Ryan and Jamie: An Easter Weekend Wedding
With a love story as captivating as theirs, it’s no wonder that Ryan and Jamie’s wedding was nothing short of a stylish and sophisticated affair. From the very first sip of their espresso martini’s back in 2017, the chemistry between these two was noticeable, and it wasn't long before they realised they had found something truly special.
Photographer Lewis Membery | Location Kingston Estate, Totnes, Devon, UK
“Marriage is about standing in front of those closest to you and showing your love for the most important person in your life. It's the public commitment you make to one another to promise that you'll be there with the other, through the good and the bad, and all the in-between.”
How and when did you meet?
Jamie: We met in the April of 2017 in London.
Tell us a little about the first time you met…
Ryan: We met in London on a fateful night in Soho, London. After Jamie met some of my LGBTQ+ hockey team during the 2012 Olympics, they'd been forever badgering him to come up to London from Plymouth (where he lived) to play for our team.
The weekend that we met, Jamie thought we were going on tour to Brighton, so he travelled from Plymouth to Brighton only to realise that he was, in fact, two weeks early. He decided to come up to London anyway and join us in Soho for some pre-cup final drinks the night before the big match. He bounded over, big blue eyes and smile to my group... and I immediately thought he was straight, so I ignored any intentions felt to try and chat him up. That was until Jamie started giving me "that look". He was definitely the one to make the first move, despite him denying that was the case. We had beers, then moved as a group to a restaurant for dinner and then finished up the night with a few espresso martinis... our go-to drink when it comes to any form of celebration or anniversary. That is basically the story of how we first met, and we've been best friends and pretty much inseparable ever since.
What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
Ryan: I noticed Jamie's beautiful blue eyes.
Jamie: I noticed Ryan's incredible hair.
Tell us about the standout moments in your relationship…
Jamie: Getting to know each other on that first night over espresso martinis, and would definitely say our 3 week East Asia Adventure, is a standout too.
What does marriage mean to you?
Ryan and Jamie: Marriage is about standing in front of those closest to you and showing your love for the most important person in your life. It's the public commitment you make to one another to promise that you'll be there with the other, through the good and the bad, and all the in-between.
Who proposed, and how?
Jamie: I proposed to Ryan while we were on a 3 week holiday around southeast Asia over Christmas of 2018. I had been trying to propose throughout the holiday, but something always unintentionally foiled my plans. From the "lack of privacy" on a hot air balloon over Ankor Wat, to Ryan getting suncream in his eyes around Pang Nga and having to spend the whole time washing his eyes out. We were visiting my sister where she lives in Phuket over Christmas, and after a bottomless champagne brunch on Christmas Day, we were back at the condo's swimming pool, where I decided to get down on one knee, with not a single soul around, and just the twinkling stars and beautiful pool scene for just us.
When did you get married?
We got married on the Easter bank holiday - Friday, 15th April 2022.
What was the primary influence behind your wedding day?
Ryan: Party and celebration! The venue is simply stunning, and we were able to have around 100 people stay onsite with us. Some of the barns and cottages had hot tubs, so our guests could really make the weekend of it and nurse their hangovers in the hot tubs.
What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
Jamie: We wanted our guests to know how special they all are to us. We wanted to simply celebrate our love with them all and enjoy the party through the weekend. Music was also important to us, so we spent lots of time researching reviews, youtube samples and the bands' websites to build a picture of whether the band and DJ were suitable for us. After all, we had to make sure that the underground nightclub after the main band set would end up filled with dancing!! We also wanted to make sure that things weren't going to waste, so we moved our flowers from the ceremony into the reception. Our stationery was also of excellent quality but could be recycled too.
Did you incorporate any family sentiments or traditions?
Ryan: We asked our mums to walk us down the aisle. Rather than walking right from the back of the aisle, we actually entered at the sides through arched bushes (much to our guest's surprise). We met at the bottom of the aisle (it was a really emotional moment for our guests and us), hugged, and began walking up the aisle hand-in-hand. We were in the middle, and we held our mum's hands as we walked up together. We have a really beautiful moment captured by Lewis and Sean, our photographer and videographer, and we will cherish this moment forever.
Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Jamie: Ryan spent lots of time on Pinterest, eyeing up colour options, flower types and stationery. He had a board for each element of the wedding, so he was super organised.
How did you choose your suppliers?
Ryan: Lots of research and Instagram stalking! We'd seen some incredible photography and videography from our vendors, and they perfectly captured the essence of each wedding they attended. We knew we had to have them. Our band and DJ, as mentioned, were also researched online and meticulously researched for reviews to ensure that their energy matched the vibe we were trying to set. Our venue recommended our florist, and we were SO happy with what they had designed for us. They created massive installations that were used for the ceremony and also to give a further "wow factor" to the reception too.
What was the most challenging thing about planning your wedding?
Jamie: The most difficult thing had to be that our original date was during Covid. We took the gamble to switch the date, and honestly, we were so glad we did. Not only did it rain on our first date (disaster avoided!), but it meant that we could have our wedding weekend exactly how we wanted. We even planned the weather... to the point that some of our guests actually got sunburnt, in the UK, in April!
Tell us about your honeymoon...
Ryan: It was an adventure around Italy. Neither of us had ever been to Venice, Florence or Rome, so we did all three! We went straight after our wedding weekend; however, if we had known how tired we would have been, we would not have decided to do a sightseeing honeymoon like this. Although it still was unforgettable.
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it difficult to navigate the journey?
Ryan and Jamie: If you are struggling, try to remember the whole reason why you are doing this: to celebrate your love in front of your loved ones. It's so easy to get carried away and stress about what colour the napkins should be or the design of your place settings. People do not care and will not remember these details, nor do people expect wedding favours in our opinion. They will remember how happy you both look on the day and the atmosphere that you've created. So try to focus on making the day as personal to you as possible... without breaking the bank!
Ryan and Jamie’s Team
Venue Kingston Estate, Totnes
Planner Jodie McGlinchey
Photography Lewis Membery
Videography Sean White
Florist Beared Florista
Hair Sophie Bowyer Hair
MUA SarahJHealey (Charlotte Tilbury)
Band EarCandy
Cake Porsham Cakes
Suits Zebel Bespoke
Bridesmaid Dresses David's Bridal
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