How we met...
We met in a local pub; I spotted Josh was drinking a pint of Guinness, so I plucked up the courage and brought him one over and asked his name.
The proposal...
Josh took me to Milan for my birthday, he went out the morning of my birthday and bought me a cake, had it delivered to our room, sang happy birthday and then got down on one knee. It was perfect for me. We then took the train to Venice and celebrated together.
What made us choose Dodmoor for our special day...
As soon as we pulled up and drove past the house, we got such a lovely feel for the venue. Walking around being shown everything made that feeling grow, from the beautiful barns and courtyard, we could just picture our family and friends there and we knew it was the one for us.
Our vision for the day...
We wanted a relaxed feel with rustic effect, which the venue suited perfectly. We had soft pinks with candles and I wanted touches of us and our family, which we included with lots of pictures of them all.
The outfits...
My favourite film is Dirty Dancing, thanks to my Nan. I love the music and style so knew I always wanted a tea length dress; it had a beautiful lace back and sweetheart neckline. With my polka dot lace shoes it was everything I dreamed of. Josh wore a cream jacket with matching waistcoat and navy trousers, and looked handsome as ever. My bridesmaids wore dusky pink satin midi dresses, with the groomsmen matching josh.
The food...
We decided to go for our favourite food, so for starters we had bruschetta, mains was lasagne with Italian herb potatoes and amazing side salads, and for pudding we had mini pavlova with strawberries and cream. In the evening we had a pizza, and everyone commented on how amazing the food was which was lovely to hear.
Our favourite part of the day...
I personally loved being able to get ready there - being able to see everyone arrive just made me more excited, and then walking down the aisle to Josh was just perfect for both of us. It's hard to pick the best bit as we loved the day from start to finish.
What made Dodmoor stand out to us as a venue...
I loved the barns and the front lawn, the venue is a perfect size that you get to use all of it and not feel lost, everyone was close by to each other, creating a good atmosphere.
The idea we felt worked well on the day...
To be honest I don’t feel I had to plan or give many ideas as the knowledge from the staff meant they dealt with everything! It was so relaxing, meaning we got to enjoy the day and not have to think of what needs to be done next.
The entertainment...
We had a magician that entertained the day guests, and we also had an ice cream van which was perfect as the weather was amazingly hot for June.
Where we feel our budget was well spent...
For us we knew we wanted to spend most of our budget on the venue and photographer, and both lived up to expectations.
Personal touches that reflected us as a couple...
I would say the food, style of dress, and the picture pallet of our relationship throughout the 8 years we have been together. We also had a record player and vinyl’s as our guest book - we have a large collection of vinyl’s at home which love to listen to.
Suppliers we used and loved...
LucyLocks for mine and the girls hair - she was amazing and would recommend for sure. Michelle our photographer was perfect - she makes you feel like a friend not a customer. Graham from GJ Catering - for his amazing food and communication!
Finally, if we could give a tip to other couples...
Don’t feel too much pressure in trying to make your wedding suit anyone else but you two - it's your day and you should do what you both love. Also remember to try and take a moment for you both - we decided on a sweetheart table and it’s the best thing we did, as it meant we got to talk to each other whilst eating dinner. Most importantly, my best tip is to book DODMOOR - you won’t be disappointed.
Special thanks to Michelle and Josh for sharing their story, and to Michelle White Photography for the photos x