On a perfectly warm and sunny spring day, Clare & Ben surrounded by their friends and family at The Mere Court Hotel in Knutsford promised to love, honour, and cherish for the rest of their lives and sealed their devotion with a kiss, which was heralded as the beginning of something new. Together.
They hosted a stunning wedding filled with love, laughter, and happiness.
Clare and Ben thank you for inviting me to document your first day as wife and husband. Much Appreciation and Love… M
I wanted to share a handful of images from their big day and tell a bit more about their special day.
In Clare and Ben's own words, here is their story,
so take a look below, and enjoy...
How did you meet?
We first met on the dating app Tinder. I was staying with family in Bolton when I first saw Clare from Knutsford’s beautiful smile and I thought she’d be a lovely person to get to know, so I ‘swiped right’ and it wasn’t long before she must have thought the same about me and we ‘matched’! We texted for a couple of weeks until next time I was over that way and I called her up to arrange our first date which took place at Costa coffee in Altrincham on 5th May 2014.
Tell me more about your engagement, when and how this happened?
We got engaged on the 7th April 2018 at the Harry Potter Studios, underneath the big model of Hogwarts castle. I’d been planning it for a while and we had both booked to go there quite a long time beforehand but Clare had no idea it was going to happen there! The ring arrived the day before we went (thankfully), and I was thinking about it the whole way round...i knew where I wanted to do it but the model isn’t until the very end of the tour. Anyway, she was quite emotional when we got to the model of Hogwarts even before I’d said anything...we are both big Harry Potter fans, and seeing the castle is quite a magical moment. So at the right moment I asked her if she had enjoyed her magical adventure, then I got down on one knee and asked her if she wanted to start another one with me! She said yes!!
How long did you plan your wedding?
We got married 9 days before the 1 year anniversary of our engagement (29th March 2019), so we had planned it for very nearly a year.
What made you choose your wedding venue?
Mere Court Hotel was only the second venue we visited and we loved it from the moment we saw it. Everything felt right, the staff were really friendly and the place and the grounds just looked stunning.
What was your favourite part of your wedding day?
Our favourite part was standing in front of all our friends and family, knowing each and every person who was sat there and saying ‘I do’ to each other. The vows, the readings and the words the registrar read out at the end of the ceremony were perfect.
What was your first dance song?
It was a trio of songs from Back to the Future (another of our favourite movies). Started with Earth Angel by Harry Waters Jr and Marvin Berry, followed by Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry and finally The power of love by Huey Lewis and the News! A six minute masterpiece mixed together by me! haha!
Would you like to say a special thank you to somebody who helps you make your wedding day perfect?
We would both like to say a special thank you to our parents, without whom it would not have been possible. They were all so generous and helpful throughout the whole process and were so glad to see them all as happy as we were on the day.
We would also like to thank Sarah at The Petal Shop in Lymm for her amazing floral creations that decorated our day so beautifully, and to the staff at Mere Court, particularly Megan Clarke for being our wedding coordinator and for making everything run so smoothly.
Finally we want to thank you for being there and capturing the whole day! We can’t wait to see the photos and can’t ever thank you enough for being so relaxed, happy and helpful throughout, it really put us both at ease. I always feel awkward getting my picture taken but you made it very easy, even telling me where to put my hands when they were doing something strange! Clare would particularly like to thank you for being patient, and guiding us through the group photos on the day!
The Ballad of Ben and Clare
It was early twenty four-teen
I downloaded Tinder on my phone
After moving in to Chesterfield
My first flat on my own
It showed me lots of pictures
Of women in the area
Most resembled Chewbacca
Some were even hairier
So I changed my distance preferences
And looked further afield
And I noticed Clare from Knutsford
Whose smile instantly appealed
It turned out that she liked me too
She kicked things off with ‘hi’
I think I wrote for 15 minutes
And sent an essay in reply
And that’s how things continued
For the first couple of weeks
Until May the 4th when we first spoke
And planned the next day to meet
At a coffee shop in Altrincham
Somewhere public, somewhere safe
Just in case she was a lunatic
And I could easily escape
But I really didn’t need to
She was lovely from the start
With her smiley face and bubbliness
A potential counterpart
We’ve had lots of dates and lots of plates
To many places we’ve skidaddled
Like to Islay for the whiskey
Or our first Valentines at Swythamley Chapel
I’ve seen Paris and Croatia,
I’ve seen Barcelona too,
I’ve seen Belgium, I’ve seen Italy
And all of it with you
You’ve really made me happy
You’re my best friend, now my wife
I can’t wait for more adventures
I’ll love you all my life