Stacey and Jason were married in Vegas in secret. They eloped a month after Jason returned from a record breaking seven month deployment in the Gulf. They wanted to celebrate with their loved ones too though, so had a second wedding back in the UK, at The Lucky 7 Club, in Paignton in August.
“We didn’t want a traditional wedding”, began the bride. “We had no cake, no first dance, no photo booth. I had a custom made seaside cut out of us – a ginger bee-hived lady (me) and a sailor (my husband) and people had their pictures taken with their faces on our bodies! We did away with table plans and three-course-meals. Everyone was encouraged to sit where they wished and simply have fun! It was a celebration of seven months apart with our nearest and dearest, and when we eloped for the first wedding, it was such a special time to be together and marry each other alone first – this was so important to us.”
Stacey’s stunning gold dress was made for her by Dandelions and Pearls and was a replica of an dress worn by Betty Draper in Mad Men. The bride also made all the bouquets (from brooches for her, flowers for her bridesmaids) and the groomsmen wore vintage brooches instead of corsages.
The entertainment was also high on their priority list. They hired burlesque performer, Lena Mae, and the legend that is Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer. “Lena Mae did two acts – a Batman act and a balloon pop. Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer provided Chap-Hop on his banjo-laylee and really got the guests dancing! We kept everything a secret, even from our bridesmaids and groomsmen! We wanted it to be a surprise for everyone.”
The ceremony itself was a bittersweet moment as the bride’s dad had sadly passed just two weeks beforehand. Instead her niece and sister did the honours and walked her town the aisle. “The day was tinged with sadness as my wonderful dad passed away 15 days before. I was heartbroken that my dad would not be there to give me away. On the day of the wedding, we visited my father at the chapel of rest and I got to place a picture of myself, my sister and niece in our wedding dresses into his hand. My sister and niece then did the honours of giving me away and walking me down the aisle. We said our own vows, and Sarah Bell (one of the owners of the Lucky 7 Club) performed the ceremony. I have known Sarah for over 15 years, having worked for her as ‘Miss Bee-Hive’, a sort of personal assistant/working in her and her husband Mark’s shop and helping out with bit for their burlesque nights. Jason and his brother gave speeches, and as a surprise, my sister gave a speech also, taking the place of my father. It was very emotional, and she did amazingly.”
“We just want to thank everyone that came and who shared our day with us – in particular my sister Victoria for stepping up to fill the position of father-of-the-bride for the day”, Stacey concluded. “Also my wonderful bridesmaids and Jason’s fantastic groomsmen. A massive thank you to Sarah and Mark Bell for the part they played, once our wedding was in their hands they ran the day to perfection and we will be forever grateful to them.”
