A Memorable Day…
A brand new liveried truck to mark their marriage was just one of the things that made Nathan and Charlotte Harrison’s wedding day so special: Photography: Ashton Photography
When Charlotte Rich and Nathan Harrison married in the Ribble Valley last year there was a big surprise in store for them!
As the wedding party prepared to go to the church, Charlotte’s father, who is the Operational Director of R J Rich & Son Ltd, a 25-strong fleet haulage company, drove up the drive in a gleaming silver truck liveried to mark the couple’s marriage.
Charlotte recalls: “It is brand new, with Y19 WED as the private registration. On one side is my maiden name and on the other is Mr and Mrs Harrison and a silhouette of Nathan and I in our wedding attire – even my dress is duplicated as a stencil! On the front of the truck, it says ‘Wedding Edition’. The truck is now part of the fleet and is getting a lot of publicity.
“It’s been spotted across the country and other brides and grooms have been having their picture taken in front of it!”
Charlotte, who was driven to Ribchester Church in the truck by her father, grew up in Longridge, where the family business is based. After attending Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, she went on to study Business, Maths and Psychology and gained an apprenticeship.
“Occasionally I used to help my mum in the office in the family business, and that’s why I have always been business minded. Business and numbers have always been my career interest, I used to help with accounts and invoicing whenever I could.”
Nathan grew up in Denton, Manchester, and he too started his career as an apprentice and went on to become an aircraft maintenance technician after becoming interested in engineering at school.
“We bought a house in South Ribble, as we wanted to be near to my family in Longridge and Nathan’s in Manchester. Our workplaces ended up being either side of Preston, so it seemed like a good location.”
However, the couple have since moved to the Middle East with their careers as Charlotte explains: “From 2018 Nathan was due to do a minimum 12-month secondment in Saudi Arabia. With the company we work for, there are opportunities to travel abroad.
“We’ve had a hectic couple of years with Nathan being in Saudi and us getting married. So, we’d just like some stability for the next few years to develop our careers in Oman. Obviously, with my family background, it’s no surprise that I’ve naturally found my way into logistics and supply!”
It was through their work that Charlotte and Nathan first met in 2013, getting engaged in 2017: “Nathan formally proposed at Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfalls in North Wales.
“He had already bought the ring – it was handmade by Nettleton’s in Clitheroe. The diamond is from my mum’s engagement ring and he had it designed especially for me as I had kept hinting at the style I liked!”
Charlotte adds: “Planning the wedding overall was really enjoyable although stressful at times! By Christmas 2017 we had booked Eaves Hall as the venue for August 2019. We weren’t particularly bothered about a specific date but we had to work around Nathan’s secondment to Saudi. His lucky number has always been 22 so we chose 22nd August, linking in with the Bank Holiday. However, it only dawned on us when we were working out the date that the 22nd August was 22 months and 22 days to the date he proposed!
“The big day was amazing. It rained a little in the morning, but what a party it was! We wanted our day not to be about us, but about our family and friends! It still seems a big blur – everyone says you lose sense of time. I would re-live the day in a heartbeat!”
The couple, who are enjoying married life in Oman, conclude: “It’s beautiful so far. The people are friendly and Oman is a gorgeous country. There’s lots of greenery and mountains – it’s very scenic and the Arabic lifestyle is one to be enjoyed with the culture and food.
“We plan to be in Oman for the next three years or so, after that who knows? One day we might come back home to the UK, but while we have the opportunity to explore this side of the world, I think we have to make the most of it. The world is a beautiful place so why not go and see it?”
