Christmas Eve magic for Dionne Lee and Jonathan Tyson

When Dionne Lee and Jonathan Tyson decided on a winter wedding they certainly pulled out all the stops to make their Christmas Eve marriage truly memorable. The date meant that the couple could embrace their winter theme which included serving Christmas dinner to their delighted guests, magically twinkling Christmas trees decorating the reception venue, saxophonist Carl Sterling (www.carlsterling.com) playing during the meal and singer Gemma Samuel (www.gemmasamuel.net) playing classics and Christmas carols at the welcome drinks. Dionne’s seven bridesmaids dressed in winter white with warm fur capes to keep off the cold and a white horse drawn carriage with dashing white horses transported the beautiful bride to the church.

“It was a wonderful day” Dionne enthused. “I loved every moment from arriving at the Royal Chase hotel with my parents and bridesmaids to share a special get together the night before the wedding, to the fun of getting ready with my bridesmaids who are my best friends. My make-up was amazing, my Bridesmaids and I had professional makeup by Daniel Copeland who made us look beautiful. The carriage ride was wonderful with people waving and calling out good wishes and then walking down the aisle on my dad’s arm and seeing Jon’s face was a very special moment, a moment I will never forget.”

Jon and Dionne met in Faces nightclub in Hoddesdon and it was his handsome face, especially his smile that first attracted Dionne to him, although it took them a few months to become an item. Jon’s proposal earlier in the year was prompted by him having to undergo an emergency operation, which made him realise just how much he wanted to marry his lovely girlfriend. He had planned to pop the question on Dionne’s birthday but having commissioned a beautiful cushion cut centre diamond ring he simply couldn’t wait, and the next day asked Dionne to marry him by dropping to one knee in the lounge of the home that they share. Teacher Dionne was delighted to say yes and the wedding planning began. 

Solicitor Jon managed a very romantic surprise when Dionne went to try on her wedding dress from Confetti and Lace in Lakeside. She had fallen in love with a pair of Benjamin Adams crystal studded shoes, but felt they were just too far above her budget, but Jon had secretly ordered them for her, and arranged for a pair to be waiting for her to try on with dress.

“I love my dress” Dionne told me. “It was almost the best thing about the whole wedding!” Her dress was by a French designer called Farage Paris farage@faragebride.com

The day was wonderful, from the six tier Ivory wedding cake, to Jon and best man Sam Whitewood, his friend from primary school days, making moving speeches. Dionne’s stand-up comedian dad entertaining the guests with a hilarious, yet touching father of the bride speech and her beautiful maid of honour Ria Gibbs by her side, along with her bridesmaid Vicky’s son Harley looking so cute in his page boy outfit; everything came together to form a magical scene.

After their first dance to the beautiful “Nothing Else Comes Close” by Joe and a fabulous party for all the guests, the couple celebrated their first Christmas day together as a married couple before jetting off for a honeymoon in Jon’s native Jamaica.

There was one final treat in store though for the girls when Dionne treated her bridesmaids including sister, Shenice Lee to a celebratory afternoon tea at the Ritz on her return from honeymoon so they could relive all the magical moments. Just a shame the dress had to stay at home!

Photographs courtesy of www.fuatermanphotography.co.uk