How we met...
We met on a night out through a mutual friend. Once we got talking, we realised that Michael's younger brother was in my year at school. Michael was back from University for the weekend to celebrate the arrival of his nephew. The very same University in Leeds that I had applied to only weeks before. We knew then that something special was going to happen!
The proposal...
Michael popped the question a few months after moving into our first house together. Surrounded by our close friends and celebrating Michael's birthday, I walked through to surprise Michael with his birthday cake, but Michael had planned the best surprise of all and got down on one knee to pop the question on our kitchen floor!
Our vision for the day...
We wanted the day to feel relaxed and for all our guests to enjoy the beautiful venue. There wasn’t a theme exactly, but working in the design industry we were very lucky to be able to create exactly what we wanted with our stationery so that it all matched; everything from our order of service, invitations, wooden signs and place names. Also, we had a lot of greenery- the showstoppers were definitely the candelabras which just looked out of this world!
What we wore...
We booked our wedding around two years ahead, so we knew we had plenty of time to arrange what we were going to wear. Around a year before, I started looking and trying on dresses, probably around ten in total and it’s true when they say ‘when you know, you know’! I wore a beautiful Maggie Sottero gown which I purchased from Serendipity in Weedon. The train was my favourite part, or maybe the buttons… Or the lace. I LOVED it!
Michael and his groomsmen went for matching three-piece suits. The ties matched the bridesmaid dresses perfectly, Although it did take some hunting around carrying a swatch of the dress to every shop for a few months, in the end we found them in Next.
The food...
This was the part Michael was most excited about! From our first visit to Dodmoor we were so impressed by the caterers we met and spoke to which were Lemon Zest.
On arrival we had a selection of canapes including oriental spring rolls, tortilla spoons and mini bagels with smoked salmon. As we were busy having photos taken, our wedding planner made sure we had a selection put aside for us which was a lovely touch. For the sit down meal we had ham hock and the vegetarian option was sweet potato croquets. Michael is a vegetarian, as were quite a few of our guests, so we made sure we had options for people to choose. For main we served chicken with a red wine sauce and a goats cheese wellington. All of our guests then were served a trio of desserts.
In the evening we hired in Pizza of Dreams and WOW! The pizzas were the best we have ever had, and even nearly a year on so many of our guests say how good it was. We would highly recommend them, and the cute converted camper van made a real feature point for the evening too. The best part was when we got into our Honeymoon Suite there was a pizza waiting for us!
Our favourite part of the day...
Arriving at the venue and stepping out of the car, seeing two years of planning right in front of us. I had planned a surprise for Michael which was a saxophonist playing in the courtyard. Seeing our guests sipping their drinks, enjoying the sun and the music, and how perfectly our vision had become a reality was a moment I’ll never forget.
The idea that we felt really worked on the day...
The whole day just flowed so well, it never felt like anything was rushed nor were our guests ever waiting around. We wanted to make the most of the photobooth mirror and didn’t know where to place this until only a couple of weeks before. We ended up having it on the mezzanine and were so glad we did. This way everyone used it and even better it was next to the bar, so made for some very funny photos as the evening went on!
Also, we had two photographers and videographers, which meant that we have shots and footage of us both getting ready which I’d really recommend. It was funny to see the boys having their McDonalds breakfast whilst at the same time the girls were doing the finishing touches to their makeup!
The entertainment...
In the evening we had The Distractions play two live sets. They started by singing our first dance which they had learnt especially, and then got the party started with some of our requests. We then also had the photobooth and the pizza van for guests to enjoy.
Where we feel our budget was really well spent...
I think the pizzas for sure were such a talking point, and it was so lovely to see our guests really enjoying them and even taking boxes home for the hangovers the next day! I did go over budget on flowers, but I’m SO glad we had what we wanted, I can still remember the smell of the eucalyptus that hung from the candelabras in the Catesby Barn. My bouquet was everything I wanted and I couldn’t have been happier.
We were torn about having a videographer, mostly due to the cost to be honest, but in the end we thought you only do this once, so no regrets and all that! It’s something we will have forever, and we often watch it and just can’t believe that the beautiful day that has been captured is ours.
Personal touches that reflected us as a couple...
We gathered a lot of old photos from when we were growing up, and also from our parents' and grandparents' weddings, which made a really lovely feature in the Courtyard Barn. Using an idea I saw on Pinterest we wrapped brown string around some £1 hula hoops and added some clear thread to stick them on, which I think made a really great feature.
We made the most of our friends' and family's talents which included my Aunty making our three tier cake, my friend from work designing our invitations, and my dad making all of the wooden signs. This all saved us a lot of money, but also meant we could have exactly what we wanted, and made it very personal to us.
Suppliers we used and loved...
Pizza of Dreams - best pizza, out of this world! Their set up is beautiful too.
Lemon Zest - perfect in every way, from the first meeting, our consultation, and the service and professionalism on the day.
Directors Cut - very fun and different to an ordinary photobooth.
Simon the Sax - found him very last minute but he was amazing and created such a relaxed atmosphere during our drinks reception.
By Arrangement - Helena is just the best! So knowledgeable and knows Dodmoor really well, so was able to provide recommendations.
Vivid Art Photography - I’ve known Andrew and Zoe for years and they captured our day perfectly.
S and S Videography - a dream come true, we’re so glad we went ahead with a video. Perfectly edited and will be watching it for years and years!
Grace Benjamin Hair - my hair stayed put all day and Grace made my hair even better than the trial run; she’s now my regular hairdresser!
Rochelle O’Brien Make Up - highly recommend, fantastic products and made me feel glam all day!
Finally, if we could give a tip to other couples...
Enjoy YOUR day. Yes you want your guests to have a good time and of course they will, but take in everything and just think in the moment, and enjoy every single second.
Special thanks Daisy and Michael for sharing their story, and to Vivid Art Photography for the photos x