Venue
Dr Johnny Wake : My family have been at Courteenhall since 1672, and built the Hall in 1789. It's always been in the family and so has a rich historical feel. The arboretum is a particularly special place: my grandfather (now aged 100!) is a huge tree enthusiast and planted it from scratch. He laid it out with a vision of colours and corridors which is amazing for him to be able to appreciate in its maturity now. We have had various stunning ceremonies in it in different locations, including a Pagan stone circle ceremony.
When Anna, my wife and I were deciding where to get married, it seemed crazy to choose somewhere that wasn't
Courteenhall. We couldn't think of anywhere more beautiful and perfect, and, of course, we planned to spend many happy decades ourselves there in the future; (at the time we were living and working as junior doctors in Oxford).
When we moved in we wanted to be able to share the amazing time we'd had with other people. We didn't want to turn into a wedding conveyor belt. By limiting our numbers we get to really enjoy hosting them rather than them feeling like a burden; we get to know the couples well and they really enjoy the exclusivity, the ability to come in days before to decorate, and the flexibility we have.
The Wedding
Melanie the Bride : James and I met at a works Christmas party. We couldn't take our eyes off each other all night. When he approached me in the car park the following week and asked me on a date, my legs turned to jelly and my heart skipped a beat.
Completely unexpected when we were on holiday in Las Vegas, James got down on one knee and proposed while we were in gondola in the Venetian hotel. In between tears and saying 'yes', James almost tipped the boat over as he stood up shouting 'She said yes, she said yes' much to my embarrassment!
I loved the idea of an outdoor wedding (originally wanting to get married abroad) so a venue with beautiful outdoor space and a marquee was top of the list. Courteenhall House is beautiful private estate in Northamptonshire that only do 8 weddings a year, so we both really liked the idea that not many people we know had been there or even heard of it. The Arboretum provided us with the perfect space for our ceremony; it had a real peaceful and calm feel to it.
We wanted to have a really personal ceremony that was about us as a couple. We opted for a humanist ceremony to give us the flexibility to do that. We had a fantastic celebrant who spent time getting to know us. She helped us write our own vows which brought James and I even closer in the run up to the big day. It was a very special process to us both as it meant the words where unique and personal. We had 2 readings 'The art of marriage' and 'love is...' which fitted in perfectly as it goes on to talk about trees and roots entwined. As we were standing under a big tree for the ceremony that acted as an intermit canopy, the words from the reading seemed perfect for the occasion. Another personal touch was having the celebrant read out marriage advice from both our mothers.
Colour Scheme
We wanted a soft and romantic palette to run through our decor. James didn't want anything pink so we settled for a pastel peach theme. Only later did we realise that both our mums had similar colour schemes for their weddings; it made it all the more special. I wanted lots of greenery and foliage in our floral design to complement the beautiful grounds the Estate has to offer. We also wanted to add a large silk ribbon to the tree for the ceremony that would blow in the wind and highlight the grand tree we got married under. We fell in love with the wooden cross back chairs. They were perfect for an outdoor wedding and again fitted with the natural elements in the Arboretum.
Flowers
My wedding bouquet was made up of white peonies, David Austin rose Juliet, Astilbe, Apricot stocks, fresh mint, olive leaf, Sweet Peas, Jasmine and Asparagus Grass. I wanted something natural, free flowing in a soft romantic style. Being the perfect time for peonies I knew I would be able to get the delicate blousy feel. Sarah at
Sarah Harper Flowers was absolutely amazing. I couldn't believe my luck when I found her. She listened to all my requirements and created the perfect arrangement for me. Everything was even better than I could have imagined. Scent was important to me as I wanted to carry on with the outdoor, romantic theme. All the flowers she chose gave off a heavenly aroma, including fresh mint not only for its gorgeous scent, but also for its lush green tones and its natural way of falling; paired up beautifully with the soft jasmine and dainty asparagus grass, it was perfect. Everything smelt and looked amazing. We kept the structure loose and natural. For the bouquets final touches, Sarah used Kate Cullen's gorgeous silks to compliment the shape and style.
We wanted the wedding to have the same look and feel throughout, so the centrepieces were similar to the bouquets; again focusing on scent and elegantly understated. We used olive branches, and peach cotton napkins on the place settings and gold urns and candles holders with tall peach candle sticks to add some extra colour and style to the ivory table linen.
Dress
I have quite a simple style so wanted a wedding gown that was elegantly understated. I loved my dress from
Justin Alexander Dress from
Sweetheart Gowns. Their designs are soft and romantic which fitted in perfectly with the venue. The back of the dress was a deal breaker for me and offered a real feature to the dress.
Rings
My engagement ring is rose gold so my mum gave me rose gold diamond stud earrings to match. On the morning of the wedding James left me a present open which was bracelet to match the ring and earrings. I was thoroughly spoilt!
Grooms Attire
James wore a fitted, two piece navy suit from
Moss Boss. It complimented our colour theme and was a real flattering style on him. He looked amazing!
Bridesmaids
The bridesmaids were in peach. All my bridesmaids were of different ages and I wanted them all to be totally comfortable with what they wearing. I was happy for them to have different styles that suited them as individuals. While the best men and ushers wore smart navy suits to match James. Our little 2 year old flower girl (my niece) wore a cute ivory dress from
John Lewis. We did hope for her to have floral crown too but unfortunately she wasn't feeling well and didn't want to wear it on the day.