Spring Wedding At Walcot Hall

The Wedding Dress Journey

I knew I wanted a dress that was unlike any other. I didn’t want a wedding that looked like it was out of a magazine.  I wanted a dress from a store that represented me, our values, and our personalities. Miina at Indie Bride, and the dress was the perfect match for me - the ethos and values of Miina and her business, the service Miina provides, her lovely personality, and the most beautiful dresses! Miina works above and beyond. The dresses are stunning and one of a kind!  

A moment you especially enjoyed while working with Indie Bride London?

Finding my dress and coming back for my first fitting! I found my dress and then had to wait before I could try it on again. In the meantime, the wedding prep continued. I bought my veil and my shoes. The moment I went for my first fitting and was able to try it all together made me tearful! It encapsulated my wedding day vision.  

The Wedding

The Bridal Look

Ad and I decided on an April wedding. We knew that no matter the time of year, English weather is unpredictable, so it didn’t really matter. We had so much inspiration and settled on a ‘spring wildflower’ idea. We were influenced by the 1920s Downton Abbey vibes as well as my hippy alternative lifestyle, so the 1970s, I guess. Our wedding was the week after Easter as well, so we also wanted to capture the idea of bright, fresh, new beginnings. All these influenced our wedding, from the blue velvet shoes with gold heels, bright lipstick and blusher veil, a dress with long sleeves, to the traditional tails. Our brief to our suppliers was bright and colourful, and that theme carries through our whole day. We wanted it to represent us, so there were plenty of personal touches. Ad and I aren’t religious but had a religious upbringing. My mum is a priest and has always spoken about officiating our wedding. I wore the jewellery she and my grandma wore on their wedding day. My stepdad also played the organ and keyboard for our ceremony. The rings were carried in the same Bible my mum used, and the readings were the same. We feel our day captures who we are - past, present, and future. 

Why did you choose to get married at the Walcot Hall? 

Ad and I had our reception at Walcot Hall, Lydbury North, Shropshire. We fell in love with the freestanding bright blue Georgina Ballroom. As well as the acres of grounds, views of the Shropshire Hills, and the fact the venue sleeps 100. We had family travel from all over the world to spend the weekend celebrating with us, and it was so special! The venue is very flexible and quirky, so we had pretty much free reign the whole weekend.  Walcot Hall is also local to St. Michael & All Angels Church. This was important as my mum was officiating our wedding, and there can be romance in tradition.  

What entertainment and food did you choose for your wedding? 

As Ad and I became engaged in Italy we decided on a Mediterranean-inspired wedding breakfast. Emma & Heber (Rodriguez Catering) are a small, independent local business which again aligned with our values. Our menu provided guests with a variety of choices, including arancini, homemade focaccia, chicken & chorizo, and Melanzane Milanese. We then had a grazing board in the evening just to provide drunk guests with a breadstick or two! Our wedding cake, made by Leanne from Sweet Little Things, was influenced by our love of cocktails! We had a dessert buffet with passionfruit cake, white chocolate & raspberry and espresso martini. Then a variety of brownies and cookies for guests to eat at their leisure! It went down a treat!  

And, of course, we had the incredible Dan from Dan Brunskill DJ&Sax to entertain our reception! Adam and I love to dance, so Dan brought the vibes! It was incredible. After our first dance, we had an outfit change, popped on light up trainers, and partied all night long!!! Dan provided music from the drinks reception right through to early hours. He made all the announcements and was amazing!  

Was there anything that went wrong on your wedding day, and how did you deal with it? 

The weather! It absolutely chucked it down, so we weren’t able to have our first dance outside, but that’s ok. We had it inside instead. We had the amazing Kate & Charley who kept everything running smoothly. The day goes so fast, and I was so wrapped up in love that Kate & Charley probably made anything that went wrong disappear before we noticed. Highly recommend hiring Kate & Charley for any DIY venue.  

Apart from saying yes to your husband, what was your favourite moment on your wedding day? 

Honestly, the moments we had to ourselves. Ad and I had a private drink in the pub together and had moments throughout the evening where we just snuck off. It was so special. We loved having our portraits taken, as it meant we could just be together. Those moments are the ones I remember.

-Lydia-