Tash and David met in London where they both live. They had an amazing (and unusual!) first date. David took Tash to the Hunterian Museum which is part of the Royal College of Surgeons. Tash says ‘it includes lots of things in jars, specimens and oddities – A very bold move! We then walked around Central London for about eight hours just talking and laughing. We’ve now been together for five years.’ We chat to Tash about their gorgeous London wedding and Lake District honeymoon, made extra special with honeymoon gifts via Patchwork from family and friends.
How did you get engaged?
We got engaged in Sicily last year. We climbed some cliffs on the beachfront in Cefalu until we were away from everyone just as the sun was setting.
What kind of wedding did you plan?
We didn’t really know what the wedding would look like at all so we wanted to keep everything relaxed and just went with the flow! We found this gorgeous pub called The Dickens Inn on St Katharine Docks in London where we live and just thought it was perfect. It’s informal, fun but felt elegant and lovely. Luckily we didn’t have to postpone and restrictions were eased in time. It was the first time everyone could get together in so long, so it was fabulous just having a bit of a reunion as well.
Did you have a first dance?
We didn’t have a first dance; instead we had a first karaoke song which involved David serenading me with Kiss from a Rose by Seal. Definitely an iconic moment, it’s the first thing that comes up when we mention the wedding with our guests!!
What was your favourite part of the day?
Our favourite part of the day was probably the aforementioned love song! We also had a massive cheese wedding cake and pizza for the evening which was a winner.
Why did you choose Patchwork for your gift registry?
We were going to The Lake District for our honeymoon for a bit of a food and walking tour and thought there’s so much to do there; wouldn’t it be nice to ask for activities so our friends and family could give us more of a ‘gift’ rather than just an amount of money. We found Patchwork online and we loved the look of it all.
What did you ask guests to contribute towards?
The Lake District has some of the best restaurants in the country and we really wanted to experience those so we asked for a fancy dinner contribution, afternoon tea (David had never had one before and thoroughly enjoyed!) cocktails and champagne which everyone very kindly helped us out on. Also, it’s pretty rainy there so we asked for new waterproofs and sturdy walking shoes (very glad we did!!)
What were your favourite Patchwork features?
The best bit about Patchwork was the personable touches – we were able to write our own descriptions and made it a bit fun and silly but we enjoyed doing it. Also our friends and family could write their own messages on both our Patchwork publicly and on their own contributions which was lovely to see pop up every now and again in the run up to the wedding.
What did your friends and family think?
They loved it, it was definitely a talking point and everyone enjoyed our silly entries. They said it was really creative and a nice change from a traditional registry or just giving a cash contribution.
You honeymooned in the Lake District. Would you recommend your trip to other couples?
Yes definitely! The Lake District is the most beautiful place full of wonderful sights and has some incredible restaurants and hotels. We had an amazing time relaxing after the wedding and spending time just us in such beautiful surroundings. We went to dinner at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume, enjoyed lots of cocktails, stayed in some lovely hotels, had a spa day and even did a few wine pairings at dinner (might as well go all out on your honeymoon!) We also did a few hikes, and a twelve mile walk around Windermere. Standing on top of Silver How and seeing the view below was just glorious. We also went out on Lake Windermere and drove a boat ourselves (with moderate success!)
Thank you so much Tash and David for sharing such beautiful words and photos of your day. If you’ve been inspired to set up a honeymoon fund you can find our Love in the Lakes template here, or browse 100s more honeymoon, mini-moon and staycation destinations here! In the unlikely event we don’t have your destination you can create your own from scratch (and please tell us what we’re missing and we’ll get on the case and make one!)
Finally, here are some of the amazing wedding suppliers that made Tash and David’s day extra special:
Venue and catering: The Dickens Inn, St Katharine Docks
Photographer: Natalie J Weddings
Dress: Charlie Brear
Florist: Botanique
Make up: Emma McGreevy
Hair: Bethany Alden
Cheese Cake: Froth & Rind
Karaoke: Rock-Box Entertainment