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 couple’s 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

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."

The couple sealed the deal at Cheshire’s Thornton Manor in a vintage-themed ceremony to channel Emma’s 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 manor’s flexibility, which allowed them to organise their own caterers and alcohol for the reception.

The bride walked down the aisle in a custom-made Sharon Bowen (sharonbowenhc.co.uk) gown from Lace bridal (lacebridal.co.uk) in Hale.

Emma was glam from head to toe in a pair of Jimmy Choo heels and headdress from Jo Barnes Vintage (jobarnesvintage.com).

The bridesmaids slipped into matching maxi dresses from House of Fraser’s Linea collection (houseoffraser.co.uk).

Stephen sported a black tuxedo from Hugo Boss and added a rose buttonhole to match the bride's bouquet (hugoboss.com).

Emma's bouquet contained a mixture of Amnesia roses, thistles, steel berries, eucalyptus and hydrangeas created by The Olive Tree (flowersbytheolivetree.co.uk).

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."

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.

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).

The pair took advantage of the season and covered the tables with tealights and candles for a warm ambiance.

Place settings were a gorgeous combination of taupe linen, handmade stationery and personalised Mr & Mrs wedding cake forks sourced from Etsy (etsy.com).

"The cake table was one of my favourite touches," Emma admits. Along with the main cake the couple included miniature cakes and stylish macaroons.

Cupcakes from The Sweet Tooth Cupcakery (sweettoothcupcakery.co.uk) were also a hit at the dessert table and were displayed on antique stands.

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.

"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!"

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