Inspiration

In 1995 my mother Lisa Jane Mahoney married my father Fredrick Walter Sheppard, a woman of great style she wore a cream clean cut suit with stunning embroidery detailing. Mum left this world 20 years later leaving behind a family who's love cannot be explained. She is at the heart of all we do. Fast forward 25 years, I Rose-Marnie Sheppard married Jack Elliot Davies in the very same suit she married my dad in, it was my way of having her by my side on a day I never could have imagined not having her by my side. Instead of her sat in front of me her arms were wrapped around me in a metaphorical sense. Going from a 180 person wedding to a 23 person wedding was certainly not what we had planned, this was our 4th attempt at becoming Mr & Mrs Davies due to the pandemic. My goodness we would not change a second.

The night before our small intimate wedding I stayed at the Franklin hotel with my Maid of Honour/best friend/cousin we were ordering dinner and in walked my two brothers, I had no idea they were coming to stay too, it meant the world to have them there with me for the morning of the wedding for support we listened to The Dixie Cups Going To The Chapel and sung at the top of our lungs. It's important to us to both note that this day was put together in such a short time, Paul & Carlena my brother and sister-in-law totally renovated the outdoor area of their home. It was all hands on deck an outdoor bar area complete with festoon lights was put together by my brother's and Jacks dad Russ. Jacks beautiful mum handled the bouquets and cake with close friends of hers. The morning before our day myself and my sister-in-law's were cutting stems for the florals and the three of designing the table lay out.

Mum had a beautiful voice and I am lucky enough to have a recording studio CD of her singing so she sang me down the aisle, the song we chose was her version of 'Shania Twain - You're still the one' which really if you listen to the words was even more poignant after 4 wedding attempts - 'Looks like we made it, look how far we've come my baby'.