Dominika & Bashir’s Multi-Day Wedding

When Dominika & Bashir first visited us back in May 2022, we knew they had fallen in love with the idea of a wedding at Thicket Priory! We then had 2 years to plan the wedding celebrations, adding into the mix that Dom & Bashir would also be planning a Polish wedding celebration as well as a Libyan one! They remained calm, collected and well organized; supporting them with the plans here at Thicket Priory became evident that they were planning the celebrations of the century! And boy did it deliver…

Let’s find out more about the gorgeous couple and how they went from Miss & Master to … Mr & Dr!!!

So how did you meet Mr/Mrs Right?
“We met seven years ago now, during our second year at university. I (Dominika) was the chair of the drama society, and Bashir decided to ‘give it a go’ at the start of the new academic year. The initial friendship, however, started due to an exciting opportunity to join an indoor skydiving social with another society. I saw that Bashir was interested to go the event on Facebook, so I reached out to see if he would be interested to go together. Bashir very willingly agreed to my suggestion to go, and the full experience (from meeting at the university and waiting for the coach to pull up, to that final hug goodnight) brought us instantly closer and made our hearts beat a little faster. A month or so after we were head-over-heels about one another – taking those first baby steps into a relationship that would only blossom and grow as the years went by.”

How did they pop the question?
Bashir: “I knew I wanted to propose soon after my move to York to join Dominika up north. The only questions left were ‘when’ and ‘where’. Dominika and I agreed to book a ‘much needed break’ off work and I told her to leave the planning to me. I did my thorough research and at the start of December 2021 we were off to the Yorkshire Dales, to a charming BnB near Aysgarth Falls.”
Dominika: “Of course, I knew that Bashir was going to propose that weekend. As much as he might try, he is definitely not subtle (which, as someone who hates surprises, suits me wonderfully). On the Saturday of our weekend away, Bashir drove us to Aysgarth Falls. One look at the slippery and wet stones that I thought ‘if he goes down on one knee now, we’re either losing the ring or he’s falling in!’ so I held him upright and promptly escorted us away from the slippery rocks.”
Bashir: “Since my initial spot didn’t work out, I had to think fast – what’s the next romantic place?! Looking at our map, we noticed the words ‘Bolton Castle’ and I thought ‘perfect!’ – and so our hike commenced. I dont think either of us anticipated the length of the walk, the muddy conditions, the bulls we had to avoid, and even the santa we met in the charming pub we stumbled upon for some lunch. It was only when we reached Bolton Castle that we learned of its seasonal closure TILL MARCH! Additionally, and as if right on queue, the spitting rain intensified into a proper downpour.”
Dominika: “We hid away in a little chapel to hide from the rain and to try to reach a taxi (with no success). It was such a pretty little building, but none of my hints reached the stressed and disappointed Bashir. Eventually the rain stopped and we decided that there is no choice but to make our 2 hour trek back to the car park before it goes dark.”
Bashir: “We were walking away from Bolton Castle and Dominika mentioned just how beautiful the view is – and it really was. The sky was painted in shades of navy, gray, and white, but also sprinkled with pink and purple hues. A magnificent sight. I let Dominika walk a little ahead before calling her name and going down on one knee and nervously (even though I was quite positive that she would say yes) told Dominika that I loved her and asked her if she would marry me.”
Dominika: “I was absolutely delighted and overjoyed to say ‘yes!’. Suddenly the walk back didn’t seem so daunting – with my FIANCE by my side, and with clouds beneath my feet. Getting engaged was such an adventure – and I cannot imagine a better way to start this incredible journey to marriage together!”

What was the biggest MUST HAVE for your wedding?
“The first one was the venue size. Bashir comes from a large family and we knew that a ‘small wedding’ was definitely not an option. We both also knew that a classy, elegant, and sophisticated venue was more our style. When we first saw Thicket Priory, we honestly thought it was too good to be true. It would fit all of our guests, it had a stunning outdoor element, it had rooms to host our close family, and of course it looked as if it was taken straight from a fairytale!”

Did you go to a lot of wedding fairs? How did they help you decide the overall vibe for your special day?
“We went to one together (where we found our perfect photographer, Will) and Dominika went to a different one with her friends. Wedding fairs definitely weren’t key in our wedding planning (Dominika is too good at her online research), but they were a fun way to get in the ‘wedding mood’, to get some freebies, and maybe find a supplier or two.”

How did you find THE dress to say ‘I do’ in?
“Trial and error! I decided early on that I wanted my dress to be sustainable and therefore knew that I wanted a second-hand option, rather than a brand-new gown. I found a beautiful ‘Essense of Australia’ dress on facebook marketplace and went to try it on with my friend before bringing it back home. It was a stunning dress, but something just didn’t feel… right. It was eating away at me, until I finally gave in and said ‘this is just not my dress…’. The next time my mum (as well as Bashir’s sister) came to visit us in York, we decided to go to the Oxfam wedding dress shop and see if we are lucky enough to get in and look at some dresses. We were and in a matter of 30 minutes I found my perfect dress. It was very different from the lace mermaid gown I initially bought, but I loved the simplicity of the mikado fabric, the shape and rouging of the skirt. I am so happy with the dress I ended up wearing on my wedding day and wouldn’t change it a bit!
And what happened to the Essense dress? It actually found a home through ‘vinted’ and was part of its own beautiful wedding day!”

How did you pick the perfect photographer/videographer to capture your day?
“There are so many incredible and talented photographers and videographers in Yorkshire. We had meetings with so many and really struggled to find ‘the one’. Finally we found Will – tucked away at a wedding fair and with an incredible portfolio of stunning wedding photoshoots and a personality that makes you instantly feel at ease. We loved chatting with him and a further video-call absolutely confirmed that. The one thing that really made Will stand out was his ‘first dance is not my last dance’ philosophy. We knew we wanted photos of our family dancing (and honestly those are some of our favourite and most fun photos) and we loved that with Will it was possible. In reality, Will didn’t just stay for a few more dances – he stayed till around 1 am when the DJ finished and the party died down. What a man. What a legend!
Finding a videographer was a separate venture – mostly because we didn’t initially know if we wanted to hire one. I think this is something that a lot of couples struggle with, but from someone who watches their 10 min wedding video at least once a month, I can tell you it was definitely worth it. With Deniss, we initially loved the different video options he offered, but soon were also charmed by his down-to-earth personality and easy-going nature. He was a great presence to have at our wedding, and created magic with his videos.”

Other than saying ‘I do’ what is the most unforgettable moment from the day?
“There are honestly too many to name! Every time we go through my memories or look through the photos, I remember new incredible things that happened. The day was fully unforgettable and every detail, every supplier, and every staff member at Thicket Priory was incredible.
There is however one unforgettable memory that would not have been possible at any other venue than Thicket Priory. Once the DJ left, the bar closed, and the subsequent afterparty died down – myself (Dominika), Bashir, and Bashir’s two sisters wrapped ourselves in blankets (and a warm tea in my hand), and sat outside recalling all the incredible details of our weekend at Thicket Priory. No other venue would feel so much like home and allow for this incredible moment to happen. We watched the sun rise over the trees and the sky change colour through the most magical and romantic hues.”

Who gets the gold medal in the wedding Olympics for helping make your day amazing?
“Anna from Thicket Priory. There is no doubt about that and anyone who has had the pleasure to work with her needs no further explanation. Anna is a part of the heart of Thicket Priory – she makes you feel at home and comfortable the moment you step through those grand entry doors. Both throughout the wedding planning, and during the actual weekend at Thicket Priory – Anna was ready to laugh, to comfort, to calm, and to put out fires left, right, and centre. We knew that our day was going to be great, and a large part of that was the confidence we had in Anna making sure nothing would fall apart (and nothing did!). She is an actual superstar and we are forever thankful for her.”

Which supplier was a real stand out for you? The unsung star who deserves a special mention.
“We had such incredible suppliers so its really difficult to chose just one – so here are a few:
1. Laura at Mint and Moose – Flowers were such an important part of the wedding planning for us. We knew we wanted stunning centrepieces, incredible arches, and breathtaking masterpieces – and Laura absolutely delivered. When talking to her, she was just as excited as us to make our vision come true and really understood what we were looking for. She was also more than willing to use as manu local flowers and greenery as possible – while filling it with incredible herbs like rosemary, mint, and oregano to also make our wedding smell amazing. We also appreciated how flexible she was and how willing to change the plan last minute (like when suddenly we needed two less centrepieces and she happily took control in making other artwork to fill the space beautifully).
2. Belle of the Ball – We knew from the start that we wanted our little cousins, nieces, and nephews to be a part of our wedding celebrations. to ensure that both the parents and the kids have an amazing time, we decided to hire Belle of the Ball. It was probably one of the best decisions we made. While we didn’t see much of the kids room during the actual day, we love seeing the photos of the kids playing, crafting, and overall just being cute and silly. The nannies were so sweet and patient (even as the little girls decided to rearrange their hair in a million different ways).
3. Dominika Wolender Cakes – The bride wanted to showcase her culture and a big way of doing that was through the ‘cake display’ table. Dominika Wolender (or Domilicious) is a Polish York based baker who came highly recommended by the local Polish community. She agreed to make and deliver delicious Polish cakes (and an incredible amount of Polish donuts, or pączki) which were then displayed for guests to munch on throughout the evening. The cakes were delicious and we were so happy with our decision to skip the traditional cake and instead hire a local baker to let our guests try something more unique and culturally significant. She also does little christmas and easter cake sets – for anyone who wants to try her bakes!”

Out of 10, how involved was your partner in the planning process? Did this help with your planning process?
“We were both equally involved in all aspects of wedding planning. As an Accountant, Bashir used his expertise for a lot of the finance-keeping, while I used my eye-for-detail to make any design decisions and make some of the stationary. We wouldn’t do anything alone though, and we organised weekly ‘wedding wednesday’ sessions to go through the ever-growing list of wedding to-do’s.”

What was it about your venue that gives it the WOW factor? Would you recommend this venue to other couples?
“Thicket Priory is a stunning venue that blew us away from our first visit there. The inside is absolutely beautiful and feels like a fairytale, but what we really loved was the opportunity to have our ceremony outside by the lake. The lawn made a perfect spot for the place to say ‘I do’, followed by the cocktail reception in the perfect June sunshine.
Another important aspect was the exclusivity of Thicket Priory. Slightly selfishly, we wanted to make sure that our wedding was THE event of our wedding weekend – and with Thicket Priory being a fully exclusive venue where your weekend is truly YOURS – that’s exactly what we were able to achieve. We felt looked after from the moment we stepped into the venue for the first time, but especially when we arrived with 3 car-fulls of wedding bits and bobs on the Friday.
Last, but not least, what makes Thicket Priory so special are the incredible people who work there and keep the magic alive. We cannot thank Anna and the team enough for everything they did for us and for how looked after we felt.
We would recommend Thicket Priory to absolutely everyone!”

How did you style your venue? Did your wedding day have a theme?
“We were excited to use the elegant setting of Thicket Priory for our wedding. We decided to opt for a black tie dresscode, but wanted to embrace the summer with a ‘summer garden party black tie’ theme. It was lovely to see our guests dressed up in tuxedos, but also in stunning dresses made of satin, or sparkling, or with beautiful florals.
For venue colours, we decided on red, light pink, white, and green. We wanted a lot of florals, but for them to also include a large number of local greenery and herbs. For signage and candles, we went for white, clear, and gold.”

“We absolutely loved how it all turned out!”

What’s your funniest memory from the day?
“Once the dancing started, we pulled out some props – which made for some hilarious memories and incredible photos. These included balloon champagne bottles, glow-up foam fingers, metalic wigs, fun glasses, and even a giant cardboard cut-out of our cats face! Definitely recommend adding some props to your dance floor!”

Finally, what’s your best advice you could give to couples who are about to tie the knot?
“Find a strong team of suppliers and vendors. The last thing you want to stress about is whether the people you are working with are reliable and understand your vision. We were so happy with our team and we encourage everyone to do their research carefully, meet everyone at least once before hiring, and to listen to your venue recommendations (but also your own gut).”

What a lovely story and incredible memories shared by this wonderful couple. Dom & Bashir, you are now part of Thicket Priory’s history and extended family forever more!

Love
Anna xXx

Supplier Shout Outs:

Wedding venue: Thicket Priory, Thorganby, York
Photographer: Will Bushman @bushman_photo_film
Videographer: Deniss Kukjans @kukjansproduction.weddings
Hair and Make-up: Natalie Willingham @nataliewmakeup
Flowers: Laura from Mint and Moose @laura.mintandmoose
Cake: Polish cake display from Dominika Wolender @domilicious.york
Wedding Signage: @Theiarocks
Venue Styling: Ambience Yorkshire
Confetti: Flutter Darlings
Transport: Pullman Buses
Child Entertainment: Belle of the Ball @belleoftheballscarborough
Wedding Dress Alterations: Thimbelina, York @thimbelinaofyorkofficial
Ice cream stand: Swirlz Gelato Pocklington @swirlzgelato
First Dance Classes: @jcdance_york
Celebrant: Karen @holmemadeceremonies
Ceremony Harp: Emma Yates @soulfulharp