Country Style Elegance
Jess & Lewis chose the beautiful village of Rotherfield Greys in South Oxfordshire for their wedding, with their ceremony taking place at the historic St Nicholas Church, a stunning Norman church steeped in centuries of history.
Jess and her father arrived at the church in a wonderful vintage Stag car — her father's pride and joy — before making their way inside for a beautiful wedding ceremony.
As Jess & Lewis left the church as newlyweds, their guests formed an archway for them to walk through, showering them with rose petal confetti before everyone made their way back to Jess's parents' home for the wedding reception.
A Wedding at the Family Home
There is something particularly special about being married at the place where you grew up. It feels incredibly personal to celebrate such an important day surrounded by family memories — and of course, you already know all the best spots for those all-important photographs!
For Jess & Lewis, the family paddock provided the perfect setting for their Oxfordshire marquee wedding.
On arrival, guests were welcomed with drinks and canapés in a charming tea tent, creating a relaxed space for everyone to gather before moving through to the main marquee.
The marquee itself was a stunning traditional canvas pole tent, complete with patterned linings and elegant English country-style décor. The combination created a timeless and romantic setting that fitted beautifully with the surrounding countryside.
There were plenty of thoughtful details throughout the day, including the table plan, which was made up of individual flowerpots, each one displaying a guest's name. A simple but beautifully considered touch that fitted perfectly with the country setting.
From Country Elegance to the Dance Floor
Guests enjoyed a delicious two-course wedding breakfast before the evening celebrations began.
Music was particularly important to Jess & Lewis. When they first met, they went to Ronnie Scott's Club together, where they heard Soul Family perform. It was therefore incredibly special that they chose the band to play at their wedding.
The nine-piece band had everyone on their feet and dancing well into the evening, followed by a DJ who kept the energy going late into the night.
It was the perfect soundtrack to finish a beautiful day.
Partial Wedding Planning and On-the-day Management
Jess & Lewis came to me for partial wedding planning. They already had a good idea of what they wanted for their wedding, but needed some additional support to develop the overall design, make the right supplier choices and bring all the different elements together.
This is one of the things I particularly enjoy about partial wedding planning. You don't necessarily need someone to take over your entire wedding, but having an experienced wedding planner alongside you can make all the difference when it comes to refining your ideas, coordinating suppliers and making sure nothing gets missed.
As well as helping with the planning in the lead-up to the wedding, I was also there on the wedding day to manage and coordinate the entire celebration. My role was to oversee the suppliers and set-up, keep everything running to the agreed timings and deal with all the behind-the-scenes details, so Jess & Lewis could relax and enjoy their day with their family and friends.
As this was a marquee wedding at the family home, the build began around four days before the wedding. I was therefore back and forth to the property throughout the build, overseeing the set-up, managing supplier deliveries and making sure everything was coming together as planned.
Luckily, this particular wedding was practically on my doorstep!
"We wanted to thank you for all your advice and support planning Jessica & Lewis’s wedding. We really couldn’t have managed without you. Your recommendations were all great and your calm and cheerful presence meant we could enjoy the day without worrying about anything. We really cannot thank you enough."
A big thank you to the wonderful team of suppliers who helped bring their wedding to life.
Credits: Papillon Events (wedding planner), Bohemia Canvas (marquee), County Marquees (furniture), Goose & Berry (caterer), Joanne Caldwell (florist), Baller Sounds (DJ), Soul Family (band), Lucy Davenport (photographer), Shutterbox Films (videographer), Liz Patey (make-up), Nomadic Washrooms (washrooms).