Take a peak at the Wedding Day of Mr & Mrs Braynion

Our next featured couple is Mr & Mrs Braynion who celebrated their wedding day with us here at Western House in June 2019. Special thanks to Maureen Bell Photography for the gorgeous photographs!

 

     

 

How did you meet?
We met when we were 16 through friends at school. We were initially together for about a year and then decided we were too young for a ‘serious commitment’, we then parted our ways ,but remained friends. Over the years we kept in touch, looking back now we both realise that we always knew we were going to end up together, it was waiting for the right time.That time was when were were 21, and it was like picking up where we left off. So I suppose you could say we are ‘modern childhood sweethearts’. And the rest of history…

 

Tell us about the proposal…
One of the things we have always loved as a couple is finding new places to visit for a wee B&B getaway. One of the first places we visited together was Keswick, a lovely little village in the Lake District back in 2013. After that first visit we kept finding ourselves drawn to Keswick, we have been there on an almost annual basis since. When I (Danny) knew I wanted to marry Ashley, I wanted to make sure the proposal was perfect and it was a fairly easy decision that Keswick was the perfect location. Lake Derwentwater in Keswick boasts an amazing beauty spot called Friar’s Crag which overlooks the entire lake. I had managed to convince the owners of our favourite B&B to meet us at this spot in order to photograph the amazing moment! I had told our families the plan but managed to keep it secret from Ashley, hiding the ring in the spare tyre compartment of the car. During the day we went for a lovely big walk around the lake and decided to stop in to a beer garden on the way back. Ashley was very happy and relaxed and had no intention of moving, so I had to almost drag her back to the B&B to get freshened up for dinner as everything was planned to happen in the evening. When we finally got sorted we made our way to Friar’s Crag and almost everything that could slow us down did, from baby lambs, to trying to let people ahead of us pass through. We got massively lucky, though, as the usually busy spot was perfectly quiet and all that was there were the B&B owners bang on schedule. Then it was down to me to mark it with the BIG question. After a little bit of padding for time I finally dropped to one knee, pulled out the ring and asked Ashley to marry me. The carousel of emotions on Ashley’s face was amazing! From agitation at me messing about to the confusion of me dropping to the realisation of what’s happening then the overwhelming joy! It felt like an age before she actually said yes but it of course came! Couldn’t have went anymore to plan.

 

What made you choose the WHH as your wedding venue?
We had initially wanted to get married in Keswick, but realised we are total home birds and wanted to be married in Scotland. Being from Glasgow/ Lanarkshire we wanted the feeling of going away to get married without having to leave Scotland or travel too far a distance. Within 2 weeks of our engagement we were on every wedding website imaginable, we were looking for something with a homely feel, within our budget, but had that little bit extra that you always look for (the feeling). It was Danny who discovered the WHH via an online search, we were instantly drawn and immediately setup an appointment to view the hotel. From the moment we drove up through the gates, to walking in to the roaring fire, and then the extremely warm welcome of Laura, we knew we wanted to secure the venue! Seeing the magnificent cathedral ballroom and picturesque grounds, this was the icing on the cake.

 

What was the most important detail to you when planning your wedding?
It’s hard to pinpoint one detail as everything is so important. We’ve both been guests at many weddings over the years and we always seem to discuss the same thing. Food. I think that was probably one of the most decisive factors in planning our big day. We wanted to make sure our guests had a great menu to choose from. Western House, for us, gave us an incredible array of options for the Wedding Breakfast that we knew everyone had an option and would enjoy. And of course the evening buffet option was the cherry on the cake! Not long after initially booking Western House for the wedding we came up and had lunch at the Jockey Restaurant and the food was exceptional so we knew that our wedding menu was going to be even better!

 

Looking back, what was your favourite part of your wedding day?
Without sounding like a cliche, we loved absolutely every part of our wedding day, from the bridal prep in the morning, to that moment walking down the aisle and seeing each other, to dancing to ‘loch lomond’ at the end of the night. It was the most perfect day. And we were lucky enough to have a beautiful sunny day. However, if we had to pick our favourite part it would have to be having our professional photos taken, not only throughout the day but particularly after we were married. We were just so full of love and happiness, and to then have our photos taken with our family/ friends at the happiest point of our lives was truly unforgettable. Even now when we look back on our photos, the perfect moments are captured in every photo, not only in all the faces, but the picturesque grounds/ pristine interior decor of the WHH made the photos even more spectacular. 
 
What is your favourite thing about married life?
For us both it is the final part of solidifying our relationship. Although we have been together for a long time, being married is like no other commitment we could make to each other. Being able to be Mr & Mrs Braynion is just the beginning of a new chapter of our lives together. 

 

     

 

What is your top tip for newly engaged couples?
Again, there are so many tips we could give newly engaged couples but for us there are two vital pieces of advice. First one is book a videographer. We left this quite late as we weren’t too sure about it, but our wedding DVD is the only DVD we watch now! It is now something we can watch whenever we want and it captures different moments. The bride and groom can miss out on parts the day, being able to see these and to see all our friends and family having such a great time is so heartwarming. Our second tip is that the Groom should get involved in the planning. Danny actually mentioned this in his wedding speech. He was hugely involved in 90% of the planning, only things he didn’t know about was the bride and bridesmaid dresses and flowers. It can be easy to leave it to the bride as all the marketing is all aimed at the bride but it’s such an important day for both of you and it’s just as important for the groom to have as great time. Planning a wedding is a huge responsibility, and too much for one person to taken on. It’s a team effort, it can be daunting but couples should take it on together, we had so much fun planning our perfect day.

 

A special thank you to Mr & Mrs Braynion for letting us share their special day. Photography : Maureen Bell Photography

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Then please send an email to weddings@westernhousehotel.co.uk

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We loved our wedding at Western House Hotel and if we were to do it all again I would happily choose Western House. They know how to host the perfect day and to take the worry away from you in the planning.
Emma & Scott Thompson