How we met...
We met in our first year at Loughborough University on a night out through mutual friends, who ended up being Best Man and a bridesmaid.
The proposal...
It was very simple and done at home before we went out for a meal for Matt’s birthday. Kelly had always said she didn’t want a public proposal and as she doesn’t like surprises, she is always good at knowing when things are going to happen. Proposing when I did completely caught her off guard.
What made us choose Dodmoor for our special day...
When viewing we instantly knew it was the place for us. The whole setup just suited what we wanted and it was a naturally beautiful location requiring little ‘dressing.’ We also liked the no corkage during the day which gave us the freedom/flexibility, and we did not find this elsewhere.
Our vision for the day...
We aimed to use natural spring foliage and simple blues and whites in the flowers to add hints of colour to the already naturally beautiful Dodmoor setting. We didn’t want too much going on, so the focus could remain on the people we had celebrating with us.
The outfits...
Kelly had an off the shoulder ball gown from Sincerity bridal with a jewelled belt added to it. This was from Wedding Belles boutique in Kibworth where we live. Kelly also had a simple classic veil too.
Matt and his groomsmen had blue tweed suits with checked grey waistcoats from A Farley in Kibworth. Matt had a baby blue tie and pocket square to match the bridesmaid dresses, whilst the groomsmen had grey/silver ties and pocket squares.
The food...
Firstly, we had canapes during our drinks reception which included steak and chips, arancini, fishcakes, and cheese toasties. We then had afternoon tea for our wedding breakfast. We loved this idea and it went down very well with the guests. It was social and offered variety. This included a selection of sandwiches, rolls, quiche, sausage rolls, mini potatoes, scotch eggs, falafel and sweet treats such as scones, brownies and key lime pie pots. In the evening, we offered Pie and mash with chips as a meal, and sweet treats throughout including a donut wall, cake and a sweet table.
Our favourite part of the day...
We both enjoyed the ceremony (even though we were originally dreading it) as it was so important to us to become husband and wife.
Kelly’s favourite part was the speeches as everyone did an amazing speech and really showed what we were like as a couple. Her dad did an excellent and well-delivered speech even though he hates public speaking and gets incredibly nervous. Matt’s speech was also excellent and had some perfectly timed jokes within it!
Matt’s favourite part was the drinks reception after the ceremony, as it gave us both a chance to go around and speak to everyone together which was really nice to do as they were all so excited.
What made Dodmoor stand out as a venue to us...
We loved that Dodmoor was firstly a pure wedding venue and so was set up suitably for this. It is also naturally beautiful needing little dressing up and offered the rustic style we were after. The flexibility of the no corkage and being able to choose our own caterers was also appealing.
The idea we felt worked well on the day...
The receiving line of our guests into the reception was an idea we really liked. It was something we enjoyed a lot having been a little sceptical of it at first.
Entertainment...
We had Rob Lawes Entertainment put on a DJ for the evening entertainment. They were excellent and provided us with the rustic DJ booth which really complimented the Catesby Barn. We also had a photobooth (magic mirror) provided by Directors Cut which was very good and a favourite of the kids.
Where we feel our budget was well spent...
This is a toss up between the food and photographer. Both were expensive aspects of our day but both worth every penny we paid. Passion Food Events provided the catering and everyone was incredibly complimentary of the food, which for us was very important. Hannah Hall was our photographer and she captured the day perfectly, knowing the venue really well to get the best natural photographs. She also manages to get these without imposing on your day.
Personal touches that reflected us as a couple...
We added pictures of ourselves pegged to the lights in the bar and made some gin bottle lights for the evening which were really effective.
Recommended suppliers we used and loved...
The recommended suppliers we used were Hannah Hall Photography, Rob Lawes Entertainment, Directors Cut, Julie Anna Flowers and Charlotte Chartell for hair and makeup. All of the suppliers were excellent, could not be faulted. They provided us with exactly what we wanted and individually made our day special.
Finally, if we could give a tip to other couples...
The day goes by super quick, you are needed at every stage and you will likely be very tired. On two occasions throughout the day we took a few minutes just to ourselves having a sit down, chat and freshen up away from the hustle and bustle going on. This helped us massively, allowing us to take it all in and simply have a little break.
Special thanks to Kelly and Matt for sharing their story, and Hannah Hall Photography for the photos x