True Love Tuesday: Samantha & John

A very happy good afternoon to you all!

We do hope you had a lovely break over the Easter period, and if you’re back to work today we have the most magical of wedding days to make you smile. Samantha and John were married back in July 2015 and based their enchanting day around a Midsummer Nights Dream theme. Samantha is the fabulous wedding stylist behind Lily Annabella in Castlederg, so you can guess how amazing her day was! Many thanks to Ten 21 Photography for sharing their beautiful images.

Samantha and John went to Primary school together but it wasn’t until twenty years later when the couple met at their local shop that their romance began. “I almost ran him over outside our local shop! We then saw each other on a night out and he came over to talk to me and joked about me trying to kill him! I didn’t know what he did for a job so asked him, and he replied “I put the milk in your Coco Pops.” This apparently was a chat up line as he is a dairy farmer. We arranged to go on a date and after that we have been inseparable ever since,” explained Samantha.

John proposed on Christmas Day in the middle of a winter wonderland grotto that he had arranged to use through a friend. “The proposal was perfect. He had planned it together with my sister who was in on it all along! The ring was a stunning square cut diamond ring with little diamonds around it and it was huge!” added Samantha.

Samantha was incredibly lucky to have your wedding gown customer designed by London fashion designer, Hermione de Paula, who she used to work for. “I wanted something simple at the front with drama at the back so I went for a low cut back and extremely long train. I had painted a swan flower illustration during my first year with Hermione for one of her collections so we reused this design and it was lovely to use some of my own artwork in the dress. Our initials were sewn into the dress with a heart underneath and the date of our wedding were embroidered into the intricate beading on the train. It was so beautiful and such a personal touch,” said Samantha.

From the beginning of their planning Samantha was keen to incorporate an unconventional style and theme and used her wedding styling and hire business, Lily Annabella, to create a stunning Midsummer Nights Dream look to the entire day. “We incorporated lots of moss and woodland elements throughout the church, castle and marquee. The church was so magical, the aisle was decorated with tall trees which draped down creating a tunnel of beautiful greenery and each window had little wooden lanterns surrounded in moss and crazy beautiful flower displays placed around the church,” explained Samantha.

At the marquee reception at Castle Leslie Estate the magical theme continued with tree stump tables and trees wrapped in ivy and flowers for the centre pieces, and a breathtaking cake wrapped in a floral garland by Truly Scrumptious Cakes By Design.

“There where so many highlights to our day. Walking up the aisle dressed in trees to John with a string quartet playing in the background was a surreal and magical moment. Entering the marquee and seeing how beautiful it looked also was a highlight of my day. The evening with the band and dancing was also a high point for both of us, the dance floor didn’t stop all night!” added Samantha.