Josh, originally from Scotland and Lisa from South Wales, met whilst they were both studying in London in 2011. Lisa was performing in a Shakespeare play, The Comedy of Errors and Josh was in the band. They got together in Feb 2012 and have been together ever since. After postponing their wedding twice due to the pandemic they finally married last year in a traditional Scottish wedding at Rowton Castle, Shropshire. They welcomed guests with a sign that said “let’s make it worth the wait!”. They invited their friends and family to contribute towards a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon to Japan.
How did you get engaged?
Lisa: Josh knows I am difficult to surprise because I organise everything so he made up a plan that he was at work and some plasterboard had fallen on him. I rushed down to help, to find a pathway of rose petals and candles leading to Josh standing in a full tux and playing Jazz music! So romantic.
Wow that’s a great engagement story! And what kind of wedding did you plan?
We went for quite a traditional wedding with a Scottish theme. Because I am Welsh, I wanted to add a little bit of Celtic tradition into the wedding, so we incorporated a handfasting ritual too. (Handfasting is an ancient Celtic wedding ritual in which the hands of the bride and groom are tied together to symbolise the binding of two lives. Traditionally, cords or ribbons are used.)
Did you have a first dance?
Yes we had our first dance to Speechless by Dan and Shay.
What was your favourite part of the day?
I loved all aspects as every part was so different. But I would say having all my friends and family together after so long being apart during lockdown and seeing everyone so happy. Josh also learnt my favourite song and performed it with the band, which was also amazing! I was surprised by all the Scottish guests who picked Josh and myself up onto their shoulders near the end of the night and danced with us to Loch Lomond, which was epic! Basically loved the entire day with surprises around every corner!
Why did you choose Patchwork for your wedding registry?
I found Patchwork at the Wedding Show in Olympia. I loved the idea of my friends and family purchasing a specific activity instead of just giving money. Giving guests a choice on how much they wish to give, and them being able to purchase something specific felt more rewarding for our guests. Our guests all loved it – I often get asked what platform did I use.
What did you invite your guests to contribute towards and why?
We ask our guests to contribute towards our honeymoon to Japan. A once in a lifetime opportunity! I love the culture and tea, Josh loves the anime and tech and we both love the food! It is such a long way to go, it was going to be expensive so every penny helps.
Have you been on honeymoon yet?
Unfortunately due to covid we have been unable to go yet because Japan has been closed to tourists, but we have everything booked for May 2023! I really cannot wait to tell each guest about the individual experience they purchased. We will even be able to take pictures of us enjoying that certain activity and send it to them. Showing the guests their money has really helped on our honeymoon.
What’s your no.1 wedding planning tip?
Plan early! If you can plan ahead and get everything sorted the week before the wedding, you can really relax and enjoy the build up! I know not everything goes to plan, I ended up making my own cake, but because I planned ahead I had plenty of time to bake as well as relax with my bridesmaids!
Thank you so much Lisa and Josh for taking the time to share your beautiful wedding day with us! We wish you every happiness and a fabulous honeymoon in Japan when you go.
If you’d like to create your own Japanese honeymoon fund or ask guests to contribute cash towards absolutely anything else you can dream of, check out our other wedding gift ideas or create your own from scratch.
Here are some of the suppliers that made Lisa and Josh’s day extra amazing:
Location –Rowton Castle
Photos – Blue Passion
Video – Rolling Pictures
Flowers – Fluertations
Band – Funk the Revolution
p.s. You can listen to Lisa and Josh’s first dance song on our Spotify playlist, made up of lots of our Patchwork Couples’ first dances.