Our Names: Terry and Zack McKindley-Baines
Date of Wedding: 15/10/2023
Photographer: Sky Photography (the amazing Simon and Karla)
Style or Theme:We went with a slightly autumnal feel, nothing too showy however, as Dodford Manor itself is such a beautiful place already.
Your Love Story
…How did you meet?
A disastrous first date, funnily enough. We both thought each other were snobby and pretentious within the first hour of talking. Fast forward 8 hours later and we were still sitting in a bar until we finally got kicked out at closing time. It sounds cliched, but opposites do attract.
The proposal
Expected or surprise!
I (Terry) proposed to Zack, and it was a complete shock. I had planned it for about 6 months beforehand, but to stop Zack from getting there first, I told him he was banned from talking about proposing or getting married, and if he did ask I told him I’d say no!! So when the time arrived for me to propose, I’d booked us a beautiful cottage up near Ripon with our dogs for the weekend. Zack popped out to go get some food from their local butchers, and when he came back I’d set the cottage up all in an underwater 1940s theme (he loves the computer game Bioshock, which is set underwater in the early-to-mid 1900s, with an Art Deco style). When I asked him he was in shock for about 5 minutes and thought I was winding him up. Thankfully, he said yes.
Choosing THE suits …
Surprisingly easy. We knew we wanted to be in black, and have our bridesmaids and groomsmen in colour. We found the suits instantly at Marc Darcy in Manchester; they were matching material, but one was a classic suit and the other a tuxedo suit. The shoes were a last minute gift to each other… we decided to splash out some last minute cash on two pairs of Louboutins (the perfect shoes for the perfect day).
What was your inspiration/theme for the big day?
We kept it quite simple and classic. We just wanted it to be a great celebration with our close friends and family.
Why did you choose Dodford Manor?
We are from Leeds, West Yorkshire, and had spent a good few months journeying up in the Dales and the North West but found no joy. We decided one day to do the 2.5 hour drive to Dodford and instantly fell in love. We met Rachel very early that day and got an amazing tour of the place. We signed up there and then. Even though it was a few hours away from our friends/family, we just knew this was the place.
Tell us all the details!
We walked down the aisle to a piano version of Video Games by Lana Del Rey. Terry’s vows were read from a book called Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (this was a little in-joke as Zack loves the TV show Friends, if you know you know). Our bouquets were made by our bridesmaid Cally and our table signs and decor were made by our other bridesmaid Holly. We of course had two little Shiba Inu toys (our dogs) on top of the cake, as our dogs couldn’t be there on the day.
What was on the menu?
The Jenkinson’s Team were perfect, as was our head coordinator Sophie. People still talk about the beef brisket starter we had. We followed this with chicken breast with fondant potatoes, and then white chocolate blondie.
First Dance Song?
Our first dance song was Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin. The song was featured in Bioshock (which was our engagement theme story). We had a few months of dance lessons with ‘The Dance Studio Leeds’, and the exceptional Katie Geddes taught us a whole 3 minute routine, that even included canes (and lots of spinning and jumping).
Your favourite moment of the day?
Terry would say his 30-min 3-part speech (that included a game show – with prizes – and a mockumentary about his now mother-in-law that was played on the big screen). Zack would probably say marrying the man of his dreams…!
A word of advice for future couples?
If you’re reading this and haven’t yet decided on the venue, then stop reading and go book Dodford Manor before all the dates get booked in. We had Lauren as our Events Manager on the day, and we couldn’t have asked for a better person. But we also met a few of the team during our wedding journey, and I’m sure they’re just as good as she was, so whoever you get from their amazing team, you’ll be looked after from start to finish.
Can you sum up your day in just 3 words?
Zack: Everything I wanted
Terry: Showstopping, Meticulous, Perfect
Photographer: Sky Photography. Simon and Karla were the PERFECT team, and looked after us all day, making sure we were calm and relaxed when getting photographed. It didn’t even feel like they were there at times, so you never felt like you had to pose or be on show. And the photos we got back were beyond amazing. If you book them definitely go for the 2-person bundle, it might be a little bit more money, but it’ll be worth every penny.
Suits:Marc Darcy (and a big thanks to Trish in the store who managed to find the LAST waistcoat in my size!!)
Shoes: Christian Louboutin (a wedding treat to each other)
Rings: We went simple with our rings, and ordered Tungsten ones from Manly Bands
Cake: Our cake was a gift from the mother-in-law; her friend Julie had made it for us (and it was delectable)
Flowers:Jack Haddon and the amazing Selina for sorting on the day
Décor/Venue Stylist: The Little Details Company and the lovely Kate/Katie, who worked together with the other suppliers 🙂
Entertainment : Wedding Sounds DJ, who were perfect with the dance floor, lights, DJ and Photo Booth (and I don’t think they’ll ever live down announcing us as Mr and Mrs on the day… the DJ’s poor face when we got booed by 60+ people hahaha!!) A special shout out to Rachael Smith who managed to find us some last minute Mr and Mr letters after their previous ones had been damaged.