Tying the knot at The Dome
THIS happy couple will be the first to tie the knot in the newly-restored Spanish City Dome.
Charlotte Oxnard and fiancé Lewis Parkin, from Whitley Bay, were struggling to find a dream venue for their big day after getting engaged in 2016.
Charlotte had always been familiar with the iconic Dome having grown up in the town, but the idea of having her wedding there had always seemed like nothing more than a fantasy.
She said: “While there are plenty of magical venues around the coast, nowhere appealed for the type of wedding we wanted.
“The famous Dome had been under restoration for as long as I could remember, and as soon as I heard it was re-opening after 18 years I knew we had to enquire.
“I was aware of the Dome but didn’t know much about it.
“It wasn’t until I began exploring the heritage that I understood how important it was, and still is, to the town.”
Lewis, 30, and Charlotte, 31, went along to the site’s opening celebrations in July, and decided it was the perfect place for them to say ‘I do.’
“We walked around the St Mary’s Lighthouse suite imagining marrying here with our friends and family,” said Charlotte. “The view is spectacular and we thought what better backdrop to get married against?”
They booked a date and will be getting married on Saturday.
Charlotte, a communications manager, added: “We did think, are we mad trying to organise a wedding in two months, but the events team have been great and suppliers such as the photographer and DJ are looking forward to being part of the first ever Spanish City ceremony.
“We can’t wait to celebrate our marriage in such an iconic setting.
“While we are the only couple to get married at the Dome in 2018, we can’t wait to see what others do in the future and we wish them all the best.”
The couple met in 2011 through mutual friends. After five years together, Lewis proposed to Charlotte on her 30th birthday in the Lake District.
Charlotte and her family have lovely memories of the Spanish City.
She remembers going there as a girl, although at the time the only legacy of the original fairground were the amusements and cafes.
However, her parents used to enjoy the rides and music there when they were young and even her grandparents recall spending weekends in Whitley Bay’s Taj Mahal.
“The recent growth of Whitley Bay has been wonderful to see,” she said.
“With an abundance of restaurants and bars opening as well as the restoration of the promenade, it feels like the town is having a long overdue resurgence.”
Spanish City was brought back to life after a major restoration project led by North Tyneside Council, carried out in partnership with Robertson Construction and designers ADP.
The building is run by Spanish City (NE) and includes a steak and seafood restaurant, tearooms, event spaces and a champagne bar.