Good ideas are like buses…
you don’t get one for ages and then three turn up all at once! Ever since we opened Limelight Occasions we have been puzzling over how to use the bridge attached to it. Our bridal boutique used to be a church and the local congregation entered through big double doors by crossing the bridge from the street. We can’t use these doors as our entrance because they now open into a changing room. The bridge is a key feature of the building but…
What do you do with a bridge that leads nowhere?
We were discussing it over coffee at a bridal conference in London when Haley had that first Eureka moment… let’s create our very own Pont des Arts in West Yorkshire! When brides find their wedding dress with us we’ll invite them to celebrate by fastening a Limelight love lock onto our bridge and taking the key home as a keepsake present.
Next Question…
What to call the bridge? The Limelight Love Bridge sounded a bit …well … naff … somehow, and we want this to mean something – to be a special celebration of marriage. The bridge deserves a special name. It was Sophie who came up with Eureka moment number two…
The Lockwood Bridge
Limelight is a family business, The Limelight Bridge should be named after someone very special to the family and to all the Limelight team – Frank Lockwood.
Our much loved, and greatly missed, Dad, Grandad and Great Grandad enjoyed life to the full and was a wonderful role model to everyone of us.
Frank worked tirelessly in both our local family businesses – Limelight Occasions Bridal Boutique, Lepton and Sleep Matters Beds, Honley. An incredibly fit and active man, Frank was still helping us decorate both premises and gardening when he was 90!
He was so proud of our achievements and a part of all our celebrations…
Best New bridal Retailer – Bridal Buyer Awards
Frank loved life in general and family life in particular. He enjoyed two very happy marriages, to Audrey and Joan. Although widowed twice, Frank never uttered a word of self pity; saying only that he felt lucky to have known so much love in his life. We dedicate the Limelight Bridge to his memory with our love and gratitude.
So how do you open a Bridge?
If we had thought of love locks on the bridge when we first opened nine years ago, our bridge would have been full by now… but never mind, opening The Lockwood Bridge is a lovely way to celebrate the beginning of Limelight’s tenth anniversary.
We wanted to invite Limelight brides, past and present to put on their love locks at our opening but our third Eureka moment was down to our friend and wedding photographer extraordinaire, Sarah Brabbin.
Sarah came up with the idea of recreating the feel of a wedding day celebration with a specially decorated marquee with music, prosecco and cupcakes for our Limelight couples to write personal messages on their love locks before walking up to The Lockwood Bridge and fastening them on.
The marquee was supplied by Holme Valley Marquees and the fabulous Jane, the Woo b Woo fairy created Millie’s flower crown and these amazing candelabra – so chic and so pretty. http://woobwoo.com/index.html. These scrumptious strawberry cup cakes were a lovely gift from our good friend Jeanette of Boootiful Cakes.Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe how they tasted
It was great to see everyone again, catch up with all the news and see the littles ones! Then it was down to those special messages…
Had Frank still been with us, he would have opened our bridge; but he has four Great Grandchildren, Lilah, Ethan, Alfie and Millie so it was a very special moment for all at Limelight, when Millie, the eldest at seven, opened The Lockwood Bridge in his honour.
Now it was time to fasten on the love locks!
Despite the odd shower we had great fun!
A big thank you to Tracy Hirst for capturing all the special moments we will always remember.
Thank you to all our Limelight couples for coming to put your love locks on The Lockwood Bridge and making our day so special. If you are a Limelight bride, from way back, recently or right now, please pop in and put your love lock on our bridge – we would love to see you!
