Caroline and David celebrated their love of the sea and scuba diving in their summer wedding at Bourton Hall. The Chapel and gardens were the perfect setting for this happy day, which was filled with lots of lovely, personal touches.
What were your wedding “must-haves”?
Our must have was that the venue needed to be all-encompassing and have accommodation for our guests. We also wanted an exclusive wedding venue: we didn’t want a hotel where other people could wander around.
How did you organise your wedding budget?
We had a spreadsheet that showed the average costs of everything you need for a wedding then we made notes on what we’re prepared to spend plus any other bits. We added this up to see if it was close to a figure we could afford. We kept a record of our estimates to see if we were on track.
How did you find your venue and when did you realise it was “the one”?
I looked at a huge amount of venues online – I wasn’t going to visit a venue in-person if I didn’t like the images online. I knew by the images of Bourton Hall that it would be stunning, and I wanted that “wow” factor. The chapel was beautiful and I loved the gardens. The lions at the bottom of the staircase gave the space a regal feel!
How did you personalise your big day?
We both scuba dive so we chose a blue and gold colour scheme with mermaid and sea creature balloons. Our cake was blue marbled with gold fish decorations.
We also added hand-held fans at the last minute, because the weather was so warm.
Did the venue provide any memorable extras or nice personal touches that stood out?
Molly was amazing every time we saw her. We asked if we could have pink bubbles for the speeches and they agreed at no extra cost, which was super-lovely.
What did you both wear?
My dress was a princess dress in subtle peach with a corset top and lace detailing. The straps were pretty lace flowers. There were lots of layers to the skirt, which made it heavy. David wore a navy blue suit.
What was your ceremony like?
My dad walked me down the aisle to an orchestral version of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King. My grandpa read a poem and so did David’s mum. A long-time scuba diving friend read a poem about the sea to fit the wedding theme. On the way out, we danced to “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid.
Tell us about your drinks reception and wedding breakfast
We had garden games and a sweet cart as extras, and our guests loved the canapes (the coronation chicken and apple crumble were the favourites).
At the wedding breakfast, the speeches were emotional. My maid-of-honour had come from Australia to be there, and gave a speech about how we are sisters, not just best friends. My dad told embarrassing stories and talked about my childhood. He also told everyone that I’d had a criteria of how I’d wanted David to propose: sunset, on a boat, in a hot country (I didn’t get the sunset as we were night diving!).
Towards the end of his speech, my dad announced a surprise guest, and Percy Pig came in! He presented us with a Percy Pig hamper because I love those sweets – everyone was laughing!
Based on your own experience, please give us some top tips!
Organisation. It’s never too early to start planning. Some people suggested waiting six months to get started, but I’d advise getting started as soon as you can.
Email your suppliers the week before the wedding to double-check all the details.
Pay as much as you can in advance so it doesn’t build up.
Did you go on a honeymoon or a mini-moon?
We’re going to the Galápagos Islands in December. I’m glad we’re waiting so we have time to enjoy married life and not stress about the honeymoon immediately after the wedding.
“If we could do it all again, we’d…”
Start earlier so it could last longer! Our day was perfect and I would love to do it again.
Tell us about your suppliers
Wedding dress: Banbury Bridal
Groom’s suit: Moss Bros
Wedding Cake: The Cakery Leamington Spa
Flowers: Jaqueline the Florist, Southam
Photographs: Lou Howle Photography
