
Ask A Bride: what North East women wish they’d known before getting married
In the first of our Ask A Bride series, we caught up with Stef – who self-styled her modern wedding at The Parlour at Blagdon.
Stef married her husband Ryan at The Parlour at Blagdon in August of last year – bringing together a whole host of different suppliers herself to make her dream of an effortlessly modern styled wedding day a reality at the popular Northumberland wedding venue.
We caught up with Stef to find out how easy it was to style her own wedding, what her favourite memories were from her big day, and what she wished she’d known before starting the planning process…

Is there anything you wish you’d known before planning your wedding day?
Covid?! I was originally meant to get married in August 2020 and throughout the pandemic we considered numerous options. I realised that what was most important to me was actually getting married and it put everything into perspective.
When planning a wedding I think it’s easy to get carried away, but keep what’s important to you at the forefront of your mind. My best piece of advice is to not worry about what other people think – it’s your big day, so do what you want and don’t sweat the small stuff!

Your wedding has a modern style. Was this easy to bring together with your different suppliers?
I have my own Event Styling business, The First Look Styling, so it was quite easy to bring the look together (but at times a bit stressful) as I had a clear vision of what I wanted. We specialise is modern styling and bespoke signage, so I knew what elements would work well. I had worked with my florist, Floral Grace, previously on a photoshoot and she really understood my vision, so I knew she’d create beautiful flowers for my wedding!
What advice would you share with our readers about working with different suppliers?
I think when working with different suppliers, you just need to be clear and cohesive about what you’re looking for. And, most of all, trust in their skills and expertise!

What was your favourite memory of the day?
Saying our vows, after waiting for so long! We got married outside and it was a beautiful, sunny day – exactly how I had imagined. Although we were standing in front of all our guests, it just felt like we were the only two people there (cliché, I know). I was grinning from ear to ear and so happy we’d finally been able to say “I do!”

STEF AND RYAN’S SUPPLIERS:
Venue: The Parlour at Blagdon
Photographer: The Twins
Dress: Epernay Bridal
Makeup (for Stef and the mother of the bride): Josephine Birkett Makeup Artist
Bridesmaids Makeup: Beau by Joanna Philips
Hair: Emma Hill Hair
Floristry: Floral Grace
Styling: The First Look Styling
Photobooth: Stardust North East