Not even the rain could dull the sparkle of Mark and Jo’s special day at the Hallmark Welcombe. On May 29th 2015, Jo finally married her Prince Charming in a beautiful Justin Alexander princess gown complete with Swarovski crystal veil and pink glittering heels. On-trend details and a fun-filled photo album made for a truly magical day.
The two primary school teachers met at the school where Mark still teaches at. “Jo came in to do three days supply and I was brave enough in those three days to give my teaching assistant a post-it note with my number to pass on to Jo. We went on a date that weekend and as they say the rest is history.”
The Proposal
It all started with a romantic proposal in the city of Paris over October half term in 2013. “Jo had no idea I was going to propose, so came as a complete surprise to her. It was on the second day of our break and I spent the day thinking Paris was the most dangerous city in the world while guarding the ring in my pocket! We visited a few places that day but none of them were quite right until we went to the Eiffel Tower. We queued up and just before we went through I found a metal detector – which nearly scuppered my plans! Luckily it didn’t set off the alarms and so we went to the second floor. Jo was taking pictures of the scene when I asked her if she wanted me to propose and she brushed it off while continuing to take pictures. I asked her to come to the middle of the tower and dropped down on one knee. I had a huge speech planned in my head but in the end I told her that I loved her and that she was the one for me. She accepted and Paris became the most wonderful city in the world. We celebrated with a hot chocolate as the Eiffel Tower twinkled in the background.”
The Venue
“For us, The Welcombe was the complete package. From turning off the road; the long, windy drive builds up the suspense of what is waiting at the end. When we finally pulled up we couldn’t believe how beautiful the building was. We were shown around the inside and fell in love with the beautiful arch ways where we had our wedding breakfast and the stunning garden which just added to our amazement. There isn’t just one thing that sets The Welcombe apart as it has so many stunning features such as the open fireplaces, beautiful views and staff who go above and beyond to make sure your day is perfect. It is just a truly beautiful place. Everything about it is very special to us.”
The Photographer
“Our photographer Terry Comerford was brilliant. Even though it was a rainy, miserable day at times, he told us as we were having photos inside with the wooden panel backdrop and reassured us that all the royal families’ photos were inside too. This put us at ease and made Jo feel like Kate Middleton! Also, when the weather cleared up he brought us outside to take some traditional photos along with a few quirky ones where he added a dinosaur and Star Wars theme.”
The Theme
A fabulous pink wedding cake created to resemble three suitcases completed their travel theme and each table was named after cities the pair visited during half term breaks. After toasting their new marriage at their Wedding Breakfast, a surprise rumba was performed by the bride and groom to JLS ‘Love You More’. “It took everyone by surprise and helped start off a memorable night!”
Why Saying I Do Meant The World…
Mark: “For me it was the most natural thing. She honestly makes me the happiest man alive and completes me in so many ways. I think about how my life has changed for the better and that she is the reason for it.”
Jo: “It meant the world to finally marry my Prince Charming. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to find someone who made me smile every day and still gave me butterflies after all these years. I would be lost without him.”
A huge thank you to Mark and Jo for sharing their special day with us and to their photographer Terry Comerford. You can see more of his work at www.terrycphotography.com
