Every couple has a love story. All the moments in life come together to create the now. When a couple decides to get married, they bring with them all their histories. That is exactly what this British couple did.
Becky Brotherhood, 43, and Lee Markham, 45, have not had the easiest path in life and in love. To honour their journey and the past that made them who they are, Becky decided to don a wedding dress with patches made by her friends and family.
Becky and Lee met five years ago. At the time, Becky had just completed her battle with breast cancer that made her leave her past career of nursing behind to focus on her health. She began training to become a massage therapist to help people who felt that their body was turning against them.
Both Becky and Lee had children from previous relationships and had gone through difficult experiences.
They quickly fell in love and brought their families together, however, Becky never thought she would remarry. It was after Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding that she had a sudden change of heart.
“I’m not an avid follower of the royals, but something about their story – how sections of the establishment were sniffy or judgemental about Meghan, or the fact that she’d been divorced made her somehow less worthy – just really hit home on that day,” she explained to Metro UK.
“I felt that perhaps my decision to not marry was actually more about what people might think, and less about what I actually wanted, or how I felt about him.”
She then took the initiative and asked Lee to marry her over Facebook Messenger.
“So I asked him – and that fact that I asked means so much to me now: to hell with rules and tradition and what people think.”
When it came to planning the big day, Becky knew she wanted her wedding dress to tell a story, one where her closest friends and family could be a part of the creation.
“Standing in front of my soul mate at the age of 43, knowing that we both have rich histories and six children between us, it felt wrong to buy something new and off the shelf,” she explains. “It didn’t feel right and didn’t fit us as a couple.”
“One of the most special things about our love is that we love each other because of our pasts. They’re not something we have to look beyond or gloss over, and the family home we are both building right now is open and welcoming to everyone. We both have scars and losses – physically and metaphorically, and I wanted that to be reflected and held in every part of my dress, bravely, unashamedly, and with love.”
Becky, a skilled sewer, began designing and sewing her own wedding dress from an old sheet she found in her attic. Some of Becky’s clients gave her scraps of fabric and buttons that were sentimental to them for her to use on her wedding dress. This inspired Becky to ask her bridal party to make their own patches that she could then sew on to her wedding dress.
“I wanted it to feel like a tapestry of our lives… our children, our friends, and our families, and everyone who had made us into the people that we were – standing face to face vowing to spend the rest of their lives together,” she told HenHeaven. ” I wanted it to feel new and different … almost tribal, a coming together of everyone’s love and blessings for us, to hold me with every stitch.”
She hosted sewing lessons to show those less-confident how to do it. This recurring sewing session quickly became special bonding moments for those involved.
“It ended up being almost like a month-long hen do, where friends would come up, and we’d catch up, and spend quality time together too and with such busy lives, when does that ever happen? And it really felt like the dress captured that energy of reconnection too.”
She sewed the patches onto an old piece of welsh slate from the quarry next to where she had grown up. Also attached to the wedding dress were Lee’s father’s wedding ring, Becky’s mother’s wedding ring, the buttons from Becky’s sister’s gown, and from her mother’s jewellery box.
In the end, they created a unique dress with immense sentimental value.
On the wedding day on September 28, all her loved ones were around to see their creation and to celebrate the union of Lee and Becky.
“Seeing everyone that loves us, and supports us, and who have been there for us through tough times, and good times – seeing all those people rally round and just love getting involved, and creating such wonderful, heartfelt pieces of art, essentially, it’s like I felt lifted up on their shoulders and carried to the day.”
Picture: Hen Heaven
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Many a boyfriend has had to comply with his girlfriend’s latest photo recreation attempt of some amazing couple photo she saw online. The universal sigh followed by the eye roll, usually ending in a blunt refusal to pose any longer (four hours later). One newly engaged man was a darling, and completely down for it.
Despite his best efforts, though, Collin Hewett messed it up completely. As in, horrendously. He practically drowned his fiance, Alyssa Snodsmith, in champagne. Luckily, she was a good sport and laughed all the way through!
The photo Alyssa found on Pinterest by photographer Brianna Bender Martin looks simple enough. So couple Collin and Alyssa decided it’s the one to recreate. Here’s where the fun starts.
Apparently, at first, all went well but the angle was not exactly right and the flow of champagne too little. So Collin kicked it up a notch. Next thing you know, champagne is streaming uncontrollably all over Alyssa’s face, with her gasping for air. Here’s the tweet that has since gone viral:
So me and Alyssa took our engagements pictures yesterday. She found a Pinterest picture that she wanted to try and recreate
.
.
.
I botched it pic.twitter.com/oSSUCB4o6A— Big Stack Dibbles Jr (@collinhewett17) October 20, 2019
“I was trying so hard to pour it slowly that when it started to kind of trickle out at the end, I over-adjusted and it came pouring out all over her,” he told TIME, laughing.
“I’m fine by the way,” Alyssa responded to the original tweet. Seems it was all taken in good spirit and she decided to roll with it.
Their photographer, Chandler Lefever, laughed just as hard.
Apparently, the rest of their photoshoot were shots of them walking far off, taken from behind, so they wouldn’t look soaked on their engagement photos for the rest of their lives. Not nearly as much fun, we think.
Picture: Twitter/ Collin Hewett
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For many of us, characters from TV shows are like friends. We’ve cried with them and laughed with them. We’ve seen them fall in love, and even get married.
There have been many iconic TV weddings that are still spoken about to this day. Whether it be because of the long and complicated relationship leading up to the event or a crazy moment on the day itself, these weddings have stood the test of time.
Here are some of our favourite TV weddings.
Jim and Pam – The Office
The ultimate ‘will-they-or-won’t-they’ couple, Jim and Pam had audiences frustratingly waiting season after season for them to realise they were perfect for each other. The couple finally wed in the show’s sixth season in a hilarious two-part episode that saw the entire cast dance down the aisle to Chris Brown’s ‘Forever’.
Leslie and Ben – Parks and Recreation
Leslie and Ben of Parks and Recreation are one of the most adorable and loved couples to ever grace the small screen. In season 5, the couple impulsively decided to say ‘I do’ earlier than planned and spent only two hours planning the wedding. They enlisted their friends and co-workers to help, which led to many successes and mistakes. Leslie eventually gave up, but her best friend Ann arranged for them to get married in their office in front of all their co-workers.
Luke and Lorelei – Gilmore Girls
The finale of Gilmore Girls left many fans needing closure on the future of Luke and Lorelei’s relationship. Their prayers were answered in the Netflix revival, Gilmore Girls, a Day in the Life.
The couple started out as friends that were clearly in love with each other but annoyingly could not see it. After breaking up and making up, they decided to elope the day before their wedding, marrying in a magical ceremony that saw their friends and family decorate Stars Hollow to perfectly match the couple.
Marshall and Lilly – How I Met Your Mother
As one of the most adorable and long-lasting couples of the show, How I Met Your Mother‘s Marshall and Lilly captured the hearts of thousands of viewers. However, their wedding day went from disaster to disaster. From Lilly’s ex trying to stop the wedding to the harp player going into labour right before the ceremony, this day seemed beyond repair. However, they decided to rather hold a small ceremony officiated by their friend Barney under a park tree, like how they had always wanted.
The Red Wedding – Game of Thrones
This wedding is one of the most iconic weddings to ever be aired on television, although it wasn’t for being warm and fuzzy. What began as a nice, normal wedding ended in absolute carnage.
The wedding of Edmure Tully to Roslin Frey turned out to be a ruse for Walder Frey to exact revenge on King of the North, Robb Stark, after he went back on his promise to marry one of Frey’s daughters. At the reception, Frey had his men murder Robb, his pregnant wife Talisa and his mother, Lady Catelynn.
And just like that, two major characters were killed off in one fell swoop.
The Purple Wedding – Game of Thrones
Clearly the Game of Thrones writers do not like weddings. Another wedding aired on the popular HBO show ended in death, this time for the much-hated King Joffrey. After marrying Margaery Tyrell, Joffrey was poisoned at his wedding reception by Lady Olenna Tyrell, although his uncle, Tyrion Lannister, was blamed for it. The image of Joffrey choking on his own bile has become stuck in the mind of every GOT viewer since.
Cam and Mitchell – Modern Family
This wedding was a long time coming. The adorable Cam and Mitchell were one of the most hilarious couples on Modern Family, and had many fans rooting for them. A series of mishaps threatened to ruin the wedding, including the wrong tux being delivered and wildfire that caused everyone to evacuate. The couple is about to cancel their wedding when Mitch’s father, Jay, announces that he has secured a country club as a wedding venue. They finally wed as a voiceover from Mitch’s sister details her beautifully written ‘best person’ speech.
Chuck and Blair – Gossip Girl
Chuck and Blair’s love-hate relationship was greatly detailed through the six seasons of the popular CW show. While they couldn’t seem to make it work, fans always dreamed of a happily ever after for this feisty duo.
They finally wed in the show’s finale episode, after being on the run after Chuck’s father plunged to his death. Chuck’s uncle convinces the pair to marry so that Blair would have spousal privilege and not have to testify against Chuck, which they eagerly agree to. Right after their first kiss as a married couple, Chuck is arrested. We would expect nothing less from this dramatically iconic couple.
Monica and Chandler – Friends
As a much-loved couple, Monica and Chandler’s wedding was highly anticipated by fans. After Chandler gets cold feet and leaves the night before the wedding, the plans seem to be off. However, Ross is able to convince him to go forward with the wedding.
Chandler and Monica wed in the show’s seventh season in a surprisingly simple and sweet ceremony officiated by Joey. Their tear-jerking wedding vows remind us all that love still exists.
Picture: Instagram / The Office NBC
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Bridesmaid dresses are a tricky one. There’s a delicate balance between wanting them to look gorgeous, and not wanting them to upstage you on your big day. Here’s some good news: You can get both. The latest trends for bridesmaids are absolutely stunning, but not at all overpowering and will complement your bridal party perfectly. Your bridesmaids will feel great and love you for it. Here are some non-traditional outfits that are stylish, classy and sweet.
The two-piece
Two pieces can be just as beautiful and formal as you want them to be. Long skirts with halter tops are very in, especially loose fitting pieces that have a soft, flowing effect. Opt for a darker colour at the bottom and a light colour at the top. The top can be either tucked in or not. Lace is popular, and will fit in nicely if you have lace in your own wedding dress.
The embroidered dress
Embroidery is one of those things that used to be old-fashioned, then everybody realised how beautiful it is and brought it back big time. It has a feminine touch and goes well with pastel colours. Florals are always a favourite, but it doesn’t have to bind you. We’re loving this blue mullet dress with netted under layers.
The tiered dress
Layers are good on everyone if you do them right. Tiered dresses are super fun and work well with short or midi dresses. It has a fashionable vibe and depending on the material you opt for, can be elegant or playful.
Remember, it’s your day and your bridesmaids should make your day more beautiful, not take the attention off your dress. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be stunning too!
Picture: Unsplash