We’re head over heels for the Kennedys’ symphonic big day, featuring Elvis Presley, acoustic serenades, MD20/20 favours and a banging band
Nicole Trotter & Jamie Kennedy
23rd July 2021
Venue | Best Western Garfield House Hotel, Stepps
Photography | Cara Frew Phototgraphy
“Cancun was where we first ventured on holiday back in 2017. On our next visit to Mexico, Jamie popped the question on the beach there! It was lovely to return to the same place and make new memories.
Both of us love music, and we always knew it would be a special part of the day. As such, the first decision we made was to book our band, Sneaky Treacle. The lead singer is also family, which made it extra special.
We chose Best Western Garfield House Hotel as the venue. It’s very close to our home, and we didn’t want anyone to travel far to see us get married. It’s a gorgeous hotel we often visit for dinner or functions, and there was something really appealing about tying the knot somewhere we were familiar with.
Ross Parry at the hotel was a fantastic wedding co-ordinator. He helped make our day as special as it was and we cannot thank him enough.
Neither of us are very serious people: we always like to have a laugh and enjoy things in the moment. We knew we’d like this to apply to our day, and for us to have a relaxed, laid-back celebration. Above all, we wanted the wedding to flow nicely and not be restricted by a tight schedule.
It’s difficult to single out the biggest bargain. We were very lucky that we managed to get everything to meet our budget, from our friend doing our cake, to the band being family. Even the venue itself felt very reasonably priced considering the day we had and how amazing the staff were. We also made all of the favours ourselves, with mini bottles of prosecco and Mad Dog 20/20!
To make the ceremony personal, we opted for a humanist service. We were married by Susan Krenbrenk at Fuze Ceremonies, whose husband plays in a band with Jamie. Susan already knowing us definitely helped the ceremony become more reflective of who we are as a couple.
We made up some traditions of our own. Our mums are good friends, so they walked down the aisle together first before the wedding party to symbolise the joining of two families. Jamie borrowed some cufflinks from his cousin, which get used by all the groomsmen in the family. I also walked up the aisle to Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley.
I cannot recommend Cara Frew Photography enough. I knew I loved her photographic style, but it was so comforting to know that we were being looked after by a true professional. She was relaxed and didn’t rush us, helping with organising some last-minute things in the morning. She even gave our dog belly rubs – he can be pretty grumpy now that he’s getting old, but he just loved Cara. The end product speaks for itself, as Cara captured parts of our day we would never have seen.
Jamie’s very musical. His speech was a rollercoaster of tears and laughter, so when he produced his guitar from nowhere and performed a song he’d written for me, I was blown away! It was the most romantic thing I’ve ever experienced and I’ll never, ever forget it.
We were incredibly lucky that Covid didn’t impact our wedding too much. We managed to keep our original date, and changes to restrictions the week before the event meant that we got to increase our number of evening guests. There was a lot of uncertainty about what our celebration would look like, but even with the limitations in place, we still had the most amazing time.
It surprised us how fast the day went. You spend so long planning and looking forward to it, and then it passes you by in a flash. Try to take in certain moments throughout. We wish we’d gotten a moment to ourselves between the ceremony and reception. Regardless, it was still a fairytale of a day.”
Top tip: “Pick what you like. There will always be trends, but rather than taking inspiration from elsewhere, do what feels right to you, regardless of how that may seem to anyone else. And make sure you share the planning so that one person doesn’t get overwhelmed by it. We split everything between us.”
Venue Best Western Garfield House Hotel, Stepps
Photography Cara Frew Phototgraphy
Celebrant Susan Krenbrenk, Fuze Ceremonies
Bride’s dress Reeta Fashions
Bridesmaids’ and flower girls’ dresses Chi Chi London
Groomswear Marc Darcy
Wedding rings Barclays Diamonds
Flowers MUD Urban Flowers
Cake TaylerMade Cakes
Wedding band Sneaky Treacle
Venue decor LBS Event Design and Wedding Planners
Makeup Denise Wilkie
Hair Chelsea Brennan Hair
