The Dotted Crotchets: January 2014

To kick off the new year in style, we have got another stunning wedding to share with you today. Nicola and Ben were married in April 2013 and The Dotted Crotchets String Quartet had the privilege of performing for both the ceremony and drinks reception at Sefton Park Palm House. Here's a beautifully written account of the wedding from Nicola...

"Ben had planned his proposal to the finest detail. Prior to our summer holiday in 2011 he had secretly chosen a ring and carried it with him throughout our trip from Montreal to Washington DC. Not even a hurricane in upstate New York was going to spoil it.

On the penultimate night we ended a night-time walk around the presidential monuments in DC at the Lincoln Memorial, and on the very spot were Martin Luther King gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech he popped the question. And how could a girl refuse?

After we returned home we both agreed that the only place we could possibly hold our wedding was the Sefton Park Palm House, a Victorian glass house in the heart of South Liverpool.

So the date was set, and we spent the next 18 months making our dream day a reality. We wanted to make sure that it truly reflected us as a couple, and that all our friends and family would instantly know why we had chosen every little detail.

After the venue, the next booking we made was The Dotted Crotchets. As an avid Love My Dress reader (wedding magazines really weren’t my thing) I knew as soon as I read their website and listened to tracks they were the quartet for us. We wanted a mix of classical, contemporary and the occasional silly pieces of music to add that extra something to the experience of our guests and getting everyone into the wedding spirit.

From there I then tracked down ‘the dress’, a Charlie Brear, Vintage Wedding Dress Company gown thanks to Eve at The White Closet, adding some little finishing touches from Sash and Co, Flo and Percy, and shoes from Benjamin Adams.

For both my sister, Mandy, as bridesmaid and for Ben, we didn’t want textbook wedding garb. So we headed to LK Bennett for Mandy, and to Jack Wills for Ben’s grey suit. And for the whole groom party, we went with matching stripy Paul Smith socks, and grey skinny ties from the dearly departed Aubin & Wills.

We also travelled to the Lake District to commission a personalised slate platter for our wedding cake from Chesters by the River just outside Ambleside, to Coniston Brewery for drinks, and to York to Bettys for tea, coffee and an after dinner chocolate fix. We also created, with Carringtons Catering, a spring menu, and with florist David Beckham Doyle seasonal bouquets and buttonholes, including the most beautiful fringed tulips.

Along the way we also worked with a close friend on bespoke designs for all our invitations, orders of services, seating plans and so on, choosing motifs to represent places Ben and I had travelled to, as well as collecting wedding photos of our parents and grandparents, a 1930s typewriter for guests to write messages on, and a monogrammed suitcase of Ben’s granddads for cards and gifts.

When the day finally arrived we really couldn’t have asked for more. Despite the odd spring shower the sun came out in time for the ceremony, bathing the park in golden sunlight. As the guests arrived the Dotted Crotchets sounded amazing and really set the tone for the whole event.

Before the ceremony we had a mix of songs, and Ben particularly appreciated some Fleetwood Mac to calm his nerves before I arrived. And walking down the aisle to the traditional Bridal March was a dream come true for me.

While we signed the register we wanted to celebrate our Liverpool wedding and asked Ruth if they could learn and perform ‘In My Life’ by the Beatles. We both love that song, and it was especially fitting as the wedding was taking place in John and Paul’s backyard.

After the serious business was out of the way The Dotted Crotchets really got the celebrations under way and raised a few laughs with our quirky song choices. As we were having our photographs taken we couldn’t help but smile as they gave amazing renditions of ‘Match of the Day’ and The Cantina Band tune from Star Wars.

Safe to say everyone had a totally amazing day and we cannot thank The Dotted Crotchets enough for creating the perfect atmosphere."