What started as a surprise night away ended up at the gorgeous Bourton Hall..
Tell us about the proposal –
how and where did it happen?
Fred had booked us into a Hotel. I had no knowledge of where we were going until we got there and he proposed in our hotel room with flowers and Champagne.He had my engagement ring and our wedding rings made for us by Lewis Malka in Hatton Garden London.
What was your first step in planning your wedding, did you use blogs/magazines etc?
I spent hours on the Internet and Instagram getting ideas. There is so much information out there and it can be quite overwhelming but in a lovely way. I thought the first thing to be chosen should be the venue as some of the styling ideas would come from the choice of venue
What were your wedding “must have’s”?
Our priorities were a venue that came with a coordinator that would help you organise the event and take some of the stress away. I had always wanted a live band, an exclusive hire venue with good quality accommodation for our family to stay and lovely grounds.
Wedding budget: how did you organise your wedding budget?
I spent time checking many websites and blogs to get some rough estimates. We found that the Bourton Hall packages were really useful starting points for working out a budget.
How did you find your venue and what made you choose it?
We had looked at venues online and in person so I already knew that Bourton Hall ticked most of our boxes, we also knew we wanted a venue outside of the area that we lived. We both knew as soon as we walked in that Bourton Hall was the place for us. It looked even better than online.
Styling your wedding: how did you personalise your big day?
The colour theme was rose gold which I took from my wedding and engagement rings as it is my preferred jewelry colour so everything that we chose or used had an element of rose gold in it. Bourton Hall are very obliging in accommodating your wishes. Our Florist was excellent in providing us with styling ideas and tips.
Did the venue provide any memorable extras or nice personal touches that stood out?
Everyone at Bourton Hall is so obliging and accommodating. Our Coordinator Donna was wonderful, we couldn’t have asked for a better person to help us put our wedding together. Donna was so he helpful with tips and advice on what would or may not work. The day was so organised it went perfectly. You are so caught up in the day that it’s only later on you realise little touches such as the flowers that were in the ceremony and on the dining, tables have been re-positioned in other places. Some of our guests have told us it is the best wedding they have attended and a lot of that is down to the staff at Bourton Hall.
Describe your wedding attire and favourite accessories
I knew I didn’t want a traditional wedding dressing in ivory or white I preferred more of an evening dress. After a lot of research, I could see that Eliza Jane Howell made exactly the kind of dress I was looking for. I made an appointment at the flagship store in London. It’s a wonderful place with lovely staff. They actually dress a lot of famous people but that doesn’t matter they make you feel very special and I was spoilt for choice they make amazing dresses but with the help of my Niece I found the one….
What did your partner wear?
Fred had a bespoke suit made for him by some wonderful tailors in Bedfordshire called Souster and Hicks. I went with Fred to help choose the fabric but after that Fred went to the fittings on his own so it was a nice surprise for me on the day. He looked so handsome and he said it gave him confidence.
Tell us about your Bridesmaids, Groomsmen and their outfits
We had decided early on not to go with many of the usual wedding traditions and one of those was not to have groups of bridesmaids and groomsmen. I chose my Great Niece as a flower girl as she is very special to me. Our grown-up children played important roles. My Son gave me away. Fred’s Son and Daughter were Best Man and Best Woman. Fred’s other daughter read a poem during the ceremony.
What was your ceremony like?
We had a lovely, personalised ceremony. Fred’ Nephew sang a song which he wrote, My Niece did a reading. Fred’s daughter read a poem. My Son gave me away, we entered the ceremony room to a song called Love is the sweetest thing which was a favourite song of Fred’s mother.
Tell us about your drinks reception and wedding breakfast
We had difficulty choosing the drinks and wedding breakfast menu as the choices were so vast but we were pleased with the choices we made. Fred and I made speeches and three of our children made the most loving, heartfelt speeches. People came up to us afterwards complementing us on their speeches, we were very proud of them.
Did you have a band or DJ for your evening reception?
I have always wanted a band and the band we chose were called Uptown Funk and they were amazing. We have friends who play in bands and they were very impressed by them. The Bourton Hall DJ was great too. We were really impressed with how well the DJ and the band worked together.
Based on your own experience, give us some top tips:
The information available is quite overwhelming. After the initial research I found sticking to a few chosen sites and blogs more useful. If you find something you really wanted is working out more expensive or may not be suitable, speak to your supplier they can often find suitable alternative solutions. Listen to the advice of the coordinator they have seen many weddings in the venue and know what works.
Did you go on a honeymoon or mini-moon?
We went to Mauritius; it was glorious and romantic. The Mauritian people were wonderful and couldn’t do enough for us.
“If we could do it all again, we’d…”
There isn’t anything we would change, we made absolutely all the right choices with our suppliers who were wonderful and we would choose every single one of them again. The day was perfect!
We had a truly magical day which exceeded all our expectations. We’d really like to experience the whole day again.
The venue is amazing and all the staff particularly Donna Brown are exceptional. We have had such positive feedback about the day from so many of our guests.
We will definitely be back at some point.
Wedding Attire: Elizabeth Jane Howell
Grooms Suit: Souser & Hicks
Engagement & Wedding Rings: Lewis Malka
Flowers & Styling: Willow & Wild Floral Events
