Claire and Ben put 1920s spin on traditional wedding

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This article has been written by team of content creators at Easy Weddings.

Updated on: March 17, 2022

Before there was Facebook and Myspace there was Faceparty – the online meeting place that brought Claire Hoad and Ben Hinchliffe together more than a decade ago.

Both were still at school, and after chatting online agreed to meet up one lunch break.

“I asked Claire out and she said yes and we’ve been together ever since!” Ben, 29, says.

The couple, from Bridington, Yorkshire, became engaged on their 10th Christmas together.

They then called on their creative skills and love of all things 1920s-themed for their traditional wedding at Leeds’ Oulton Hall on October 22, 2016.

Sixty guests attended the couple’s ceremony, with 100 friends and family taking part in the evening celebrations.

“I can honestly say the wedding was perfect. We’d spent a lot of time planning every little detail, we had a very specific theme and vibe in mind, it was super stressful getting it all together but paid off in the end,” Claire, 27, says.

“We wanted people to be able to enjoy themselves, be relaxed and have a great day. The venue we had was ideal for this as it had just the right feel and look for our theme. We had 1920’s music playing during the meal and had lit lavender candles on each table.”

Photos courtesy of Victoria Baker Weddings.

Claire says that Ben insisted on adding a bit of sparkle to his wedding band with two diamonds.

“The proposal was a long time coming; I think Claire had given up thinking I was ever going to ask her,” Ben says. “I decided to pop the question, both our families were together on the evening at Claire’s house, I’d told no one I was doing it. When I pulled out the ring It came as a surprise to everyone, Claire burst into tears (of joy thankfully) and we spent the night celebrating with our families.”