How we met...
We went to school together, however didn’t know each other well. We met again through a mutual friend years later.
The proposal...
A day we will never forget! Dale could barely string a sentence together all day; I knew he was up to something! He booked us a night away at Sedgebrook Hall, and proposed whilst we went for a walk around the grounds just as the sun set. He had booked us a table at a nearby restaurant as a surprise too! It was very emotional!
Our vision for the day...
We always wanted a really relaxed vibe, with lots of greenery and wooden features.
The outfits...
I (Abi) wore a Lilian West dress, covered in lace with three quarter sleeves and a low back. My dream dress! Bought from Silver Sixpence Bridal Boutique in Towcester. The ladies in Silver Sixpence were amazing – I am so pleased I found my dream dress with them! Dale wore a blue tweed suit, from Salters of Rugby. The first suit he tried on!
The food...
Our menu changed quite a lot due to the changes in the wedding due to Covid, however what we ended up eating was incredible, and we wouldn’t change a thing! For our first course we had individual grazing platters, second course was butter bean and chorizo soup. For our main course, slow roasted blade of beef, with roast potatoes, seasonal roasted vegetables and cauliflower/broccoli cheese! For pudding we had our absolute favourite – apple and cinnamon crumble with vanilla custard! Taste Events LTD were amazing and we could not recommend them enough, no request was too much, and the team who attended on the day were so attentive and friendly!
Our favourite part of the day...
It is hard to choose one moment, as we loved every second. Firstly, walking out of the Catesby Barn, as Mr & Mrs Henwood. We LOVE the photo’s of this moment – so much happiness! Secondly - sitting around one big table, with both of our families. After a very stressful few months rescheduling our November wedding, and not knowing whether our December wedding could go ahead, at that moment we felt so lucky that we were married and that our closest family members were there with us. A moment we will never forget.
The idea that we felt worked really well on the day...
The dining room set up! It looked so beautiful, and I am so glad we went with this idea for our small wedding. Every one sat around the same table, and could talk to one and other. It was a lovely social set up.
Entertainment we put on...
We did a Mr & Mrs quiz with tea and cake, just before our guests left at the end of the evening. Thank you to my sister, Laura, for organising this. It made for a great send off!
Where we feel our budget was really well spent...
AYELLE PHOTOGRAPHY! Without a doubt, the best thing (of course apart from Dodmoor!) that we spent money on was our incredible photographers. Choosing Adam and Liz from Ayelle to photograph our wedding was the best decision we made. They captured all of the little moments from the day that we will cherish forever, and having them there felt like we had two friends there. They made us feel so comfortable and the photos are beyond anything we could ever have expected they would be.
Personal touches that reflected us as a couple...
Definitely the food. We are huge foodies and love good food, and we feel that the meal reflected us perfectly. Also the flowers, provided by Nicky at The Garden of Weedon, were beautiful and so our style!
Suppliers we used and loved...
We could not fault any of our suppliers – they were all fantastic! They all re-arranged with no trouble at all, and we thank them all so much for that! It made the whole process much less stressful for us. Thank you!
Ayelle Photography, The Garden of Weedon, Taste Events LTD, Salters of Rugby, Silver Sixpence Bridal Boutique, Sophie Duffy Make-Up, Sam Watts Freelance Hairdresser, Jeeves Barbers, Baked by Laura, Castell Beauty.
Finally, if we could give a tip to other couples...
Don’t be put off by a smaller wedding. An intimate wedding can still be the happiest day of your life. If you are thinking of booking to get married at Dodmoor House – DO IT! We could not recommend it enough. They supported us through so much upset, re-arranging, re-planning, and were fantastic at every stage. Louise and the team could not have done more for us, and we are so happy that we were able to have our miracle winter wedding at Dodmoor in 2020 – all thanks to the team at Dodmoor!
Special thanks to Abi and Dale for sharing their story, and Ayelle Photography for the photos x