A summer wedding at West Tower

Meeting for the first time in Rawtenstall whilst out with friends, Rebecca and Elliott clicked immediately. Elliott lost his phone at the end of the night, so he asked everyone for their numbers by messenger. Rebecca sent hers, hoping he would get in touch – and so the romance began.

Three years later they heard the news that Rebecca was pregnant with their first child and felt thrilled. The joy quickly turned to worry when Elliott learned he could not get home from Afghanistan for the birth of their daughter.

When he returned seven weeks later, Rebecca and their families travelled to welcome him home and introduce him to Emelia Rose. Elliott chose this special moment to ask Rebecca to marry him. She said yes instantly and the rest of the weekend became one long celebration.

Five years on, they decided it was time to start planning their West Tower twilight wedding. Searching for venues online, they shortlisted around 20 before Elliott found West Tower and they both instantly fell in love.

“We were both absolutely blown away from the moment we arrived on the driveway, the stunning venue, beautiful grounds and most amazing views (even though it was raining).” – Rebecca

Style of the day

Rebecca had a clear vision of how she wanted their summer wedding day to look. Pinterest and Instagram helped her pull ideas together. The National Wedding Show in Manchester was perfect for finding suppliers and extra inspiration.

With her heart set on dusty mauve, the rest of the styling grew from there. They booked professional venue dressers to style the day and the team were amazing from start to finish.

Their three tier semi naked cake, finished with macarons, caramel drip and summer flowers to match the bouquets, became a real focal point. Inside, ombré tiers layered Ferrero Rocher, salted caramel and raspberry preserve and guests loved every slice.

Rebecca had saved photos of her dream dress for years and never imagined choosing anything different. In the end, her actual gown was completely different to those pictures. With a lace bodice, short sleeves, tulle skirt and belt, it felt perfect. As soon as she tried it on, Rebecca, her mum and her sister all burst into tears.

Rebecca carried charms of her late grandparents on her bouquet, while her dad kept her grandma’s wedding ring in his pocket all day.

Elliott travelled to Manchester with his groomsmen to look at suits, already knowing the colour and style he wanted. Rebecca did not want to see the suits beforehand and chose to wait until Elliott stood at the end of the aisle. They all wore navy suits with matching waistcoats for the groomsmen and a contrasting grey waistcoat for Elliott. Each groomsman received a personalised silver pocket watch to wear, while Elliott’s gold one had belonged to his late grandad.

The wedding

Rebecca walked down the aisle in the Ballroom with her dad to Perfect Symphony by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli. They wrote their own vows, which felt truly personal and moved everyone to tears, including the registrar.

After a week of rain and thunderstorms, the sun finally shone on their wedding day. A singer entertained guests on the terrace while everyone enjoyed the summer sunshine and photos. Garden games kept the children busy and the bouncy castle quickly became the star of the show.

As a surprise, Rebecca’s parents arranged for a song to be written about the couple and their life together. The whole wedding party joined in with the chorus when it was performed after the speeches. Later they received a portable vinyl record player and their song on vinyl to play whenever they like.

With a Twilight wedding package, they did not have to worry about keeping the children occupied during a long sit down meal. Instead, guests tucked into a hog roast with all the trimmings and everyone commented on the delicious food.

In a lovely twist, the father daughter dance came first so Rebecca’s dad could give her away on the dancefloor to Elliott. They chose I Get To Love You by Ruelle for their first dance as husband and wife.

“We will never ever forget how amazing our day was and we are still completely overwhelmed by how perfect it was from start to finish.” – Rebecca

Suppliers

• Dress The Bridal Lounge, Accrington
• Menswear Moss Bros
• Venue dressing Roland’s Florist, Inspired Events
• Cake Antonia’s Cakes
• Photographer Adam Joe Roberts
• Entertainment Josh Hindle, The Song Writing Company, Steve Mitchell Wedding DJ

If Rebecca and Elliott’s West Tower twilight wedding has inspired you, we would love to welcome you for a viewing or to one of our open events.