Tansy and Andrew had been together for nearly ten years when they got married this summer. Neither of them are big fans of organising things, but both are fans of hosting and bringing good people together. As Tansy said, “We didn’t want a ‘wedding’ wedding, but we thought it would definitely be a good excuse to ‘get far flung families in one place, join dots between friends, and have a big party’.
The couple got married in France, so already felt their guests had done quite a lot for them by just making the journey. Their lovely friends and family felt differently of course and were pretty insistent on giving gifts.
Tansy says, “When I discovered Patchwork, I knew it would work for those insistent friends. It felt like a really personal, not-overtly-monetary, grateful way of enjoying something with their generosity.”
Tansy and Andrew hadn’t been on holiday together for about three years, so they knew the gift they really wanted was a honeymoon.
“Heading straight off together after the wedding felt like an incredible treat. We caught the train to Barcelona, then hopped to Italy and ate our way up the coast. Pure luxury. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we didn’t have to worry about which restaurant to stop at. Knowing budget wasn’t a consideration was incredibly liberating.”
The newlyweds’ families and friends both loved the idea – with everyone commenting that it felt much more giving to buy a particular part of the trip and know a bit more about it, rather than just putting money in a bank account.
Tansy loved their European honeymoon and would definitely recommend a similar trip.
“If you like food and a stress-free adventure, I cannot recommend our trip enough. Especially the Cinque Terre – for some quite incredible views, some hefty walks and consequently guilt-free pasta breakfast, pasta lunch & pasta dinner. Gerona was another surprise, a medieval city full of alleys, pirates and more amazing food and art. Most of our accommodation was Airbnb and each was a find. You can be much more central for your budget and get straight into feeling at home.”
Thanks for the tip, Tansy. And huge congratulations from all of us at Patchwork.
To make your own patchwork just customise one of our readymades or create one from scratch.