Ann and Ben's Wedding at MOSI Manchester
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Ann and Ben had their wedding at the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester on Saturday 11 July 2009.
Anne works at MOSI as a Presenter, which involves demonstrating machinery and performing the Public Programmes events. Ann has enjoyed visiting the museum since she was a small child, so she knew the venue very well.
Ann shared some details about her wedding at MOSI with us.......
We decided to enquire if it was possible to get married at MOSI in Manchester when my father-in-law (a train enthusiast) commented how unique it would be to get married on the 1830s replica locomotive at MOSI called Planet. I heard that MOSI were thinking of applying for a wedding licence so the opportunity to be the first to get married on this special historical site increased my enthusiasm and I persuaded Ben it would be great fun too.
We both wanted a wedding that would be stress free, great fun, unique, far from being traditional, and reflective of our personalities. Luckily this is what we got and we came up with a Steampunk theme (Victorian style, steam powered technology with a modern twist).
The ceremony took place in the First Class Booking Hall of the Station Building, we then had group photos outside on Liverpool Road with the Grecian style fronting of the old railway station as a background. We then had a drinks reception up on the platform level, walking out of the building to be greeted by a shower of bubbles (the best photos were taken at that point!).
We then walked down to the modern platform where Planet was waiting with its second class carriages waiting for ourselves and our guests. After a ride around the museum, we then had the wedding reception in the Museum's Power Hall, which used to be the former train shed but now houses one of the best collections of working steam engines. Although I am in that building demonstrating the steam engines and machines most days, it certainly looked different with all the tables and our homemade wedding decorations, making us feel very special indeed.
The meal was a lovely Lancashire Hot Pot, with strawberry & jam scones for dessert. Our friend was the DJ who played the wedding classics and a fair few rock songs. For the evening's entertainment some of the Ushers and their work colleagues have a classic rock band called Cockpit, and they brought the house down!
We asked Ann about her wedding at MOSI
Photographer - Ann's work colleague, Howard Sharples.
Catering - was by Milburns who do the catering at MOSI.
Wedding Rings - Ernest Jones, mine is white gold with diamonds and Ben's is a titanium in white gold and copper-coloured band.
Flowers - We bought artificial flowers (mainly poppies) and arranged them ouselves, with vintage roses and pot purri sets to decorate the tables alongside tea lights.
The Bridesmaids wore gold strapless dresses, and I presented them with cream coloured, vintage rose and chunky beads necklaces to wear around their waist.
The Ushers were in victorian gentleman style shirts & waistcoats, with the Groom's waistcoat being handmade by ourselves based on a video game character's outfit!
Favours -We had jars of vintage/1980s sweets on the tables at the reception so everyone tucked into those, with some guests raiding all jars for the Drumstick lollies!
Our honeymoon was a lovely week in Cape Verde, at an all-inclusive Riu hotel.
Ben's father did a reading during the ceremony from - Captain Corelli's Mandolin. "Love is the beauty of the soul."
"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion.
That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.
Wedding Dress - Bought in Warrington, and was a pale gold, vintage Victorian style that I added a red homemade rose to, bringing the red/gold colour theme together. I also wore a red mini top hat with french veil that I had made myself. I carried a bouquet of vintage buttons surrounded by artificial cream roses (homemade again!).
Myself and the bridesmaids arrived at the museum in 1950s Riley cars.
For the ceremony I walked down the aisle to Faith Hill's "Breathe" and we signed the registry book to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" (before it got "Glee'd"!!).
Our first dance was to Fall Out Boy with "Sugar We're Going Down" as it was the first song we danced together to when we first met in Jilly's Rock Club in Manchester.
Finally, we asked Ann for her Top Wedding Tip
My top tip would be that for me the best wedding is the kind that you put your heart and soul into.
Think of it as a party for your friends and family, rather than an event that you must spend thousands on. Being a crafter my main motto is if you can make something yourself then go ahead and enjoy!
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