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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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A bride (a white woman with blonde hair) descends a grand curved wooden staircase with dark green walls, she carries a bouquet of flowers and wears a long white dress and veil both of which flow on the stairs behind her
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

An autumnal Dorset wedding and Scottish minmoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Keon and Nadia met pre-tinder, back in the days when people mostly met IRL, so needless to say it was a little while ago. They met during that great summer of the 2012 London Olympics, at a London-tube-stop-themed house party.

Keon has been London/Surrey based all his life and Nadia grew up in Dorset but has ventured overseas a few times to live. They got their dog, Piglet, around 6 years ago, and Nadia says “we love spending time with him and exploring the countryside and all that London has to offer.” They have just completed a house renovation so have had a very busy first year of married life! Today on our blog they share with us their absolutely stunning wedding at St. Giles House in Dorset. A meticulously planned celebration that radiated love and warmth and involved their family, and of course their dog Piglet! Nadia and Keon invited their guests to help them enjoy a minimoon to Scotland rather than traditional gifts and said they loved setting up their minimoon registry together. Sit down with a cup of tea and soak up these gorgeous Autumn vibes.

Black and white image - Ariel view of bride Nadia descending a grand staircase as her wedding dress and veil trail behind her. A man walks next to her wearing a dark suit and holding her hand.
An adult bridesmaid, a white woman with fair hair, and a little girl with bobbed brown hair, enter the ceremony room. The little girl wears a navy jumper and silver grey tutu, the adult bridesmaid wears a navy dress and carries red and orange flowers. Guests line the sides of the room and one of them holds the bride and grooms dog, Piglet on a lead. The room is elegant and chandeliers and classical painted murals can be seen through the open doorway.

How did you get engaged?

Nadia: Keon surprised me with dinner in our first home together. I thought I was coming home to go out to a restaurant but was so surprised to find Keon getting down on one knee shortly after serving Tiramisu (also delicious!) in the kitchen.

We had a trip planned to Southwold the same weekend for our 7 year first date anniversary so we had a wonderful time enjoying the moment and celebrating.

An ornately decorated wedding ceremony room decorated with an abundance of richly coloured autumn flowers and classical painting in gold frames around the walls. A Persian carpet is in the centre of the room with gold chairs on either side.
Close up photo of the wedding breakfast table decorated in stunning, rich, warm, autumn colours. A long table covered with a dark green cloth, gold cutlery, orange, red and rusty coloured foliage and berries and tall rust coloured candles.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We’ve always loved Autumn and so it was an obvious choice to get married in such a beautiful season. As I’m from Dorset it made sense to start looking for venues in that area, and we fell in love with St. Giles House as soon as we saw it.

It’s such a unique venue that’s been lovingly restored and still has a beautiful rawness to it that creates a really magical atmosphere. It also works well for a cosier, smaller wedding which is what we wanted to create.

Keon and I did a lot of the planning. We hired What Peggy Did Next in the final 6 months but altogether we were planning for 2 years! The day was full of colour, love, food, wonderful music and dancing! Our dog Piglet also featured heavily!

A very cute cream coloured shaggy dog - maybe a cockerpoo - on the wedding day of his owners at St Giles House. He sits on some stone steps and has a flower corsage on his collar.
Bride Nadia, a white woman with blonde hair, and groom Keon, a white man with short dark brown hair and glasses on their wedding day at St Giles House. They walk down three stone steps after their wedding ceremony and guests line either side of the pathway outside, throwing confetti as they both laugh happily. Nadia wears a Halfpenny London long ivory dress and Keon a dark suit.
Bride Nadia, a white woman with blonde hair, and groom Keon, a white man with short dark brown hair and glasses on their wedding day at St Giles House. They walk together outside the venue, along a gravel path, in the sunshine. Nadia wears a Halfpenny London long ivory dress and Keon a dark suit.

Did you have a first dance?

Yes we did. There is a jazz band called Kansas Smittys who we discovered early on in our relationship and so we decided to get them to do a few sets of music at the wedding. They also did the first dance song for us which is one of the band members’ songs – Couldn’t Stop Lovin’ You by Pete Horsfall.

Bride Nadia, a white woman with blonde hair, and groom Keon, a white man with short dark brown hair and glasses on their wedding day at St Giles House. They stand in an elegant ceremony room decorated with autumnal flowers. Nadia wears a Halfpenny London long ivory dress and Keon a dark suit. A little boy stands next to Nadia and looks up at her, and in the background are other wedding guests
Bride Nadia, a white woman with blonde hair, and groom Keon, a white man with short dark brown hair and glasses on their wedding day at St Giles House. They stand in an elegant ceremony room decorated with richly coloured autumnal flowers. Nadia wears a Halfpenny London long ivory dress and Keon a dark suit. Nadia and Keon embrace in the centre of the room and their guests form a circle around them.

What was your favourite part of the day?

It’s really hard to choose but we loved the way our ceremony was set up in a circular format with us at the centre. We truly felt surrounded by love, our family and friends. The flowers were out of this world and the room we chose for our ceremony elevated it to a whole new level.

We chose some of our favorite songs too and decided to have a string trio play them for us. Our family and friends gave readings and their children joined in as flower girls and ring bearers which made it even more meaningful.

The design details were beautiful too and this was always an important aspect of our day.

A Scottish Highlands Patchwork honeymoon fund in an ipad

What made Patchwork the best wedding registry choice for you?

We thought it was a super fun and easy way for people to buy gifts without having to bring anything on the day. It also gave us the opportunity to showcase what we planned to do and bring some personality to the gifting process. We really enjoyed setting it up together too!

A white woman with blonde hair and a white man with short dark hair and glasses on honeymoon in Scotland. Both wear warm jackets and bobble hats and are looking in to the camera as they take a selfie. Behind them is a dry stone wall, a grey cloudy sky and mountains in the distance.

What did you invite guests to contribute towards?

Mainly towards our minimoon in Scotland and the different elements of the trip such as train tickets, hotel costs, walking boots, drinks, food, travel guides and many other bits!

A traditional grey stone house in the Scottish Highlands, next to a fast flowing river with mountains in the background

What was the best part about using Patchwork?

The fact that our guests felt part of our adventure. It was a wonderful feeling to know that someone had contributed to a particular moment and memory, at a special time for us just after getting married. We also loved that we could make it our own by choosing images and making a Patchwork – it appealed to our creative sides 🙂

A white woman with blonde hair stands on a hiking path in the Scottish highlands. She wears a bobble hat, puffer jacket, jeans and walking boots. On either side of the path are small fir trees and mountains in the distance.

What did your friends and family think?

We had so many lovely comments about our Patchwork and everyone found it really straightforward to use.

A wood cabin on the side of a small loch, with a footbridge crossing it. Behind rhe cabin are trees and mountains in the distance

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

We traveled by The Caledonian Express (an overnight train) to Scotland for our minimoon in the Scottish Highlands. We stayed at an amazing place called the Fife Arms in Braemar which had the most incredible scenery and walks. We would hike for hours, and then come back to delicious food and spend our evenings by a cosy fire with a few drinks (great interiors and loads of art too). We also spent a couple of nights in Edinburgh on our way back down, and had a great time exploring the different neighbourhoods.

Wow, what a beautiful celebration and a perfect-sounding minimooon! Definitely giving us all the Autumn feels 🙂 Thank you so much Nadia & Keon (and Piglet!) for sharing these words and photos with us, and we wish you many happy years ahead together!

If you’ve been inspired to set up your own Scottish honeymoon fund, we have a beautiful Highlands fling template that you can easily personalise, or check out our hundreds of other honeymoon destination templates.

And finally, here are some of the incredible suppliers that made Keon and Nadia’s day extra special:

Venue: St Giles House, Dorset

Florist: Jenni Bloom Flowers

Stationary: Creative Feel Designs

Wedding Styling: Nadia and What Peggy Did Next.

Caterers: Red Herring

Music: Kansas Smitty’s and Halo Strings

Dress and Bridesmaid dresses: Halfpenny London

Groom and Groomsmens suits: Suit Supply

Photographer – Steve Bridgwood

Videographer – Baxter and Ted

Hair – Victoria Ralph Hair

Make-up – Amalie Russell

p.s. You can listen to Keon and Nadia’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Alexa and Jess on their wedding day. Both are white women, with long hair tied loosely. They walk out of their ceremony venue in to a crowd of guests, all throwing confetti over them and they both smile happily and hold their bouquets of flowers and hitch their long dresses a little. They both wear ivory vintage style wedding dresses.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A Mexican-Spanish themed wedding and inter-rail honeymoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Today we chat to the lovely Alexa and Jess, both fans of travelling, hiking, exploring, and happiest when they’re “out in the woods on a long walk.” They originally met in the Retreat on Cowley Road years before they actually got together, having mutual friends through school. Being on the edges of each other’s social circle meant they met a few times at friends’ birthday celebrations or pub trips but never really chatted or got to know each other. Well we’re so glad they finally did! Because we get to share this gorgeous wedding with you, AND hear about their amazing European inter-rail honeymoon, funded on Patchwork by family and friends.

Two white women with long hair, enter through a doorway, one behind the other, both looking happy and excited as it's their wedding day!
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

How did you first get together?

We re-met in October 2017 when we had both organised to meet a mutual friend, in House Bar in Oxford. Anna, the mutual friend, messaged me in the afternoon we were due to meet to ask if I minded if she brought someone with her not realising that we already knew each other. She didn’t say who it was but I love meeting people so I said I didn’t mind at all. I then received a message from Alexa letting me know that she was the friend that Anna was bringing. I was delighted that it was someone I knew and marvelled at the coincidence. That evening we drank many, many cocktails, it was happy hour so we were obliged. We all chatted and drank into the night. Late into the evening Anna left and it was just Alexa and I until closing time when we walked home across Oxford through the summer night. It was such a lovely evening, one which I had a really good feeling about.

Alexa and Jess on their wedding day. Both are white women, with long hair tied loosely. They walk along an elegant street lined with light stone buildings. They both smile happily and hold their bouquets of flowers and hitch their long dresses a little. They both wear ivory vintage style wedding dresses.
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

How did you get engaged?

After a very emotional arrival after an 800km hike across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela we ended up having dinner with a fabulous, amazingly drunk, gay, Irish man called Laurus. He was having a bit of a life-crisis so we sat and listened to his problems. He then basically pre-empted the proposal by asking if we’d ever thought of getting married. I had actually brought a ring with me for the moment we arrived in the city as I knew it would be a momentous occasion. Laurus disappeared into the sunset and we went back down to the Cathedral. Sitting in the middle of the square, watching more pilgrims arrive and looking up at the steeple, I asked Lex if she would marry me. Firstly, she asked if it was a serious question! Then she said “yes!”

Alexa and Jess on their wedding day. Both are white women, with long hair tied loosely. They hold hands and laugh like they're enjoying this moment, walking through the ceremony room in front of all their guests. Each holds a bouquet of red and orange flowers and they both wear ivory vintage style wedding dresses.
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood
Alexa and Jess on their wedding day. Both are white women, with long hair tied loosely. They sit at a table during their wedding ceremony as the pianist plays behind them and the registrar stands at the podium on a raised platform behind them. They look towards each other in quiet excitement and look like they're enjoying this moment. They both wear ivory vintage style wedding dresses.
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

What kind of wedding did you plan?

Lex did the majority of the planning. We wanted something personal, to reflect our story and us. It had some Mexican and Spanish elements (we both love Frida Kahlo) and Spain was where we got engaged and the country we have visited most together. We had paella as the main course at the meal, we also had a flamenco guitarist throughout the meal and papel picado as decoration and our wedding seating plan was an ofrenda. Since Lex is an artist she designed everything herself, from the invitations and seating plan to the table place cards. Alexa designed our handmade lino prints and we wrote and sent them as cards to every single guest. We had a gospel choir to greet our guests and signature cocktails named after important people or events in our lives. The reception took place in Frevd in Oxford which is an old church now a bar in a Grecian temple style. We also had a grazing table supplied by Berry and Brie so guests would never be hungry. They also supplied our dessert grazing table which everyone still comments on.

Black and white image of Alexa and Jess on their wedding day dancing back to back. Both are white women, with long hair tied loosely. They both wear ivory vintage style wedding dresses which they are hitching up a little so they can dance. They look like they are having fun..
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood
Alexa and Jess on their wedding day. Both are white women, with long hair tied loosely. They are dancing during their wedding reception surrounded by their guests. They both wear ivory vintage style wedding dresses.
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

Did you have a first dance?

We chose Something’s Got a Hold of Me by Etta James. We learned a whole routine during lockdown 1 which we really had to dust off by the time our wedding came around after a postponement of a year. 

Oxford Gospel Choir performing at the wedding of Alexa and Jess.
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood
Guests at a wedding buffet serving themselves from long wooden table spread with food
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood
Alexa and Jess cut their cake on on their wedding day. Both are white women, with long hair tied loosely. They both smile happily. They both wear ivory vintage style wedding dresses.
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

What was your favourite part of the day?

I think my favourite part of the whole day was watching the amazing Oxford Gospel Choir perform as our guests arrived. We really took a moment to be present together and that was priceless. That, and seeing everyone I love in one room together after all of the turmoil of the past two years.

A European Inter-railing honeymoon fund Patchwork shown in an ipad

What made Patchwork the best wedding registry choice for you?

Alexa discovered Patchwork after doing some research (her forte)! We knew we wanted to celebrate our marriage with an amazing adventure so Patchwork was perfect and allowed our guests to choose what part of our honeymoon they wanted to fund which was perfect. It was extremely user friendly both for us and for our guests. We loved how great it looked on the screen too as we were able to attach pictures to the various contribution options we wanted. It matched our wedding aesthetic perfectly.

Alexa and Jess on their honeymoon, funded by family and friends

What did you want to invite guests to contribute towards?

We wanted guests to contribute to our honeymoon. Our plan was to inter-rail around Europe which would have been far too expensive for us to fund ourselves. We created a list of all the kinds of things we wanted to do on our trip such as dinners out, accommodation, experiences and activities of varying prices so that guests could contribute as much or as little as they liked.

Alexa and Jess on their honeymoon - on a long hike through the woods

What did your friends and family think?

They loved it, we had lots of comments from guests who appreciated the range of options available to choose from, as well as they way the website looked and the ease of use.   

A white woman has her hands encircled around the sun as if holding it
White woman wearing shorts and a tshirt, seen from the back, through a doorway. She looks out over the sea and mountains in the background

What have you done so far with the wedding gift money you received?

We went interrailing around Europe this summer and have only just got back. It was an incredible experience. We visited eight different countries on our interrail pass. Beginning in Istanbul, Turkey we explored Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Switzerland and France before returning home on the Eurostar. Highlights include the Rila Lakes in Bulgaria, the views from the summit across all seven glittering and highly protected lakes was sensational and worth every metre of altitude gained. Venice was also exceptional. It had been a life-long ambition of Alexa’s to visit the Biennale so our honeymoon seemed like the perfect opportunity. The architecture, history and art in Venice is second to none and is definitely a romantic city to spend time in with a loved one, we visited the islands and even saw glass blowing in progress on Murano. Other highlights included visiting the Sassi of Matera, an incredible, wild and anachronistic experience in our modern world. Athens was fascinating and it was such an honour to wander in the ancient city under the shadow of the Acropolis. The whole trip was fabulous and one that I will always treasure.

Alexa and Jess on their honeymoon on a hike in running gear, standing high on a mountain with a lake below them

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

It was such a privilege to have been able to see all the wonderful gems of Europe, knowing that friends and family had contributed towards it made it even more special.

Bride giving a speech at her wedding, in front of long tables of guests. The lighting is low and the room is decorated with paper cut bunting hanging from the ceiling
Photo Credit: Steve Bridgwood

Finally… What’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Alexa was my secret weapon, her organisational skills know no bounds. One great tip came from my sister, she got married a few years before me and when we were in the early stages of the planning process she advised us to keep as much information about the wedding to ourselves. This meant that every element of the wedding was a surprise to our friends and family and we were able to see all of the elements like the gospel choir and the flamenco guitarist through their eyes, which were full of wonder and joy. We had also hand written a letter to each guest at the wedding, letting them know how we felt about them and why they were important to us. All these things would have lost their impact if guests had known in advance.

Thank you so much Jess and Alexa for sharing your absolutely beautiful wedding day with us, and giving us a little glimpse in to your epic European inter-railing adventure!

Inspired? Check out our gorgeous easy-to-customise template and you could have your own European inter-railing honeymoon fund set-up in minutes!

Here are some of the wedding suppliers that helped make Alexa and Jess’s day magical:

Photography: Steve Bridgwood

Celebrant: Jennie Patrice

Reception Venue: Frevd, Oxford

Wedding planner: Katie Lou Weddings

Food (Grazing tables): Berry & Brie

Food (Paella): Crocus Paella

Flowers: Deborah Davies

Band: Sound with us

Flamenco: Flamenco Tomas

Choir: Oxford Gospel Choir

Furniture Hire: Copper Mill Hire

Hair and make-up: Corina Barrett

p.s. You can listen to Alexa and Jessie’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Lynsey and James on their wedding day at Relais Blu Hotel, on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Black and white photo shows the couple walking hand in hand and looking towards each other. James is a white man with short fair hair and wears a dark suit. Lynsey is a white woman with brown hair and wears a strapless white dress. The couple walk along the edge of an infinity pool, with the sea and sky in full view behind them.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

An Amalfi Coast wedding and Caribbean honeymoon

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

James and Lynsey swiped right to each other on Bumble in 2018, arranging to meet shortly after in a pub in between their homes in South West London. Lynsey says their first date lasted THREE DAYS (!), with a few pubs, brunch, jazz clubs, a lot of wine and a visit to Kew Gardens thrown in. “We clicked from day one with a lot of similarities including our love of tennis and travel. Shortly after we were booking tickets to Wimbledon and then our first holiday to France together. The rest, as they say, is history.” We’re honoured that James and Lynsey chose to share their story with us on our blog. Read on to hear about their romantic engagement, weekend wedding extravaganza on Italy’s Amalfi Coast and dream honeymoon to the Caribbean.

Bride Lynsey lies on her side on a hotel bed wearing a silky white slip and short gown. She has long brown hair curled and partially clipped up. Kneeling on the bed behind her are three female friends and a male friend all wearing light blue short gowns. They all raise a glass of champagne in a toast to Lynsey.
Groom James and his groomsmen stand together on James' wedding day on the Amalfi Coast. James is a slim white man with short fair hair, his groomsmen stand, three each side of him all wearing dark blue suits and light blue shirts and ties. The sea and Amalfi Coast are behind them, mostly obscured by a tree just behind the group.

How did you get engaged?

In October 2019 we visited the Almalfi Coast in Italy and based ourselves at a boutique hotel in a small town, Massa Lubrense. It was the most beautiful location and it was on this holiday I asked James to move in with me. We vowed to return to the hotel the year after. Fast-forward a year, with a pandemic thrown in, which meant moving in together had really meant living together 24/7 (and having the best time doing so). We were so happy when travel bans were lifted and we could journey back to Relais Blu for a long awaited holiday. Little did I know that James had been having secret zoom calls with a diamond specialist from Hatton Garden and was completely shocked when on the first night of our holiday he got down on one knee on a terrace overlooking Capri at sunset and asked me to be his wife. It was an instant “yes”!

James and Lynsey on their wedding day at Relais Blu on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. They stand outside in front of a flower archway, with close family members on either side. Groom James wears a dark blue suit and has short fair hair. Bride Lynsey wears a strapless white long dress and has long brown hair. She carries a bouquet of flowers and has her arm linked through James' arm.
A wedding reception at Relais Blu hotel on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Guests stand outside on a glass framed terrace, in the background is the sea, a small mountainous island and the sky. A fir tree overhangs the top of the photo.

That IS very romantic. Full marks to James! And what kind of wedding did you plan?

As soon as we got engaged, we knew we wanted to get married in Italy too. Once we were home, we started planning an October 2021 wedding back at Relais Blu. We had our venue and date secured but quickly realised that we knew nothing about planning to legally marry in another country, neither of us spoke Italian so trying to search for suppliers was impossible. We were so lucky to secure the most amazing wedding planner. Victoria was based in Italy, fluent in both English and Italian and had so much experience with suppliers, the legalities, logistics, the venue and the area. She helped us make our Italian villa wedding dream a reality. We persevered through planning every last detail, despite a lot of uncertainty about whether we’d even be able to travel to Italy. We were only given the green light 6 weeks before the wedding that Italy was accepting travel from the UK, and from that moment it was all systems go!

Because we were marrying abroad, and asking friends and family to travel, and during such a challenging time, we wanted to make sure their trips were worth it. We arranged welcome drinks on the Thursday at a chic rooftop bar in Sorrento, followed by the wedding on the Saturday and a chilled pool party BBQ both at Relais Blu. I’m so happy we were able to extend the celebrations and every single part was even better than we could have imagined.

Lynsey and James on their wedding day at Relais Blu Hotel, on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Photo shows the couple facing camera and holding each others hands up in the air. James is a white man with short fair hair and wears a blue waistcoat and white shirt. Lynsey is a white woman with brown hair and wears a strapless white dress. The couple stand outside, fireworks explode behind them and their wedding cake is on a table in front of them.

And did you have a first dance?

Yes, we danced to “Born to be yours” by Kygo and Imagine Dragons. We had dance lessons in the run up to the wedding which was a nice break from wedding planning, and a great excuse to do something fun together!

Lynsey and James on their wedding day at Relais Blu Hotel, on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Photo shows James carrying Lynsey in his arms, she is laying back and looking at him with her arms around his neck. James is a white man with short fair hair and wears a dark suit. Lynsey is a white woman with brown hair and wears a strapless white dress and white stiletto shoes. The couple are outside and there is a green hedge behind them.
Lynsey and James on their wedding day at Relais Blu Hotel, on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Photo taken after their wedding celebration shows the couple facing each other kissing and holding hands. They stand on the edge of an infinity pool and the sea and sky are in unobstructed view behind them. The sun is setting behind them and the golden light reflects in the sea and on the surface of the pool.

What was your favourite part of the day?

The whole day was magical, but I loved the cocktail straight after the ceremony. It was then that we were able to properly greet all our guests for the first time, and could relax and enjoy the sax, canapés and a glass of wine. Plus we snuck off for sunset photos, which was really nice to get some time just the two of us together.

Lynsey on her wedding day to James at Relais Blu Hotel, on the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Colour photo of Lynsey, a white woman with long brown hair wearing a strapless white dress. She walks along the edge of an infinity pool, with white sun loungers arranged around the side.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding gift list?

A friend of ours used Patchwork previously for their wedding and we loved what we saw. It worked great for us as we were getting married abroad, we didn’t have a huge luggage limit to bring back physical gifts. We loved that it allowed us to specify certain activities we were hoping to do on our honeymoon that our guests could contribute to, rather than just asking for money.

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 guests to contribute towards?

We used Patchwork to give guests the option to contribute towards activities and restaurants we were hoping to visit on our honeymoon to the Caribbean to make the trip even more magical. It was so simple to use, and we could add a variety of different items / activities at different price points so guests could contribute as much or as little as they wanted. It also allowed us to give guests an insight into our honeymoon plans.

Couple on honeymoon in the Caribbean. A white man with short fair hair and a white woman with long brown hair stand with arms around each other on a beautiful beach at sunset. He wears casual white shorts and light blue shirt and she wears a white sundress.
Man on honeymoon in the Caribbean. A white man with short fair hair, holds a cut open coconut on a beautiful beach, fringed with palm trees. He wears casual pink shorts, sunglasses and is bare chested.

What did your friends and family think?

They loved it, a couple of them have asked how we did it so they can use it for their own wedding gift list.

Couple on honeymoon in the Caribbean. A white man with short fair hair and a white woman with long brown hair stand with arms around each other on a beautiful beach, facing camera. He wears casual pale pink shorts and white shirt and she wears a pink kaftan style sundress. Both wear sunglasses.

What have you done with the wedding gift money you received via your patchwork?

We had the best honeymoon, made even better by the contributions from our wonderful guests. We spent 17 days in the Caribbean exploring Barbados and then St Vincent and the Grenadines. The highlight was visiting the Tobago Cays, a selection of uninhabited islands (where pirates of the Caribbean was filmed) that were out of this world stunning. It was only thanks to the contributions we received via Patchwork we were able to have this once in a life time experience.

A woman on honeymoon in the Caribbean. A white woman with long brown hair stands in a white swimsuit by the edge of a swimming pool. She faces the pool with her back to the camera and holds her arms up in the air pointing skywards. The sky is pink and the light is soft.

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

We were and still are so grateful for our friends and families generous contributions and the huge efforts they made to attend the wedding. It was the most special day because of them, and they all went the extra mile to make our honeymoon the most memorable trip as well. We are very lucky.

And finally…..What’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Don’t forget what and why you’re doing it. My husband and I tried to keep all our wedding planning to one or two evenings a week max. The rest of our time together was strictly for us to spend time with each other and we had a ‘zero wedding chat’ policy. Also I couldn’t have lived without our wedding planner Victoria, especially as we were getting married abroad. She made sure everything ran smoothly and like clockwork on the day itself and provided us with a wealth of knowledge of local suppliers. As we couldn’t speak any Italian, Victoria communicated with them all on our behalf; we could not have done it without her.

Thank you so much Lynsey and James for sharing your magical Amalfi Coast wedding with us. We’re so pleased that using Patchwork enabled you to enjoy a really memorable honeymoon and we all wish you many happy years ahead together.

If you’ve been inspired to create your own honeymoon registry to the Caribbean, check out our honeymoon templates for Dominican Republic, Antigua and the BVI, or if you’re not quite decided yet, have a look at our Beautiful Island of Somewhere template!

Here are some of the suppliers who helped make Lynsey &

James’ day extra amazing:

Wedding Planner: Victoria at Sophisticated Weddings Italy
Photographer: Nakutis Photography
Flowers: Armando Malafronte
Dress: Suzanne Neville
Suit: Cad & The Dandy
Venue: Relais Blu, Massa Lubrense, Italy
MUA: Jimena Puy
Celebrant: Carmela Cesarano
Stationery: Lilac and White
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Bridesmaid dresses: Ghost Fashion
Band: Bright Lights Band
Saxophone: Saba

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

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Colour photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they are standing outside with a low sun shining through the trees and on to them. They have their backs to camera and we can see their side profiles as they look towards each other. They are holding hands and smiling. Josh is a white man with short fair hair, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

An intimate Spring wedding and honeymoon to Greece

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork couple Liz and Josh met on Bumble, back in 2016 when it had just launched. After some bad luck on Tinder, Liz says she was “intrigued by the more feminist dating app.” After a brief chat about their love of cocktails, they decided to meet up at a cocktail bar in South London. “We hit it off and had a few too many – my hangover the next day was so bad I had to call in sick!” They’ve been together ever since. Liz chats to us today about their small, intimate Spring wedding and honeymoon to Greece, funded by friends and family.

Close up black and white photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they stand close together outside with trees blurred in the background. They are laughing happily and Liz looks at Josh. Josh is a white man with short fair hair and a short beard, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Bride Liz stands outside with her three bridesmaids. Liz is a white woman with long dark hair wearing a fitted long ivory dress. Her three bridesmaids are all white woman wearing dark green satin dresses of simple but slightly different designs. Each holds a bouquet of flowers and all look across at Liz, smiling.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

How did you get engaged?

Liz: Josh whisked me away to Paris for the weekend for my birthday. We’ll often get each other experiences for birthdays rather than physical presents, but he’d definitely stepped it up a gear this time! Josh had planned to do it on this little island on the River Seine but I was directing us to a wine bar and refused to go as it wasn’t on the way, so I scuppered his plans. He was so nervous at the bar trying to think of an alternative plan that he was basically silent – I thought he was mad at me. Afterward, we headed to the restaurant he’d planned for dinner and he popped the question on the bridge we crossed. It coincidentally happened exactly on the hour, so right as he proposed the Eiffel Tower lit up and sparkled. It was magical.

Table setting for a wedding reception. A wooden table outside is set with pretty plates, traditional cutlery, small vases with English country garden flowers in. Small origami placecards are shown, along with textured green drinking glasses and plain moss coloured napkins.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Black and white photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they hold hands as they walk together inside their ceremony venue. Josh is a white man with short fair hair and a short beard, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a long fitted ivory wedding dress
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

Ah that does sound magical! What kind of wedding did you plan?

We got engaged just before the pandemic so we luckily hadn’t made many plans that had to change. Knowing we wouldn’t be able to have the typical 100+ person wedding (that we probably would have had if Covid hadn’t hit) we planned for something small and intimate from the get-go. I’m so glad we did in the end as it was just perfect and we’d do it the exact same again if we had the choice!

Colour photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they walk together hand in hand through guests who shower them with petal confetti. They are laughing happily. Josh is a white man with short fair hair and a short beard, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Black and white photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they stand close together outside with wedding guests standing behind them next to rustic country buildings. They are laughing happily and Liz has her hand on Josh's shoulder. Josh is a white man with short fair hair and a short beard, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress and carries a loosely tied bouquet of flowers.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

Did you have a first dance?

Our first dance was to Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson. We both love Funk and Soul and knew that we had to have a song that we could have a good dance to. Jess at Start the Dance gave us a few initial dance lessons so that we could practice Josh swinging me around. We had the most brilliant band and it was the first time any of us had seen any live music in 18 months. Everyone really went for it on the dancefloor!

Colour photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they stand outside with their wedding guests behind them. It looks as if Liz has seen something surprising as she has her hand across her mouth and both are smiling broadly. Josh is a white man with short fair hair and a short beard, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Black and white photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they stand on the dancefloor with the band behind them and Josh lifts Liz up in his arms. They are laughing happily and Liz has her arm around Josh's shoulder. Josh is a white man with short fair hair and a short beard, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

What was your favourite part of the day?

Josh surprised me with brass band Brass Junkies to march us from the church to the marquee down the road. We’d spoken about that previously after I saw a couple on Instagram do something similar, but we ruled it out due to the expense of getting an additional band. But Josh remembered and then got it for me as a surprise wedding present. I’ll never forget that moment walking out of the church and seeing the band there waiting for us. I was overjoyed!

Close up colour photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day. Only their mid-sections are shown, Josh stands slightly behind Liz with his arms touching hers. She carries a bouquet of flowers. Josh is a white man, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman wearing a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Colour photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they are standing outside on a lawn with a low sun shining through the trees and on to them. They stand a way apart, looking towards each other. Liz has her back to camera showing the details of her dress, she holds a bouquet of flowers down by her side. Josh is a white man with short fair hair, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo
Colour photo of couple Liz and Josh on their wedding day, they are outside on a lawn with a marquee to their left, filled with guests and decorated with hanging lights. They face away from camera, walking hand in hand, Liz holds a bouquet of flowers in the air. Josh is a white man with short fair hair, wearing a dark suit. Liz is a white woman with long dark brown hair and wears a fitted ivory wedding dress.
Photo credit: Voyteck Photo

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

I’d heard about Patchwork at an alternative wedding fair. I really liked the mix and match approach and it’s a nice change from the boring wedding registries you normally see. It was so easy to use – you pick a template and the whole thing took about half an hour. As well as being really visually appealing, we liked the option to include text so we could describe why we’d love each thing. It made it feel really personal.

Liz and Josh on their honeymoon to Greece - funded by their friends and family

What did you invite your guests to contribute towards?

We picked some physical items from different shops that we’d had our eye on, but also experiences for our honeymoon. Having spent quite a lot on the wedding meant there wasn’t much wiggle room to enjoy lovely things for our honeymoon, so being able to include different gift experiences was amazing. We also needed a few of the standard things for our home such as cutlery and crockery so we got to include these too. Most of our friends and family hadn’t come across Patchwork before but they all thought it was novel and easy to use. 

Liz and Josh on their honeymoon to Greece. Liz is a white woman with long dark hair She looks over her shoulder towards Josh, a white man with fair short hair and a short beard. Josh wears a white tshirt and Liz a strappy top with bare shoulders. They look relaxed and sunkissed and everything is bathed in evening sun.
Liz on her honeymoon, standing on a high viewpoint with a pretty Greek town below and a bright blue sea
sun setting over the sea with a Greek hilltop toen to the right of the image, bathed in evening light

What have you done with the wedding gift money you received?

We spent it on the most incredible honeymoon in the Greek Islands, making so many memories we’ll never forget. We are so grateful to all our family and friends and feel truly blessed.

All wedding photo credits: Voyteck Photo

Thank you Liz and Josh for taking the time to share these beautiful words and pictures with us. We are so glad you enjoyed using Patchwork and we wish you both every happiness together in the future!

If you’d like to create your own honeymoon fund for an amazing trip to Greece we have templates for Mykonos, Santorini, or if you haven’t decided which island yet you can use our Beautiful Island of Somewhere template while you make your mind up!

p.s. You can listen to Liz and Josh’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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A young white woman with long blonde hair and a young white man with short light brown hair and short beard are looking to camera and taking a selfie. She wears a pink bikini and he a white tshirt. Behind them is a wide expanse of Mexican beach and blue sky.
Honeymoon InspirationPatchwork Couples

A rustic autumn wedding and honeymoon to Mexico

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork couple Nick and Becky both grew up in Oxfordshire, and although they argue over the precise time they first met, agree that they were roughly 14 and 15 years old on a night out with mutual friends. Over the next 18 years they would meet at parties, but despite their best efforts, would never be single at the same time. Finally (in their 30s!) they made it on their first date! They got married last year in a rustic autumn celebration in the Hampshire countryside. Instead of traditional gifts, friends and family chipped in to their Patchwork to help them have a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon to Mexico.

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

How did you get engaged?

In the summer of 2020, when we were finally released from Lockdown #1, we made it out of the country to the l’Occitane region of France. Nick proposed in his favourite spot near his family home, outside the tiny church of Notre-Dame des Grâces that overlooks the beautiful French countryside.

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

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We got married in a little church, followed by a beautiful barn and Oast house in the Hampshire countryside. It was October, so we wanted the wedding to be autumnal and rustic.

Nick, a white man with short light brown hair and short beard, and Becky, a young white woman with long blonde hair tied up, on their wedding day. Becky wears a long white dress and carries a bouquet of flowers, Nick wears a dark suit. They kiss, standing in front of their wedding reception tables, the room is dark and decorated with fairy lights.

Did you have a first dance?

We danced to ‘Always Remember Us This Way’ from A Star Is Born, the first film we watched together. The lyrics felt perfect!

Becky, a young white woman with long bloonde hair tied back, on her wedding day to Nick. She is surrounded by a groups of bridesmaids and friends, all smiling while they take a selfie. They are inside their wedding reception room which is dimly lit with white elegant chandeliers.
Nick, a white man with short light brown hair and short beard, and Becky, a young white woman with long blonde hair, tied back, on their wedding day. Becky wears a long white dress and Nick wears a dark suit. They are seated at their wedding breakfast, with their backs to camera. Bridesmaids in red dresses sit each side of them and autumn colours, ivy and low lighting create a cosy atmosphere in the room.

What was your favourite part of the day?

It’s impossible to choose – everything from getting ready with our girls / boys, to saying our vows in the church, the banquet, the speeches, the party. It was truly the best day of our lives!

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

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry and what did you invite guests to fund?

We both agreed that we didn’t need any material things for our house, and that we’re all about the experiences! That’s why we wanted to ask our friends to help us achieve the honeymoon of our dreams with a honeymoon fund for Mexico. After lots of research, Patchwork stood out to us as the best honeymoon site available. What we loved most about Patchwork was how beautiful the ‘patchwork’ looked after we’d chosen all of the pictures and layout. It portrayed so beautifully the adventure that we wanted to go on. Because it didn’t have a rigid template, it could be completely tailored by us.

A white woman with long blonde hair wearing a long salmon coloured kaftan, walks away from camera through a turquoise wooden doorway in Mexico. There are palm trees on either side of the doorway.
A white woman with long blonde hair stands next to her husband, a white man with light brown hair and a short beard in front of a painted orange wall on their honeymoon in Mexico.

What did your friends and family think?

We think everyone was pleased to be contributing to our memories and experiences together rather than material things.

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

What did you do with the wedding gift money you received?

We went on our dream honeymoon to Mexico (we were incredibly lucky because Mexico came off the red list just days beforehand!). We started in Mexico City with the Dia de los Muertos parade (something that’s been on my bucket list forever!), followed by the stunning city of Oaxaca. We then travelled through the Yucatán Peninsula to swim in the cenotes and visit the Mayan temples, and to the beaches of Tulum, before ending on the beautiful little island of Isla Holbox.

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

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

The fact that our friends and family had contributed to our adventure meant that every moment felt extra special, knowing that we would write to them afterwards to let them know just how amazing it had been. It also meant that we didn’t feel guilty enjoying indulgent meals and beautiful hotel rooms along the way!

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

And finally.. what’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Our biggest tip would be to enjoy the preparation! The lead up to the wedding was genuinely one of the most exciting times of our lives and we loved every moment of planning the perfect day. So don’t wish it away or get too stressed!

Thank you Nick & Becky for sharing your gorgeous autumn wedding day with us – and also for some of the best honeymoon pics we’ve seen! We wish you lots more adventures together and every happiness for the future.

If you’d like to create your own honeymoon fund patchwork for Mexico or anywhere else you can think of, come and join thousands of other happy customers using Patchwork for their wedding registries.

Here are some of the amazing suppliers that made Nick and Becky’s day even more special:

Venue: Bury Court

Caterer: Jacaranda

Flowers: Bloomantic

Photographer: Nicola Dixon

Dress: Rue de Seine

Band: Soul Supreme

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

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Bride Rosie a young white woman with fair shoulder length hair and her groom Femi, a young black man with short hair and glasses stand together smiling outside in the sunshine on their wedding day. Rosie wears a long ivory wedding dress and holds a bouquet of white and lilac flowers. Femi wears a light biscuit coloured tweed suit with a turquoise tie. He rests his arm loosely on Rosie's shoulder. They both look happy and relaxed.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A British Nigerian Wedding and honeymoon to Iceland

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Today on our blog we meet Patchwork couple Rosie and Femi, both from Gloucestershire. They met during college when Rosie was 18 and Femi was 21. (Femi technically met Rosie’s mum first, because he had booked some Maths tutoring with her to get into university!) Rosie says “we started talking here and there but it wasn’t until we found out we’re both Christian that we started talking regularly. We’d talk first thing in the morning until we went to sleep. It went on like that for a few weeks and long story short, I had to ask him out because he was very oblivious.” Haha, well done Rosie! Femi and Rosie had a wonderful British-Nigerian wedding combining cultural traditions, foods and plenty of outfit changes! Read on to hear about their wedding day and honeymoon to Iceland made possible by friends and family.

Rosie a young white woman with fair shoulder length hair and her husband Femi, a young black man with short hair and glasses stand together smiling outside in the sunshine. Rosie rests her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. Both are smiling very happily.

How did you get engaged?

Rosie: 5 years after we met Femi proposed on New Year’s Eve during the countdown, in our living room. He got on one knee at midnight, and it was the very first thing he did in the year 2019. 

Three prettily iced wedding cakes sit on simple white wire cake stands on a table covered in a white tablecloth. Each cake is decorated with beautiful pale pink, fuschia and pale blue flowers. Two pots of flowers are in the background.
Large pink, fuschia and pale blue paper flower decorations displayed on an open window ledge at a wedding reception
Wedding reception venue decorated with paper flowers and voile fabric.

A perfect way to start the year. What kind of wedding did you plan?

We had planned a British and Nigerian mixed wedding and it was going to be large because of my large family (I’m the youngest of 7) and our large circle of friends. Unfortunately Covid-19 had different plans. So restrictions meant that after rearranging it 3 times, we couldn’t have a first dance or alcohol. The day was amazing though, we still had our British and Nigerian mix. We had outfit changes throughout the day and we had a mixture of Nigerian and British food.

Display table at wedding reception. Showing a framed tree and many cut out leaf shaped biscuits on the table. Lilac flowers in a beige pot also stand on the table.
Bride Rosie a young white woman with fair shoulder length hair and her groom Femi, a young black man on their wedding day. Rosie sits and wipes happy tears from her eyes as Femi speaks. There are glasses and bottles of drink on the table in front of them. They are both dressed in traditional Nigerian wedding outfits. Femi wears a white tunic with turquoise embroidery, a red beaded necklace and Kufi hat. Rosie wears a light green dress with sash and large headdress, she also wears a red beaded necklace.

What was your favourite part of the day?

We’re both hugely family orientated and family and friends played a massive part in our day. My mum made all the decorations for the church by hand. (If anyone needs any paper origami flowers, or bunting let me know!) My mum and aunt made our wedding cakes, Femi’s family cooked the Nigerian food, my aunt made our guest ‘tree’, our next door neighbour provided the flowers, and our best friend was our photographer. Then everyone chipped in with decorating the church and hall. So it was really nice that they could have such a personal addition to the day and the gifts too. Patchwork just felt like the perfect touch.

Bride Rosie a young white woman with fair shoulder length hair and her groom Femi, a young black man stand together smiling on their wedding day. They are both dressed in traditional Nigerian wedding outfits. Femi wears a white tunic with turquoise embroidery, a red beaded necklace and Kufi hat. Rosie wears a light green dress with sash and large headdress, she also wears a red beaded necklace. There is a plain white background to the photo

Why was Patchwork the best wedding registry choice for you?

We chose to use Patchwork because we created a website for our wedding, with things like details and layout of the day. We decided Patchwork would be helpful to include, so if people were struggling for gift ideas, they could put money towards some of the things we’d love to do.

Patchwork honeymoon Fund Iceland
Rosie a young white woman with fair shoulder length hair and her husband Femi, a young black man with short hair and glasses sit at a table on their honeymoon both drinking big brightly coloured smoothies through straws. Femi wears a fuschia shirt and Rosie a turquoise cotton dress.

What did you want to ask guests to contribute towards and why?

We’d planned a honeymoon to Iceland so we had options for people to contribute to experiences while we were there. Because we’d recently bought our house, we also had the option for money towards renovations. We then had a few fun things that were non-monetary like a games night or promises to help us with decorating. We had patches towards nights out (and our hot chocolate addiction!) We’re quite social people and we wanted to use it as an opportunity to catch up with people we might not have been able to keep in touch with over the past few months. The best bit about Patchwork was being able to say what we want as a couple but also what we want individually. It’s nice to have something for you, but sometimes the groom gets forgotten about!

Bride Rosie a young white woman with fair shoulder length hair and her groom Femi, a young black man with short hair and glasses, stand in their wedding outfits in a back garden with all their family and friends behind them. They both make the "thumbs up" sign

What did your friends and family think?

Our friends and family really liked that we used Patchwork. A lot of people commented on it and how it gave them ideas of what we wanted. The pastor that did our wedding also mentioned it in his speech.

Rosie a young white woman with fair shoulder length hair and her husband Femi, a young black man with short hair and glasses stand together smiling. They are on honeymoon in Iceland so they are wrapped up in coats and scarves. They lean against a metal railing with amazing snow-covered views and the sun sets in the sky behind them.
Rosie a young white woman with fair shoulder length hair and her husband Femi, a young black man with short hair and glasses stand together smiling. They are on honeymoon in Iceland so they are wrapped up in coats and scarves. There is a snowy scene behind them.

What have you done so far with the gift money you received?

Quite a few people contributed towards our honeymoon, so we used that money to go to Iceland. I’ve always wanted to go and we had a great time there. The highlight of the trip was getting to see the Northern Lights, and we would definitely recommend it to anyone. We plan on going back in a few years.

Thank you so much Rosie and Femi for sharing your day with us and for using Patchwork in such a beautiful way! If you’ve been inspired to set up your own honeymoon fund to Iceland or anywhere else or a unique cash wedding fund you can customise one of our many gorgeous templates and get started today!

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Black and white photo of bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown with long veil. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. They hold each other in a close embrace as they dance with foreheads touching.
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A Welsh and Scottish castle wedding

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Josh, originally from Scotland and Lisa from South Wales, met whilst they were both studying in London in 2011. Lisa was performing in a Shakespeare play, The Comedy of Errors and Josh was in the band. They got together in Feb 2012 and have been together ever since. After postponing their wedding twice due to the pandemic they finally married last year in a traditional Scottish wedding at Rowton Castle, Shropshire. They welcomed guests with a sign that said “let’s make it worth the wait!”. They invited their friends and family to contribute towards a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon to Japan.

Sign at entrance to Lisa and Josh's Scottish wedding day. Writing on a white board reads: "Finally.. Welcome to the wedding of Lisa & Josh." The date 10th April 2020 is crossed out, then the date 30th April 2021 is crossed out and the third date 22nd October 2021 is underneath with the words "let's make it worth the wait!"

How did you get engaged?

Lisa: Josh knows I am difficult to surprise because I organise everything so he made up a plan that he was at work and some plasterboard had fallen on him. I rushed down to help, to find a pathway of rose petals and candles leading to Josh standing in a full tux and playing Jazz music! So romantic. 

Bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown with long veil. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. They face each other. Lisa is drinking from a glass of champagnes whilst holding her wedding bouquet of yellow and red flowers. Josh has his hand towards Lisa as if to say, "can I have a sip?" They stand outside with a stone building and some of their wedding guests behind them.
A four tiered white iced wedding cake with blue tartan ribbon and blue roses decorating it. It stands on a table with a white 3D Mr & Mrs sign and flowers. Behind is the band's set ready for the wedding reception.

Wow that’s a great engagement story! And what kind of wedding did you plan?

We went for quite a traditional wedding with a Scottish theme. Because I am Welsh, I wanted to add a little bit of Celtic tradition into the wedding, so we incorporated a handfasting ritual too. (Handfasting is an ancient Celtic wedding ritual in which the hands of the bride and groom are tied together to symbolise the binding of two lives. Traditionally, cords or ribbons are used.)

Bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown with long veil. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. Josh holds Lisa by the waist as she leans back and her veil catches the wind. They stand outside under an open sided stone pavilion with pillars.
Bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown with long veil. She holds a bouquet of bright yellow and red flowers. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. Josh stands just behind Lisa and holds around her arms. Their wedding venue, Rowton Castle is behind them.

Did you have a first dance?

Yes we had our first dance to Speechless by Dan and Shay.

Bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown with long veil. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. They walk side by side and hold hands. Their guests have made a 'tunnel' by holding sparklers in the air as they walk past. It is evening and the lights are on in the castle behind them.
Bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown with long veil. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. They stand side by side outside at dusk, with the castle behind them. They have their arms loosely around each others backs.

What was your favourite part of the day?

I loved all aspects as every part was so different. But I would say having all my friends and family together after so long being apart during lockdown and seeing everyone so happy. Josh also learnt my favourite song and performed it with the band, which was also amazing! I was surprised by all the Scottish guests who picked Josh and myself up onto their shoulders near the end of the night and danced with us to Loch Lomond, which was epic! Basically loved the entire day with surprises around every corner!

Bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown with long veil. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. They stand side by side and each hold a sparkler up in the air. It is evening and it's dark behind them. They are standing outside in the castle grounds.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?

I found Patchwork at the Wedding Show in Olympia. I loved the idea of my friends and family purchasing a specific activity instead of just giving money. Giving guests a choice on how much they wish to give, and them being able to purchase something specific felt more rewarding for our guests. Our guests all loved it – I often get asked what platform did I use.

What did you invite your guests to contribute towards and why?

We ask our guests to contribute towards our honeymoon to Japan. A once in a lifetime opportunity! I love the culture and tea, Josh loves the anime and tech and we both love the food! It is such a long way to go, it was going to be expensive so every penny helps.

Bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. They are playing table football. Both look focused and enjoying themselves.

Have you been on honeymoon yet?

Unfortunately due to covid we have been unable to go yet because Japan has been closed to tourists, but we have everything booked for May 2023! I really cannot wait to tell each guest about the individual experience they purchased. We will even be able to take pictures of us enjoying that certain activity and send it to them. Showing the guests their money has really helped on our honeymoon.

Bride Lisa and her groom Josh on their wedding day at Rowton Castle, Scotland. Lisa is a young white woman with dark brown hair tied back and wears a long ivory gown with long veil. Josh is a young white man with short dark hair and beard and wears a traditional Scottish kilt and tuxedo jacket. They stand side by side outside, holding hands and facing away from camera. The castle lies in front of them under a broody heavy grey sky. They stand on a vibrant green lawn.

What’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?

Plan early! If you can plan ahead and get everything sorted the week before the wedding, you can really relax and enjoy the build up! I know not everything goes to plan, I ended up making my own cake, but because I planned ahead I had plenty of time to bake as well as relax with my bridesmaids!

Thank you so much Lisa and Josh for taking the time to share your beautiful wedding day with us! We wish you every happiness and a fabulous honeymoon in Japan when you go.

If you’d like to create your own Japanese honeymoon fund or ask guests to contribute cash towards absolutely anything else you can dream of, check out our other wedding gift ideas or create your own from scratch.

Here are some of the suppliers that made Lisa and Josh’s day extra amazing:

Location –Rowton Castle

Photos – Blue Passion

Video – Rolling Pictures

Flowers – Fluertations

Band – Funk the Revolution

p.s. You can listen to Lisa and Josh’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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