A Kent wedding and Miami and Florida Keys honeymoon

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!

Close up shot of shoes and dress of two white women on their wedding day. One of the women wears a dark trouser suit, pink suede shoes and carries a bouquet of flowers. The other wears a floor length ivory dress with an organza skirt. She also carries a bouquet of flowers.

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.

Two white women on their wedding day, standing outside next to a convertible silver VW Beetle decorated with ribbons and flowers. One of the women has short blonde hair and wears a dark trouser suit and a white shirt and carries a bouquet of flowers. The other has long blonde hair and wears a floor length ivory dress with an organza skirt and sleeveless bodice. She also carries a bouquet of flowers.

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.

Two white women on their wedding day, dancing at their wedding reception in front of their friends and family. One of the women has short blonde hair and wears dark trousers and a white shirt. The other has long blonde hair and wears a floor length ivory dress with an organza skirt and sleeveless bodice. They are both dancing with their hands in the air.

Did you have a first dance?

We did, London Gramma “Baby it’s You“

Two white women on their wedding day, walking hand in hand from the ceremony through their guests. One of the women has short blonde hair and wears a dark trouser suit and a white short and carries a bouquet of flowers. The other has long blonde hair and wears a floor length ivory dress with an organza skirt and sleeveless bodice. She also carries a bouquet of flowers. They are both smiling.

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.

Two white females, one with short blonde hair, the other with long blonde hair smile at the camera as they take a selfie at a basketball game in Miami. The stadium and court are behind them.

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.

Selfie of a white woman on a beach in Florida on honeymoon, she wears a black sleeveless top and a baseball cap and wireless earpods. She smiles at camera and the sun is just starting to set in the sea behind her with golden sand in the foreground.

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.

Two white females taking a selfie in a bar in the US, whilst on honeymoon. One of the women has short blonde hair and glasses, the other long blonde hair. The lighting is low with a reddish tint and there is a red brick wall behind them.

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.

Two white women on their wedding day, walking away from camera in a field of long green grass and white daisy-like flowers. One of the women has short blonde hair and wears a dark trouser suit and we can just see a bouquet of flowers in her hand. The other has long blonde hair and wears a floor length ivory dress with an organza skirt and sleeveless bodice. She also carries a bouquet of flowers. They are holding hands.

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.

We've got a lot of love to give.

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