You know that saying: good things come to those who wait? Well that is exactly how it all panned out for Dawn and Steven, as they didn’t go on their first date until after speaking with one another for five months. “We met on a night out and chatted as friends for a while. We had our first date five months after meeting. Neither of us can be accused of rushing into things! We had a wonderful first six months together, including a trip to Rome before Steven was sent on military duty for six months.”

The couple then hosted an intimate affair in the stunning setting of The Treehouse in The Alnwick Garden. “We wanted a wedding with close family and friends topped with good quality food. We also decided that we didn't want to be married in a hotel conference room. The Treehouse is a stunning venue all year round, but we knew that if we had an evening ceremony in the winter then the lighting and the fire would add to the ambience.”

“We would highly recommend the venue. The wedding team were attentive and very helpful during the whole booking and planning process. They came to my rescue when we had guests cancel the week before the wedding due to work commitments and I was having a melt down over the seating plan! Karen answered my frantic email from her home on a Sunday and immediately provided a solution - that's excellent customer service!”

Although it was a winter wedding, Dawn and Steven were positive that they didn’t want their wedding to look like a Christmas wedding. “I did not want it to look like a Christmas wedding therefore no red or berries in the arrangements.”

Any funny stories from the wedding?
“The ceremony was a roller coaster of laughter and tears. Steven was looking at the registrar as though she was speaking a different language and she had to repeat everything she said to him.

“Once he had said his vows, the registrar turned to me and said ‘and Dawn’ to which I said ‘I do’. The registrar said ‘you're keen. I guess you really do because I haven't asked you yet’. Everyone burst our laughing and our photographer caught the moment perfectly.”

How did you choose your photographer?
“David and his wife, Judy, are friends of ours so there was never any doubt that if they were available for our day that we would book them.”

Advice for other brides and grooms?
“Don't feel that you have to please others. The day is about you two getting married. All the tiny details that you spend hours planning, may not always go exactly to plan, but I guarantee none of your guests will ever notice.”

What was your highlight of the day?
“Other than the obvious, the ceremony, we realised that we are so fortunate to have amazing family and friends. Looking around on the evening and seeing our guests dancing, making new friends and generally having a fantastic time is priceless.”

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