Joanne + Nicola | September 2024
“Sarah was absolutely amazing as our celebrant!! We loved her from our first coffee! Sarah planned the most perfect and personal ceremony making sure she kept in touch with us for the whole journey.”
Joanne and Nicola found me the old-fashioned way, if the “old-fashioned way“ is that their grandson is in the same class as my twins. A mum from school recommended me to them, and we went to a local coffee shop to get to know each other. Well I say “a mum from school”, she’s actually a wedding legend.
Nicola and Joanne had me in fits of laughter from that first coffee. Well, Nicola had a coffee, I had a pot of tea, and Joanne produced a tea bag from her handbag and asked for hot water; [“I like what I like” said Jo, “she does this every time” said Nic]. I loved them already, and the handbag tea bags went straight into my ceremony notes.
So much of their identity as a couple is being grandparents together - known affectionately as Nana and Momar
Their wedding ceremony - at The Grand Hotel in Newcastle - was decked out all in white and pink and when the brides arrived down the aisle - first Nic, then Joanne - they stood under a pink petal arch. Both brides walked in escorted by their beloved little grandson and then Nicola also with her nephew and Jo, with her son. It was a real family affair - celebrating not only Nicola and Joanne as wives, but their other roles as mum, stepmum, aunties and (young, glam) grandparents.
Photos by Harry at MINE Photography
It was massively important to the couple that close loved ones who had passed away were remembered on the day - particularly Nicola’s dad, Joanne’s dad and Joanne’s sister Kim. So, not only did the brides both have little photo charms in their bouquets, we had a table with photo frames and we paused the ceremony to listen to Ellie Goulding’s How Long Will I Love You, acknowledging that those important family members were there in spirit and memory. It was a really special few moments and there were lots of tears in the room, tissues passed from row to row.
It was an emotional ceremony, but not without moments of absolute hilarity: Joanne needing her glasses to read her vows and not remembering who she’d given them to for safe keeping, and silly stories from their relationship so far. These two know how to laugh at themselves - and each other! - and the vibe in the room was brilliant.
Joanne and Nic have a shared love of music, often going to gigs together, and music was a key part of their day, having chosen some of their favourite songs to be featured: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, which was very emotional as they both walked down the aisle, and then the live Elvis version of Sweet Caroline as they left the ceremony, after I explained to friends and family that it was Elvis singing a Neil Diamond song because Diamond was one of Nicola’s late dad’s favourites and Elvis one of Joanne’s late dad’s favourites.
Music featured later too but after I’d gone…and I was gutted to miss it! They had singing waiters planned to surprise their friends and family during the wedding breakfast, and I’ve since seen footage of everyone up on their feet joining in, top of their lungs. Surprise singing waiters! Right up my bloody street.
I love to follow my couples on Instagram or keep in touch on whatsapp but what’s lovely with Nic and Joanne is I get to see their smiling faces every now and then at the school gates…and nativities…and the occasional kid’s party (to which Joanne no doubt brings her own tea bag). A couple of weeks after they were back from honeymoon, they presented me with some flowers (and had even got my children a voucher) - what an adorable pair!
“We are so lucky to have found Sarah, we had so many comments from our guests about just how amazing the ceremony was.”