WHEN it comes to magical moments, Karen and Ian Farrar created them in abundance when they tied the knot and became husband and wife.
The happy couple, who live in Great Sankey, said I do in front of family and friends at The Hayloft in Widnes before taking to the stage to perform a duet together and kick starting the evening entertainment.
Here Karen, aged 47, and 46-year-old Ian, tell us their wedding story, in their own words.
When and how did you meet?
Karen: We met on Ian’s birthday in Stockton Heath in August 2016, with a group of friends in The Slug and Lettuce. Ian told me to get the drinks in!
What did you think of each other when you first met?
Karen: The main thing that struck us both straight away was our shared sense of fun and humor and even now, it remains one of the foundations that makes us strong. We are both very good at cracking the jokes and dishing out the banter but more importantly, we can both laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously.
Where and when did you get engaged?
Ian: We got engaged on February 15, 2020, at The Botanist in Warrington. Karen had seen a Facebook post by The Botanist offering free love heart sweets on Valentine’s Day so I booked a table. During the meal, I went to ask about the free love hearts and little did Karen know that it was all part of the plan. When I came back, I said they had ones with Karen on and I managed to persuade her to save them until after the meal. After we’d eaten, I disappeared again and came back saying that they also had Ian, Chloe and Jack (Karen’s children) love heart packets as well but when I put them on the table they said “Will you marry me, Karen?” . The waitresses were all in on the plan and came with a huge bunch of flowers and champagne. I then got down on one knee with a ring and proposed. The restaurant was packed and everyone clapped and cheered when Karen said yes!
Karen and Ian on their perfect day
What was the date of the wedding and reception?
Ian: Wednesday, June 1.
What was the location of the wedding and reception?
Ian: The Hayloft in Widnes.
How were you feeling on the morning of your wedding?
Karen: From the moment I woke up, I was so excited to start the day. The sun was shining and the sky was a bright blue. The atmosphere in the house getting ready with Chloe, Jack and my parents was so calm and everything went to plan. Even the hairdresser, make-up artist and photographer all commented on how calm everyone was. As soon as I pulled up in the car at The Hayloft, I just wanted to get down the aisle and start the celebrations.
Ian: I woke up early and immediately felt great. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my life was going to be complete because of this day and everything it represented. I stayed at The Village Hotel the night before the wedding so an early breakfast with family was a nice start and a chilled mid-morning swim and sauna with Mark, my best man, helped to settle us both. As we were getting dressed, Mark passed a gift to me from Karen. It was a beautiful dress watch for our big day.
How would you describe your wedding?
Karen: Our wedding was everything we both wanted it to be and much more! It was rustic, relaxed and fun with lots of laughter throughout the day. We would both like to thank everyone who made the day so special – Lynne our celebrant, Jackie our photographer and Lesley at The Hayloft – who all went above and beyond to make it the most magical day. Also, a big thank you to Living Color Florist in Stockton Heath as the flowers were absolutely stunning, and Brad Bennett, a street magician who had our guests mesmerized and entertained.
The Hayloft provided the perfect setting for the special day
How many guests did you have?
Ian: Approximately 120 family and friends.
What did your guests eat?
Ian: We had a hot buffet including chicken and steak dishes with Mediterranean vegetables and crushed new potatoes. We also gave our guests ice cream tokens to spend after the meal.
Did you have a first dance?
Karen: Our first dance was Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyonce. We always listened to Ed Sheeran songs together and went to see him live at the Etihad Stadium in 2018.
The first dance
Did you have speeches?
Ian: The speeches were amazing because Jack (Karen’s son) had written a speech on behalf of himself and Chloe (Karen’s daughter), which was a complete surprise to everyone. My speech was written one sleepless night at 2am and told the story of our journey together.
Karen: All the speeches were extremely emotional and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house!
What are your favorite memories of the day?
Karen: One special part of the day was Ian’s band, Plastic Soul, playing a carefully selected set to kick off the night-time celebrations. Chloe, Jack and I had been secretly practicing singing with the band for months leading up to the wedding and it was such a special moment to see the reaction of all our guests when we began to sing. Ian had also been keeping some secrets up his sleeve, learning Chasing Cars, which is the song I walked down the aisle to, and some songs by my favorite band, Take That. It was such a personal touch to the day and one we will never forget. A big thank you to Mark, Si and Tim, who gave up so much of their time for rehearsals.
A wedding duet
Tell us a little bit about your outfits on the day?
Karen: I tried on several dresses with a very specific style in mind but as soon as I tried one on, I knew it was ‘the one’ as I didn’t want to take it off in the shop! Ian also had a specific style in mind for his suit which was a blue tweed, finished off with a green bow tie to tie in with the eucalyptus theme.
Are you going on honeymoon?
Ian: We’re going to beautiful Santorini.
Why did you want to get married?
Karen: A shared sense of humor is top of our list, along with a shared set of values. Family is very important to both of us and as we grew to learn more about each other, it became very clear that we have both gained our similar values and morals from our parents. Our relationship and now our wedding are a life lesson to everyone about a mantra that we have developed over the years – never settle. We both said that we would never settle for anything less than exceptional and, while not every day is like a fairy story, we try and remember this. It is all about being part of a team, someone who is in your corner and has your back, no matter what. It’s about finding someone who you can truly be yourself with and knowing that you are loved unconditionally.
Photography by Jacqueline Balaszek of Jackie Louise Wedding Photography
If you want to appear in our Wedding Day feature, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk
The happy couple
