Lee and Katie's Wedding in Brighouse, West Yorkshire

We got married at St Joseph’s Church in Brighouse, which made the day even more special because it’s also where my mum and dad got married. Standing there and getting married in the same church where they had started their married life was really special to me.

After the ceremony, we travelled with Love Me Do Wedding Cars, who took us on a lovely scenic route to Fielden Hall in Todmorden. It was such a nice way to get to the reception and gave us a bit of time to take everything in.

I had quite a clear vision for the reception. I wanted it to feel elegant and almost like a little fairy tale, with the sparkle coming from the fairy lights and candles, but I also wanted it to feel simple and timeless. I didn’t want to go overboard with the decorations. A lot of it was actually quite simple, with eucalyptus garlands, candles and fairy lights, but everything together created exactly the feeling I had imagined.

When we walked into the hall and saw it all finished, it was honestly the moment where I thought, this is exactly what I pictured. We got so many comments from our guests about how beautiful it looked and how everything had come together. People were genuinely wowed by it, which meant so much to me because I had spent so long thinking about all the little details.

Even Lee, who probably didn’t always understand all the finer details while I was planning, said afterwards that it was those little things that really made the difference.

There were personal touches throughout the whole day, from the music we chose right through to the favours. I had thought about every little thing and wanted the day to feel like us, rather than just looking like a wedding.

Our family also helped so much with getting the hall ready. Audrey at Fielden Hall suggested turning the decorating into a bit of a party rather than making it feel like a job, so we had nibbles and wine and just enjoyed getting everything ready together. It ended up being a really lovely evening, and I’m glad we did it that way.

It was also really nice afterwards to hear that our family had been respectful of the hall and that we’d left everything really tidy. After everyone had given up their time to help us, that was lovely feedback to receive.

And, of course, things didn’t always go to plan. The timings weren’t always perfect, I popped a few buttons on my dress, and I probably over-ordered on the food! There were little blips and slip-ups throughout the day, but honestly, I wouldn’t change them.

One of the things my auntie said really stuck with me: “It’s the mistakes that make the perfect wedding.” They give you things to laugh about, things to talk about afterwards, and they become part of the story of your day. They give it character.

And I think she was right. Even though there were things that didn’t go exactly to plan, the day still felt perfect to us. Those little moments didn’t spoil anything. They just became part of our wedding.

Shona from Shot by Shona was brilliant throughout the day. She made everyone feel comfortable and captured so many lovely moments, including lots of the little candid ones. We’ve had so many comments from our guests about how friendly and fun she was, and we can’t wait to see all the photographs.

I’m so grateful to all of our suppliers and everyone who helped us along the way. But more than anything, I’m proud that we managed to plan the wedding we wanted, on a budget, and actually came in under what we had planned to spend. Asking for help, using Hitched, being careful with our money and putting lots of thought into the little details really did make a difference.

The day went so quickly, but when I think back to it, I just feel really lucky. We got married, we had all the people we love around us, and we got to see the wedding I had spent so long imagining actually happen.

It wasn’t perfect because everything went perfectly. It was perfect because it was ours.

Our Suppliers

• Photography: Shot by Shona• Florist: Ey Up Petal• Wedding dress: Elite Bridal• Suit/shirt: Suit Culture• Rings: Beaverbrooks• Catering: The Pie Shed• Hair: Hair by Kizzy• Makeup: Retreat Brighouse• Wedding cake: More Than Just Cake• Reception venue: Fielden Hall• Wedding cars: Love Me Do Wedding Cars