Written by Melissa Woods

Photography by Tim Dunk

I fell totally in love with this colourful, music inspired wedding in the heart of Sheffield.... a city that will always be close to my own heart.

I really wish I knew these guys so that I could have been there, sequinned clad, can of Stripe in hand; dancing to 'Together In Electric Dreams'... but instead, I'll just have to live vicariously through the incredible photos captured by photographer Tim Dunk.

Tim's photos not only document what an awesome wedding it was but also what a cracking city Sheffield is!  

It's a northern fairy tale.... Gillian and Jake first (unknowingly) set eyes on each other in 1993 when 10-year-old Gillian came to Sheffield with school to see a production of Oliver at the Crucible, a play it turns out that Jake was in. 

Years later, the couple began working together and romance was given the chance to blossom. Jake popped the question in an Irish bar on St Patrick's Day in Gillian's hometown of Glasgow... how could she say no?!

Sheffield based, the pair decided to use their city as a backdrop for their big day.

In true 'un-wedding' style, Gillian picked her stunning, beaded dress from high street store 'Phase Eight' which she tried on and bought within the space of 30 minutes! ... proper bridechiila!

Gillian simply wanted to something to wear for a few hours to make way for a dramatic costume change for later... and why the hell not?! 

The couple chose to exchange vows in a quaint little city landmark...

'' We fancied doing the ceremony somewhere a bit different, so when we found out the Lantern Theatre had been used for ceremonies we went to check it out. It's two minutes from where we live, on the same road as our first flat together, so it instantly had a nice feel to it. It's the oldest theatre in Sheffield and so intimate. ''

This was followed by a party to end all parties in one of the city's most popular warehouse spaces...

'' Trafalgar Warehouse seemed a good, as we just wanted somewhere to throw a great party. There is so much space and so much you can do with it - it's basically a blank canvas. ''

The venue styling was down to our very own Book Of Love suppliers - Inner City Weddings who know the venue well.

'' Although the original plan was to keep the look vintage-inspired, I got quite distracted by the idea of having neon signs and pops of colour.

I liked the idea of something kind of 'Peaky Blinders' but I quickly got distracted by neon signs, disco balls and street art and it became a bit more 'Peaky Blinders meets the Bronx'. ''

Moss & Clover were responsible for the beautiful jewel-coloured flowers.

By chance, Gillian and Jake had realised that their big day was to coincide with the Grand National so they had placed a bet on behalf of each guest and used the tickets as wedding favours.... much to the delight of several lucky winners! 

The evening entertainment was largely 80s inspired.

The first dance - 'Together in Electric Dreams' by Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder.... The Sheffield connection was important and it reminded the couple of early road trips together.... it also set the mood for the party ahead which was kicked off by a set from 'Invasion Of The Deadbeats' before the main playlist.

So, let's just talk about the costume change.

I know you wanna know where Gillian's sequinned masterpiece came from, right? Don't worry, I tapped her up for this info straight away and it's by sparkle extraordinaire's,  Isolated Heroes.... Good luck gettin' your mitts on one! 

A final word to the wives from Gillian:

'' You don't need a year and a half to plan a great wedding. In fact, we think doing everything within around three months really helped us. It means you make decisive calls, without having the time to second-guess yourself, going on gut instinct. ''

Wise words indeed!... although, I can't quite believe they managed to put together such an awesome shindig in just 3 short months! 

See more highlights from this spectacular day in the gallery below along with a list of the awesome suppliers who helped make it happen.

Wedding Dress - Phase Eight

Florist - Moss & Clover

Venue - The Lantern Theatre

Reception - Trafalgar Warehouse, Sheffield

Decor/styling - Inner City Weddings

Cake - SJ Cakes

Entertainment - Invasion of the Deadbeats

Transport - Bus from the theatre to the warehouse (Linburg Coaches)

Anyone else totally feeling the love for these guys?... and for the city of Sheffield? I'd love to hear in the comments below! 

LOVE FOREVER 

MELISSA

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