From booking off of a virtual viewing to seeing Bourton Hall in person, and knowing you’d made the right decision
Tell us about the proposal
At sunset, beneath the olive trees on the beautiful shore of the island of Kolocep, Croatia.
What was your first step in planning your wedding, did you use blogs/magazines etc?
We used Pinterest to share ideas and begin to piece together how we wanted our day to look and feel. As all of the planning happened during the height of Covid we had to make many decisions, including selecting Bourton Hall based purely on digital viewings!
What were your wedding “must have’s”?
The most important thing for us was that the venue wouldn’t be compromised by poor weather and that it was somewhere that immediately made you feel special. We couldn’t have picked a better venue and we were even more impressed when we were first able to visit in person.
Wedding budget: how did you organise your wedding budget?
Not particularly! We had a top-line figure we didn’t want to exceed and were looking for a venue that could offer a package of the key essentials – venue hire, food, drinks, and DJ – to remove some of the administrative responsibilities. It makes a big difference as there’s enough to worry about already!
How did you find your venue and what made you choose it?
Bourton Hall came up on a wedding venue registry that I was browsing and almost simultaneously it popped into Jenna’s Instagram feed, so we both lay claim to discovering it!
Styling your wedding: how did you personalise your big day?
Our theme was centred around the pubs of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. It’s where we met whilst working together and subsequently ended up living together for 4 years, so holds a special place in our hearts. It’s also where we bought our wedding rings for the big day. We had a Graphic Designer reimagine a series of pub signs from our favourite venues and create the seating plan and table menus to match. We added these to the centre pieces offered by the venue to keep a relatively minimalistic but classy feel. We also added the candle package to bring an additional touch of romantic warmth to the feel of the occasion. 
Did the venue provide any memorable extras or nice personal touches that stood out?
Donna was brilliant throughout. She was always in exactly the right place at exactly the right time – like she has a sixth sense! We were also able to make some subtle changes to the menu to accommodate various minor dietary preferences at short notice that were no trouble at all.
Describe your wedding attire and favourite accessories
We were both pretty clear from the offset on the style of wedding that we wanted. We’re not sure how you’d describe the ‘aesthetic’… modern classic perhaps? In terms of feel, it was really important for both of us that it was as a relaxed and chilled-out vibe as possible, which Bourton Hall delivered perfectly. Timings were spot on, there were no periods of time that felt either too rushed or too long between the key events of the day.
What did your partner wear?
We both chose our own outfits. Jenna looked incredible, absolutely stunning, Jenna was wearing a classic, white, princess bridal dress with pockets and had a cathedral train. I couldn’t have imagined her looking more beautiful than she did! I wore a blue tweed suit with a stone/oatmeal-coloured waistcoat and bow tie. Jenna said she got butterflies when she saw me standing there!
Tell us about your Bridesmaids, Groomsmen and their outfits
Jenna asked her bridesmaids by writing a little card and had a little bracelet which asked the question ‘will you be my bridesmaid’. Luckily they all said yes! She had six bridesmaids, three family members and three friends. They all wore multiway, tulle dresses in an oyster colour. They looked beautiful. Jenna also had two flower girls in little white dresses and flowery headbands. They looked adorable. The groomsmen (fathers of the bride and groom, the groom’s brother, close friends of ours), all wore matching tweed suits save for a different coloured waistcoat, and best man, Neil, was resplendent in his bespoke family tartan.
What was your ceremony like?
Jenna walked down the aisle with her Dad, Richard, to McFly’s ‘It’s all about you’ which was played on the acoustic guitar by Jenna’s cousin, Craig, with his lovely wife, Amy, singing. We lit a candle at the start of the ceremony for the people that are no longer with us and Jenna’s sister, Hayley, read a poem called ‘The Giraffe and the Monkey’.
Tell us about your drinks reception and wedding breakfast
The food was amazing, we had the Baked Camembert Tarte to start, traditional Roast Topside of Beef for the main and Apple & Blackberry Crumble for dessert. Welcome drinks we kept it simple with Prosecco and beers. Jenna’s dad, Richard, did a lovely speech which included bringing out a cardboard cut out of David Beckham, who was unfortunately, for Jenna, otherwise engaged.
Did you have a band or DJ for your evening reception? Did you have a first dance – what song did you choose?
Our first dance was to Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ which again, was played on the acoustic guitar by Craig with Amy providing beautiful vocals. In the evening, we had a DJ which was provided by Bourton Hall.
Based on your own experience, give us some top tips
Listen to other people’s advice but ultimately, do your own thing, At the end of the day, it’s your big day, not anyone else’s, but do make sure you take the advice to stop and enjoy just one another for 5 minutes, away from everyone else. The day will be over before you know it’s even begun!
Did you go on a honeymoon or mini-moon?
We went on a mini-moon a few days after the wedding. We stayed in a stunning cabin near Matlock, Derbyshire for a week. We had a couple of days just the two of us and then our little boy, Jack, joined us for the rest of the week. It was perfect.
“If we could do it all again, we’d… do it all over again the same <3″
Tell us who your suppliers were:
Wedding attire: Dress – Wed2B
Suits – Dapper Dan Formal Wear
The accessories: Glass Tower Jewellery
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Jacqueline Louise – Etsy
Wedding rings: Vintage and Modern in Jewellery Quarter, 21a Vyse St, Birmingham, B18 6LP
Wedding cake: Lola’s Cakes
Invitations: greyrabbit agency
Photographer: The Harphams
Band/disco/DJ: Bourton Hall
