Mr + Mrs Penner
22nd September 2020 | Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
Guests: 16 | Instagram: @oliviaalicerose_ @markpenner34 | Photos: Eye of the Tyne
It's day 2 of Microwedding Week 2, and you might recognise Olivia and Mark from their gorgeous sunrise Newcaslte pre-wedding shoot. After postponing their May wedding to 2021, these two decided they just couldn't wait any longer to be Mr and Mrs Penner and tied the knot in September in a secret ceremony with just 16 of their closest family and friends. The bride looked like a real life princess in her Stella York gown and tiara, and sparkly shoes! Olivia tells us all about their special day, including the emotional wedding song her sister wrote for them...
All of it! This year has been emotional for everyone for many different reasons, so I think the fact we were able to have such a beautiful small intimate day with our closest family made way for lots of emotions and tears (happy ones of course!). I was very emotional the whole morning getting ready even just thinking about Mark (waterproof mascara was definitely needed!), and then I could barely keep it together walking down the aisle as soon as I saw him! It was such an overhwhelming feeling of pure love and happiness, it’s hard to describe. I also couldn’t hold back the tears in Mark’s speech, his words were so meaningful. Another very emotional moment was when my Dad saw me in my dress for the first time. My Dad is very loving and caring and just so proud of me and my sister - he couldn’t hold back the tears and neither could I.
Any advice for future brides?
Always remember what matters most; you two and your love for one another!
Did you have anything unusual at your wedding?
Our guests had to wear masks during the ceremony! This will certainly be something to look back on and show our children... 2020, the most bizarre year! We got clear masks so that you could still see the guests emotions.
Tell us all about the dress!
First things first, I absolutely loved dress shopping! I could have spent hours upon hours trying on dresses, it was such a fun experience. My dress was the complete opposite to everything I had originally wanted. I wanted something tight and lacy with long sleeves, however after trying on a few versions of what I thought was my ‘dream dress’ I just wasn’t feeling it. Then my sister picked a dress out for me – originally I didn’t even want to try it on as it had a full skirt, something which I never thought I would like. She persuaded me to try it and as soon as I put it on I knew it was ‘the one’. For the first time I felt like a real bride and I got really emotional; I actually felt like a princess in it! My dress (designed by Stella York) was quite simple; a structured satin bodice with a low back and tulle skirt. I got some sparkle added with an Enzoani belt and buttons and my cathedral veil was lined with Swarovski crystals. I also accessorized with a freshwater pearl and crystal tiara, aptly named ‘Liv’! I loved how timeless my dress was; I think I can look back on it in 20 years and still be completely in love.
Tell us about the cake...
We only had 16 guests but we still had a two-tier cake – everyone loves cake! It was blush pink with macarons, pearls, shortbread hearts and silver leaf detail. The bottom tier was Nutella flavour (Mark’s choice) and the top tier was lemon and raspberry (my choice!). We also got heart shaped marble strawberry shortbread biscuits made with Olivia & Mark written on the top as one of the favours.
What food did you have at your wedding?
We had canapes including smoked salmon and arancini, followed by burrata or parfait, slow cooked beef or salmon, and then the best part of the meal – sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce! In fact, Mark’s Grandma had two portions!
How did you choose your venue?
We wanted to get married in the city we met and the Baltic was a perfect option. The Baltic is an art gallery and the top floor (Level Six) where we got married and had our reception, is floor to ceiling glass and has amazing views over the River Tyne. It’s so light and contemporary and perfect for an intimate special celebration. The Baltic also has some fab opportunities for unique photographs which our photographer embraced!
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Favourite wedding supplier: All of them have been truly amazing – it’s been a hard year for the wedding industry and so working so closely with the suppliers, many of whom have become true friends to us, has been amazing. A lot of the suppliers felt the same emotions as we did and so it felt like a shared experience! Each and every one of them made sure our day was as special as it could be and we can’t thank them enough!
Is there anything you wish you'd done differently?
I want to go back and do it all again, taking in every little detail. It goes so quickly!
Tell us about your first dance...
Our first dance song was written especially for us by my sister, Sophia, who is a singer songwriter. Sophia wrote the song, called ‘Olivia’, as our wedding present and sang it in the ceremony and it was our first dance song. This is so special to us because it was written about us for our wedding day so is unique to me and Mark. We can’t listen to it without getting emotional, as the lyrics are just beautiful! Some of the lyrics:
‘Two souls in the sky, two eyes turn a page
To a moment in time, to start the time of their lives
Two birds across the sea, a million hearts in the world that beat
And you gravitate mine, all our stars fell in line
I’ll kiss you there, and I’ll love you every day we share’
The first dance was probably the strangest part of the day – due to coronavirus the guests weren’t allowed to join in with us, so we had to dance alone with everyone watching! Let’s just say there was a lot of kissing!
Tell us about your honeymoon...
We originally had Bali planned for our honeymoon, however due to coronavirus we could not travel that far. We were lucky enough to be able to jet off to Greece (Rhodes) for a week – we literally flew at 6am the day following our wedding (on not much sleep!). We stayed in the most stunning place and enjoyed lots of amazing food, cocktails and just relaxed and enjoyed the sun and the wedding bubble together. The best feeling in the world!
Tell us about your wedding favours...
Personalised wild berry and champagne candles, rose petal personalised confetti, heart shaped shortbread strawberry biscuits, and personalised name settings.
Top money saving tip: Create a separate bank account for wedding savings, and if you’re anything like me, make sure it’s in your partners safe keeping!
Olivia & Mark | Baltic from Top Table Films on Vimeo.
Venue: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Photographer: Eye of the Tyne Photography
Videographer: Top Table Films
Stationery: Amanda Michelle UK
Flowers & Styling: Sprig and Thistle
Cake: Build-a-Bake
Décor: Sprig and Thistle (Styling), Crosby Hire (Chair Hire) and Coco Luminaire (Light Up Letters)
MUA: Marta Makeup
Hair: Jo Anderson Designer Hair (Bride's Mum!)
Dress: Stella York
Suits: Reiss
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