Inside: A Classic Cotswolds Wedding Full Of Charm

The Story So Far

Luke and I met through a friend at a birthday party and hit it off straight away— from the first moment, we both knew this was something different and special. We moved in together straight away and have been joined at the hip ever since, leading up to our Cotswolds wedding at The Barn at Upcote.

We had a trip to visit some friends in Valencia planned, and prior to meeting them, we spent 24 hours in the city exploring just the two of us. We spent the day rambling around the city centre, watching the world go by, and enjoying the delights of Spanish cuisine and local wineries. Then, it was time to head back to our hotel to get ready to go for dinner.

We had a beautiful room with a gorgeous balcony looking out onto a cobbled side street just off the main square. As we finished getting ready, Luke asked me to come out onto the balcony to watch the sunset. As I went to take a photo of us, Luke got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. From that moment the emotion overtook us both and we both burst into tears.

The Ring

We had discussed the future very early on in our relationship, and knew marriage was something we both wanted. Nearly a year before actually getting engaged, we went to have a look at rings, so when the time came Luke knew what style I would like. After a day visiting jewellers all over London for inspiration, we went to one final shop and found the perfect style.  

Luke then found a local jeweller in Henley who made bespoke pieces and worked with him to create the design, the diamond, the setting, and the band.

The Venue

We got married at The Barn at Upcote in Cheltenham. It was the first venue we looked at, and we instantly felt at home there. They have a gorgeous courtyard, which— weather permitting— would allow us to get married outside (which we’d always wanted to do). The Barn at Upcote also included exclusive use of other barns, which we could use for the other parts of our day.

Despite British summertime having other ideas an hour prior to the wedding starting, we made the final decision to have the ceremony outside. It was bright and overcast— but most importantly, dry.

The day before, we travelled down and checked in to the beautiful No. 131, The Promenade Hotel. That evening, both sides of the immediate family met for drinks to start the celebrations early.

The morning after the wedding, some of our guests came to meet us at our hotel. It was the perfect way for us to extend the celebrations, reminisce on every detail, and soak in every moment. On the day itself, it is difficult to spend time with everyone so doing it this way meant we could catch up with our guests.

The Fashion

My dress was a structured off-the-shoulder Mikado gown from Wed2b, which had a full ballgown skirt. It was the perfect balance of simple, classic, and dramatic. In the evening, I changed into a more lightweight satin cowl-back dress from Meshki, perfect to dance the night away in.

Luke’s black suit was from Next, and his shoes were from Moss Bros.

Jewellery

I kept my wedding day jewellery minimal and heartfelt, with just my wedding rings, my mother’s pearl necklace, and a dainty bracelet and pearl earrings from Monica Vinader.

The Bridal Party

We decided not to have a traditional bridal party with bridesmaids and groomsmen, instead opting to have our siblings as best man and maid of honour. Luke’s brother Zach was in a matching black suit, and my sister Gabriella wore a blush pink dress from Maids to Measure.

The Tablescape

The Barn at Upcote was the perfect backdrop for our dream tablescape. Epic Catering laid the tables— we provided them with a layout of how we wanted it to look, and they exceeded all expectations. They supplied the plates and glassware, and we supplied the finer details ourselves: name cards, menu cards and napkins. AQUA Florist supplied all the bud vases and all floral arrangements for the day.

The florals were simply stunning. Jo, the owner of AQUA, understood exactly what we were looking for. For the barn itself, Cotswold Wedding Co supplied the drapes which transformed the space completely, and Valley Furniture Hire supplied the chairs, outdoor tables, and benches.

Food & Drink

Guests were welcomed to The Barn at Upcote with champagne, and sipped on bubbles and beer through the drinks reception. To pair with breakfast, we opted for a French Rioja reserve as our red wine, and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as the white.

Our wedding breakfast was a three-course meal, and our guests were able to pick between three different options for their starters and mains. For dessert, we served our wedding cake, and we finished the evening out with pizzas.

The Entertainment

I walked down the aisle to ‘Get To Love You’ by Ruelle. Luke surprised me with a saxophonist named Robert Benson who played ‘All You Need Is Love’ for our aisle exit, and also performed at our drinks reception. The moment we were announced as husband and wife, Robert appeared, which was magical.

We then had a fabulous band called Coco Magic that played in to the evening. Our first dance was held outside, and guests surrounded us with sparklers as we danced to ‘This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole.

Beauty Regime & Wellness

I had a make-up trial with @beautybylivatie and a hair trial with @georgiemaiseyhair a few months before the wedding. Both Liv and Georgie were both so lovely, and felt very much part of the bridal party on the morning of.

Wellness wise, I adore reformer Pilates. It not only gave my mind a much-needed hour of me time— which is essential when wedding planning—but also an hour of strengthening and toning. I felt the most confident I have ever been in the run-up to the wedding, and can hands down put it down to reformer.

Luke went running weekly, ate a healthy diet, and went for daily weight training after finishing work each afternoon, which he says was the best escape after a day of working from home. By the time our wedding and two-week honeymoon in Bali came around, he also felt his best, and sees the daily trips to the gym even through the winter months as completely worth it.

The Photographer

We first found Kay l eigh on Instagram, and adored how she captured such natural moments between each couple she photographed. We wanted timeless photographs that we could look back on in the years to come and still love them as much as we do today— and Kayleigh certainly fits that brief.

She brought a sense of calm to the madness, capturing every moment and detail yet you wouldn’t know she was even there half the time. She was discreet yet so personable. We are so grateful we picked Kayleigh, and that she was part of our day. She really was the photographer of our dreams!

The Celebrant

We found the wonderful Faye on Instagram when searching for a local celebrant to conduct our ceremony at The Barn at Upcote. Faye came to meet with us in our home prior to the wedding, and spent the morning getting to know us as a couple and our journey so far. Off the back of this, she then wrote our ceremony.

Faye became a friend overnight, and we both found comfort on the day in the fact she was there to look after us both. On the day itself, Faye executed the ceremony perfectly. We are so happy to have picked her.

Favourite Wedding Gifts

Our guests’ presence at our wedding was more than enough, however if any wanted to buy us a gift, we asked for a contribution towards our honeymoon. Travelling is something we both have a passion for, and we wanted to make our honeymoon the best we possibly could. We were overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity, and had the most incredible two-week trip to Bali as a result.

Advice

Remember if something doesn’t go to plan, none of your guests will know any different.
Enjoy the planning process. Do not sweat the small stuff.
Plan to your means, and don’t give in to people’s demands. This is you and your partners day, so do it exactly how you want to.