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Callie and Sam's wedding day - black and white confetti shot of them leaving ceremony surrounded by guests.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A wedding stylist’s wedding and dreamy Puglia honeymoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Today on the blog we chat to wedding stylist Callie Punchard of Studio Dine and find out what it was like for her to style her own wedding! Callie met her now husband Sam at Uni; she says “we had mutual friends so we’d see each other here and there around the building.” Callie also worked in the Student bar so their chats became more and more frequent until eventually they got together. And hooray! They’ve just celebrated their 7 year anniversary of being a couple. Callie tells us more about how she planned and styled their day (and has some great tips too for couples planning their own weddings!) She also gives us all honeymoon FOMO by letting us in on their amazing honeymoon to Puglia, Italy, funded by family and friends with a little help from Patchwork!

How did you get engaged?

Callie and Sam on their wedding day. They hold hands and Sam looks at camera, while Callie looks across at Sam. They stand in front of two large floor standing floral arrangements with a blank white wall behind them

Callie: In our little one bed flat during lockdown. Sam had always joked he’d propose on the day he finished his masters and that ended up being exactly what he did. As he couldn’t go out and celebrate his final hand in with his friends, I took the day off and we decided we’d have a picnic in the flat. When I suggested we go to the park if it was nice out (at this stage we were allowed to sit outside!) and he said he’d rather stay in, I got suspicious. Popped out to the postbox and when I got back to the flat he was down on one knee. We celebrated with a takeaway pint from our local pub.

Callie and Sam's wedding day - buffet table set up with cheese and crackers and sweet things all displayed on wooden boards
Callie and Sam's wedding day - table settings, apricot, lilac and pale blue gingham colour palette on bare wood tables.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We knew we wanted a pretty relaxed day and that the most important thing was having all our friends and family there. Something less traditional and full of personality. Being a wedding stylist myself, I can’t pretend I didn’t feel the pressure right off the bat though. It was finally my opportunity to do everything exactly as I wanted. Obviously it had to be beautiful! But fun and colour were definitely priorities. Oh and the food. The food was very important. We chose Loft Studios which had the perfect casual, London vibe and sourced everything ourselves. A lot of work but so so worth it in the end.

Callie and Sam's wedding day- table settings, apricot, lilac and pale blue gingham colour palette on bare wood tables.
Callie and Sam's wedding day - bar set up with glasses of Aperol spritz

How did you find styling your own wedding as opposed to other peoples’?

I definitely found the run up more stressful and overwhelming than I’d imagined to. Naturally, the planning felt somewhat an extension of work, which definitely had its negatives, but it was so rewarding to be able to create something that totally reflected us and my style. The week of the wedding was hard work if I’m totally honest. We put a lot on our plates and did everything ourselves, from the flowers to making and painting the signage, designing menus, making my own candles, etc. We even made the bloody napkins! Actually it was only once it got to the day itself that I let the pressure go. I was so happy with everything we’d created and knew at that stage the work we’d put in had paid off, but once you wake up and it’s your wedding day, I couldn’t have cared less what it looked like. It was just amazing that so many people were there and we just had the best time.

Callie and Sam's wedding day - signing the register
Two tier wedding cake decorated with colourful iced flowers.

Did you have a first dance?

YES. Our first dance was Abba, Super trouper. We knew we wanted something fun and our families are all ABBA obsessed so it just felt like the perfect choice. I hate being the centre of attention so I was really nervous about this bit of the day, but we’d bought some confetti cannons to be set off at the end of the first verse and it ended up being totally magical. That sounds SO lame but it really was. At that point our friends couldn’t wait to get on the dance floor and it was the best start to the night.

Bird's eye colour shot of Callie and Sam on their wedding day. Standing close together with confetti falling on them and lying on the floor all around them

A bit of ABBA never fails! And what was your favourite part of the day?

I loved it all so much. Our first dance was definitely a highlight, but our ceremony was really amazing too. We had a humanist ceremony, which our celebrant Nat Raybould just made so personal and wonderful. We did Rock Paper Scissors to decide which of us read our vows first – haha.

An iPad with images of a Patchwork honeymoon fund to the Amalfi Coast

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

I knew from the moment I met you guys that we would use Patchwork for our wedding. Other than you being the dreamiest team and working with you previously, it just made so much sense. We loved that we could totally customise it to what we wanted and that we’d be giving back to environmental charities with our fee. A huge win-win.

Selfie shot - Callie and Sam - on honeymoon in Puglia

What did you invite your guests to contribute towards?

We decided to ask guests to contribute towards our honeymoon. We’ve lived together for years now, so we didn’t need gifts or any more ‘stuff’! We just wanted to have the best time away together in Italy.

Shallow clear sea with old stone buildings across the water - Callie and Sam's honeymoon in Puglia

What did you enjoy most about using Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

It was just so easy and so much less icky than asking our guests for cold hard cash! Haha! We completely mapped out our trip on it from meals out to hotels and activities so there was a total range of things and prices. It was so fun seeing what people bought us too.

Selfie shot - Callie and Sam - on honeymoon in Puglia, walking along an old town street

What did your family and friends think?

They loved it. We had so many compliments on how great of an idea it was, and found everyone loved being able to choose what they were contributing towards. It was lovely that we could send people updates throughout our trip too of things we were doing that they’d made possible. So many friends have gone on to use it for their weddings now too and we love being on the reverse, getting to choose for them!

A crowded beach cove, Puglia, Italy

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

We went to Puglia in Italy. Honestly the dreamiest trip. We planned to travel around the top half, staying in each place for 1-2 nights to see as much as possible. We started in Bari before moving along to Matera – This gorgeous old cave city (and where part of the new James Bond was filmed!). Stopped off at a wine resort and had a few days on an Italian farm in-land too, before travelling back up the coast and having a few beach days. We stayed in this incredible cave hotel in Matera which was cool and had this unreal seven course tasting menu one of the nights we stayed on the farm. That was definitely a highlight. We visited a ceramics village which as a tableware obsessive I loved! One of the days in Monopoli we found this hidden away beach cove which was amazing. We just sat on the edge of the clearest water with a spritz and fresh fried seafood and it just felt like we were in heaven. Polignano a Mare was also gorgeous – By far the busiest place we went but worth the hype for that view. Also all the food and wine. Obviously. Delicious. Want to go back immediately.

Two Aperol spritz glasses on a small table with sun shining behind.

OK, now we all have honeymoon FOMO! How did it feel knowing your friends and family had helped make your dream trip a reality?

Amazing – and really special. We’ll remember that trip forever.

Callie and Sam's wedding day - floral display - two floral arrangements of orange, apricot, blue and lilac with white wall behind.

And finally… do you have any top tips when it comes to planning / styling your wedding?

  • Don’t sweat the small stuff. Everything feels super important in the run up and it’s easy to get carried away but on the day the little things don’t matter.
  • Make sure it reflects you as a couple. Don’t fall into the trap of doing things because you feel you should. The best weddings are the ones where your guests walk in and immediately think how YOU it is. What are your favourite things? Think about how you can bring them into your day.
  • Work with your venue!! This is such a big one. Usually you’re spending a lot on the venue itself so make sure that it reflects the vibe you want your day to have, and that your ideas for styling will work with the space. Think about the existing features, colours and furniture and compliment it with everything you bring in.
  • Trust your suppliers. They know what they’re doing and you’re paying them for the expertise they bring to the table.
  • Don’t worry about making your wedding look ‘timeless’. Just have fun with it.
  • Make sure your budget is put to good use! Eg. If you’re paying for a big floral ceremony arch, where can you move this to once the ceremony is over?

Thankyou so much Callie and Sam for sharing your beautiful day with us and making us all want to immediately head off to Puglia for Aperol Spritz and seafood…. Congratulations from all of us at Patchwork, we are so pleased we could play a small part in your celebrations!

If you’ve been inspired to set up your own honeymoon fund, you can find our templates for Italy and 100s of other destinations here. Or if there’s something else you’d love your friends and family to help with – check out some of our other unique wedding gift ideas. If you’d like to chat to Callie about how she can help create the wedding of YOUR dreams you can read more about her services on the StudioDine website or on Instagram

Here are some of the wedding suppliers that made Callie and Sam’s day super special:

Make Up: Abi Taylor Bride

Food: Pasta E Basta

Cake: Maison Pe’lumi

DJ: On Repeat

Styling & Design: Callie at Studio Dine

Venue: Loft Studios

Flowers: Designed by Callie at Studio Dine, brought to life by Springhill Florals & Salad Studios

Dress: Charlie Brear

Photographer: Alba Turnbull

Videographer: The Smiths & Co

Photobooth: Photobot

Bar: We are Twenty Six

Pizza Van: Napoli on the Road

Furniture: Ya Hire

Candles: Studio Dine Store

Celebrant: Nat Raybould

Confetti: Flutter Darlings

Streamers: Streamadelica

Honeymoon hotel in Matera: Palazzotto Residence & Winery

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

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Patchwork couple Hana and Tom pose for a 'formal' shot on their wedding day, with their two dogs. They stand hand in hand against a dark background looking quite serious. Hana wears an iridescent dress with a sequin bodice, lilac and blue headpiece and carries a striking bouquet of deep purple flowers. She has on a pastel rainbow fluffy cardigan. Tom wears a pale pink tweed waistcoat and blazer.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

An epic two day wedding and Mexican honeymoon adventure

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

In their own words, Hana and Tom are “not your traditional couple”! They met initially in a friends’ garden in 2012, and were in the same social circles for a while before they got to know each other well. It can be said that Hana found Tom a little annoying, and he thought she was much, much too much! After a few years of pub quizzing and gigs, a deepening friendship, and a “will-they-won’t-they” few weeks, they decided to just be friends. However, with the pandemic in March 2020 came a total change of speed, and Tom moved into Hana’s house to help his parents to shield. “It’ll only be a couple of weeks” turned into months, and they slipped into a fun and easy relationship. In August Tom attempted to move home, but Hana says “I just missed him too much.” The rest is history as they say and today they share their epic rainbow-infused two part wedding and amazing friend funded Mexican honeymoon adventure!

Patchwork couple Hana and Tom hand in hand during their wedding ceremony. Both are smiling, Hana wears an iridescent dress with a sequin bodice, lilac and blue headpiece and carries a striking bouquet of deep purple flowers. Tom wears a pale pink tweed waistcoat and blazer

How did you get engaged?

We had talked about getting married, once we knew we were willing to risk the friendship! As a wedding photographer myself though, my time gets booked out a long time in advance, especially weekends. We talked about when in the year we’d hypothetically want to have an anniversary, and realised that Friday 12th November 2021 was a palindromic date. We sent an email, and Tom popped out to buy lunch… while he was out I got caught off guard by the registrar phoning me (millennial, bad at phones!) and booked the ceremony…oops! Months later, knowing we had the ceremony already booked, and we’d picked a beautiful rough garnet ring out together, Tom anxiously paced around our living room while we tried to watch a Billie Eilish documentary… eventually he said “I think you should have this now” as he couldn’t get any other words out…!
I had (funnily enough) anticipated that we’d get engaged, so had bought Tom a present too – a bright pink neon sign which reads “How unexpected” – a tongue in cheek reference to our engagement, but also a nod to the fact that everyone else seemed to know we’d be together before we did.

Hana on her wedding day, having the finishing touches done to her hair. Hana wears a striking lilac, green and blue headpiece, has blue hair and wears blue framed glasses.
Black and white shot of Tom on his wedding day to Hana. Lining up the balls on a pool table.
Patchwork couple Hana and Tom walk down the street on their wedding day, both smiling, each with a dog on a lead. Hana wears a rainbow cardi and sequin iridescent dress, Tom wears a pale pink tweed waistcoat and blazer

What kind of wedding did you plan?

A wedding of two halves! We both wanted a private, intimate ceremony – me so that it didn’t feel like work, and Tom because he gets a bit nervous sometimes. On our legal marriage day we walked to the register office with the dogs via a quick stop in our local. We were relaxed and joyful that day, and went to the pub for a slap up meal afterwards before spending the night alone in a shepherds hut with a hot tub.

Both of us were absolutely up for a mad party too, though, and the next day we threw an epic reception; we’ve got very specific aesthetic style together and went for black/pink and iridescent rainbow vibes. We love our rock/metal and pop music and wanted to put on a complete circus for all our family and friends. We chose to use an incredible celebrant to bring the second ceremony to life, and had temporary tattoos, no sit down meal, an ice cream cart and a silent disco.

Patchwork couple Hana and Tom during their wedding ceremony. Hana is kneeling on the floor in front of Tom and holds his hand. She smiles up at him and he is looking down at her. Hana wears an iridescent dress with a sequin bodice, lilac and blue headpiece and one of their dogs has its paw up on Hana's dress. Tom wears a pale pink tweed waistcoat and blazer.
Patchwork couple Hana and Tom dance in an embrace and kiss during their wedding reception. Hana wears an iridescent dress with a sequin bodice, and has blue hair. Tom wears a pale pink tweed waistcoat and blazer

Did you have a first dance?

Our first dance was Arcane Roots, Slow Dance because it RIFFS. For our legal ceremony we walked in together to C’est La Vie by B*Witched and out to Jamie Lenman, If You Have To Ask You’ll Never Know. For the second day we walked in to McFly, Happiness and out to the theme from Death In Paradise.

Hana and Tom on their wedding day. Hana is laughing at something Tom has said
Hana and Tom kiss on their wedding day - each holds out a smoke bomb, one deep pink, one blue.
Guests at the bar having fun at Tom and Hana's wedding

Now that’s a playlist. What was your favourite part of the day?

The reception day second ceremony was the best. We asked a Glaswegian friend of ours to stand up and pretend to conduct our ceremony, but to do it in the thickest Scots he could manage. It was an absolute hoot, and we were both in tears trying to make sense of it, and the joke had our guests roaring too. It was wonderful to include our pal, and then Hazel the Rainbow Celebrant kicked him off the mic for being “rubbish” and we got on with a personalised and funny service from her. It was personal, and that’s why it was awesome.

Patchwork Honeymoon Fund Mexico

Why did you choose Patchwork?

I shot a wedding before the pandemic of a couple who’d used Patchwork, and I was really impressed with the whole thing. It makes so much sense to me to be able to personalise your registry for things you actually want and need, while also being able to control the budget.

Hana and Tom on their honeymoon to Mexcico, funded by family and friends via Patchwork
Hana and Tom on their honeymoon to Mexcico, funded by family and friends via Patchwork

What did you want to invite guests to contribute towards?

I’d had my house for 5 years at this point, so we didn’t need bath towels or cutlery, and instead asked for photo frames for the wedding photos we’d receive and experiences for our honeymoon. Thanks to our guests knowing what they were contributing towards, we were able to thank them directly for frames, beers, a posh lunch, a day out at XCaret in Cancun, Mexico and so many more experiences.

Hana and Tom on their honeymoon to Mexcico, funded by family and friends via Patchwork

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

The freedom to design and upload your own gift ideas was amazing. We uploaded photos of the accommodation we wanted to book, the restaurants/cuisine we might want to go to, the actual items we were asking for etc. It made it much more real, and much more personal – and when we then thanked those people they could see we really did do what we said we would! It was lush, and we didn’t get a single thing we weren’t super happy with!

Hana and Tom on their honeymoon to Mexcico, funded by family and friends via Patchwork

What did your friends and family think?

Our friends and family were glad it was so easy to use, and to see what they were getting for us. I think they also appreciated that we were able to be so specific in our gratitude afterwards.

Hana and Tom on their honeymoon to Mexcico, funded by family and friends via Patchwork

Do you have a top wedding planning tip?

Absolutely. The best weddings are personal. Don’t get suckered into doing stuff ‘cause you’ve seen it at the venue or you’ve been sold a package – actually think about you and your partner and the things you like. What’re your favourite things, colours, activities, sounds and tastes? Make sure they’re all present at your wedding. It really should be a celebration of you as individuals, and everyone you’re inviting knows and loves at least one of you (!!), so they’ll love it too! Don’t be afraid to sign the legal paperwork on another day (we don’t panic about this for births and deaths, so why marriages?), and don’t be afraid to miss out traditional things if they don’t fit with your interests or principles.

Thank you so much Hana and Tom, for sharing with us this joyous, personal and wonderful celebration! We are honoured to have played a small part, and happy that you had such a fantastic honeymoon thanks to all your family and friends!

If you’ve been inspired to set up your own honeymoon fund, you can find our Mexico template here and templates for 100s of other destination here.

Here is the – very impressive – directory of Hana and Tom’s awesome suppliers who all added extra sparkle on the day:

Photos on the ceremony day (my hair down): Rowan Williams, Parrot and Pineapple

Photos of the main wedding day (hair up!): Ruth Merrington and Debbie Stevens
Red Door Photography

Celebrant: Hazel the Rainbow

Venue: The Joneses Studio

Invites and Signage: Satin and Tat Design

Food: Miles at Bark ‘n’ Render

Hana’s Outfit: Skirt: Etsy; Top Material: Amazon; Sewing Help Erica, Real Green Dress

Hana’s evening jumpsuit: Rosa Bloom

Hana’s earrings: Neon Cacti

Hana’s headdress and buttonholes: Folky Dokey

Hana’s Hair and Makeup: Amy at Dolly’s Beauty Parlour

Tom’s shirt, waistcoat and jacket: Graeme at Healy and Son

Flowers: Best Friend Natalie Miller

Neon sign: You Turn Neon

Dog Outfits: Bella and Barns

Collars and leads: Hounds of Eden

Cake: Lily and Fig Cakes

Ice cream: Vicki at Victoria’s Ice Cream Cart

Temporary Tattoos: Emma and Dom at Doris Loves

Silent Disco: Naren at Silent Disco Bristol

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

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Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit, Alice a long ivory dress. They stand within the beautiful stone wall surrounds of Bath Spa as the steam rises off the water.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A double Roman Baths wedding and a charity gift registry

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Meet our latest Patchwork couple – Alice from Bath, and Edoardo from Rome. They had both been living in London for several years when they met in summer 2017 via Guardian Soulmates, (the original pre-tinder dating site!) As well as epitomising the “more love less stuff” philosophy behind Patchwork, this gorgeous couple had a wedding which you might say was “so nice they did it twice”! Read on to find out more about their TWO dreamy weddings and the very fitting venue they chose!

Patchwork couple Edoardo and Alice

How did you get engaged?

Edoardo: We had just been separated for about a month while Alice was abroad in Germany. We both missed each other a lot and when we were reunited, we had a conversation about getting married over a pint in the pub. It seemed the most natural thing to do! No big announcements or proposals – just a decision that we made together.

Close up shot of Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit, Alice a long ivory dress. They stand holding hands within the beautiful stone wall surrounds of Bath Spa.
Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit, Alice a long ivory dress and holds a bouquet of yellow flowers. They stand within the beautiful stone wall surrounds of Bath Spa.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

One morning Alice woke up with a flash of inspiration – so we looked up whether the Roman Baths in Bath hosted weddings. And they do! Perfect location for someone from Rome and someone from Bath to get married. We planned a nice evening celebration with friends and family which was due to take place in 2020. However, Covid messed up our plans quite a bit. We ended up having a small intimate sunrise marriage ceremony with family only in May 2021, and then we had a lovely evening ceremony at our one year anniversary in 2022. Both in the Roman Baths.

Edoardo and Alice dancing together on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a red waistcoat and white shirt, Alice a long gold dress.

Did you have a first dance?

As our wedding had been postponed multiple times, we asked our brilliant swing band to play “Finally!” by CeCe Peniston.

Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit and red waistcoat, Alice a long gold dress and holds a bouquet of bright orange flowers
Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit and red waistcoat, Alice a long gold dress and holds a bouquet of bright orange flowers. They stand in the beautiful stone surroundings of the spa with their guests behind them.

What was your favourite part of the day(s)?

At both the events, we found entering the Roman Baths with the steam rising from the hot water was totally magical. At our sunrise wedding in 2021, we were overawed by the occasion and the small scale of it made us really savour the moment. During our evening party in 2022, 15 of our friends performed the “Humming Chorus” from the opera Madam Butterfly as we walked in, which was beautiful and very moving.

Dusk at Edoardo and Alice's wedding day at Bath Spa. Edoardo and Alice are standing against one of the beautiful stone walls of bath Spa which is lit by soft orange light. The Bath skyline is above.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your gift registry?

We were looking for a website that offered us freedom to design our wedding registry and include different gift options. We browsed a bit and tried a few, but Patchwork was really good as we could design the page entirely and had the freedom to add different items to our list.

A Patchwork "Give List" wedding registry displayed in an ipad

What did you invite guests to contribute towards and why?

By the time we got married, we had already been living together for a couple of years, so we really didn’t need or want any items. We instead chose three charities that are meaningful to us and gathered guests’ contributions to go towards them. We chose two local North London charities (a homeless shelter and a community farm) and a charity that supports migrants who get into trouble in the Mediterranean going into Italy.

Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa. They are walking together, both smiling and Alice waves. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit and red waistcoat, Alice a long gold dress and holds a bouquet of bright orange flowers.

What was your favourite feature of Patchwork?

Patchwork allowed us to create individualised items at different price points for each of the charities we chose. Also, having had to postpone our wedding a few times because of Covid, we found it really good that Patchwork allowed us to keep our page open and running for quite a lot longer than we first anticipated! Also family and friends could leave a message on our Patchwork after their contribution, which has been lovely to see and go back to.

Edoardo and Alice on their wedding day at Bath Spa standing beside the spa itself with all of their guests around them. Edoardo wears a dark blue suit and red waistcoat, Alice a long gold dress and holds a bouquet of bright orange flowers

What did your friends and family think?

We had some lovely messages from our family and friends. They all really loved the idea of supporting our chosen charities. We had also got in touch with the charities beforehand and asked them to share with us what different levels of contribution would go towards – which we then were able to add to our Patchwork for each price point. Guests really liked to be able to select something specific and know where the money would go. It was great to know that our wedding also helped contribute towards some very important causes. That was always very important for us and we were glad to have made this decision.

Do you have any wedding planning tips for engaged couples?

Give as much information as you can to your guests, whether it’s on your website or elsewhere, because people will have a lot of questions. You can lose sight of that when you’re totally immersed in the planning!

Another thing we really loved is that for our evening celebration we had a lovely humanist celebrant to create our ceremony for us . We got to write our own personalised ceremony from scratch and that was very special. So we would definitely recommend it as an alternative to more traditional ceremonies (and our guests loved it!).

Thank you so much Alice and Edoardo for sharing not just one but TWO beautiful wedding days with us. What a perfect venue for this gorgeous couple too. If you’ve been inspired to set up a gift list with a charitable element check out our wedding give list template or our 100s of other alternative wedding gift ideas.

Here are some of the amazing wedding suppliers that made Edoardo and Alice’s Roman Baths wedding day even more special:

Photographer: Michael Newington Gray
Dress: Pearl Legay-Clarke (gold dress only – however she doesn’t do dressmaking anymore)
Celebrant: Amy Lee
Music: Down for the Count
Venue: The Roman Baths and Pump Room
Cake: The Pretty Cake Company
Flowers: Alice’s mum 🙂

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

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Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

Why the best wedding suppliers use Patchwork gift registry for their own weddings!

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Today on our blog we chat to some amazing wedding suppliers and industry friends who have chosen to use Patchwork wedding registry for their own celebrations. What is it about Patchwork that makes those in the know choose us? Read on to find out!

With thanks to our fabulous contributors, Louie of TH&TH, Justine of Holdfast Ceremonies, Hana Laurie Photography, Callie of StudioDine, Gabrielle & August of With Pride Weddings and Mercedes of 4Ya Party Weddings and Events.

Patchwork couple Hana and Tom walk down the street on their wedding day, both smiling, each with a dog on a lead. Hana wears a rainbow cardi and sequin iridescent dress, Tom wears a pale pink tweed waistcoat and blazer
Photo credit: Parrot and Pineapple
Callie and Sam's wedding day- table settings, apricot, lilac and pale blue gingham colour palette on bare wood tables.
Photo credit: Alba Turnbull

As wedding suppliers yourselves, we’re interested to hear what kind of wedding you planned?

Louie: We planned an über grand event at a stately home – the beautiful Stoneleigh Abbey in Warwickshire, made famous by Jane Austen who wrote about it in Northanger Abbey. It’s a really romantic venue, we married in the stunning Orangery overlooking the River Avon. Afterwards we made our way to the Georgian Stucco salon for our wedding breakfast where we dined on the most delicious duck I’ve ever tasted! I asked everyone to dress in their finery and they didn’t disappoint.

Callie: We knew we wanted a pretty relaxed day and that the most important thing was having all our friends and family there. Something less traditional and full of personality. Being a wedding stylist myself, I can’t pretend I didn’t feel the pressure right off the bat though. It was finally my opportunity to do everything exactly as I wanted. Obviously it had to be beautiful! But fun and colour were definitely priorities. Oh and the food. The food was very important. We chose Loft Studios which had the perfect casual, London vibe and sourced everything ourselves. A lot of work but so so worth it in the end.

Hana: A wedding of two halves. We both wanted a private, intimate ceremony – me so that it didn’t feel like work, and Tom because he gets a bit nervous sometimes. On our legal marriage day we walked to the register office with the dogs via a quick stop in our local. We were relaxed and joyful that day, and went to the pub for a slap up meal afterwards before spending the night alone in a shepherds hut with hot tub. Both of us were absolutely up for a mad party too, though, and the next day we threw an epic reception; we’ve got very specific aesthetic style together and went for blank/pink and iridescent rainbow vibes. We love our rock/metal and pop music and wanted to put on a complete circus for all our family and friends. We chose to use an incredible celebrant to bring the 2nd ceremony to life, and had temporary tattoos, no sit down meal, an icecream cart and a silent disco.

Mercedes: “Alex and I get married officially in August this year after getting the legal bit out of the way last year. Now we just need to decide if we want our Patchwork to fund our photographer or our honeymoon! Decisions, decisions!”

Mercedes & Alex.
Louie & Andy.
Callie and Sam's wedding day - black and white confetti shot of them leaving ceremony surrounded by guests.
Callie & Sam. Photo credit: Alba Turnbull

Why did you choose Patchwork for your gift registry?

Justine: “It was so exciting and refreshing to find Patchwork. We are super lucky to be in the position of not needing or wanting more ‘things’ and really wanted to head off people buying us stuff we didn’t need.” Patchwork’s ethics also played a part in why we chose it. It is unique in not only encouraging people to buy less ‘stuff’ but in really engaging with the climate crisis we all now find ourselves in. Giving 50% to organisations that are dedicated to creating a sustainable planet for everyone is extraordinary and it was a no-brainer to support this mission.”

Louie: “It felt like such a personal and fun way for those of our guests who wanted to give us a gift.”

Hana: “I shot a wedding before the pandemic of a couple who’d used Patchwork, and I was really impressed with the whole thing. It makes so much sense to me to be able to personalise your registry for things you actually want and need, while also being able to control the budget.”

Callie: “I knew from the moment I met you guys that we would use Patchwork for our wedding. Other than you being the dreamiest team and working with you previously, it just made so much sense. We loved that we could totally customise it to what we wanted and that we’d be giving back to environmental charities with our fee. A huge win-win.”

Gabrielle & August: “As a team of wedding planners and designers we specialize in finding sustainable, creative and experience-based outlets in the wedding world so that everyone can Wed With Pride! We recently celebrated our love story after several Covid-related postponements. One of the only good things that came out of the delay was meeting the incredible team at Patchwork! ”

Mercedes: “Alex and I have a big passion for the environment and doing our bit in our business and in our personal lives. It was a no-brainer when we found out that Patchwork give 50% of their fees to environmental charities, one of which we have supported ourselves in our business.”

Patchwork Honeymoon Fund Mexico
Hana and Tom on their honeymoon to Mexcico, funded by family and friends via Patchwork
Hana & Tom.

What did you ask guests to contribute towards?

Louie: “We wanted to fund our honeymoon – we knew we wanted the trip of a lifetime, never to be repeated. We followed an itinerary inspired by The Grand Tour, taken by the nobility in the 17th and 18th Centuries. The trip allowed us to be immersed in culture but also have some relaxation mixed in. We had so many comments about the amusing items we added to our Patchwork registry – we added things like Ouzo shots for when we were partying in Mykonos, and Turkish Hammam for our Istanbul trip. It was so much more fun than asking for a teapot!”

Justine: “We have a sailing boat and decided to make the biggest, most challenging trip of our life so far, from Chichester to Spain or Portugal, for six weeks. We needed various safety items and, though staying places at anchor or in marinas is much cheaper than hotels, we still needed some help funding six weeks away. Friends and family helped fund a life raft (!), boring boat maintenance stuff, beers, coffees, ice creams and lunches, to a first month anniversary dinner, a whale watching trip, a scuba diving session and a picnic on a volcano!

Hana: “I’d had my house for 5 years at this point, so we didn’t need bath towels or cutlery, and instead asked for photo frames for the wedding photos we’d receive and experiences for our honeymoon. Thanks to our guests knowing what they were contributing towards, we were able to thank them directly for frames, beers, a posh lunch, a day out at XCaret in Cancun, Mexico and so many more experiences.”

Callie: “We decided to ask guests to contribute towards our honeymoon. We’ve lived together for years now, so we didn’t need gifts or any more ‘stuff’! We just wanted to have the best time away together in Italy.”

Justine & Pete. Photo credit: Libby Christensen Photography and Manchester Wedding Photography
Bird's eye colour shot of Callie and Sam on their wedding day. Standing close together with confetti falling on them and lying on the floor all around them
Callie & Sam. Photo credit: Alba Turnbull

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

Louie: “What made all of this (our honeymoon) even more special was knowing everyone we loved had made it possible – it was the most magical feeling. It was the best trip of our life!”

Justine: “Setting up our page was easy – and fun! Coming up with ways of helping us have a wonderful trip was entertaining and very simple. Once we’d launched there was always a squeal of delight in our house when we got a notification email to say that someone had donated to our honeymoon fund. And it mattered not whether it was a small or large amount.”

Hana: “The freedom to design and upload your own gift ideas was amazing. We uploaded photos of the accommodation we wanted to book, the restaurants/cuisine we might want to go to, the actual items we were asking for etc. It made it much more real, and much more personal – and when we then thanked those people they could see we really did do what we said we would!”

Callie: “It was just so easy and so much less icky than asking our guests for cold hard cash! Haha! We completely mapped out our trip on it from meals out to hotels and activities so there was a total range of things and prices. It was so fun seeing what people bought us too.”

Gabrielle & August: “We fully customized our Patchwork – including using gorgeous graphics and creating captions that sounded like us – before sharing it with our family and friends. We were proud to utilize Patchwork’s service, especially knowing that a portion of the Patchwork fee went towards Earth-friendly charities.”

Mercedes: “We love how flexible and unique Patchwork is. We have been living together as a blended family for over a year, we don’t need pots and pans! Patchwork allows us to choose something that is special to us that our family and friends would be happy to share with us.”

Justine & Pete. Photo credit: Libby Christensen Photography and Manchester Wedding Photography
Louie with bridesmaids.

And what did your friends and family think?

Louie: “They just loved how easy it was and really liked that they got to buy us special experiences. And we loved that we could show our personality – we could really get ourselves across to our wedding guests.”

Justine: “Family and friends were delighted to be able to choose from a wide variety of ways to help us, big or small. We’ll be recommending it for sure!”

Hana: “Our friends and family were glad it was so easy to use, and to see what they were getting for us. I think they also appreciated that we were able to be so specific in our gratitude afterwards.”

Callie: “They loved it. We had so many compliments on how great of an idea it was, and found everyone loved being able to choose what they were contributing towards. It was lovely that we could send people updates throughout our trip too of things we were doing that they’d made possible. So many friends have gone on to use it for their weddings now too and we love being on the reverse, getting to choose for them!”

Gabrielle & August: “Our guests had such a fun time taking a peek into our honeymoon and life plans through our suggested contributions; we feel like we’ve taken them with us on our American roadtrip.”

Mercedes of 4Ya Party Weddings and Events
Patchwork couple Hana and Tom during their wedding ceremony. Hana is kneeling on the floor in front of Tom and holds his hand. She smiles up at him and he is looking down at her. Hana wears an iridescent dress with a sequin bodice, lilac and blue headpiece and one of their dogs has its paw up on Hana's dress. Tom wears a pale pink tweed waistcoat and blazer.
Hana & Tom. Photo credit: Red Door Photography

More on our fabulous contributors….

Louie founder of bridal and bridesmaid dress brand TH&TH married Andy at Stoneleigh Abbey in Warwickshire. They used Patchwork to invite guests to treat them to experiences on their incredible “grand tour” of Europe.


Humanist wedding celebrant Justine of Holdfast Ceremonies married Pete in the summer of 2022 and guests helped fund their East Atlantic sailing adventure!


Hampshire based alternative wedding photographer Hana married Tom at their local registry office and then the following day had a huge party at The Joneses Studio. Their Patchwork included option for friends and family to buy them anything from a massage in Mexico, to Mac ‘n’ Cheese at Mollie’s Diner!


Callie is founder of StudioDine – London based creative design studio and the destination for modern table styling. Callie married Sam at Loft Studios and invited guests to treat them to Aperitvo, pasta, cooking lessons and incredible accommodation on their Puglia honeymoon Patchwork.


Gabrielle & August are the couple behind With Pride Weddings – a Queer-led, Queer-focused wedding and events company that celebrates all! They wed at Greenwoods Hotel and their Patchwork registry offered options for guests to treat them to experiences on their American road trip.


Mercedes is founder of 4YaParty Weddings and Events who provide beautiful, eco-friendly venue decor and styling, and specialise in Rustic, Boho and Vintage styles. Mercedes & Alex are due to marry this year and have yet to decide what to include on their Patchwork!

Thanks so much to all of you for sharing your wedding and honeymoon stories, and for sharing with us why you think Patchwork is the best! Huge hugs from the Patchwork Team. If YOU’RE part of a super stylish couple who would like a unique, personal and not-available-anywhere-else registry for your guests to get excited about check us out here!

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Luke and Catherine's wedding day. Colour shot of the couple standing facing each other and touching foreheads against a backdrop of yellow corrugated metal. Catherine wears a long sleeved wrap top dress with sparkle thread throughout and Luke wears a black suit and bowtie.
Honeymoon InspirationPatchwork Couples

A chilled urban wedding and Sicilian honeymoon adventure

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Today on our blog we chat to travel loving couple Catherine and Luke. They met at school in Coventry in 2008, became a couple in 2011 and have been together for nearly 12 years now. They were due to get married on their 10 year anniversary but had to postpone it by a year because of Covid. However, Catherine says “it was certainly worth the wait and it was lovely to be able to say we were starting off the next decade together as husband and wife!” They married in Birmingham and had the “best day ever” followed by a honeymoon to Sicily, which was made extra special with contributions from their family and friends.

Luke and Catherine on honeymoon in Sicily

How did you get engaged?

Catherine: We love to travel and had booked a weekend break to explore Baden Baden in Germany back in 2019. We had the most stunning weather and on a mountain walk in the Black Forest Luke proposed. It was a complete shock to me and I had jelly legs the entire way down (which took about 3 hours!) We celebrated by eating pizza & letting all our family & friends know the good news!

Wedding breakfast tables set up. Classic white tablecloths, light wood chairs and a square 'flower arch' in the background
Luke and Catherine's wedding day. Flower arch shot, Catherine and Luke kiss, Catherine has her hands on Luke's face. Catherine wears a long sleeved, wrap top, floor length dress with sparkle thread throughout. Luke wears a black suit and bowtie.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We aren’t very traditional and we wanted a chilled wedding where everyone could have fun. We got married at The Old Library in Digbeth, Birmingham and even though we’ll obviously be biased, it was the best day ever.  The whole venue was perfect and it looked stunning on the day, especially after our florist had gone in and worked her magic!  We had Greek street food which our guests still talk about now – it really hit the spot. One of our best friends very kindly baked us our wedding cake which was as delicious as it was beautiful.  Our photographer was INCREDIBLE and not only did she capture the most gorgeous photos, she put us so at ease and it felt like we’d known her for years.  Katie and Sonya made sure my hair and makeup was perfect and the vibes in the hotel room that morning were immaculate! All of our suppliers made our chilled wedding a reality but they also made it so, so special. If we did the day all over again (which we wish we could) we wouldn’t change a single thing. 

Luke and Catherine's wedding day. Confetti shot, Catherine and Luke both laughing as they are showered with confetti. Catherine wears a long sleeved wrap top dress with sparkle thread throughout and carries a bouquet of cream and pink flowers. Luke wears a black suit and bowtie.
Luke and Catherine's wedding day. Catherine and Luke are standing up at their wedding breakfast table in front of their guests. Both raise a glass to their lips and Luke punches the air in celebration. Catherine wears a long sleeved wrap top dress with sparkle thread throughout and carries a bouquet of cream and pink flowers. Luke wears a black suit and bowtie.

Did you have a first dance?

No we didn’t. We wanted everyone up on the dance floor for as long as possible as it had felt like such a long time since we could have a big party. We asked our DJ to play Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield as our first song and it certainly did the trick! It was so special to have everyone join us for our “first dance”.

A four tiered wedding cake with cream coloured icing decorated with cream roses.
Luke and Catherine's wedding day. Night time shot of the couple walking hand in hand on a pavement by an urban street with a brick wall on one side. Catherine wears a long sleeved wrap top dress with sparkle thread throughout and Luke wears a black suit and bowtie.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Luke: When Catherine walked down the aisle!

Catherine: I can’t pick just one but the buzz of your wedding day is something else. Seeing how happy Luke and our family and friends were was the best feeling. 

Luke and Catherine's wedding day. Black and white shot of the couple walking hand in hand down a narrow street with graffiti on walls either side. Catherine wears a long sleeved wrap top dress with sparkle thread throughout and Luke wears a black suit and bowtie.
An iPad with images of a Patchwork honeymoon fund to the Amalfi Coast

Why did you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

Catherine: I found Patchwork online and loved that it was a way for guests to gift us a contribution to our honeymoon whilst also being pleasing on the eye! It was so easy to set up and use and we loved that guests could gift us specific trips and items. It also made the planning process of our honeymoon loads of fun for us as every time a gift came through we got more and more excited for our trip. A huge bonus was that guests could also leave messages which we kept unread until our flight and read them on the way over to Sicily – it was such a lovely way to start our trip!

Catherine with an Aperol spritz on honeymoon in Sicily
Luke on a boat on honeymoon in Sicily

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

We asked for a range of different items and activities ranging from £5 for our gelato fund to £100 for a boat trip. Sicily has so much to do so we included loads of different activities including vintage car hire, winery tours, volcano trips & of course, lots and lots of food.

Luke reading a book on honeymoon in Sicily

What did you enjoy most about using Patchwork?

It was so easy to set up and once we had added our items, we didn’t need to do much else. It was all taken care of by Patchwork and we got notifications when anything updated. We linked our page to our wedding website so that guests could easily access it and everyone found it easy to use. We loved that it felt like a much more personal way for our guests to contribute to our honeymoon.

Catherine making pasta in Sicily on honeymoon

What did your friends and family think?

The feedback was really good. We think the highlights for them were that it was easy to do and they felt like they were contributing to something. We sent postcards to them after our trip & we let them know how we got on with what they had kindly gifted us. 

Luke making pasta on honeymoon in Sicily

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

We did a tour around Sicily in July/ August. It was the perfect place for us. So much to do, so much to see and so much good food to eat! 

We started in Palermo which was such a fun city with great street food. We then went to Agrigento and visited the ancient temples at sunset. After that we headed to Cefalu which was a seaside dream which looked like it belonged in a Disney film. Then we went to the quieter town of Patti and during the days we weren’t lazing in the sun we went on excursions to the Aeolian islands where we visited Stromboli and watched it spit lava (a real bucket list moment!) 

To wrap it up we then went and enjoyed Taormina (where The White Lotus was filmed – not that we knew that at the time!) and made delicious pizzas and pasta from scratch. 

Catherine on honeymoon in Sicily, standing in the frame of a dry stone wall archway

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

We are so grateful to all of our family and friends for our gifts. We love to travel and so knowing that so many of the activities we did whilst on our honeymoon were all thanks to our loved ones made the experiences all the more special. 

Luke and Catherine on honeymoon in Sicily

Do you have a top tip for other couples planning weddings?

It’s your day so do it how you want to. Don’t feel pressured into spending loads of money or doing things just because they are tradition. Set your priorities to what you both want as a couple and the rest will follow. Most of all, enjoy it! 

Thanks Catherine and Luke for sharing your amazing wedding day and stunning Sicilian honeymoon adventure with us! We’re so pleased Patchwork could play a part in making your dreams come true. If you’d like to set up a honeymoon fund to Italy or anywhere else in the world come over and chat to us today!

Here are some of the amazing suppliers that helped make Catherine and Luke’s wedding day the best day ever!

Venue: The Old Library, Digbeth

Florist: Willow & Wild Floral Events

Photographer: Blonde Shot Photography

Catering: Aretsi Catering 

Catherine’s Dress: Asos

Hair: Sonya Jayne Bridal Hair

MUA: Katie Leanne Make-Up

DJ: Audiohead Events

Photobooth: PhotoMeBooth

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James and Katie on their wedding day at Henham Barns in Suffolk. James stands behind Katie with his arms around her waist, she is holding a large bouquet of autumnal coloured flowers.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

An autumn Suffolk wedding and honeymoon to St Lucia

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Gorgeous couple James and Katie chat to us today all about their beautiful Autumn wedding and honeymoon to St Lucia. Katie is a nurse and originally from Chester and James runs his own business and grew up in Suffolk. They met in the summer of 2015 at Latitude festival and have been together ever since. Like so many couples, their original wedding and honeymoon plans were de-railed by the pandemic. Their honeymoon to Borneo became an adventure to St Lucia which they made the most of – with a little help from family and friends! Despite delays, their patience paid off and they finally got their big wedding celebration with all their loved ones back where it all began – the Latitude festival site in Suffolk. Read on to hear more about their joy-filled day.

James just after proposing to Katie on the ski slopes in France

How did you get engaged?

James: I proposed to Katie at the top of a mountain whilst we were skiing in France in 2019. We had everything originally booked to get married in 2020 but had to postpone until 2021 due to Covid.

Wedding ceremony room set up in autumnal colours at Henham Barns
Katie and James' wedding breakfast at Henham Barns

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our love for all our friends and family as much as it was about our love for each other. Katie had always enjoyed the idea of an autumn wedding and we both wanted a nod to how we met so we returned to where our story began at Henham Park (where Latitude is held) for the wedding. With Covid forcing us to postpone our wedding by a year we made the most of it and tried to source as much as we could from the Suffolk countryside. We spent months foraging and drying rose petals for confetti as well as all kinds of other flora to dry and use in our arrangements, collecting pheasant feathers and old gin bottles to use for our table decorations, and hand-making as many elements as we could for the day. We also included our friends as much as possible in the process. Two of our closest friends performed the ceremony for us and a lifelong friend of mine created the incredible floral arrangements for the day. Another old friend agreed to miss out on all the fun out front by staying behind the scenes and doing the catering for the day.

James and Katie on the dance floor on their wedding day
Guests on the dancefloor at James and Katie's wedding

Did you have a first dance?

Our first dance was to “Take on Me” by A-ha – it began as the acoustic version so we could have a quiet moment together before kicking up into the original tempo to get everyone else stuck into the dance floor!

A simple, modern, three tier wedding cake decorated with Autumnal flowers and fruits. Cake is by Two Magpies bakery and stands on a wooden board with an exposed brick wall behind.
Guests standing up to toast the marriage of James and Katie during their wedding reception at Henham Barns

What was your favourite part of the day?

James: Having everyone so special to us in the same place is so rare and meant the world to me, seeing Katie for the first time in her dress is something I’ll never forget, and I honestly don’t think I’ll ever laugh again the way I did at my brother Richard’s Best Man speech. It sounds cliché but the whole day was so overwhelmingly full of joy (especially after all the lockdowns!) that I honestly can’t pick a specific part to hang my hat on as a favourite!

Katie: Having all of our loved ones under one roof, especially after such a tough year where we’d been separated for so long. James and I had a sweetheart table which meant we had time alone together to soak up the atmosphere. The whole day was so special I wouldn’t change a thing.

James and Katie outside in the sunshine on their wedding day at Henham Barns, Suffolk

What made Patchwork the best registry option for you?

We found Patchwork through a Google search and it was instantly obvious that it was what we were after. The platform was intuitive and easy to use from the outset, when we had queries or needed support the whole team were an absolute joy to deal with. Even when Covid threw a spanner in the works and we had to reinvent our entire Patchwork, it was easy enough to do.

A Patchwork honeymoon fund to the Caribbean, shown in an ipad. Each 'patch' shows different experiences that guests can treat the couple to on their honeymoon

What did you invite friends and family to contribute towards?

Since we already live together and mostly have what we need for our home a traditional wedding gift list wasn’t what we were after, but we hated the idea of people just giving us cash. It was incredibly important to us that people knew they would be giving us something we would enjoy, and if we had the opportunity to share it with them then that was even better.

James and Katie on their honeymoon to St Lucia

What did your friends and family think?

We’ve only heard good things from friends and family, with several couples saying they intended to use the site for their weddings as well.

James and Katie on their honeymoon to St Lucia

What have you done so far with the gift money that you received via your Patchwork?

Our gift money went towards experiences on our honeymoon. We were lucky enough to travel to St Lucia and the contributions from our guests helped us enjoy all kinds of experiences whilst we were there, from sailing to scuba diving, waterfalls and tours, and plenty of pampering and cocktails. At the very end of the trip our camera was lost and so were all of our photos, but thankfully because we had been sharing our experiences with people along the way to say thank you it was ironically our friends who were able to give us photos of our honeymoon when we got back!

James and Katie on their honeymoon to St Lucia

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

It added another level of enjoyment to the trip and serendipitously helped us out with the photos!

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

Be versatile – every change that felt like we were losing something when we first had to cancel worked out for the best in the end. Oh, and enjoy every minute of it, it really does fly by!

Thank you so much James and Katie for sharing your very special day and these gorgeous words and photos with us. We’re so pleased you finally had the day you both wanted and that Patchwork could help make your honeymoon dreams a reality!

If you’re thinking about a honeymoon fund instead of a traditional gift registry you can browse our paradise island collection of templates to help you decide on a destination! Or find our whole honeymoon collection here.

Here are some of the brilliant suppliers who helped make James and Katie’s day perfect:

Venue: Henham Barns

Caterer: Paul Thompson, Paul Thompson Events

Flowers: Katrina Skybak-Doyle, Cloud Hill Flowers

Photographer: Owen Tetley

Videographer: Caitlin Young, One Forever Films

Cake: Two Magpies Bakery

Band: Festival Folk

Katie’s Hair: Stacie Goodwin

Katie’s Make-up: Emily Chantal

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

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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!

Bride Emily and Groom Steven on their wedding day - they sit at a small round table in the corner of a rustic barn, with fairy lights adorning one wall.

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.

Wedding breakfast table set up at the Cowshed, Woodhall Farm, Staffs
Emily and Steve on their wedding day. Holding hands outside the venue whilst their guests shower them with confetti.

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!

Beautiful bright bouquets of flowers - with blooms of lilac, orange and yellow. Close up shot of four bouquets held by three bridesmaids and bride Emily.

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.

Shot of Emily and Steve on their wedding day mingling with their guests outside with trees in the background.
Emily and Steve on their wedding day. Standing close together on a lawn with a covering of small white flowers.

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!

Patchwork Honeymoon Fund Canada

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.

Emily and Steve on their Canadian honeymoon. Shot with lake, sky and mountains in background.

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.

Emily and Steve on honeymoon in Canada - shot of Steve wearing sunglasses on a boat

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.

Steve on honeymoon in the Canadian mountains

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.

Humpback whale in the distance in the ocean - Emily and Steve's Canadian honeymoon

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.

Emily on honeymoon in Canada, standing against a wooden fence wearing sunglasses with mountains behind

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!

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.
A Patchwork honeymoon fund for Route 66

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.

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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.”

A white woman and a white man on their wedding day. The bride has long fair hair and wears an ivory lace dress with a flower garland in her hair. The groom has short fair hair and wears a dark suit with a light check pattern. They sit at a table with the wedding certificate in front of them, and flowers decorate the table.

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.

A white woman and a white man on their wedding day, they walk arm in arm along a cream carpeted aisle out of the ceremony venue as their guests clap them on either side. The bride has long fair hair and wears an ivory lace dress with a flower garland in her hair. The groom has short fair hair and wears a dark suit with a light check pattern.

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!)

A white woman and a white man on their wedding day, cutting their three tiered wedding cake together. The cake is covered in ivory buttercream and has a woodland theme and is decorated with eucalyptus leaves and white roses. The bride has long fair hair and wears an ivory lace dress with a flower garland in her hair. The groom has short fair hair and wears a dark suit and tie.

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!

A white woman and a white man on their wedding day standing outside on a rocky outcrop at Froggatt Edge. The bride has long fair hair and wears an ivory lace dress with a flower garland in her hair and carries a bouquet of flowers. The groom has short fair hair and wears a dark suit with a light check pattern.

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.

Patchwork California honeymoon fund

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.

Young newly married couple Jess and Joel on their honeymoon to California funded by family and friends via Patchwork. Jess is a white woman and wears a green dress and has long fair hair which she wears down. Joel is a white man with short fair hair, he wears sunglasses and a casual navy jacket. They stand in front of the Hollywood Bowl with hills in the background and a blue sky above.

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.

Two bears walking on some fallen trees in Sequoia National Park

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.

A white woman and a white man on their wedding day. They are outside 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 and holds them in the air. The groom has short fair hair and wears a dark suit with a light check pattern.

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.

Black and white photo of Laura and Ed on their wedding day at Cripps Barn, Cotswolds. They stand outside on a carpet of autumn leaves with woodland behind them. Ed has his arm around Laura and pulls her towards him in a hug. She wears a long ivory sleeveless dress and carries a bouquet of flowers. 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 both look very happy
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! 

Cripps Barn, Cotswolds, ceremony venue for Laura and Ed's wedding December 2021
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.

Black and white photo of Laura and Ed on their wedding day at Cripps Barn, Cotswolds. They stand outside against a weathered wooden wall, looking at each other. 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.
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.

Black and white photo of Laura and Ed on their wedding day at Cripps Barn, Cotswolds. They stand outside against a weathered wooden wall, laughing. 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. Laura wears a long ivory dress and veil and carries a bouquet of flowers. Ed wears a mid-blue suit.
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.

Patchwork Mauritius honeymoon fund in an ipad

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.

Laura and Ed on their honeymoon in Mauritius, on a sunset catamaran cruise, both hold glasses of bubbly and look very relaxed. Laura is a white woman with long hair, Ed a white man with short fair hair and a short beard.

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.

Laura and Ed on their honeymoon in Mauritius, in the sea together, both wearing sunnies and looking very happy and relaxed.

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. 

Laura on honeymoon in Mauritius, a honeymoon funded by friends and family via Patchwork. Laura wears a bikini and a black snorkel mask, and has tattoos on her upper arm and shoulders. Behind her you can see a beach hut with surf boards and a small jetty going in to the sea.

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!

Laura on honeymoon in Mauritius, a honeymoon funded by friends and family via Patchwork. Laura is in an infinity pool resting her arms on the sides. She wears a bikini and has tattoos on her upper arm and shoulders. Her hair is tied up and she is drinking a long cold drink. Behind her you can see a small island - Coin de Mire off the coast of Mauritius.

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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