A rustic autumn wedding and honeymoon to Mexico

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.

Nick, a white man with short light brown hair and short beard, and Becky, a young white woman with long blonde hair tied up, on their wedding day. Becky wears a long white dress and carries a bouquet of flowers, Nick wears a dark suit. They walk along a path, strewn with red autumn leaves.

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.

Nick, a white man with short light brown hair and short beard, and Becky, a young white woman with long blonde hair, on their wedding day. Becky wears a long white dress and Nick wears a dark suit. They are in church, during their wedding ceremony standing in front of the vicar and their guests. They kiss and are holding hands.

Nick, a white man with short light brown hair and short beard, and Becky, a young white woman with long loose blonde hair, on their wedding day. Becky wears a long white dress and carries a bouquet of flowers, Nick wears a dark suit. They kiss, standing in front of an Oasthouse.

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!

Becky, a young white woman with long bloonde hair tied back, on her wedding day to Nick. She is surrounded by a groups of bridesmaids and friends, all smiling while they take a selfie. They are inside their wedding reception room which is dimly lit with white elegant chandeliers.

Nick, a white man with short light brown hair and short beard, and Becky, a young white woman with long blonde hair, tied back, on their wedding day. Becky wears a long white dress and Nick wears a dark suit. They are seated at their wedding breakfast, with their backs to camera. Bridesmaids in red dresses sit each side of them and autumn colours, ivy and low lighting create a cosy atmosphere in the room.

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!

A colourfully painted house in Mexico, painted with a skull and flowers, in bright colours. Plants are on the roof terrace and the sky is bright blue behind. A woman walks past the doorway wearing a colourful sarong

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.

A white woman with long blonde hair wearing a long salmon coloured kaftan, walks away from camera through a turquoise wooden doorway in Mexico. There are palm trees on either side of the doorway.

A white woman with long blonde hair stands next to her husband, a white man with light brown hair and a short beard in front of a painted orange wall on their honeymoon in Mexico.

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.

A young white woman with long blonde hair, and her husband a white man with light brown hair are dressed for the Mexican festival "Dia de los Muertos" Both have their faces painted and the woman wears a long pink dress.

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.

A white woman with long blonde hair stands next to her husband, a white man with light brown hair and a short beard with the sun setting over the Mexican sea and beach behind them.

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!

A young white woman with long blonde hair stands in a blue bikini in shallow crystal clear waters on a beach in Mexico, next to a sign that reads "Peligro Dangerous cocodrilos y mantarrayas. No pasar"

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.

We've got a lot of love to give.

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