Caroline & Nick

There will always be a very special place in my heart for any wedding held at the beautiful Iscoyd Park. I said my very own 'I Do's' at the venue and we've staged many a happy Rock My Wedding shoot in the grounds so I feel a certain affinity with any bride who has been lucky enough to host her own wedding day here. Caroline and Nick said their vows to each other against a classic and elegant backdrop full of soft pastels, jazz, romantic kisses in the grounds and gorgeous flowers. Caroline looked exquisite in her Enzoani frock complete with statement jewellery and rose bouquet; I'm sure her dad would have been as proud as punch. The boys looked very dapper too in blue! All the beautiful details were captured by Victoria Phipps.

Caroline The Bride: I wanted our wedding to be classic and elegant, to be full of beautiful detail, soft pastels, romantic, light, gorgeous flowers, delicious food and lots of smiles. We started planning two years before the big day. The wedding grew bigger and bigger and I thought I had it all planned out and then suddenly my dad passed away. It changed everything. To me the meaning behind our wedding was to make us a family and that became even more poignant. It would also be the first family event to take place after my dad so I knew emotions would be running high. For that reason we started to tone everything down, we wanted it to be a relaxed atmosphere, full of our closest family and friends, a time to celebrate, remember, be thankful, and a chance to try and treat everyone we love to a gorgeous day.

Photographer

Finding the right photographer was the first thing we did. We both love photography and so it was really important for us to find the right person to capture the big day. Vicki was amazing. From our first meeting it just felt right. She was relaxed but professional, did a great engagement shoot and just made us feel so comfortable. On the day she caught every moment and I just can’t help but smile every time I look at the photos we’re left with.

Venue

As soon as we drove down the drive to Iscoyd Park we knew it was the right place to get married. The picturesque English country home is the perfect mix of Georgian character with modern design and whilst the main house is so warm and welcoming you can walk through to the marquee and it's a blank canvas for you to personalise your wedding. The team were amazing, I don’t know what we would have done without Jen, she made you feel like a friend not client and made our wedding vision into reality.

Setting the Scene

Our flowers were from Earth Florists in Heswall on the Wirral. I wanted soft pastels and pale, slivery greens. My dad loved freesias so these were incorporated with big peonies into the bouquets and button holes. The other details came from a combination of not-on-the-high-street, Etsy, months shopping for glass jars, candles, old photo frames etc and a few evenings mastering chalk pens and confetti cones. I still love reading some of the date ideas our guests came up with, and looking back at the polaroid snaps from the day!

The Dress

The Dakota from Enzoani was the second dress I tried on. I fell in love, it was that moment that you imagine and it just made me feel amazing. But ever the sensible bride, and really using it as an excuse to continue the wedding dress shopping, I thought I’d keep looking before making the decision. Then everything happened and the Dakota didn't seem to fit the new low key wedding I thought I wanted, so I went out by myself and brought the first new dress I tried on. What a mistake. It was only two weeks before the big day at my final fitting that I realised it was all wrong. In floods of tears I phoned up the bridal shop where I tried on Dakota. They were fantastic. They found me the dress and managed to squeeze me in for a rather speedy fitting. I don’t know what I would have done without them. With a lace dress I thought I needed some sparkle, which I found in my head piece, earnings and shoes, all finished with my something old, borrowed and blue from my mum- a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring.

The Bridal Party

The bridesmaids wore dresses from Coast. I was a little worried about getting a bridesmaid dress from the high street but the colour and fit were perfect. They all wore their hair up with fresh flowers to match their bouquets. We all had our hair and makeup done by the girls at Heswall Hair and Beauty. They came on mass and set up makeup station on the landing outside the bridal suit. We all felt totally pampered and they kept us smiling all morning. Nick decided he wanted four ushers as well as a best man...along with my uncle walking me down the aisle and my father in law to be, that made eight suits! After much searching we bought them from Marks and Spencer and then had them tailiored accordingly. Drawing inspiration from Pinterest he decided he wanted classic blue with polka dot tie and pocket square, tying in the blush pink and pastel colour theme, along with his favourite pair of Paul Smith brogues.

Food and Music

We’re both big foodies and so having plenty of delicious food for everyone was important for us. The Fine Dining Company were great and we had so many good comments about how amazingly delicious the food was. A work colleague made the cake, we had a tier of fruit, lemon and Victoria sponge, with fresh flowers on the top from the florist. After dinner the bar served up a selection of our favourite cocktails...I think the Caprinina was a definite winner. Music wise, to go with the relaxed drinks reception we decided on a saxophonist. Soft jazz wafted through the air as Pimms, Morreti and canapés were served, hay bails were being rolled in the field next door and croquet was in full swing on the lawn. Perfect. The pace was ramped up by The Gobots in the evening. They were brilliant! Energetic, enthusiastic and had everyone dancing right to the end.

Final Note

My advice would be to just enjoy the whole process of your wedding. The comment I get most is that ‘I didn't stop smiling all day’, and it's true. From the moment I woke up that morning I was happy. The day didn't run completely as expected...walls fell over, trousers were ripped and an usher ended up in A+E….but through it all I couldn’t help but smile because as cliche as it sounds I was marrying my gorgeous husband and best friend, surrounded by people I love and being looked down upon by someone who is always in my heart. Thinking about how proud he would have been makes me smile. And that's what weddings are for; you become a family, cherish the one you have already, remember those who aren’t with you, let yourself be pampered, indulge, treat your guests, relax and enjoy the experience.