Hannah & Harry’s Rise Hall Wedding

The event was a classic celebration, exuding elegance and sophistication. It was a true family affair, as the family priest conducted the ceremony, adding a personal touch to their vows. Hannah’s aunt also lent her artistic touch by creating stunning floral arrangements. Rise Hall was the perfect backdrop, offering a beautiful setting for the reception and ample accommodation for their cherished guests to explore and enjoy. It was a day of love, family, and timeless memories.

Hannah says…

We live in Leeds, where I grew up, but Harry is originally from Hull, so we knew we wanted a wedding in Yorkshire. We had looked at venues in Leeds, Hull and everywhere in between, but Rise Hall had everything we wanted in the most gorgeous setting. We had family and friends travelling from across the UK and Ireland, so we needed a venue with lots of accommodation. We also had the venue from the Friday afternoon, allowing us to arrive early to set everything up and spend the evening with our families the night before. The venue is a gorgeous building set on amazing grounds that all our guests loved exploring.

I found my dress almost accidentally at the Confetti & Lace dress shop. I had returned to try a dress on again that I loved at my first appointment. However, while I was there, they mentioned they now had a new dress that wasn’t available on my first visit. The dress is Perla by Eva Lendel and is fully embellished with pearls and beads. It’s completely different from what I envisioned wearing, but trying it on made me so excited to get married. My mum told me that I didn’t have to have a classic wedding dress and needed something more fun and I’m so happy I listened to her.

My three bridesmaids were my two sisters and cousin, and their dresses were by Pretty Lavish. We’re always very open with each other, especially regarding fashion, making choosing dresses much easier. My gorgeous nieces were my flower girls; Poppy is two and a half and loved her “princess dress” from Monsoon. Ava was only two months old, but we found the perfect floral dress from Next.

Harry, his groomsmen, and my dad’s suits were all from Suits Direct. They live in Leeds, Hull and Edinburgh, so having somewhere with multiple locations across the country made it much more manageable. They all wore dinner suits to tie in with the classic style of our wedding. Harry also wore a waistcoat to stand out from the boys.

The venue is so gorgeous that we wanted to ensure that any decor complimented the space and didn’t feel out of place. The tables were decorated with white floral arrangements and candles. We wanted it to feel timeless and classic but still personal to us. We did this by including wedding photos of our parents and grandparents, and our table numbers were pictures of us growing up. Our favours were handmade and decorated biscuits, which we only finished making the day before the wedding!

My auntie Lynn is a florist, so I knew there was only one person for the job! She’s also my godmother and was a real-life fairy godmother for the weekend. We shared some pictures for inspiration, and she brought them to life perfectly. Lynn showed me the Westminster Abbey roses she had done for a previous wedding and knew it was the perfect wedding bouquet, knowing she made it so much more special.

Rise Hall catered for our wedding, making planning and organising the menu much easier. We had a traditional three-course dinner with baked prawns for starters, a lamb main course, and an Eton mess for dessert. The food was a big hit, with great reviews from our guests – even the picky eaters! Everything from canapés to the evening sandwiches was delicious. Our cake was a three-tiered cake made by Sammy’s Iced Fancies, which was amazing. I had seen a similar cake design when we first started planning the wedding and happened to pick a dress embellished in pearls that coordinated perfectly!

Lucy was brilliant and one of our best decisions when planning the wedding. Lucy included a pre-wedding shoot as part of her package, which meant we could meet before the wedding, get to know each other, and get comfortable in front of the camera. Lucy had also shot weddings at Rise Hall before, so they knew the venue well and where to get the best pictures. She was so thoughtful and captured the day perfectly. Everything shot was considered, and the directions she gave made for the most amazing pictures.

The best part of the day

I loved the entire weekend, but the ceremony was perfect. It was at the local Catholic Church in Beverley. My dad’s cousin is a priest and had travelled from Ireland to perform our ceremony, which was so special. He has been at several family weddings, including my sister’s, so I love that we are part of that tradition. The ceremony was personal and intimate but still felt fun, which was exactly what we wanted.

From one couple to another…

Enjoy every moment! So many people told us how quickly the day goes, and they were so right: it’s so important to take time for just the two of you during the day and have fun!