-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the couple outside of the manor
Sparks flew on a boozy night out in Leeds when Emma and Stephen were introduced by a mutual friend during their university freshers week.
After a decade together, Stephen popped the question on the couples anniversary. He proposed at a spot in Manchester where we had previously agreed to meet on our 10-year anniversary if we ever split up, but we never did, says Emma.
Photography by: Brett Harkness (brettharknessphotography.com).
Words by Morven McCulloch
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
winter wedding, wedding dress, cheshire wedding, thornton manor
floral wreath in shades of green and red
A warm vintage theme done up in shades of rose, red and green was the perfect complement to Emma and Stephen's wintry date. "We chose to have our wedding in winter so that we would know from the start that the weather would be bad and could plan around it, and also not be disappointed if it rained," Emma explains. "I love candles and roaring open fires, and our venue lent itself to that perfectly. We're also at the age where we're going to lots of weddings each summer, so having it in the winter meant people still had one to look forward to."
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the interior of thornton manor
The couple sealed the deal at Cheshires Thornton Manor in a vintage-themed ceremony to channel Emmas love of timeless style (thorntonmanor.co.uk).
We have been together so long and have a great group of friends so we just wanted to get everyone together and have fun, Emma says.
And with 150 guests to host, the couple also warmed to the manors flexibility, which allowed them to organise their own caterers and alcohol for the reception.
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the custom-made sharon bowen gown from lace bridal in hale that emma donned on her wedding day
The bride walked down the aisle in a custom-made Sharon Bowen (sharonbowenhc.co.uk) gown from Lace bridal (lacebridal.co.uk) in Hale.
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of stunning jimmy choo shoes
Emma was glam from head to toe in a pair of Jimmy Choo heels and headdress from Jo Barnes Vintage (jobarnesvintage.com).
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of house of fraser bridesmaids dresses
The bridesmaids slipped into matching maxi dresses from House of Frasers Linea collection (houseoffraser.co.uk).
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the hugo boss tux that the groom sported
Stephen sported a black tuxedo from Hugo Boss and added a rose buttonhole to match the bride's bouquet (hugoboss.com).
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the bouquet from the olive tree
Emma's bouquet contained a mixture of Amnesia roses, thistles, steel berries, eucalyptus and hydrangeas created by The Olive Tree (flowersbytheolivetree.co.uk).
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
winter wedding, wedding dress, cheshire wedding, thornton manor
flowers around candle in glass lantern
Look closely, because those beautiful blooms are actually made of silk! "My mum made all the floral arrangements in the dining room with silk flowers," Emma explains. "She was then able to adapt them all for my sister's wedding."
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of emmas handmade stationery
Emma made her own stationery and was inspired by a vintage wallpaper design. The paper pattern used on details like the table plan complemented the subtle hues in her bouquet.
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the dining room in the reception hall of thornton manor
After pre-reception champagne, guests enjoyed mozzarella and tomato risotto balls, chicken wrapped in Parma ham and sticky toffee pudding for dessert, courtesy of Barratts Event Caterers (barrettseventcaterers.com).
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the candles that made the centrepieces on each table
The pair took advantage of the season and covered the tables with tealights and candles for a warm ambiance.
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of mr and mrs wedding cake forks from etsy
Place settings were a gorgeous combination of taupe linen, handmade stationery and personalised Mr & Mrs wedding cake forks sourced from Etsy (etsy.com).
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
winter wedding, wedding dress, cheshire wedding, thornton manor
"The cake table was one of my favourite touches," Emma admits. Along with the main cake the couple included miniature cakes and stylish macaroons.
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the homemade chocolate and beetroot three-tier cake
A friend baked and decorated their chocolate beetroot three-tier cake.
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of cupcakes from the sweet tooth cupcakery
Cupcakes from The Sweet Tooth Cupcakery (sweettoothcupcakery.co.uk) were also a hit at the dessert table and were displayed on antique stands.
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the retro themed photobooth the couple hired for their reception venue
Guests captured the festive flair in a quirky photobooth. "I made props like moustaches, speech bubbles and retro signs for people to pose with," Emma says.
-
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
vintage themed weddings, real weddings, christmas weddings, winter weddings, thornton manor, cheshire, wirral weddings, sharon bowen, jimmy choo, hugo boss, the olive tree, the sweet tooth cupcakery
picture of the couple outside of the thornton manor
"My favourite moment of the wedding was walking into the dining room to Snow Patrol's Crack the Shutters with all our guests cheering," Emma recalls. It was the best atmosphere, and we were both so happy!"
Browse more wow winter weddings!
I've Got Your Love to Keep Me Warm
Emma & Stephen tied the knot in a cosy, classic wintry celebration in the Cheshire countryside









