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patchwork couple

Patchwork Couple: A Soho Wedding and Ski Honeymoon Funded by Friends

by Ismay Ozga June 24, 2020

We’ve been SO looking forward to hearing Katie of Crux London, tell us about her dreamy engagement to husband Matt, and their joyous and colourful London Soho wedding. We know you’re going to love reading this, so we’ll get straight to it and let Katie tell all about their celebrations. Oh and their French ski honeymoon, funded by family and friends with a little help from Patchwork…

Patchwork Couple Katie and Matt kissing on their wedding day

How did you get engaged?

We got engaged during our best date ever! We were on holiday in Maiori Italy on the Amalfi Coast. Earlier that day we were on a boat trip coming home back from Positano, I was asleep, resting on his shoulder. I suddenly felt this huge rush of love. I looked at him and said “did you feel that?” -!?!. Little did I know that he was rehearsing what he was going to say to me at dinner later that night. Earlier on in the holiday I suggested we treat each other to a surprise evening. He said it was a great idea “I’ll do Wednesday” – and I said “I’ll do Thursday”.

So, on Wednesday night and he basically took me to a castle jutting out of the coastline. It was an open air restaurant with a huge chandelier and grand piano. WOWA. The sky was pink opal coloured. We sat down and I was like “this is the most incredible place we had ever been!” We chatted about how happy and lucky we were and briefly talked about killer bees…!?! Suddenly fireworks started shooting out over the sea from the cliff right by us. I was like “OK THIS IS SERIOUSLY THE BEST DATE WE HAVE EVER HAD”. He then brought out an Oval Yellow Diamond, my favorite!. One knee, tears, family calls, more tears – the restaurant must have thought he was breaking up with me. It was the greatest day of my life!

Katie getting ready for her Soho wedding to Matt

Bride and Groom's hands with wedding rings

Tell us about the ring!

Well being a jeweller myself I had very fixed ideas of what I wanted down to the exact shade of yellow diamond and setting. Luckily my bestie is a jeweller so she’s had notes of exactly what I wanted for the past…. 10 years ha! Jewellery is so much more than jewellery to me. The way Matt proposed just gave this yellow diamond a heart. It’s my sunshine diamond. When I look at it it transports me back to that incredible moment. Kirstie and Matt made the most jawdropingly beautiful ring together.

Soho wedding - Patchwork Couple Katie and Matt

Patchwork Couple Katie and Matt Soho wedding

Close up of flowers on table at Soho wedding reception

What kind of wedding did you plan?

Colourful and Easy (if weddings can be easy)

We got married at L’escargot, in Soho (the ceremony room overlooked Cheapskates where we had our first kiss) No one has had their wedding there before so it felt really special. I stayed over at Kettners the night before and morning of. Our wedding night was at The Ned and I have to say it was such a dream day. No traveling around, I got to focus purely on Matt and our friends and family.

candlesticks on mantelpiece in front of mirror

What was your first dance?

Aretha Franklin, “You send me” and then a surprise uni megamix created by our friends.

Bride coming downstairs in a confetti shower

What was your favourite part of the day?

OMG. Possibly when we made the twirling staircase turn into a snowglobe of flowers. The confetti was made by my MoH Kirstie, her mum passed away in the lead up to our wedding. Kirstie saved and dried all the flowers to make confetti for me. It was the most wonderful present. Those petals mean so much to me. It was a really precious moment with everyone we love.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

I discovered Patchwork at Most curious wedding fair! – Loved the idea and felt like it was just the easiest thing ever! It was nicely designed and I loved that it linked up to paypal. Our friends and family loved it too!

view of ski slopes and blue sky - ski honeymoon

What did you invite guests to contribute to and why?

We asked for contributions that we could put towards a ski trip! Each patch had a value £25, £50, £100, £200. At that stage we didn’t know where we wanted to go so this was a nice and easy way to ask for help towards honeymoon dreaming.

Patchwork Couple Katie and Matt toasting on honeymoon

Patchwork Couple Katie and Matt on ski honeymoon

How did it feel when you set off on your honeymoon?

IT FELT AMAZING. CAN PATCHWORK HELP FUND EVERY HOLIDAY PLEASE?!! We had a week in Devon, then a week in France Skiing. We are both self employed and couldn’t get our heads round taking a longer break. But now with covid I wish we stayed away for longer! We wanted to do something we knew we would never be able to save for ourselves. We are pros at city breaks and beachy European holidays so skiing felt like something special we could experience together. Oh and après ski!!!!

Would you recommend your honeymoon to other couples?

Yes, do it! Ski, eat loads of cheese and wine. Répéter! AVOID BLACK RUNS.

Thank you so much Katie and Matt for letting us share in these amazing wedding memories and absolutely gorgeous photos! Congratulations again from all of us at Patchwork.

If you’ve been inspired to create your own Patchwork honeymoon fund, browse our 100s of readymade templates or get creative and build your own page from scratch.

Here are some of the amazing suppliers who helped make Katie & Matt’s Soho wedding even more special:

Photographer : Jessica Williams Photography

Shoes: Loeffler Randall

Dress and flower girl dresses: Bebbington Bridal bespoke wedding dresses

Make-up : Amy George Makeup

Hair : Hershesons

Earrings : Crux London

Engagement Ring : Kirstie MacLaren Jewellery (My bestie & MoH)

Sparkle Wall: Mariel Osborn

Flowers bought 3 days before : New Covent Garden Flower Market

Ceremony flowers and bouquet : Pulteney Bridge Flowers

Large Gold Disco Ball : Mirrorballpaul

Videographer : Thomas Wootton

Location (Ceremony, Reception, Party!!!) : L’sescargot, Soho, London

Brides house : Jacobean Suite, Ketteners, Soho, London

Grooms house : The Groucho Club

Wedding Night London : The Ned, London

Honeymoon part 1 – Devon : A friend gave us his key to his family holiday home in Devon for the week after our big day. Thanks Tom!

Honeymoon part 2 – Bath : A weekend in Bath after Devon, No 15 Great Pulteney

Honeymoon part 3 – France: Résidence Club MMV Le Cœur des Loges

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

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Bride and Groom dancing outside overlooking forest

Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: A DIY Wedding, and Honeymoon in Iceland, Portugal and Morocco

by Ismay Ozga April 6, 2020

written by Ismay Ozga

This is a love story set in the mountains. It’s where our newest Patchwork couple met, and where they now live and play. Matt and Chesa met in the summer of 2015. Chesa had signed up for a week-long Intro to Mountaineering Camp where Matt was working as a Mountain Guide. It didn’t take long for Chesa to develop a little crush on Matt which she did her best to hide. Lucky for Chesa, Matt felt something too! Long story short…when the camp ended, they had dinner, and have been together ever since! They now live just outside of Banff National Park, in Canmore, Alberta. Matt’s work takes him away for long periods of time, so Chesa says “we really cherish the time we have together. We love to be outside, cook meals together and drink too much coffee!” We chat to Chesa to hear more about their DIY wedding and the amazing honeymoon adventures that followed.

B+W image of Bride and Groom kissing while holding coffee — Photo Credit: @ampersandgrey

How did you get engaged?

The year before we got engaged, Matt and I moved out of our home, put all of our stuff into storage and travelled India for 5 months. During that time, we only spent one day apart. While in Rishikesh, he said he was not feeling well and wanted to stay at the hotel to rest. He insisted that I go to yoga and lunch without him. Unbeknownst to me, he snuck out and bought 2 gemstones – a diamond and an emerald. When we got home from India, he worked with our friend Kari Woo to design a one of a kind ring. The actual proposal was perfectly simple and sweet. For my birthday, he surprised me with a night at the iconic Emerald Lake Lodge. We were cozied up in front of the fire in our cabin with a bottle of wine when he proposed.

Bride and Groom reading vows in front of guests — @ampersandgrey

Bride and groom standing facing each other — Photo Credit: @ampersandgrey

What kind of wedding did you plan?

From the very start we knew we wanted to plan a low-key wedding weekend that would include good food, good wine and lots of quality time with our loved ones. We rented a beautiful house in Fernie, British Columbia and invited all of our favourite people to come celebrate with us! We wanted to get married on the summer solstice, which happened to land on a Friday. Never ones to be afraid to do things a little differently, we planned a small ceremony and dinner on the Friday evening. On the Saturday, we extended an invitation to our wider circle of friends to join for Matt’s “famous” burgers and dancing. The DIY venue was ideal for the type of wedding we wanted because we got to host all of our family and friends, it felt very intimate and we weren’t tied to any particular timeline (which allowed the party to go all night, every night…we were so tired by the end of the weekend!!)

Groom with arm around Bride, in gardens — Photo Credit: @ampersandgrey

What was your first dance?

Our first dance was very impromptu. We didn’t include a dance on the night of the actual wedding, but had a DJ for the Saturday night party. I didn’t really care about having a first dance but Matt consulted one of my best friends to pick a song. Together, they picked Superstylin’ by Groove Armada. When the DJ played it, he grabbed my hand, pulled me to the centre of the dance floor and proclaimed it our first dance. It was untraditional and I loved it!

Bride and Groom walking through field of long grass — Photo Credit: @ampersandgrey

Close up of Bride and Groom's hands holding cups of coffee — @ampersandgrey

What was your favourite part of the day?

It’s too hard to pick just one so here’s my top three! We did a first look and photos before the ceremony. In between the photos and the ceremony, Matt and I snuck off to grab a coffee in town, just the two of us. It was hilarious being in a coffee shop in our wedding attire, and also really sweet to just have a moment together before the emotion of the ceremony. At the ceremony, we did a “ring warming” in which both of our rings were passed around to the guests to be “warmed up” and blessed. We loved including everyone in the ceremony in that way and it makes our rings even more special. Finally, the speeches from our friends and family! They had everyone laughing and crying. Their words came straight from the heart and left us feeling so loved and supported.

Bride and Groom facing guests after wedding ceremony — @ampersandgrey

Groom kissing bride's hand during wedding reception — Photo Credit: @ampersandgrey

Beautiful! And what made Patchwork the best gift registry for you?

We chose Patchwork for several reasons. First being, we liked the option for guests to contribute their time and energy to the wedding weekend rather than purchasing us a gift. We had many friends travel for our wedding and we didn’t want them to feel obligated to give us anything other than their love and support. On the other hand, we knew that many guests wanted to give us something. As individuals, and as a couple we aim to fill our lives with experience. We love to travel and explore and we value time spent together. Also, we live in a very small house and can’t really accumulate more stuff, so we wanted to find a platform that guests could contribute to our future adventures!

Sounds perfect. So, what did you invite your guests to contribute towards?

As the wedding weekend was very DIY, we gave guests the option to help out over the course of the weekend. We also gave the option to contribute to our honeymoon fund and other adventures such as a first anniversary weekend and ski passes.

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

I loved the look of our Patchwork page and that it was so easy to personalize! I think our guests could really get a feel for the experience they were contributing to, rather than just giving us cash or writing a cheque. Patchwork was very customizable and didn’t feel generic, like many wedding related websites. It represented us, the wedding and the honeymoon we wanted to create, very well!

What did your friends and family think?

It was very well-received! I think that people appreciated that they were not expected or obligated to give anything at all, and that there were options ranging from donating their time, to giving 5 dollars for beach beers to giving more for bigger ticket items. Many of our friends and family made pledges using the “make” and “do” options on our page. They pitched in over the wedding weekend, helping cook breakfast, prep salads, set-up and clean. We couldn’t have done it without out our crew!

How long were you away on your honeymoon(s) for?

We didn’t book anything before the wedding but had talked about doing a 3-week trip to Portugal and Morocco at the end of the summer. We both share a love of exploring beautiful places, spending time outdoors, being active, and enjoying interesting food! When we started planning, Europe was in the middle of an ongoing heat wave. We soon realized it was much too hot to do the hiking trip we were planning the trip around so we started exploring alternatives. In a matter of a couple hours we had flights booked to Iceland. We spent 12 days camping, hiking, soaking in hot springs and taking in the surreal beauty of the country. Iceland is a truly magical place! Just 6 weeks later, we fulfilled our original plans. We hiked a portion of the Fisherman’s Trail on the rugged west coast of Portugal, enjoying wine and fresh seafood along the way. Following the hike, we relaxed for a few days in the Algarve before hopping over the Alboran Sea into Morocco. Five days in Morocco wasn’t long enough and we definitely wished for more time to explore. We both agree that we will have to go back one day!

How did you feel when you set off on your travels?

Grateful. The love and support we felt so strongly at the wedding extended into these trips!

And finally, would you recommend your honeymoon to other couples?

Absolutely! Iceland is a natural wonder and I highly recommend it! We soaked in natural hot springs everyday and saw more stunning waterfalls than we could count. Portugal has something for everyone and is more laid-back and less expensive than a lot of Western Europe. We spent our days on the beaches, and the evenings enjoying fresh seafood and local wine! As for Morocco, we wished we had more time to venture out of the big cities. Our time in Marrakesh and Fes was overwhelming and fascinating. We wandered through markets and admired the unique architecture.

Thank you so much Chesa and Matt for sharing your lovely story and gorgeous wedding and honeymoon photos with us. Congratulations again from all of us at Patchwork!

If you’ve been inspired to create your own Patchwork honeymoon fund, browse our 100s of readymade templates or get creative and build your own page from scratch.

Here are some of the amazing suppliers who helped make Chesa & Matt’s day even more special:

Venue: Elk View Lodge, Fernie, British Columbia

Photographer: Michel at Ampersand Grey

Dress: Truvelle, Vancouver, British Columbia

Purchased at: Pearl and Dot, Calgary, Alberta

Bridesmaids Dress: Azazie

Day of Wedding Planner: Lush Kootenay, Fernie, British Columbia

Catering: Fork and Farm, Calgary, Alberta

Desserts: Pretty Sweet, Calgary, Alberta

Rentals: Orange Trunk Vintage Rentals, Calgary, Alberta and Special Events Rentals, Calgary, Alberta

P.s. listen to Chesa and Matt’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.

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Black woman and black man selfie with turquoise sea in background

Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: An English Countryside Wedding and Maldives Honeymoon

by Ismay Ozga November 4, 2019

written by Ismay Ozga

Charlotte from Farnham in Surrey and Donald from London met in the thoroughly modern way online and hit it off straight away. Charlotte says “We’d actually been chatting for a couple of months but due to our travel commitments, didn’t actually meet for a while, but when we did, we knew it was special, he brought me a chunky silver jewellery. You get to a certain point in life and just know when you meet the right person.” They married earlier this year on a beautiful sunny day near Charlotte’s home in the Surrey countryside. Read on to find out more about their wedding and dream honeymoon – funded by friends and family with a little help from Patchwork.

How did you get engaged?

Donald took me on a surprise holiday to Cancun. It wasn’t until we got to the airport that I was aware of where we were going! The hotel was beautiful, and we were well looked after throughout our stay there. One evening we decided to go for a walk along the beach. I love looking at the stars and searching for satellites and so Donald spontaneously suggested to go on the top bunk of a cabana. With the waves crashing and a clear, warm night, Donald said it would only be more perfect if I would become his wife! It was magical – so magical that I wasn’t sure whether Donald was joking or whether I was dreaming!
As it had been spontaneous – Donald didn’t have the ring with him (imagine dropping it in the sand!) So, once back in the hotel room, he asked me to go onto the balcony and not turn around. A few moments later, he asked me to turn around. There he was, bent down on one knee with a beautiful ring and asking me to be his wife – again!

collage of images of engagement celebration

What kind of wedding did you plan?

The wedding was set in the beautiful English countryside at Bury Court Barn in a village called Bentley, near Farnham. The weather was beautiful so we were able to have the ceremony outside in the sunshine, with the forest and fields as our backdrop. It was a dream come true to marry outside – it was perfect! After looking at a few local photographers we chose the amazing Rob at Shooting Hip. We loved his style, he’s super talented! Trying to source local suppliers was important to us as well, so it worked perfectly.

Couple getting married outdoors against backdrop of trees with guests looking on

What was your first dance?

We took a while to decide our first dance but finally decided on a slower tune – Al Green’s ‘Let’s stay together’ which was then mixed into Chaka Khan’s ‘Ain’t Nobody’. We knew that would get everyone else on the dance floor, plus it’s ‘our song’!

Interior of barn set up for wedding reception

What was your favourite part of the day?

That’s a really hard one! It sounds cliché, but the entire day was just pure happiness and pure love like we’ve never experienced before. We couldn’t stop smiling or looking at each other and everyone was getting on so well with each other. From the moment we saw each other at the end of the aisle, to all of the speeches (but particularly Donald’s), to family crying with joy, to going around the tables during the wedding breakfast so that we could chat with everyone, to dancing together so much, to sneaking off and having moments to ourselves and watching our guests having so much fun! The list is endless really!

Black woman holding bouquet and black man in dark suit posing for wedding day photo

What made Patchwork the best gift registry for you?

I met Liv at a wedding fair and loved the thought of making the honeymoon list so personal and allowing guests to choose a gift rather than just adding to a pot of ‘honeymoon money’. Patchwork allows guests to feel like they have really contributed to an experience that we wanted and that they wanted to give.
I also loved the passion that Liv had for the company – you could see how much it means to her – bringing joy to others.

A patchwork honeymoon fund to the Maldives in an iPad

That’s wonderful. So, what were some of the things on your wish-list?

Guests contributed to various experiences for our honeymoon – from flights, to stopovers, to spa sessions. Guests could choose a variety of options that we made available for them to choose from.

view of city from skyscraper hotel in Dubai

How did you feel when you set off on your travels knowing everyone had helped to make it happen?

It felt so special and really made us think of those who had helped us to experience such a wonderful time together. Writing the thank you emails with a photo is an awesome idea too, as our guests could see exactly what we’d done and how grateful we were.

Black man in outdoor pool in Maldives overlooking ocean

What was the best bit about using Patchwork?

Being able to make it personal to us, the ability to thank people and show them a photo of their gift and the simplicity for us and our guests. Our friends and family found it really easy to use. We considered having a honeymoon fund through a travel agency, but guests couldn’t see what it may be spent on. With Patchwork, guests could see what we wanted to do and contribute to individual experiences.

Thank you so much Charlotte and Donald for sharing these special words and photos with us.

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, you can customise one of our readymade templates or create one from scratch.

Suppliers:

Photography: Rob at Shooting Hip

Make up & Hair: Sophie J Dutta

Dress: Wtoo Juno in Ivory by Watters from Bridal Indulgence

Accessories: I wore the Natalie hand crafted flowers in my hair by Lila-Lila Accessories

Bracelet and earrings by: Ivory and Co.

Shoes: Rainbow Club range at John Lewis They were padded and so comfortable!

Cake: Vanessa Albury from Forever Cakes based in Four Marks

Stationery: Lilac and White the stationery was beautiful and worked so well with the venue

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: A Barn Wedding and Month Long Honeymoon Adventure

by Ismay Ozga June 27, 2019

written by Ismay Ozga

Mary and Jez met five years ago at the gym where Mary was working, then on a night out in town they recognised each other and started chatting. Living in a fairly small town meant they would see each other quite often – very convenient! We caught up with Mary to hear about their beautiful barn wedding and epic month long honeymoon adventure.

How did you get engaged?

Jez took me away to the Cotswolds for a nice weekend – we went on a big walk through the countryside and half way through he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was so lovely and I didn’t have any idea.

Ah, that’s so lovely! Did you have ideas about the kind of wedding you wanted?

We wanted to have a laid back wedding that everyone could enjoy without it being too formal and traditional. We planned an April barn wedding at Shustoke Farm Barns in Warwickshire with 125 guests. Shustoke Farm Barns was amazing from the moment we set foot in the door – I would recommend the venue to anyone looking for a barn type wedding – the staff were fantastic and the barn itself was just beautiful!

The cake was a ‘cheese’ cake with different cheeses and we had two caterpillar cakes – bride and groom! The weather turned out absolutely perfect – warm and sunny. We had worried about it raining as it was mid April but it was better then than in August. Jez did pretty much no planning at all which suited me as I got my own way!

What was your first dance?

Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud. We booked a band called The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party – they had played at a family friends’ wedding and we’d heard so many good reviews we decided to just book them. They did an acoustic set in the daytime during the drinks and canapés and then a full set in the evening – they were fantastic.

Can you describe your favourite part of the day?

Walking down the aisle to my future husband seeing all of my friends and family in one room just for us. The whole day was just perfect – no one can prepare you for the feeling of love not only for your husband but all of your family and friends on that day… it was just amazing!

Why did you decide to use Patchwork rather than a traditional gift list?

We had looked at a few options but Patchwork caught our eye due to the look and the ease of using it for both us and our guests. It also worked out very well price-wise. It was amazing to know everyone had put in to make our honeymoon perfect!

Woman on honeymoon adventure in the desert

What did you ask guests to contribute towards?

We wanted to invite our friends and families to fund activities and trips on our honeymoon as we were going away for a month. It was such a lovely feeling knowing that people had been so kind and generous to help us do everything that we wanted to on a trip of a lifetime. We had donations from people ranging from £10 towards cocktails on the beach in Vietnam to £75 towards seaplane transfer in the Maldives, and £40 towards the Atlantis water park in Dubai. So much generosity from guests and even people that couldn’t make the wedding.

Our guests thought that it was brilliant – rather than getting just money in a card or a gift that we didn’t need or want and they thought that it looked great! They were able to scroll through and pick something to fit within their price range and feel like they had given us something we would remember.

Patchwork Couple Cycling on Honeymoon Adventure

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

Well our honeymoon was just fab! We were able to travel to a few different destinations but still keep an element of honeymoon – I would always say to see as many places as you can and with a timeframe of a month we put in just enough stops. I would recommend to anyone looking for a similar trip that the destinations were fabulous but also ordered perfectly – starting off in real luxury in Dubai, then more of a ‘travel’ vibe to Vietnam where we spent 2 weeks – then back to luxury for Kuala Lumpur and the Maldives which was just the most stunningly beautiful place I have ever been!

It was a perfect way to start off our married life by having no cares and just enjoying being together in amazing places. If I could go back to anywhere it would be the Maldives. We stayed at LUX* South Ari Atoll in a water villa with our own private pool. I have never been treated so well by staff of a hotel and obviously the room, scenery and atmosphere was just incredible.

Wow! Thank you so much Mary and Jez for sharing your patchwork story and honeymoon adventure with us.

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, find out how here – you can customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

Here are some star suppliers that made their day amazing:

Photography: Ben Fones

Venue: Shustoke Farm Barns

Flowers: Michelle at W M Wheat

Band: The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Band

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Colourful Wedding & Honeymoon Adventure to Mexico

by Ismay Ozga June 24, 2019

written by Ismay Ozga

We spoke to the lovely Helen and Amy, heard about their very romantic proposal, their fun and relaxed ‘Afternoon Tea’ wedding in West Yorkshire and honeymoon to Mexico with treats funded by family and friends.

Lesbian wedding laughing brides with best men

How did you two meet?

Our wedding day was actually the 13th anniversary of the weekend we met (we are a very laid back couple!). We met briefly in a bar where we live in Wakefield and exchanged numbers. We hit it off from our first phone call and we’ve been together ever since.

Pink green and purple geometric shape decorations

Lesbian wedding two brides signing register and smiling

And how did you get engaged?

We got engaged two years after we first met. I took Helen for a weekend away in York. I was really nervous to ask her to marry me, so I gave her a copy of a little poem called That Still and Settled Place by Edward Monkton. Underneath it I had written “Marry Me?” We had it as one of the readings at the wedding which was really emotional.

Lesbian wedding with two brides walking through friends and family throwing confetti

Such lovely words. When it came to planning the wedding did you have an idea of the kind of celebration you wanted?

We really wanted to have a relaxed day which allowed us to spend as much time with our friends and family as possible. It’s such a rare thing to be able to get all your loved ones in one place and we really wanted to cherish that. Because of this we had our wedding party photos taken in the morning before the guests arrived. Our ceremony and party were both at the wonderful Northorpe Hall Barn in Mirfield. We chose to have an afternoon tea, which was so pretty and delicious, but it also allowed our guests and us to move around and catch up.

We are also creative people and wanted to express this during the day. We were lucky enough to have Amy’s mum make our wedding rings, help us arrange our flowers and teach us how to use a sewing machine so we could make the backdrop for the ceremony.

Polaroids of wedding guests stuck to wall as decoration

That sounds perfect! Did you have a first dance?

We chose Love at First Sight by Kylie Minogue. Silly as it sounds we didn’t really want a song where everyone stopped and stared at us. The lyrics to this song mean so much to us but we were also able to get people on the dance floor with us pretty quickly. Our best men were waiting in the wings with tambourines to help us get people dancing. They didn’t need much encouragement though.

Sign on chair which reads borrow a blanket and snuggle up

We know it’s hard but if you had to pick just one, what was your favourite part of the day?

THE QUIZ. We had a pub quiz in the afternoon. It was awesome that our friends and family were so into it, and we had a real laugh with everyone. There was one problem though…. We didn’t win!!

Group of wedding guests taking part in quiz and cheering, sitting at table

What made you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

Patchwork was perfect for us, as we had been together for so long we really didn’t need a gift registry. Asking for money can be really impersonal and not a gift people can feel comfortable giving. Patchwork allowed our friends and family to choose how we spent the money they gave us.

So you created a honeymoon patchwork! What did you ask friends and family to contribute towards?

We love to travel and wanted go somewhere we hadn’t been before. Our honeymoon was a two part Mexican trip starting on the Island on Holbox and ending in Riviera Maya. We wanted our guests to be able to give us special elements of this holiday, such as boat trips and cycle hire, tacos and beers.

Pelicans sitting on water with blue sky and boat

What did you enjoy most about using Patchwork?

It was really wonderful, it meant that every time we did something that was gifted via Patchwork it felt like we were opening a new present.

Aside from looking great and being really easy to use, we found the fact we could access a list of all the presents we had received and the gift givers really useful. While we were away we took pictures of us using our gifts, we then sent these pics out as thank you postcards to those lovely people.

Our friends and family loved it. Knowing exactly what they were buying us made them feel like they were giving us a real honeymoon treat.

Mexican houses with bright painted street art

Your honeymoon looks and sounds amazing, would you recommend your trip to other couples?

Absolutely, Holbox in Mexico is an amazing place for a honeymoon if you are looking for rest and relaxation after the wedding. From boat trips & bird watching to cycling around the island we had the greatest time together.

Hooray! Thank you so much Helen and Amy for sharing your patchwork story with us all!

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, find out how here – you can customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

Photographer: Phil Marsden Photography

P.s Listen to Helen and Amy’s first dance song in our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couple’s first dances.

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camber sands wedding couple beach patchwork honeymoon fund

Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Hannah & Chris’ Mexico Honeymoon Fund

by Ismay Ozga January 16, 2019

written by Ismay Ozga

Hannah and Chris met in 2013 and became good friends very quickly. Chris became Hannah’s absolute rock a couple of years later when Hannah was given the terrible news that she had cancer. Hannah says it was this tough time that meant an incredible bond formed between them. Chris became her everything – she says ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. Are you crying already? Us too. Read all about their beautiful beach wedding and Patchworked honeymoon to Mexico below.

How did you get engaged?

We got engaged on the 15th August 2017, on the beach in Hove, where we lived at the time. And later that day, I received the news that I was in remission, so it was like winning the lottery twice over!

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We wanted a beach wedding and originally planned to marry the following summer. However, we had to bring the wedding day forward to January, and found the most incredible venue, nestling in the dunes at Camber Sands, called The Gallivant. Instead of it being a beach themed wedding, I opted for ‘Winter Wonderland” and was able to create the most magical backdrop. Fairy lights, Christmas trees, and mood lighting. 70 people attended our wedding and sit down meal, and a further 40 joined us in the evening for shenanigans. Everyone there had played their part in supporting us through the tough times, and we felt that we were finally able to get everyone in one room and show them our gratitude. The day was more than just about love. It was a celebration of life and friendship.

What was your first dance?

It certainly wasn’t traditional! We both work in the music industry – dance music. And both grew up in an era that saw some of the best dance tracks ever produced. We chose an old trance track by the Space Brothers, who Chris new personally and I had forever been in love with this song! It’s called “Shine” and the lyrics seemed to say everything …

“You have the bravest heart I’ve ever known

You have the strongest will I’ve seen

With every step you take you touch my soul

With every breath you will succeed

The soul of an angel

Touched from above

Your spirit is shining

Surrounded by love”

Everyone got up and danced with us as the song broke in to the chorus! It was amazing!

What was your favourite part of the day?

Wow! That is so hard to pick. I loved being able to tell Chris how much I loved him, in front of a room full of our closest friends and family. And I LOVED going over to the beach for our wedding shots. It was a cold, crazy windy day being the 4th January, but a load of us piled over nonetheless and larked about for an hour before the sit down meal!!

What made Patchwork the best honeymoon fund for you?

We wanted to do something a bit different. We were just happy to have people there with us. But also we wanted people to have the freedom to contribute towards something that we desperately wanted and needed after everything we had been through – our honeymoon. Somehow, we felt that memories were more important than everyday household gifts (as is the tradition). Memories last a lifetime. Patchwork seemed the perfect idea, and it was exciting putting together honeymoon ideas and researching all the amazing things that we could do!

Being able to be visually create a mood board – a story board on Patchwork was brilliant. I spent hours picking out pictures and thinking up little quips and anecdotes. And also it was lovely receiving the messages from everyone and being able to say a heartfelt thank you in real time.

Mexico played a huge part in our journey. We had visited it two years previously and it’s where our friendship had developed in to a relationship. It was where we had visited when I had undergone cancer treatment the first time and before the disease came back for a second time. We wanted to retrace old steps and relive the memories of our previous holiday – as well as create new memories! And this we did in abundance, with the help of everyone that contributed!

How did you feel when you set off on your travels – knowing everyone had chipped in to help you make your dreams come true?

Beyond excited! We took a list of who had paid for what and ticked off our dreams one by one. We also took pictures and sent them to the people who had contributed. It was a nice way to involve them and say thank you! Everybody loved it. It was such an original and engaging concept.

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

Where do I begin?! Mexico is such a beautiful country. Full of colour and personality. The Mexican people are really welcoming and have the biggest smiles on their faces. In some ways it’s also very humbling. We travelled to four very different areas. Cancun, Isla Holbox, Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. They all have their own charm and character for different reasons.

Thank you so much Hannah & Chris for sharing your gorgeous patchwork story! And a big congratulations from Team Patchwork.

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

Wedding photography by Rebecca Campbell

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Natalie & Daley’s Roadtrip Honeymoon in America

by Ismay Ozga November 23, 2018

written by Ismay Ozga

Get ready for a whole load of incredible photos. When you see them you’ll understand why we couldn’t just pick a few to share – Natalie & Daley’s wedding day looked AMAZING! So colourful, personal and fun. And they followed it up with a Patchwork-ed road trip in the USA. We asked Natalie all about their wedding and the honeymoon that their generous friends helped them fund.

Patchwork Couple Natalie and Daley, Lesbian couple, LGBTQ wedding, wedding guests, wedding party

How did you two get engaged?

It’s a bit of a funny story. I had planned it all to propose whilst we were on our first American holiday in New Orleans, but we got into a sleep deprived bickering fest on the flight there at 7am and I spilled the beans because I was too sleepy to hold a big secret anymore!

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We wanted something nice and easy going with lots of colour!

Patchwork Couple Natalie and Daley, Lesbian couple, LGBTQ wedding, wedding guests, wedding party, Mother walking Bride down the aisle

Did you have a first dance? What was it?

Our first dance was to Girl by The Internet.

Patchwork Couple Natalie and Daley, Lesbian couple, LGBTQ wedding

What was your favourite part of the day?

I think my favourite part of the day was the bake-off we had our guests take part in for prizes. Everyone brought their ‘A’ game! And also the after after party at K-Hole (a drag and karaoke bar) when we sang our fave songs with dance routines.

What made Patchwork the best honeymoon fund for you?

We chose patchwork after having meeting some of the team at Most Curious wedding fair in 2016 – it just made sense! Patchwork was easy, like a collage, and we kinda liked the vibe. Plus you had ace postcards and how can we resist a company with nice stationery? We wanted to fund our honeymoon back to the States, we knew a wedding and honeymoon might have been a bit out there (budget wise) for us so we thought instead of three toasters and tea towels galore our friends might like to pay for our trip. We chose a road trip around California and Las Vegas. Putting the patchwork together was actually really awesome.

What did your friends and family think of your patchwork?

They thought it was funny, really liked the collage effect and that they could see what you would be putting their gift money towards. Setting off on honeymoon thanks to their generosity felt amazing, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so loved and like rooted for? Everyone just wanted us to have the best time ever and we did – thanks to our friends and family.

Patchwork Couple Natalie and Daley, Lesbian couple, neon, honeymoon

Patchwork Couple Natalie and Daley, Lesbian couple, LGBTQ wedding, Ice cream museum, LA, honeymoon

Do you have any top tips for a US road trip?

Our top tip would be to check out what’s happening while you’re booking – this probably goes without saying but we tried booking for San Francisco and were wondering why prices had gone up so much. We finally realised it was because we were booking during Oakland pride! It’s good to see what events are happening and it might help you decide what area you wanna stay in (America is so huge! Nothing is close to anything). That helped us with booking Vegas (it was Burning Man that weekend so it wasn’t as hectic as usual and great deals).

Patchwork Couple Natalie and Daley, Lesbian couple, LGBTQ wedding, LA, honeymoon

Would you recommend your trip to other couples?

HELL YES. San Fran, LA, Las Vegas and Palm Springs were some of the best places we’ve ever been.

Thank you so much Natalie & Daley for sharing your patchwork story and incredible photos! And a big congratulations from Team Patchwork. If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch. P.s Listen to Natalie & Daley’s first dance song in our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couple’s first dances.

All wedding photography by the brilliant www.claretamim.co.uk

Venue: Hatch in Homerton

Daley’s jacket: ASOS

Natalie’s dress: ieie bridal

Natalie’s shoes: Iron Fist

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Chris & Leroy’s Cycling Adventure

by Ismay Ozga June 19, 2018

written by Ismay Ozga

Keen cyclists Leroy and Chris have been together for six years and have had plenty of adventures in that time. Chris proposed to Leroy during a cycling tour of Rajasthan – they were on the steps of the Taj Lake overlooking Jag Mandir Palace (where Octopussy from James Bond was filmed!) and Leroy said ‘yes!’. The couple decided to use Patchwork to fund their next big trip. We asked Chris all about it.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

Patchwork couple Chris and Leroy, LGBTQ wedding, honeymoon fund

We chose a local venue near to where we live in Whitechapel called the Ecology Pavilion – it’s an amazing venue set right in the heart of the east end of London, but surrounded by water and wildlife. We had our wedding ceremony there and then a reception for about 150 people.

Did you have a first dance?

No, we decided not to do a first dance, but once I’d wiped the tears of joy away we hugged and kissed!

What was your favourite part of the day?

What made you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

We have always wanted to cycle to Mardi Gras through the southern states of America and Patchwork enabled us to do so. Our guests could see how crazy we were to do this in mid-winter, on a tandem! And they could fund all aspects of our trip.

What did you decide to fund?

Everything we wanted to do on our trip. We even added the kennel costs for our two dogs and that was probably the most popular! We included everything from staying in motels to Mardi Gras costumes, huge American Breakfasts and bicycle repairs. It was fantastic to be able to fund exactly what we needed with no hassle and no stress.

How did you feel setting off on your honeymoon adventure?

Amazing – everyone who had contributed also followed our trip with all of the adventures knowing they had made them happen. Though of course they all asked why we wanted to cycle 700 miles for fun, let alone for a honeymoon!

And finally if/why you’d recommend your trip to other couples?

Travelling by tandem through places that have hardly ever seen a bicycle, let alone a dual heritage, same-sex married couple was always going to be a once in a lifetime experience – especially when your trip is featured as the lead news article on Mardi Gras across the USA!

Thank you Chris & Leroy for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a big congratulations from Team Patchwork.

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: Phoebe & Stuart’s Super Stylish London Wedding…

by Ismay Ozga May 16, 2018

written by Ismay Ozga

… and Nordic honeymoon – made possible with a little help from their friends.

Phoebe and Stuart have been together over 9 years and have been living together for the majority of that time too. They met when they were both working at a music venue and became close friends almost instantly. They curated their own club night which ran for over 5 years – Phoebe says this was an amazing outlet for their shared creative ideas, and it was this that really cemented the couple as a unit. “As cheesy as it sounds, we both feel incredibly lucky to have fallen in love with a best friend!”. Ahhh! Cheesy but lovely. Phoebe told us all about their wedding and the ‘Patchworked’ honeymoon that followed.

How did you get engaged?

We always wanted to explore Scotland together so Stu planned a surprise week away on the very north coast in a secluded retreat called Croft 103, on the banks of Loch Eriboll. Stu always wanted it to be just us two when he proposed so he did it while we were on a walk along Balnakeil Beach, which couldn’t really have been more remote or special.

London wedding, East London wedding venue

What kind of wedding did you plan?

It took us a couple of years before we properly started planning the wedding and it was really important for us that it felt like a really casual get together of friends and family. We were more bothered about having good people, good food and good music around us rather than table plans and formality. We found a space in London called NT Bar in East London and felt like it had everything we wanted from the venue, in a hidden city centre location. They hadn’t really had a wedding there before so we worked with them to find out how it could work best in the space and used their in-house catering partners who were awesome.

We had an official ceremony/legal part the day before at Islington Town Hall with literally 12 close family members. Then the next day was friends and extended family altogether at NT Bar for a slow breakfast followed by a short blessing performed by a close friend of ours and basically a big party! I guess we chose this because we wanted everyone to feel relaxed and not have to fuss about getting from one place to another. Food-wise we had big help-yourself buffet dishes inspired by our love of greek food, coffee and doughnuts from our local bakery for after and then late night cheese toasties for when everyone had the proper munchies after dancing for ages! We DJ’ed as did a load of our mates so it really felt more personal than any paid wedding DJ could make it.

Patchwork couple Phoebe and Stuart, London wedding

Did you have a first dance? What was it?

We actually struggled to find a song that we both felt was right but eventually went for ‘I Really Need Love’ by The Bees. Which turned out to be literally the most awkward rhythm in a song to dance to, haha! So we recommend actually trying to dance together to a song before settling on a track. Seems obvious now when we think about it… duh.

What advice would you give to other couples on their wedding day?

We had a limited budget (as most normal people do!) so I think it’s just about breaking it down and making a list of things that really, genuinely mattered to us. Make sure that you spend the most on the things right at the top of that list. It seems really obvious I know, but it’s so easy to get sidetracked with what other people have done or what you think should be the big thing, when actually if you’re honest with yourselves and give weight to the things that really matter you will come away from the whole day with such a positive experience.

Also, just take a moment on the day to look around at the room when everything is in full swing. Seeing everyone you care about in one room dancing, eating, drinking and chatting is a massively humbling experience and something that doesn’t happen often in your life, so it’s definitely worth taking a mental snapshot of that moment for yourselves.

What made Patchwork the best honeymoon fund for you?

Having been together for so long we had built up a good supply of what I suppose people would consider the ‘classic’ wedding gifts (ie. kitchen gadgets, furniture etc.) so we thought it would make more sense to give friends and family the option to contribute towards life-long memories made on our honeymoon instead. I mean how many treasured memories will you get from a food mixer?! I guess it all just comes back to that more personal experience again and knowing that memories will last longer than anything you can buy from a shop.

A friend of ours had used a similar platform for their wedding so when we did a bit of research we found that Patchwork fitted our needs/taste more. The range of payment options was great and the ways in which you could really shape the page to be more personal to you was far superior to anything else out there.

Did your friends and family like your patchwork?

Yes. They felt it was a really personal way of contributing to our honeymoon trip and was really easy to use. They said it really took the stress out of having to worry about getting a physical gift and presenting it to us. Because we created a real range of different choices from practical things like fuel in our hire car and winter coats to slightly more glamorous things like a boat trip along the fjords and visits to stunning locations. Everything was priced at different levels, from small to large, so it seemed like there was something everyone could choose from and find their favourite one for us.

What did it feel like when you set off for your honeymoon?

We were just really overwhelmed by everyone’s sentiments and generosity. It made us really feel like we truly able to make the most of our trip to Iceland and Norway and stay in amazing places such as Juvet Landscape Hotel, when we might have otherwise had to scale back our plans. We were just so excited as we knew we had so many more possibilities than we ever thought we would.

Fjords in Norway, honeymoon fund, Norway

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

We would definitely recommend both Iceland and Norway as they are a real get-away, you can not only explore totally unique & breathtaking landscapes and cultures, but you can also find your very own spot to cosy up and spend some time together without distractions. There’s so much to explore, they’re truly vast and you can cover huge distances on foot and by 4×4 without realising it as around each corner you are drawn further in to the surroundings.

Thank you Phoebe & Stuart for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a big congratulations from Team Patchwork.

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

P.s Listen to Phoebe & Stuart’s first dance song in our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couple’s first dances.

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Patchwork Couples

Patchwork Couple: An Intimate Wedding & Honeymoon in Mexico

by Ismay Ozga April 26, 2018

written by Ismay Ozga

Alex and Sophie have been together for ten years. They met at university in 2007 and were put in the same house (with five other people!). It took a year of living together for either of them to make a move, but thank goodness they did and they’ve been inseparable ever since. The couple planned an intimate wedding and then set off to their dream honeymoon destination – Mexico. We asked Sophie all about it.

How did you get engaged?

Alex proposed at our home that we renovated together, I’d just come back from a friend’s baby shower and he surprised me with an indoor picnic, complete with all my favourites (we’re big foodies!). He got down on one knee and said the most lovely things but I don’t remember any of it because I was smiling so much and wanting him to get up to have a big hug!

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We’re both quiet people so the idea of walking down the aisle with lots of people watching filled me with anxiety. We were set on having an intimate, low key and relaxed wedding. I have a pretty big family and we wanted to celebrate with everyone so we had 30 close friends and family to the ceremony, followed by a relaxed picnic lunch just like our engagement. Then we invited the rest of our lovely family and friends to celebrate late afternoon into the evening for a slow and low style barbecue.

What was your first dance?

We love to watch films, hate romantic comedies, and enjoy something a bit different. ‘You and Me’ by Penny and the Quarters is a song that means a lot to us, both because of the film connection and the beautiful lyrics with a vintage vibe.

What was your favourite part of the day?

We were both very nervous about the ceremony because all eyes would be on us. Every time I heard the song I would walk down the aisle to (‘Heartbeats’ by Jose Gonzalez) I would cry thinking about the whole experience. This built up and up until the day we got married. I was so shaky when I walked down that I was just focused on not tripping up and felt calm seeing Alex there smiling from ear to ear. I didn’t cry, thank god and we both loved the whole thing. What seemed like it was going to be the scariest part was actually the best!

Why was Patchwork the best gift registry for you?

We wanted to create a visual mood board of our hopes and dreams for our honeymoon. Patchwork allowed us to compile everything and create a photo album to get excited about on the lead up to our wedding and honeymoon.
We knew we wanted to have our honeymoon in Tulum, Mexico and wanted our friends and families to see what we’d planned to do. We weren’t expecting anything and just wanted to enjoy the experience together. People were so keen to see what we planned to do and wanted to help us have the trip of a lifetime.
Our family and friends liked the ease of logging on and choosing what they were putting money towards. People were able to choose experiences that they wanted to be a part of and this opened up talking points at our wedding, and ever since!

How did you feel when you set off on your honeymoon?

We were a little overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity. It was so exciting that we were able to go and experience everything we’d dreamed of doing. Swimming with wild turtles in the ocean, visiting beautiful cenotes, exploring an underwater cave, having an authentic Mexican cooking lesson, drinking far too many margaritas and eating incredible tacos!

Patchwork made it really easy to see everything we wanted to do, identify how much we had to spend and who had bought us each particular experience. We were able to send tailored thank you cards and people really appreciated knowing what we were spending the money on and how they had helped make it happen.

Would you recommend Mexico to other honeymooners?

We absolutely loved our trip to Tulum, Mexico. Mexico was somewhere that we’d always dreamed of going but never thought we’d be able to experience. As soon as we arrived in Mexico, we said we needed to come back again and again! We experienced the jungle, the bustling town and the beautiful boho beaches. We loved every minute, thank you Patchwork!

Thank you Sophie & Alex for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a big congratulations from Team Patchwork!
Wedding photography by Angela Ward Brown.

If this has inspired you to make your own patchwork, just customise one of our readymade patchworks or create one from scratch.

P.s Listen to Alex & Sophie’s first dance song in our new Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couple’s first dances.

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