Tag: patchwork couple

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

May 16, 2018

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…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.

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.

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 you choose to do a Patchwork honeymoon fund?

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.

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.

Patchwork Couple: An Intimate Wedding & Honeymoon in Mexico

April 26, 2018

by Ismay Ozga

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bride-and-groom-sit-in-back-of-wedding-car

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 did you decide to make a Patchwork honeymoon fund?

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.

Patchwork Couple: Emily & Dan’s Honeymoon to Bora Bora

March 22, 2018

by Ismay Ozga

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happy-married-couple-walking-down-aisle-with-wedding-guests

Dan & Emily live together in the Oxfordshire countryside with their two ragdoll cats, Charlie & Leo. Dan is a record producer and musician (DJ Fresh!). Emily is a photographer and a passionate home cook. They met briefly through mutual friends in 2013, a few days before Dan had leave the UK to tour Asia, they exchanged contact details and the two of them spent the entire time talking on the phone and on Skype. They talked all day, every day, often falling asleep on the laptop because of the 7 hour time difference. The couple arranged to meet again in person on the day Dan returned. At that point it was very obvious that they were already in love – it seemed impossible that they had known each other for just a few weeks. Since that day, the two of them have never spent more than a couple of days apart. We spoke to Emily all about their wedding and honeymoon.

How did you and Dan get engaged?

We got engaged during a bomb scare in Gibraltar airport! We landed there for a festival Dan was playing at and he had it all planned out (besides the potential terrorist threat part). He wanted to propose on the runway, which has an incredible backdrop, but we were stuck stationary for over an hour while the suspect item was removed. Finally, as we disembarked he asked our dear friend Jamie to take a photo of the two of us in front of The Rock of Gibraltar and as he did Dan got down on one knee and proposed! The cabin crew were in on it, Jamie was in on it, all of my family and his knew and I had no idea.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We wanted to have loads of handmade touches. The wedding cake was made by myself and my mother-in-law Jil, the place cards were origami which our friends pitched in to help create, we designed the invitations from scratch. It really made the run up to the wedding so much fun. It gave us an excuse to get together with our loved ones before the big day to create something beautiful that everyone could be a part of.

Did you have a first dance?

No, we just hit the dance floor with everybody as the music got going. As we did a great big rainbow appeared in the sky (according the smokers outside!)

What’s your advice for other couples on their wedding day?

Hire a videographer. For us it really captured the spirit of the day in a way pictures can’t.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

We wanted to fund our honeymoon in Bora Bora, which was definitely a bucket list trip – a dream come true, and somewhere we had always wanted to go. Using Patchwork for our gift registry was completely suited to our idea of the perfect wedding gift, an amazing experience for the both of us. Patchworking our honeymoon also made us really think about the experiences we could have on our trip, we did things we wouldn’t normally have done like a traditional polynesian lunch and a fishing excursion!

Since friends of ours had already used Patchwork over the years we had an idea of how well it would work for us – the slick interface, room for creativity and ease of use put it above any other website we were considering.

It was immensely humbling for us to receive so much love and generosity from our friends and family, who, by the way, were thrilled that they could buy our wedding gift without having to leave the house! It was lovely for them to feel as though they could contribute to our honeymoon in such a simple but meaningful way.

So you didn’t want to go down the traditional gift list route?

No, we’d lived together for 3 years before getting married so we really didn’t need anything for our house. Patchwork enabled us to create something easily online for people to gift as little or as much as they wanted with a fun personal touch. Even older family members had no problem figuring out how to send us a wedding gift!

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

Absolutely, it was paradise on earth. The most beautiful thing either of us had ever seen by far. We spent it scuba diving with manta rays and biking around an extinct volcano. We were so lucky to experience something like that in our lifetime.

Thank you so much lovely Emily & Dan for sharing your sweet Patchwork story with us. And a huge congratulations from Team Patchwork!

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

Patchwork Couple: Lizi & Andy’s DIY Wedding by the Sea

March 1, 2018

by Ismay Ozga

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bride-and-groom-smile-at-each-other-with-cliff-and-sea-in-background

Lizi and Andy met in 2012 at The Macbeth pub in Hoxton. Lizi says it was fate – it was a hot June evening and they’d both ended up on the smokers’ terrace despite not being smokers. Lizi was having a heated discussion with a super rude man who had pushed one of her friends (drama!). And after the guy actually used the line “do you know who I am?!” Lizi (who had no idea who he was) had enough and chucked her G&T over his head (very unlike her, she says!). Andy saw the whole thing and thought to himself ‘she’s the one for me’. Things got serious pretty quick and they moved in together not long after. Fast forward a few years and the couple got married in an absolutely beautiful ceremony in Devon. Read on for all the details.

How did you get engaged?

We were in the Azores and I was 7 months pregnant at the time. We had spent a week and a half hiking and caving, mostly in the rain and then splurged at the end of our trip on a super fancy boutique hotel in Furnas.

It turns out it had been a week of failed proposal attempts including a picturesque viewing point at the top of a mounted clouded entirely in fog and a lovely walk around a lake – tailgated by a coach-load of amorous teenagers!

On our last day I suggested going for a walk on the beach. Andy thought I had cottoned on and was trying to help him out but in all honesty, I hadn’t a clue what he had been trying to do! We were walking along the cobbled beach and I was getting increasingly frustrated that Andy was pacing off in front of me (he was trying to get to a secluded part). Just as I was yelling at him to slow down he turned around and dropped to one knee. I was so pleased to say yes. He had a promise ring made by a lovely Bristol based jeweller called Diane Porter which I love and continue to wear. We then chose the design and stone for my ring together. It’s a beautiful green Tourmaline and I love it!

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We had already committed to each other in so many ways; we have a mortgage and more importantly (!) a son, Walter, together so the wedding was the cherry on the top. We wanted all of our friends and family with us for a massive party!

The wedding was a fully DIY job from the invites at the beginning to clearing up the morning after. I was on maternity leave from my job as an architect at the time, and our son Walt was not one for much sleep, so there was a lot of middle-of-the-night googling going on to find suppliers etc.

We found a field right on the edge of the coastline at a dairy called Carswell Farm. Although he’d grown up in Surrey, Andy’s two brothers both live in the West Country as well so it felt right to do it in Devon, near where I grew up.

We roped EVERYONE in to help. My older sister made my beautiful dress, our families helped to dress the marquee, my Dad and Uncle built the bar on an ancient Land Rover which we then parked right on the edge of the dancefloor for the evening reception! It was the most random, best bit of the night pouring gin and tonics from the side of a Land Rover without having to stop dancing. Our friend Tim rigged up the massive sound system and we asked friends and family to compile 30 minute playlists. It was such a nice thing to do as it really made the evening distinct; we had a glam rock set, a country and western slot and then broke it down to more dancey stuff at the end of the evening.

What was your first dance?

We don’t really have a ‘couple song’ …repeatedly singing “we are the robots” by Kraftwerk or dancing along to the Desert Island Discs music were the only two ideas we had that represent our relationship! So we went with The You and Me song by The Wannadies. Our friends had actually used it a few years earlier and we loved the mix of lovely heart felt lyrics and upbeat music straight from our teenage years.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Lizi: Our ceremony was really special to me. A friend of my mum’s, Vanessa Fitzgerald is a celebrant and she helped us craft a really unique ceremony. We asked 5 friends and family members to read for us and my stepsister sang accompanied by a folk band, Dumbo’s Feather, who we also had play us back to the reception field. Andy’s mum had made canvas banners to represent each reading. We also then used the design of these banners to identify the tables so it all tied together really nicely.

The location was incredible, right on the edge of the coastal path. Thankfully the weather held out for us as to be honest we didn’t really have a fall back plan if we couldn’t have the ceremony outside. Another amazing part of it was walking up with my family… and having to wait for the 300 dairy cattle to pass us as they were blocking our route to the ceremony. In the three days before setting up the site it hadn’t occurred to us that the milking was the same time as the wedding!

Andy: I loved when the speeches had finished and everyone got on the dancefloor. I had been nervous about making my speech and really wanted to express my feelings and make everyone laugh and smile. They all went well and everyone could enjoy themselves on the dance floor next to ‘Nicky’ the Land Rover which doubled as the bar for the evening. As the speeches had run on longer than planned, our amazing photographer, Joanna Brown, was due to leave so we rushed through cutting out incredible cake which Lizi’s step-mum made. We used a sword borrowed from Lizi’s Dad, who was in the Navy, it was totally exhilarating and mildly haphazard.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your alternative gift list?

I had googled our options extensively and liked the simple setup and the really clean graphics of Patchwork. What sealed the deal was meeting the team in person at the Most Curious Wedding Fair in Shoreditch (the only wedding/bride event I went to in the run up!)

What did you ask your wedding guests to chip in towards?

We are desperate for a new sofa. Our current one was £200 from eBay originally and its lived a hard life over the last 5 years and is telling the tales… lump of wood in the middle holding it up and all! We also used our Patchwork as a way for people to offer up their time and skills for our wedding itself – our friends pledged to make a dessert, bring blankets for the ceremony and they offered up their DJ skills for one of the 30 minute playlists. Because of this, the day was exactly what we hoped for. For us, engaging our friends and family in our day was really important.

Patchwork was so simple. Once you’ve added your own photos to the site, it looks really unique to you as a couple and the graphics are clear. Everyone found it very easy to use, and the few older guests who struggled in one way or another picked up a phone and worked it out directly with the team so it was absolutely a 10/10 from them!

Have you bought your new sofa yet?

We have yet to buy the sofa as we are just in the process of buying a dilapidated house, so we are living with the old wreck for a while longer whilst we get the work finished.

We spend a lot of time lusting over Pinterest boards and can’t wait to pick a fabric though.

Thank you so much lovely Lizi & Andy for sharing your sweet Patchwork story with us. And a huge congratulations from Team Patchwork!

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

P.s Listen to Lizi & Andy’s first dance song in our ‘First Dance’ Spotify playlist, made up of our lovely Patchwork Couple’s first dances.

All photos by Joanna Brown Photography

Patchwork Couple: Jeremy & Catherine’s Intimate Wedding & African Adventure

December 19, 2017

by Ismay Ozga

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man-and-woman-kiss-on-steps-holding-umbrellas-

Jeremy and Catherine met at a party in 2013 and moved in together (on a narrow boat!) six months later. They’ve been living together, on a boat, ever since. They even showed up to their wedding on it. Jeremy told us all about their wedding day and the incredible adventure that followed.

How did you get engaged?

On the boat! I made a curry and proposed after dinner. Then I took Catherine away to the Cotswolds to go hiking for the weekend to celebrate, before we shared the news with friends.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We wanted a really no frills affair – we were married in Bow Town Hall and the party was at Stour Space in Hackney Wick, where we pulled up in our boat! We just wanted a fun, relaxed party to celebrate with everyone.

The invitation said ‘wear whatever makes you happy’ so people came in all sorts; from fancy dress, to a top hat & tail, to shorts!

We were able to buy and supply all drinks and food at the venue. We did lots of online shopping, went beer tasting in Bermondsey Beer Mile and bought all the things we love – bread from E5 bakery, bagels from Brick Lane, pies from Broadway Market, chocolate from South Africa!

What was your first dance?

Bare Necessities from the Jungle Book.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Just having all our family and best friends, from all over the world, in one room.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

We thought it was a super cool idea and we really didn’t want ‘things’, we have everything we need on our little boat and both love to travel, so thought this was far more fun than people buying us cake forks and whatnot.

Instead we asked for various experiences that we hoped to do on our trip to Africa, where we planned on travelling for a few months. We asked for things like seeing the mountain gorillas and climbing Mount Kenya. We were so excited when we left to start our trip, and very grateful for everyone’s generosity.

It was super easy to set up, the patchwork looked really awesome and it was so easy for friends and family to contribute – they all thought it was an awesome idea.

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

There is nothing as amazing as travelling and to spend a year seeing the world with your partner is so incredibly special. You’ll make memories that will last a lifetime and have so many stories to tell the grandkids!

Thank you Jeremy & Catherine for sharing your Patchwork story with us. And a huge 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 Jeremy & Catherine’s first dance song in our new Spotify playlist, made up of lots of Patchwork Couple’s first dances.

Patchwork Couple: Chris & Kirsty’s Scenic Scottish Wedding

November 30, 2017

by Ismay Ozga

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wedding party throwing confetti over man and woman

Chris and Kirsty first met each other in 2009, when Kirsty responded to a room advert in London and moved into a flat share with Chris and his mate Phil. Kirsty says they were very much functional flatmates during they time living together – rarely speaking as they passed in the hallways. It wasn’t until a few years later – when they found themselves single and training for a triathlon – that the bonding experience of trudging through boggy lakes finally brought them together.

How did you get engaged?

It turns out Chris had asked my Dad for permission back in February whilst we were up in Scotland – they were sitting with Ben Nevis in the background, roaring fire and whisky in hand – so it was the perfect setting! I think my Dad was beginning to think he changed his mind as it was 3 months until he eventually popped the question! We got engaged in May 2016 in the New Forest. We’ve spent several weekends there in the past and always loved it. Chris chose a beautiful ring after a few months of secret plotting.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We knew that we wanted to make a full weekend of our wedding celebrations, have somewhere the whole family could stay, which was informal, relaxed and had lots of personal touches. Chris stumbled across the Lodge of Loch Goil whilst we were searching for venues online – despite the rainy, grey day when we visited we knew it would be perfect for us – we knew we wanted a Scottish wedding and a unique setting.

As it turns out, we got married on one of the warmest days of the year in Scotland – we ended up changing out plans last minute, and got married outside, the guests needed their sunglasses on and I got burnt! Chris and the groom party all wore kilts too – which was particularly novel for them as they are all English!

We both loved the whole day from start to finish – we couldn’t have asked for it to go better. We had written most of the ceremony ourselves so it told the story of us and our friend wrote a beautiful speech from songs of our favourite bands. My mum made a beautiful cake and Chris’s parents made the table plan. We also loved the little personal touches like the gin bar, cake topper and smore station over the fire pit which went down a treat – and the band were also awesome so there was plenty dancing!

What was your first dance?

We both already knew what our first dance would be – Birds of Prey by Editors – so that was really easy! We’re pretty aligned in terms of approach and what we like – which made the whole planning process fun and stress free.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

We chose Patchwork as we wanted a site where our guests could contribute to our honeymoon in South Africa. The best thing is really being able to personalise the content and build the patchwork yourselves. It also seemed really easy for our guests to use which was important to us. We had a number of people comment on how great the site was!

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

Yes definitely. We went to South Africa 5 months after we got married – everyone had been so generous and we knew we had a trip of a lifetime ahead of us. We had a great variety of experiences to enjoy including safari, wine tasting, kayaking and lots of delicious food. Our trip started off with safari which instantly immersed us in a completely different world – and over 4 game drives we saw all of the Big 5 which was amazing! Then we ventured to Camps Bay in Cape Town, took in amazing views from Table Mountain, enjoyed the beaches and incredible food. Then we moved to Franschhoek and the winelands. From there we then drove along the Garden Route, exploring different towns along the coast.

South Africa is a beautiful country, with hugely diverse landscapes, amazing experiences and gave us a great mixture of experience and relaxation time during our honeymoon!

Thank you Kirsty & Chris 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.

Patchwork Couple: Chris & Harriet’s Manchester Wedding and Californian Road Trip

November 3, 2017

by Ismay Ozga

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Harriet and Chris met six years ago in a chip shop at the end of a night out in Sheffield, where Chris was studying. They overheard each other’s Brummy accents, started chatting and hit it off instantly. They’ve since moved to Manchester together and married this summer in a humanist ceremony. We asked Harriet all about their wedding day and the road trip honeymoon that followed.

How did you get engaged?

We got engaged in New York, it was always very important for me to get married, but for Chris it was never really a big thing. When Chris bought me a holiday in New York for Christmas I honestly thought it was his way of buying himself more time! We’d been away for 4 days before he popped the question in the most beautiful candlelit bar in the East Village, with a ring made by one of my best friends, Naomi Jago – we decided not to tell anyone until we got home which meant we were in the most perfect love bubble – it was really lovely.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We planned a city centre party, with our friends and family as the main focus – we really just wanted everyone to have the nicest of days, lots of booze, great food and dancing. We had a very personal humanist wedding ceremony in the People’s History Museum in Manchester, followed by a party in an old cotton mill in Ancoats – it was important for us to get married in the city we live in and both the venues were so laid back, so we really could do anything we wanted.

What was your first dance?

We had the Villagers cover of Elvis The Wonder of You – the words said everything that we felt about each other.

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

The one thing I’d say is to do whatever you want – weddings are great when they reflect you as a couple. We love having people round to our house for dinner so really wanted it to feel like a big dinner party. That’s how I ended up serving our guests my home made desserts and since the wedding so many of our guests have commented how nice that was – so just do whatever reflects you as a couple!

Why did you choose Patchwork for your honeymoon fund?

Of all our wedding decisions Patchwork is up there as one of the best ones – for us it was a no brainer. We have lived together for 5 years and have recently renovated our first home, so we have everything we need. All we wanted were lots of memories that we would treasure forever, and with Patchwork our guests could help us have the BEST summer.

Everything about using Patchwork was incredibly easy – from making the Patchwork to the gift giving itself. It also made it very exciting as we planned our honeymoon so far in advance, so people could buy us very specific things.

We were originally worried about how the older members of our family would feel about us asking for money as well as the technology side of Patchwork – but they all loved it – they loved knowing what they were buying for us and loved how simple it was. Our friends loved it – a few of them are now planning on using it for their weddings next year.

What did you ask your wedding guests to contribute towards?

Our Patchwork funded our Californian road trip from San Francisco to LA. We picked this as although we have had many brilliant holidays before, we really wanted our honeymoon to be the dream holiday – and we would never have been able to fund a holiday like that on our own. We started in San Francisco for 5 days, then travelled down the Pacific Coast Highway stopping at Monterey, Santa Barbara and then we arrived in LA, stayed in Santa Monica and then finished off in West Hollywood.

Knowing that all of our friends and family had paid for us to do certain things made me so much more emotional about everything. We took pictures of ourselves cycling down Venice Beach and eating posh dinners and sent them to the friends that had bought us that gift. It was so lovely to thank everyone in that way.

Harriet and Chris’s top 5 tips for a Californian road trip:

Spend a day at a winery
Walk the Golden Gate Bridge
Head to Jon and Vinny’s in West Hollywood for pizza
Go shopping in Santa Barbara
Hire bikes and go for a picnic on Santa Monica Pier

Would you recommend your Californian road trip to other honeymooners?

Our trip was the perfect mix of busy city life and dreamy hotel relaxation – one day we were celebrating with a posh dinner and champagne after a day of sightseeing – the next we were having room service in a lovely comfy hotel after lying by the pool. Also – if you love wine it’s the most perfect trip for beautiful vineyards!

Babb Photo – www.babbphoto.com

Thank you Harriet & Chris 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.

All wedding photography by the brilliant Babb Photo – www.babbphoto.com

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

Patchwork Couple: Anna & Ollie’s Arty Wedding Registry

October 24, 2017

by Ismay Ozga

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Anna and Ollie met at a ‘spots and stripes’ party in Leeds 8 years ago, but didn’t get together until fate intervened when they bumped into each other at Secret Garden Party (where Ollie followed Anna around like a lovesick puppy). After that they went on a lunch date at the Phoenix pub and ‘snogged outside Sloane Square tube station’. Hooray! They moved in together not long after that, and married this year in a beautiful garden ceremony. We asked Anna all about their wedding and their very arty wedding registry.

How did you get engaged?

We added on a few extra days to a family holiday with his parents. We had 5 days staying in Seville and near Cadiz. We were staying in a little eco hut in this Swedish hippy guy’s garden. Ollie found it on Canopy and Stars. He had kept asking if we could go on walks, some of which I was up for, like view points and random cliffs! At one point he took me up a hill where his plan was ruined by some very threatening cows. In the end it happened over a beer on our little balcony. It was lovely – I interrupted his speech and said ‘OH MY GOD YES’ before he had even asked me.

What kind of wedding did you plan?

We were very lucky because my mum lives in a pretty house in the middle of the countryside. We didn’t want a religious service but wanted a ceremony. We got married on the Tuesday before in Salisbury Registry Office and then had a ceremony and party on the following Saturday. There is a pretty wood next to our house, so we put hay bales out in it and made a little aisle. My dad, a celebrant, did the ceremony, my stepdad’s choir sang and my mum gave me away. It was a beautiful sunny day. We were so lucky. We then had drinks on the lawn, a big hog roast and a boogie in some tipis in the field. It was great.

What was your first dance?

KC and the Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight. And yes we did a routine.

Why did you choose Patchwork for your alternative wedding registry?

I am a big fan of the company. I agree wholeheartedly with its non materialistic ethos. I hate getting given presents now and totally agree with the idea of people pooling together to get people actually something they want!

What did you ask your wedding guests to contribute towards?

We were so keen to get some art for our flat. One day we walked down this little alley in Peckham and there was this random exhibition on. This guy paints all these incredibly atmospheric details of mountains with creeks running down them, in Wales. We instantly wanted one. With our wedding round the corner we thought a Patchwork would be the perfect option.

I loved how engaged everyone was with the whole thing. Usually people buy a present for a wedding gift and nothing really ever gets said. I was amazed by how many people got in touch saying what a great idea they thought it was. People loved the idea of giving us art as well. I think they resonated with its special significance. It felt like a little connection between us, the wedding and our family and friends. As soon as we bought it we sent a picture to everyone!

How did it feel to go and pick your artwork – knowing all of your wedding guests had bought it for you?

It was the best feeling transferring the money and the artist dropping off our painting!! He was so chuffed to be giving it to us. When we went into choose it, we walked in, it was like fate. There were only two in the whole workshop and we both pointed at it, and went ‘that one!’ It now hangs in our stairwell and it makes me happy every day.

Thank you Anna & Ollie for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a big congratulations from Team Patchwork!

If this has inspired you to use Patchwork to get your own piece of art just customise this template or create one from scratch.

Patchwork Couple: Stace & Rosie’s Super Colourful Wedding Day

October 18, 2017

by Ismay Ozga

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Stace and Rosie met twelve and a half years ago in secondary school when they both studied music for GCSE. Rosie had switched class to be with her friends – lucky she did, or the couple may never have met. It was fate! Since then they’ve been to University, lived in other countries and travelled the world together, and as Stace says, ‘it just works’. We asked Stace about their wedding day and what they decided to patchwork.

How did you and Rosie get engaged?

We went travelling a few years ago and by this point had been together around ten years, so I decided that it was finally the right time to propose. I had a bit of a hard time deciding where to do it (Peru, Brazil, Mexico etc.) but eventually settled on Machu Picchu. I waited until most of the crowds had gone at the end of the day and proposed on the edge of an Incan Terrace overlooking the main part of the site. I carried the ring around in my belt for 3 months!

When it came to the wedding day, what did you plan?

We wanted a wedding with a traditional structure but a relaxed, familiar and fun feel. The “theme” of the wedding was Latin America inspired by our engagement and travels. We used very vibrant colours for the flowers, decoration and ties. Our venue was actually a walled garden, as we both wanted an outdoor ceremony, and the garden was really great for our guests to enjoy into the evening on a warm summer’s day. The food was on sharing platters, because we wanted to try and avoid awkward moments on those tables where people had never met one another before.

What piece of advice would you give to other couples?

Be a team, take your time, don’t sweat the small stuff. Something will always go wrong but it will still be the best day of your life. Don’t worry too much about everyone else’s opinions – do what feels right for you.

What was your first dance?

Our first dance was “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. We chose it because it’s a song that we’ve both been listening to together for a long time. We actually got a lesson in to funk the dancing up a little, but unfortunately when it came down to it, Rosie’s dress was too big to do it!

What was your favourite part of the day?

We wanted to make sure that our cockapoo, Leo, could be a part of our big day. It was great when Carla from Dogvision brought him in to mingle with everyone and have photos taken – he was very well-behaved. It’s as though he knew! Exchanging our vows – we kept our vows a secret from one another and it was worth the wait to hear each other’s promises. Walking out of the garden after the ceremony and coming back through the wrong door – it gave us a long walk all the way round the venue and some time to ourselves between the ceremony and the drinks reception. We came back in through the back doorway. With all the guests waiting to throw confetti – everyone was very confused, but it all worked out!

What made you choose Patchwork rather than a traditional gift list?

We chose Patchwork because we were already living together in a little cottage, and had everything that we need, but it seemed like a nice and personal way for people to contribute towards a shared present, that was an experience rather than anything material. It also meant that we could afford to have some extra luxuries while we were away, that we may not have been able to otherwise.

The best bit about Patchwork was how easy it was to set up and use. We really liked the visual aspect as well – like piecing together your holiday. Once it was complete, it was really nice to look at.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We planned a mini-moon to Andalucia in the south of Spain. We’d been to Andalucia in 2011 but had a bit of an accident with our hire car, which meant that we missed out Cordoba, one of the most important cities that we’d planned to visit. Despite this, we’d both really enjoyed our trip there and wanted to go back and finish it. This time we went to Malaga, Ronda, Cordoba and Cadíz. We drove again this time and thankfully everything went to plan!

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

We both really enjoyed our time away in Andalucia, partly because each place that we stayed was so different, but the drive times weren’t that long – it was the perfect balance between relaxing and seeing new places. It’s also a great area to combine beach with city sightseeing.

We started in Malaga – due to the flights, it made sense for us to stay there for the first night. We had our doubts about Malaga, because of its reputation, but the city is actually very charming and when we checked out, we walked up the old fort and castle that overlook the city and coastline, before heading to Cordoba in the afternoon.

We stayed at the most amazing little boutique posada in Cordoba (Patio del Posadero), inspired by the Moors. There were just 4 rooms, each with a different style – ours was styled around the colour blue (Laceur). The breakfast was handmade by the owner – Jose, every day and each day was slightly different and almost like a tasting menu with a shot of kefir to start, followed by a trio of desserts and then the traditional bread with the family’s very own olive oil, fresh tomato puree and sea salt.

Although it was really hot in Cordoba, it was great because we could split our day up, so we would go out in the morning and visit the sites, come back in the afternoon to our cool room, or hang out by the pool on the terrace and go back out in the evening when it had cooled down. Cordoba is a beautiful city, with so much to see and lots of great places to eat.

Ronda was next on the itinerary and had some amazing scenery – we stayed at the Mirador, which had a very impressive view over the valleys below.

We went to Jerez on our way to Cadiz, which is the home of sherry, if that’s your thing.

Cadiz is a lovely old city – great for sunsets, seafood and long walks on the beach. We enjoyed the junior suite at Hotel Argantonio which even had his and hers showers!

It was really great to be able to think of each experience or dinner we had while we were away as a gift, and in a way, this made the joy of the gifts last longer.

What did your wedding guests think of your honeymoon fund?

They really liked that they could contribute towards something, and that it gave them an insight into what we might be visiting or doing whilst we were away. A lot of people commented on how sweet it was that they could buy our dog, Leo, a ball and bone, to keep him busy during our time away.

Thank you Stace & Rosie for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a huge 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: jennifersmithphotography.co.uk

Patchwork Couple: Kasia & Sam’s Festival Wedding Weekend

October 4, 2017

by Ismay Ozga

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patchwork wedding registry honeymoon fund

Kasia and Sam met at six form college and had loads of mutual friends. It took them a couple of years but eventually they kissed – at the Paradise Bar in Deptford – on a group night out. They’ve been together ever since. And after what may be the world’s longest engagement (14 years!) they finally tied the knot this summer at a big garden party, made possible with lots of help from their lovely friends. We asked Kasia all about their ‘Patchworked’ wedding weekend and familymoon.

How did you and Sam get engaged?

We moved to Barcelona when we were 24 for 18 months. We lived in a beautiful old building in the top floor apartment. There was an old wrought iron lift which was very small. I always said how much I loved the lift, because you could see each floor and the staircase that wrapped around it as you went down. It was very old fashioned and beautiful. One evening on our way out to a Christmas party, Sam grabbed a bottle of Champagne and we got in the lift. As it started to go down Sam announced he had something in his pocket, which made me laugh. I didn’t know what he was talking about. He pulled out a ring box and proposed. I said yes, we kissed and then arrived on the ground floor. It was very romantic. Unfortunately we didn’t seal the deal until 14 years later.

What kind of wedding did you decide to plan?

We planned an intimate ceremony with just our closest relatives at Chelsea Old Town Hall. The following day we planned a big Garden Party in our family house in Essex. It was a bit like a mini festival. We had Bell Tents in the back field for our guests, a large marquee with flowers and hay bales and beautiful white table cloths and an amazing BBQ with a selection of salads.

Many of our friends and family helped to make our day special. The party was held at Sam’s family’s house in Essex. His Aunt Mary worked on making the garden look beautiful leading up to the day. Sam was in charge of the music and food. He asked individual friends if they would play and they all said yes. Sam created a DJ Rota and gave them each a list of tunes he wanted them to include in their sets. It worked really well.

Our friend Philippa and her sister offered very early on to do the flowers. They were amazing. She grew them from scratch created the most stunning displays. I didn’t give a brief and was open to anything they wanted to do. I just wanted them to be colourful and wild and they exceeded anything we could have asked or paid for. They were so beautiful and special and made the place look incredible. That was a very special gift from them.

Sam and our friends did the food. He bought all the meat and fish from Billingsgate and Smithfield’s Market. Then on the day our friends prepared the salads and we had a few friends do the BBQ. That was one of the most important jobs and they were great, I think they had fun doing it. At least they looked happy in the photographs!

I was in charge of the decorations and set up. My best friends all helped to clean, decorate the Marquee with foliage, set the bar up, lay the tables, move the hay bales and all the other finishing touches. That was a huge joint effort. But it makes you realise that many hands make light(ish) work.

Finally we had asked our guests if they would like to bring cheese, or a bottle of booze or make a cake. We were blown away with how many people did this. We had a full table of cakes and later a full table of cheese. It was incredible. We just had to make sure we had all the Prosecco, Wine and mixers.

Lastly our friends Laura and Rowan offered to take the photographs. Rowan is an artist and Laura is a photographer. Between them we have beautiful photographs capturing both days. We were so fortunate to have so many good friends who just wanted to help make our day even more special.

It sounds like an incredible joint effort. Did you have a first dance?

Our first dance was to Susan Cadogan, Congratulations. It’s a beautiful Reggae song, which we love.

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

Just go with the flow. Don’t worry if certain details change or the timings of day move. You have to remember no one else knows if something didn’t go quite right or the day is behind schedule. Guests just want to see you having fun and enjoying yourself and then they will. Also remember to not be worried about asking your friends and family to help or contribute. They will be happy to.

What made you choose Patchwork for your gift registry?

We chose Patchwork because we thought it was a beautiful and tasteful way of asking our friends and family to contribute towards our Spanish Honeymoon. There’s no way we could have afforded to go away as a family without their help. We created a patchwork of things and places we wanted to experience on our honeymoon, like dinner and drinks in a Flamenco Bar for example or a day at a Waterpark with the children or even a night in the villa. All these things cost different amounts so people could give as little or as much as they wanted. We also used our patchwork to ask our friends to contribute their time on our wedding day – the wonderful thing about Patchwork is that you can also have ‘do’ and ‘make’ patches, so people could contribute their time by saying they would make a cake or man the BBQ.

We were amazed how many of our friends and family contributed on Patchwork in the end. It was a wonderful feeling being on the plane knowing everyone had helped us get there. We were so tired, but so happy when we set off for Spain – we honestly felt so lucky to have enough money to enjoy ourselves.

What was your favourite thing about using Patchwork?

It is completely bespoke and it looks beautiful.

Would you recommend your trip to other honeymooners?

Our trip was very specific to us – we wanted a few days just the two of us and then we wanted to share the rest of our holiday with our children and family. It was Sam’s 40th birthday while we were away so it was lovely to share the occasion with his mum and sister. It was a real family affair and our villa was incredible, so everyone was happy.

Thank you Sam & Kasia for sharing your patchwork story with us. And a huge 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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