Holmewood Hall is the perfect backdrop to this classic and elegant wedding
Tell us about the proposal – how and where did it happen?
At home in lockdown – Steven filled the house with candles, balloons and roses. There were notes that I followed all the way up to the top floor, where I found Steven on one knee. We then came downstairs to have a romantic dinner and champagne.
What was your first step in planning your wedding?
Our first step was buying a wedding planning book! Then we set on booking a venue; the first venue we looked at was Holmewood Hall and we just fell in love with it. It has everything and we really fell in love with the Gold Room.
What were your wedding “must have’s”?
Our wedding must-have was good food and for our guests to really enjoyed themselves. Our guests were our main focus, we just wanted everything to be relaxed and happy.
Wedding budget: how did you organise your wedding budget?
The wedding budget we organised on Bridebook. The app really helped us to keep an eye on things and helped us budget out what we wanted to spend on different things.
How did you find your venue and what made you choose it?
I researched online local venues and found Holmewood. I then read reviews and the details of the venue on Bridebook. When we first saw Holmewood we instantly fell in love with the Gold Room. It really was magical to walk around and we could just see ourselves getting married there. It had everything we wanted and as soon as we both got in the car to head home we just knew it was the one. We had booked in to view another five venues after seeing Holmewood but every time we saw one we just knew Holmewood was for us – there was no comparison in our eyes.
Styling your wedding: how did you personalise your big day?
For our style we wanted it to be simple, classic and elegant. We wanted something that wouldn’t date, and with this in mind, I then saw Allensis styled Holmewood in white roses and white chair covers. This is the look we wanted, so we met up with Debbie and our vision came to life. We then came across Cakes by Carol on Instagram, who worked alongside Allensis and Holmewood and she made the most perfect cakes. We saw an unusual stone effect cake we liked and this worked for us as it used classic colours, and Steven is a builder so we really like that little touch.
Did the venue provide any memorable extras or nice personal touches that stood out?
The venue were amazing! Lee was there any second we needed him and kept us all very calm for the day. All our guests commented on how amazing the venue, staff and food were. We couldn’t fault a thing. The breakfast hampers and Prosecco really were a lovely touch for us and having a Personal Wedding Manager really took the stress off of me.
Describe your wedding attire and favourite accessories
I had a simple tight white dress – again I wanted it to be classic, elegant and simple. I love those style dresses and I had a hair accessory that just added that little extra, plus a long cathedral veil that I absolutely loved. My favourite part of my attire was definitely my dress. I wish I could wear it every day!
What did your partner wear?
My partner wore a black dinner suit with a black bow tie, again this was to keep in with our classic theme and would not date over the years. We decided on this together and went to pick this together.
Tell us about your Bridesmaids, Groomsmen and their outfits
We had our best friends and my sisters as our bridesmaids and groomsmen. Our bridesmaids wore champagne satin cowl neck dresses from Pretty Lavish with simple long-stem roses as their bouquets. The groomsmen matched Steven with black tie dinner suits. We have three bridesmaids, three groomsmen and three flower girls. We asked them by giving them little boxes that we got from Etsy and personalised each box inside to each person.
What was your ceremony like?
Our ceremony room was decorated with white roses and white chair covers. We got tissues (for happy tears) and fans, as it was 38 degrees, for all of our guests. Again they were purchased on Etsy. We had a pianist playing for the ceremony and he played ‘A Thousand Years’ as I walked down the aisle with my father. It was perfect and beautiful.
Tell us about your drinks reception and wedding breakfast
For our welcome drinks, we had Pimms and strawberry daiquiris which everyone enjoyed outside in the sunshine with a saxophone playing and the ice cream cart. We then went on to our wedding breakfast where we had, mozzarella and rocket bruschetta or chicken liver parfait to start. For mains, we had either pork tenderloin or vegetable wellington for our main and finished with Eton mess or chocolate and salted caramel brownie. The pork was delicious – and for the really fussy eaters, Holmewood let us have an option of macaroni cheese which was so helpful.
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 lovely in the Great Hall. It was so nice to have everyone be able to see from all angles. Our photos from the top of the stairs look beautiful! We have ‘Love At First Sight’ by Bame Jones as I wanted something a bit different from what you usually hear. In the evening we had bongo drums that worked alongside Holmewoods Hall’s own DJ – everyone was up dancing and it was a really good vibe and perfect for all ages.
Based on your own experience, give us some top tips:
Our top tips are don’t go overboard on the big things and focus on little touches. We wrote letters to each guest and it really made a lovely impact that everyone mentioned but it didn’t cost a penny. Don’t over-organise the day, just relax and enjoy it. It is so much nicer to have a relaxed and happy environment for all your guests to enjoy.
Did you go on a honeymoon or mini-moon?
We went to Stella Island in Crete for our honeymoon. It was the most amazing place we have ever been to.
“If we could do it all again, we’d…”
We wouldn’t change a thing.
Purchase & Hire – Tell us who your suppliers were:
Wedding attire & Accessories: Dress Me Pretty Bridal Room Essence of Australia
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Pretty Lavish Bridal
Other outfits: Goddards Spalding
Wedding rings: Dawsons of Stamford
Wedding cake: Cakes by Carol
Invitations: Mammas and Minis Events
Photographer: Weddings by Adrian Dewey
Videographer – J Hyde Weddings
Band/disco/DJ: Durham Drums, Suzie Sax & Archie Maclennan– wedding pianist
Wedding favours: Baked by Peterborough
Hair: Katrina Kelly
Makeup: Sharpe Faces
Signage: Mammas and Minis Events
Flowers: Le Fleur Boutique
Styling: Allensis
Photo booth – The Snap Booth
