massive highlight, their in-house catering team delivered on the ultimate vegan feast that even the biggest meat eaters didn’t grumble at. We kept some of the traditional wedding aspects (e.g. cake) but it was mainly about having as much fun as possible. Mission completed, because loads of our guest were swapping numbers by the end of it to signify their newly-found friendships! Even if we had all the money in the world, we wouldn’t change a thing about the day – it was perfect.

Ian Jeffrey Photography

Aw, that’s what you want! And did you have a first dance?

We did our first dance to Dido, Thank You. We have fond memories of ‘singing’ it very loudly and out of tune in the back of the cab on our first date.

Ian Jeffrey Photography

What was your favourite part of the day?

This is a hard one! We had a little private moment to process being actually married just after the ceremony which was pretty emotional and amazing. Don’t think anything will ever beat that feeling.  

Secondly, the karaoke in the evening. It went down incredibly well and everyone got really into it (the free booze might have helped…) and definitely made it a wedding to remember. The sad part is that we were having so much fun, the evening went in a flash.

What made you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

I firstly tried Prezola but wasn’t feeling it – it was way too focused on ‘stuff’. I then found Patchwork through a trusty online search and reading a few blogs, it seemed like the perfect platform. It stood out because of the clean design, the fact they are UK-based and how socially-conscious they are. The level of personalisation was perfect for the ideas we had.

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

The gift-giving part of a wedding made us feel a bit uneasy, but we know it’s expected. We’ve accumulated way too much stuff during our relationship and value experiences much more than things. Contributing towards an unforgettable honeymoon was going to mean so much more to us than a toaster. Suggestions included everything from a ‘pool-book fund’ to ‘Snorkel hire’. We also didn’t want price to be a barrier for those that weren’t in a position to contribute, so we made it possible for our guests to pledge things such as beach cleans, going vegan for a month or giving blood, which meant more to us than the money.

What did you enjoy most about using Patchwork?

It was so quick to build/update our page and I loved the way it looked when it was all done. The level of personalisation really makes it feel like something special and not just another gift list. It was so easy for people to use too, even the most IT-challenged of our guests got the hang of it. 

And what did your friends and family think?

They loved it and enjoyed exploring the different options – it made for an entertaining read! They also loved receiving pictures of us on our honeymoon with massive grins on our faces and seeing how much we appreciated their contribution; whilst we loved seeing pictures of our guests fulfilling their wedding pledges!

What have you done with the wedding gift money you received?

We put the funds towards the most amazing honeymoon in Mauritius. We spent two and half weeks at Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel – highly recommended – on the North of the island which exceeded all our expectations (which were pretty high to start with). It was a very indulgent holiday; a highlight was definitely the private sunset catamaran boat cruise that our aunties and uncles chipped in for via our Patchwork. It meant so much to us knowing our friends and family had helped make our honeymoon even more special than we thought was possible.

And finally.. what’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Don’t just deliver the wedding people expect, but do what is going to make you happiest on the day! Oh and avoid doing it all in five months or during a pandemic; unless you really like a challenge.

Thank you SO much Laura and Ed for this gorgeous peek in to your amazing celebration and fabulous honeymoon!

If you’ve been inspired to set up your own honeymoon fund or gift registry come and join us and do good too. Half of our platform fee goes to one of three environmental charities: Friends of the Earth, Client Earth or Survival International.

Here are some of the suppliers who made Laura and Ed’s day even more special:

Venue and catering: Cripps Barn, Cotswolds
Flowers: Cotswold Blooms
Photographer: Ian Jeffery Photography
DJ/Karaoke/Photobooth: Gloucestershire Wedding DJ
Dress: Bridal Reloved Wanstead
Suit: Hackett
Cake: Kimmie’s Cakes
Hair: Andrea Luella

p.s. You can listen to Laura and Ed’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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A bride and groom and their celebrant taking part in a Celtic hand-tying ritual on their wedding day. They stand outside by a big metal gate with countryside behind them.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A barn wedding in Wales and Year of Dates gift list

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Meet Donna and Darren who originally crossed paths in Bristol, when Darren was doing some work in the apartment block that Donna lived in. She was moving house at the time and needed a strong pair of hands to move furniture! And needless to say, Darren seemed like the perfect candidate. They’ve been together three years and got married last Autumn in a gorgeous celebration at rustic wedding venue Treadam Barn in South Wales.

Photo credit: Seb JJ Peters

How did you get engaged?

Donna: Darren took me to a local beauty spot to propose. We’d brought a picnic and a blanket with us, only it was pouring with rain. This normally secluded quiet spot, was particularly busy that day with walkers and runners passing by. In an attempt to ignore the distractions, Darren played a song on his phone and went down on one knee in the mud and held out a ring box.

I said “yes”, and we promptly packed up our things and went home to get dry!

Photo credit: Seb JJ Peters
Photo credit: Seb JJ Peters

What kind of wedding did you plan?

Originally, we planned a small country hotel wedding, with 3 course meal, overlooking the River Usk. We had the date set, had sent out the invitations, guests had booked their accommodation etc.  As with many couples getting married in Covid times, our venue cancelled our wedding due to staff shortages, just 6 weeks before our planned date.  Fortunately, we had booked amazing celebrant Jane Grayer who offered some suggestions of alternate venues at short notice. We found a beautiful rustic barn that we were able to customise in our own way. This led to us needing to source tables, chairs and catering, as these would of course have been provided by our original venue.  In the end, we had a small wedding ceremony in the barn, followed by a handfasting outside in the grounds, and a sharing feast for dinner. 

Photo credit: Seb JJ Peters
Photo credit: Seb JJ Peters

That sounds perfect – what was your favourite part of the day?

Our favourite part of the day was walking down the aisle to music that we had chosen, hearing our secret letters to each other, and then getting to relax after the ceremony.

Photo credit: Seb JJ Peters
Photo credit: Seb JJ Peters

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

We found Patchwork through Google. Individuality was key, and we were able to create a gift list that wasn’t based on products already available on the market. The best bit about using Patchwork was the customisable aspect – we were able to set our own prices and use our own images and descriptions. We were also able to divide higher priced experiences into affordable prices for all. 

Patchwork honeymoon fund "A Year of Dates" in iPad

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

We wanted guests to contribute to experiences rather than material items, because we already lived together and wanted to look forward to planned couple time throughout our first year of marriage.

What did your friends and family think?

Family and friends were on board and were quick to purchase gifts. When we talked to them they found it to be novel and fun. They were also looking forward to hearing about our experiences.

How have you spent the gift money you collected via your Patchwork?

We spent the gift money on several days out / activities, a three day mini moon break, and a seven day shepherd’s hut stay. The gift money also allowed us to purchase some camping equipment and we had a few days away in the summer. We were surprised by how kind and generous people were, and it was interesting to see who chose which gift experience for us.

Photo credit: Seb JJ Peters

And finally.. what are your top wedding planning tips?

– We recommend that both partners are involved in the planning and decision making process, this is a great foundation for teamworking in your marriage!!!

– If something doesn’t feel right, look for an alternative, it is ok to say no.

– Keep a spreadsheet / notebook to track your spending and keep an eye on budget.

– Make a note of deposits paid and when final balances are due.

Wow – thank you so much Donna and Darren for sharing your gorgeous wedding day with us and some brilliant advice for couples planning their weddings for next year!

If you’ve been inspired to set up your own Year of Dates gift registry you’ll be joining 1000s of other happy Patchwork couples. If you’d like to browse our other wedding registry ideas you’ll find 100s of registry templates and honeymoon fund templates that are super simple to customise!

Here are some of the amazing wedding suppliers that made Donna and Darren’s celebration even more special:

Celebrant – Jane Grayer 

Photographer – Seb JJ Peters

Flowers – Lucy Coco Floristry

Venue – Treadam Barn

Wedding Dress – Surrey Brides

Catering – Turton Catering

Tables – Andrew Jones

Wedding Suits – Sirri

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A bride (a white woman with blonde hair) descends a grand curved wooden staircase with dark green walls, she carries a bouquet of flowers and wears a long white dress and veil both of which flow on the stairs behind her
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

An autumnal Dorset wedding and Scottish minmoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Keon and Nadia met pre-tinder, back in the days when people mostly met IRL, so needless to say it was a little while ago. They met during that great summer of the 2012 London Olympics, at a London-tube-stop-themed house party.

Keon has been London/Surrey based all his life and Nadia grew up in Dorset but has ventured overseas a few times to live. They got their dog, Piglet, around 6 years ago, and Nadia says “we love spending time with him and exploring the countryside and all that London has to offer.” They have just completed a house renovation so have had a very busy first year of married life! Today on our blog they share with us their absolutely stunning wedding at St. Giles House in Dorset. A meticulously planned celebration that radiated love and warmth and involved their family, and of course their dog Piglet! Nadia and Keon invited their guests to help them enjoy a minimoon to Scotland rather than traditional gifts and said they loved setting up their minimoon registry together. Sit down with a cup of tea and soak up these gorgeous Autumn vibes.

How did you get engaged?

Nadia: Keon surprised me with dinner in our first home together. I thought I was coming home to go out to a restaurant but was so surprised to find Keon getting down on one knee shortly after serving Tiramisu (also delicious!) in the kitchen.

We had a trip planned to Southwold the same weekend for our 7 year first date anniversary so we had a wonderful time enjoying the moment and celebrating.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We’ve always loved Autumn and so it was an obvious choice to get married in such a beautiful season. As I’m from Dorset it made sense to start looking for venues in that area, and we fell in love with St. Giles House as soon as we saw it.

It’s such a unique venue that’s been lovingly restored and still has a beautiful rawness to it that creates a really magical atmosphere. It also works well for a cosier, smaller wedding which is what we wanted to create.

Keon and I did a lot of the planning. We hired What Peggy Did Next in the final 6 months but altogether we were planning for 2 years! The day was full of colour, love, food, wonderful music and dancing! Our dog Piglet also featured heavily!

Did you have a first dance?

Yes we did. There is a jazz band called Kansas Smittys who we discovered early on in our relationship and so we decided to get them to do a few sets of music at the wedding. They also did the first dance song for us which is one of the band members’ songs – Couldn’t Stop Lovin’ You by Pete Horsfall.

What was your favourite part of the day?

It’s really hard to choose but we loved the way our ceremony was set up in a circular format with us at the centre. We truly felt surrounded by love, our family and friends. The flowers were out of this world and the room we chose for our ceremony elevated it to a whole new level.

We chose some of our favorite songs too and decided to have a string trio play them for us. Our family and friends gave readings and their children joined in as flower girls and ring bearers which made it even more meaningful.

The design details were beautiful too and this was always an important aspect of our day.

What made Patchwork the best wedding registry choice for you?

We thought it was a super fun and easy way for people to buy gifts without having to bring anything on the day. It also gave us the opportunity to showcase what we planned to do and bring some personality to the gifting process. We really enjoyed setting it up together too!

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

Mainly towards our minimoon in Scotland and the different elements of the trip such as train tickets, hotel costs, walking boots, drinks, food, travel guides and many other bits!

What was the best part about using Patchwork?

The fact that our guests felt part of our adventure. It was a wonderful feeling to know that someone had contributed to a particular moment and memory, at a special time for us just after getting married. We also loved that we could make it our own by choosing images and making a Patchwork – it appealed to our creative sides ?

What did your friends and family think?

We had so many lovely comments about our Patchwork and everyone found it really straightforward to use.

Where did you go on your honeymoon and what were the highlights?

We traveled by The Caledonian Express (an overnight train) to Scotland for our minimoon in the Scottish Highlands. We stayed at an amazing place called the Fife Arms in Braemar which had the most incredible scenery and walks. We would hike for hours, and then come back to delicious food and spend our evenings by a cosy fire with a few drinks (great interiors and loads of art too). We also spent a couple of nights in Edinburgh on our way back down, and had a great time exploring the different neighbourhoods.

Wow, what a beautiful celebration and a perfect-sounding minimooon! Definitely giving us all the Autumn feels ? Thank you so much Nadia & Keon (and Piglet!) for sharing these words and photos with us, and we wish you many happy years ahead together!

If you’ve been inspired to set up your own Scottish honeymoon fund, we have a beautiful Highlands fling template that you can easily personalise, or check out our hundreds of other honeymoon destination templates.

And finally, here are some of the incredible suppliers that made Keon and Nadia’s day extra special:

Venue: St Giles House, Dorset

Florist: Jenni Bloom Flowers

Stationary: Creative Feel Designs

Wedding Styling: Nadia and What Peggy Did Next.

Caterers: Red Herring

Music: Kansas Smitty’s and Halo Strings

Dress and Bridesmaid dresses: Halfpenny London

Groom and Groomsmens suits: Suit Supply

Photographer – Steve Bridgwood

Videographer – Baxter and Ted

Hair – Victoria Ralph Hair

Make-up – Amalie Russell

p.s. You can listen to Keon and Nadia’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Alexa and Jess on their wedding day. Both are white women, with long hair tied loosely. They walk out of their ceremony venue in to a crowd of guests, all throwing confetti over them and they both smile happily and hold their bouquets of flowers and hitch their long dresses a little. They both wear ivory vintage style wedding dresses.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A Mexican-Spanish themed wedding and inter-rail honeymoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Today we chat to the lovely Alexa and Jess, both fans of travelling, hiking, exploring, and happiest when they’re “out in the woods on a long walk.” They originally met in the Retreat on Cowley Road years before they actually got together, having mutual friends through school. Being on the edges of each other’s social circle meant they met a few times at friends’ birthday celebrations or pub trips but never really chatted or got to know each other. Well we’re so glad they finally did! Because we get to share this gorgeous wedding with you, AND hear about their amazing European inter-rail honeymoon, funded on Patchwork by family and friends.

Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

How did you first get together?

We re-met in October 2017 when we had both organised to meet a mutual friend, in House Bar in Oxford. Anna, the mutual friend, messaged me in the afternoon we were due to meet to ask if I minded if she brought someone with her not realising that we already knew each other. She didn’t say who it was but I love meeting people so I said I didn’t mind at all. I then received a message from Alexa letting me know that she was the friend that Anna was bringing. I was delighted that it was someone I knew and marvelled at the coincidence. That evening we drank many, many cocktails, it was happy hour so we were obliged. We all chatted and drank into the night. Late into the evening Anna left and it was just Alexa and I until closing time when we walked home across Oxford through the summer night. It was such a lovely evening, one which I had a really good feeling about.

Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

How did you get engaged?

After a very emotional arrival after an 800km hike across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela we ended up having dinner with a fabulous, amazingly drunk, gay, Irish man called Laurus. He was having a bit of a life-crisis so we sat and listened to his problems. He then basically pre-empted the proposal by asking if we’d ever thought of getting married. I had actually brought a ring with me for the moment we arrived in the city as I knew it would be a momentous occasion. Laurus disappeared into the sunset and we went back down to the Cathedral. Sitting in the middle of the square, watching more pilgrims arrive and looking up at the steeple, I asked Lex if she would marry me. Firstly, she asked if it was a serious question! Then she said “yes!”

Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

What kind of wedding did you plan?

Lex did the majority of the planning. We wanted something personal, to reflect our story and us. It had some Mexican and Spanish elements (we both love Frida Kahlo) and Spain was where we got engaged and the country we have visited most together. We had paella as the main course at the meal, we also had a flamenco guitarist throughout the meal and papel picado as decoration and our wedding seating plan was an ofrenda. Since Lex is an artist she designed everything herself, from the invitations and seating plan to the table place cards. Alexa designed our handmade lino prints and we wrote and sent them as cards to every single guest. We had a gospel choir to greet our guests and signature cocktails named after important people or events in our lives. The reception took place in Frevd in Oxford which is an old church now a bar in a Grecian temple style. We also had a grazing table supplied by Berry and Brie so guests would never be hungry. They also supplied our dessert grazing table which everyone still comments on.

Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

Did you have a first dance?

We chose Something’s Got a Hold of Me by Etta James. We learned a whole routine during lockdown 1 which we really had to dust off by the time our wedding came around after a postponement of a year. 

Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

What was your favourite part of the day?

I think my favourite part of the whole day was watching the amazing Oxford Gospel Choir perform as our guests arrived. We really took a moment to be present together and that was priceless. That, and seeing everyone I love in one room together after all of the turmoil of the past two years.

What made Patchwork the best wedding registry choice for you?

Alexa discovered Patchwork after doing some research (her forte)! We knew we wanted to celebrate our marriage with an amazing adventure so Patchwork was perfect and allowed our guests to choose what part of our honeymoon they wanted to fund which was perfect. It was extremely user friendly both for us and for our guests. We loved how great it looked on the screen too as we were able to attach pictures to the various contribution options we wanted. It matched our wedding aesthetic perfectly.

What did you want to invite guests to contribute towards?

We wanted guests to contribute to our honeymoon. Our plan was to inter-rail around Europe which would have been far too expensive for us to fund ourselves. We created a list of all the kinds of things we wanted to do on our trip such as dinners out, accommodation, experiences and activities of varying prices so that guests could contribute as much or as little as they liked.

What did your friends and family think?

They loved it, we had lots of comments from guests who appreciated the range of options available to choose from, as well as they way the website looked and the ease of use.   

What have you done so far with the wedding gift money you received?

We went interrailing around Europe this summer and have only just got back. It was an incredible experience. We visited eight different countries on our interrail pass. Beginning in Istanbul, Turkey we explored Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Switzerland and France before returning home on the Eurostar. Highlights include the Rila Lakes in Bulgaria, the views from the summit across all seven glittering and highly protected lakes was sensational and worth every metre of altitude gained. Venice was also exceptional. It had been a life-long ambition of Alexa’s to visit the Biennale so our honeymoon seemed like the perfect opportunity. The architecture, history and art in Venice is second to none and is definitely a romantic city to spend time in with a loved one, we visited the islands and even saw glass blowing in progress on Murano. Other highlights included visiting the Sassi of Matera, an incredible, wild and anachronistic experience in our modern world. Athens was fascinating and it was such an honour to wander in the ancient city under the shadow of the Acropolis. The whole trip was fabulous and one that I will always treasure.

How did it feel knowing your friends and family had helped make it happen?

It was such a privilege to have been able to see all the wonderful gems of Europe, knowing that friends and family had contributed towards it made it even more special.

Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

Finally… What’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Alexa was my secret weapon, her organisational skills know no bounds. One great tip came from my sister, she got married a few years before me and when we were in the early stages of the planning process she advised us to keep as much information about the wedding to ourselves. This meant that every element of the wedding was a surprise to our friends and family and we were able to see all of the elements like the gospel choir and the flamenco guitarist through their eyes, which were full of wonder and joy. We had also hand written a letter to each guest at the wedding, letting them know how we felt about them and why they were important to us. All these things would have lost their impact if guests had known in advance.

Thank you so much Jess and Alexa for sharing your absolutely beautiful wedding day with us, and giving us a little glimpse in to your epic European inter-railing adventure!

Inspired? Check out our gorgeous easy-to-customise template and you could have your own European inter-railing honeymoon fund set-up in minutes!

Here are some of the wedding suppliers that helped make Alexa and Jess’s day magical:

Photography: Steve Bridgwood

Celebrant: Jennie Patrice

Reception Venue: Frevd, Oxford

Wedding planner: Katie Lou Weddings

Food (Grazing tables): Berry & Brie

Food (Paella): Crocus Paella

Flowers: Deborah Davies

Band: Sound with us

Flamenco: Flamenco Tomas

Choir: Oxford Gospel Choir

Furniture Hire: Copper Mill Hire

Hair and make-up: Corina Barrett

p.s. You can listen to Alexa and Jessie’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Lynsey and James on their wedding day at Relais Blu Hotel, on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Black and white photo shows the couple walking hand in hand and looking towards each other. James is a white man with short fair hair and wears a dark suit. Lynsey is a white woman with brown hair and wears a strapless white dress. The couple walk along the edge of an infinity pool, with the sea and sky in full view behind them.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

An Amalfi Coast wedding and Caribbean honeymoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

James and Lynsey swiped right to each other on Bumble in 2018, arranging to meet shortly after in a pub in between their homes in South West London. Lynsey says their first date lasted THREE DAYS (!), with a few pubs, brunch, jazz clubs, a lot of wine and a visit to Kew Gardens thrown in. “We clicked from day one with a lot of similarities including our love of tennis and travel. Shortly after we were booking tickets to Wimbledon and then our first holiday to France together. The rest, as they say, is history.” We’re honoured that James and Lynsey chose to share their story with us on our blog. Read on to hear about their romantic engagement, weekend wedding extravaganza on Italy’s Amalfi Coast and dream honeymoon to the Caribbean.

How did you get engaged?

In October 2019 we visited the Almalfi Coast in Italy and based ourselves at a boutique hotel in a small town, Massa Lubrense. It was the most beautiful location and it was on this holiday I asked James to move in with me. We vowed to return to the hotel the year after. Fast-forward a year, with a pandemic thrown in, which meant moving in together had really meant living together 24/7 (and having the best time doing so). We were so happy when travel bans were lifted and we could journey back to Relais Blu for a long awaited holiday. Little did I know that James had been having secret zoom calls with a diamond specialist from Hatton Garden and was completely shocked when on the first night of our holiday he got down on one knee on a terrace overlooking Capri at sunset and asked me to be his wife. It was an instant “yes”!

That IS very romantic. Full marks to James! And what kind of wedding did you plan?

As soon as we got engaged, we knew we wanted to get married in Italy too. Once we were home, we started planning an October 2021 wedding back at Relais Blu. We had our venue and date secured but quickly realised that we knew nothing about planning to legally marry in another country, neither of us spoke Italian so trying to search for suppliers was impossible. We were so lucky to secure the most amazing wedding planner. Victoria was based in Italy, fluent in both English and Italian and had so much experience with suppliers, the legalities, logistics, the venue and the area. She helped us make our Italian villa wedding dream a reality. We persevered through planning every last detail, despite a lot of uncertainty about whether we’d even be able to travel to Italy. We were only given the green light 6 weeks before the wedding that Italy was accepting travel from the UK, and from that moment it was all systems go!

Because we were marrying abroad, and asking friends and family to travel, and during such a challenging time, we wanted to make sure their trips were worth it. We arranged welcome drinks on the Thursday at a chic rooftop bar in Sorrento, followed by the wedding on the Saturday and a chilled pool party BBQ both at Relais Blu. I’m so happy we were able to extend the celebrations and every single part was even better than we could have imagined.

And did you have a first dance?

Yes, we danced to “Born to be yours” by Kygo and Imagine Dragons. We had dance lessons in the run up to the wedding which was a nice break from wedding planning, and a great excuse to do something fun together!

What was your favourite part of the day?

The whole day was magical, but I loved the cocktail straight after the ceremony. It was then that we were able to properly greet all our guests for the first time, and could relax and enjoy the sax, canapés and a glass of wine. Plus we snuck off for sunset photos, which was really nice to get some time just the two of us together.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding gift list?

A friend of ours used Patchwork previously for their wedding and we loved what we saw. It worked great for us as we were getting married abroad, we didn’t have a huge luggage limit to bring back physical gifts. We loved that it allowed us to specify certain activities we were hoping to do on our honeymoon that our guests could contribute to, rather than just asking for money.

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

We used Patchwork to give guests the option to contribute towards activities and restaurants we were hoping to visit on our honeymoon to the Caribbean to make the trip even more magical. It was so simple to use, and we could add a variety of different items / activities at different price points so guests could contribute as much or as little as they wanted. It also allowed us to give guests an insight into our honeymoon plans.

What did your friends and family think?

They loved it, a couple of them have asked how we did it so they can use it for their own wedding gift list.

What have you done with the wedding gift money you received via your patchwork?

We had the best honeymoon, made even better by the contributions from our wonderful guests. We spent 17 days in the Caribbean exploring Barbados and then St Vincent and the Grenadines. The highlight was visiting the Tobago Cays, a selection of uninhabited islands (where pirates of the Caribbean was filmed) that were out of this world stunning. It was only thanks to the contributions we received via Patchwork we were able to have this once in a life time experience.

How did it feel knowing your friends and family had helped make it happen?

We were and still are so grateful for our friends and families generous contributions and the huge efforts they made to attend the wedding. It was the most special day because of them, and they all went the extra mile to make our honeymoon the most memorable trip as well. We are very lucky.

And finally…..What’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Don’t forget what and why you’re doing it. My husband and I tried to keep all our wedding planning to one or two evenings a week max. The rest of our time together was strictly for us to spend time with each other and we had a ‘zero wedding chat’ policy. Also I couldn’t have lived without our wedding planner Victoria, especially as we were getting married abroad. She made sure everything ran smoothly and like clockwork on the day itself and provided us with a wealth of knowledge of local suppliers. As we couldn’t speak any Italian, Victoria communicated with them all on our behalf; we could not have done it without her.

Thank you so much Lynsey and James for sharing your magical Amalfi Coast wedding with us. We’re so pleased that using Patchwork enabled you to enjoy a really memorable honeymoon and we all wish you many happy years ahead together.

If you’ve been inspired to create your own honeymoon registry to the Caribbean, check out our honeymoon templates for Dominican Republic, Antigua and the BVI, or if you’re not quite decided yet, have a look at our Beautiful Island of Somewhere template!

Here are some of the suppliers who helped make Lynsey &

James’ day extra amazing:

Wedding Planner: Victoria at Sophisticated Weddings Italy
Photographer: Nakutis Photography
Flowers: Armando Malafronte
Dress: Suzanne Neville
Suit: Cad & The Dandy
Venue: Relais Blu, Massa Lubrense, Italy
MUA: Jimena Puy
Celebrant: Carmela Cesarano
Stationery: Lilac and White
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Bridesmaid dresses: Ghost Fashion
Band: Bright Lights Band
Saxophone: Saba

p.s. You can listen to Lynsey and James’ first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Colour photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they are standing outside with a low sun shining through the trees and on to them. They have their backs to camera and we can see their side profiles as they look towards each other. They are holding hands and smiling. Josh is a white man with short fair hair, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

An intimate Spring wedding and honeymoon to Greece

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork couple Liz and Josh met on Bumble, back in 2016 when it had just launched. After some bad luck on Tinder, Liz says she was “intrigued by the more feminist dating app.” After a brief chat about their love of cocktails, they decided to meet up at a cocktail bar in South London. “We hit it off and had a few too many – my hangover the next day was so bad I had to call in sick!” They’ve been together ever since. Liz chats to us today about their small, intimate Spring wedding and honeymoon to Greece, funded by friends and family.

Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

How did you get engaged?

Liz: Josh whisked me away to Paris for the weekend for my birthday. We’ll often get each other experiences for birthdays rather than physical presents, but he’d definitely stepped it up a gear this time! Josh had planned to do it on this little island on the River Seine but I was directing us to a wine bar and refused to go as it wasn’t on the way, so I scuppered his plans. He was so nervous at the bar trying to think of an alternative plan that he was basically silent – I thought he was mad at me. Afterward, we headed to the restaurant he’d planned for dinner and he popped the question on the bridge we crossed. It coincidentally happened exactly on the hour, so right as he proposed the Eiffel Tower lit up and sparkled. It was magical.

Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

Ah that does sound magical! What kind of wedding did you plan?

We got engaged just before the pandemic so we luckily hadn’t made many plans that had to change. Knowing we wouldn’t be able to have the typical 100+ person wedding (that we probably would have had if Covid hadn’t hit) we planned for something small and intimate from the get-go. I’m so glad we did in the end as it was just perfect and we’d do it the exact same again if we had the choice!

Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

Did you have a first dance?

Our first dance was to Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson. We both love Funk and Soul and knew that we had to have a song that we could have a good dance to. Jess at Start the Dance gave us a few initial dance lessons so that we could practice Josh swinging me around. We had the most brilliant band and it was the first time any of us had seen any live music in 18 months. Everyone really went for it on the dancefloor!

Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

What was your favourite part of the day?

Josh surprised me with brass band Brass Junkies to march us from the church to the marquee down the road. We’d spoken about that previously after I saw a couple on Instagram do something similar, but we ruled it out due to the expense of getting an additional band. But Josh remembered and then got it for me as a surprise wedding present. I’ll never forget that moment walking out of the church and seeing the band there waiting for us. I was overjoyed!

Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

I’d heard about Patchwork at an alternative wedding fair. I really liked the mix and match approach and it’s a nice change from the boring wedding registries you normally see. It was so easy to use – you pick a template and the whole thing took about half an hour. As well as being really visually appealing, we liked the option to include text so we could describe why we’d love each thing. It made it feel really personal.

What did you invite your guests to contribute towards?

We picked some physical items from different shops that we’d had our eye on, but also experiences for our honeymoon. Having spent quite a lot on the wedding meant there wasn’t much wiggle room to enjoy lovely things for our honeymoon, so being able to include different gift experiences was amazing. We also needed a few of the standard things for our home such as cutlery and crockery so we got to include these too. Most of our friends and family hadn’t come across Patchwork before but they all thought it was novel and easy to use. 

What have you done with the wedding gift money you received?

We spent it on the most incredible honeymoon in the Greek Islands, making so many memories we’ll never forget. We are so grateful to all our family and friends and feel truly blessed.

All wedding photo credits: Voyteck Photo

Thank you Liz and Josh for taking the time to share these beautiful words and pictures with us. We are so glad you enjoyed using Patchwork and we wish you both every happiness together in the future!

If you’d like to create your own honeymoon fund for an amazing trip to Greece we have templates for Mykonos, Santorini, or if you haven’t decided which island yet you can use our Beautiful Island of Somewhere template while you make your mind up!

p.s. You can listen to Liz and Josh’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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A young white woman with long blonde hair and a young white man with short light brown hair and short beard are looking to camera and taking a selfie. She wears a pink bikini and he a white tshirt. Behind them is a wide expanse of Mexican beach and blue sky.
Honeymoon InspirationPatchwork Couples

A rustic autumn wedding and honeymoon to Mexico

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork couple Nick and Becky both grew up in Oxfordshire, and although they argue over the precise time they first met, agree that they were roughly 14 and 15 years old on a night out with mutual friends. Over the next 18 years they would meet at parties, but despite their best efforts, would never be single at the same time. Finally (in their 30s!) they made it on their first date! They got married last year in a rustic autumn celebration in the Hampshire countryside. Instead of traditional gifts, friends and family chipped in to their Patchwork to help them have a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon to Mexico.

How did you get engaged?

In the summer of 2020, when we were finally released from Lockdown #1, we made it out of the country to the l’Occitane region of France. Nick proposed in his favourite spot near his family home, outside the tiny church of Notre-Dame des Grâces that overlooks the beautiful French countryside.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We got married in a little church, followed by a beautiful barn and Oast house in the Hampshire countryside. It was October, so we wanted the wedding to be autumnal and rustic.

Did you have a first dance?

We danced to ‘Always Remember Us This Way’ from A Star Is Born, the first film we watched together. The lyrics felt perfect!

What was your favourite part of the day?

It’s impossible to choose – everything from getting ready with our girls / boys, to saying our vows in the church, the banquet, the speeches, the party. It was truly the best day of our lives!

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry and what did you invite guests to fund?

We both agreed that we didn’t need any material things for our house, and that we’re all about the experiences! That’s why we wanted to ask our friends to help us achieve the honeymoon of our dreams with a honeymoon fund for Mexico. After lots of research, Patchwork stood out to us as the best honeymoon site available. What we loved most about Patchwork was how beautiful the ‘patchwork’ looked after we’d chosen all of the pictures and layout. It portrayed so beautifully the adventure that we wanted to go on. Because it didn’t have a rigid template, it could be completely tailored by us.

What did your friends and family think?

We think everyone was pleased to be contributing to our memories and experiences together rather than material things.

What did you do with the wedding gift money you received?

We went on our dream honeymoon to Mexico (we were incredibly lucky because Mexico came off the red list just days beforehand!). We started in Mexico City with the Dia de los Muertos parade (something that’s been on my bucket list forever!), followed by the stunning city of Oaxaca. We then travelled through the Yucatán Peninsula to swim in the cenotes and visit the Mayan temples, and to the beaches of Tulum, before ending on the beautiful little island of Isla Holbox.

How did it feel knowing your friends and family had helped make it happen?

The fact that our friends and family had contributed to our adventure meant that every moment felt extra special, knowing that we would write to them afterwards to let them know just how amazing it had been. It also meant that we didn’t feel guilty enjoying indulgent meals and beautiful hotel rooms along the way!

And finally.. what’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Our biggest tip would be to enjoy the preparation! The lead up to the wedding was genuinely one of the most exciting times of our lives and we loved every moment of planning the perfect day. So don’t wish it away or get too stressed!

Thank you Nick & Becky for sharing your gorgeous autumn wedding day with us – and also for some of the best honeymoon pics we’ve seen! We wish you lots more adventures together and every happiness for the future.

If you’d like to create your own honeymoon fund patchwork for Mexico or anywhere else you can think of, come and join thousands of other happy customers using Patchwork for their wedding registries.

Here are some of the amazing suppliers that made Nick and Becky’s day even more special:

Venue: Bury Court

Caterer: Jacaranda

Flowers: Bloomantic

Photographer: Nicola Dixon

Dress: Rue de Seine

Band: Soul Supreme

p.s. you can listen to Nick and Becky’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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