Mabel & Christopher 06/07/23
What made you choose Iscoyd Park for your wedding venue?
It was love at first visit! Turning into the driveway and seeing the house reveal itself through the trees was magical. We were given a tour by the wonderful Ffi which was further icing on the cake as she is the epitome of friendliness. Every corner you turn in the house reveals more gems. But overall it was the feeling of home that was so evident throughout. Despite being a huge venue it never felt empty or soulless. The house and grounds have a rich history that has only been enhanced by the family. And the Iscoyd Cottage? That alone is our dream home and such a wonderful treat to stay in the night before. A truly spectacular location.
What was your favourite part of your wedding day?
All of it! The whole feeling of the day was pure joy for the soul.
Mabel: The ceremony was incredibly special. One of our friends Peter acted as our celebrant and made it all so personal and thoughtful. The immense feeling of love and support emanating throughout the room is something I will forever treasure.
Chris: The entire day was a haze of laughter and love. There simply isn’t a specific moment, it stands as the happiest day of my life so far, but the band were incredible. Make sure the music/band/DJ reflects yours and your guests taste in music because the dance floor was filled from start to finish.
Tell us a little bit about your wedding theme.
We got engaged while on holiday on the Amalfi coast in Italy and this cemented a love affair with the country. Lemons were something we wanted throughout our day as a nod to our engagement. We knew we didn’t want anything too structured with the theme but focused more on touches that would work with the venue. Bringing a bit of Italian feel to the English Country gardens of Iscoyd, embracing plenty of colour and some Regency elegance. For our wedding cake and dessert table (provided by our amazing local bakery Long Bois Bakehouse) we choose a traditional piped look for the cake and Italian-inspired desserts like ‘Tiramichoux’ as a subtle nod to the theme.
The Outfits; Who did you wear? What did your bridal party wear?
Mabel: I wore a Madison James dress and Randy Fenoli veil along with shoes from Charlotte Mills and my hair piece was my ‘something borrowed’ from my Maid of Honour who had worn the same piece for her wedding.
The bridesmaids all wore different dresses in varying shades of blue. It was so important for everyone to feel happy and confident in their outfits and shining in their individuality.
Christopher: I wore a Moss Bros, three piece, double breasted suit with pink accessories and matching pink Kurt Geiger shoes. The groomsmen and ring bearer wore an assortment of navy blue suits with matching pink accessories to complement my outfit.
The Flowers; Tell us some more about your blooms.
Oh my goodness they were HEAVENLY! Superstar florist Joseph Massie created such a wonderland for us. Flowers were always going to be an important part of the day as we have such a love of gardens and colour. We wanted a stand out statement for the reception space with a big hanging installation. The design was for an Italian/English garden theme with tonnes of colour. Lemons were dotted around to tie in our theme and we were keen to have some potted plants for sustainability as well as plenty of fragrance. The bridal bouquets were kept more muted to allow the outfits to shine. Pulling the whole look together were the table linens provided by Table Alchemy that allowed all of those colours to pop.
Mabel: I’d been on the hunt for patterned linens in that particular style for a while as I had an image in my head. I’m so thrilled to have found a supplier and the final look was even more magical than I had dreamed.
The Photography; Who were your photographers and why did you choose them?
Harry Michael is the genius behind our photos. He is a recommended supplier from Iscoyd and you can absolutely see why! We didn’t want any overbearing characters as a photographer, but someone who would be charming and down to earth, Harry was just that. One of the nicest people and with such insane talent. Harry was an absolute joy to have with us on the day.
From our first Zoom call with him he was an immediate must have. Looking through Harry’s portfolio you can see he shines at capturing those natural, fun, unposed moments that we were after.
The Evening; Give us the lowdown on entertainment.
Disciples of Soul were the MOST spectacular band we could have wished for. A 9-piece soul band, they kicked off our entertainment by playing our first dance song live. Everyone was on the dance floor for the entirety of their sets and could not stop talking about how fantastic they were. An absolute gold dust of a find.
We also had an Audio Guestbook! It was such a fun thing for our guests to enjoy and listening back to the audio afterwards was hilarious.
Words of Wedding Wisdom?
Take your time. Make sure you remember why the day is so important and that it’s not about anyone other than you and your partner. Take at least three moments to stop and take in your surroundings as you will be pulled in every direction by your loved ones throughout the day and those moments will allow you to take a breath and also slow down. The team at Iscoyd have got your back, and will help in ways you didn’t even think of so just relax.
Find out more about Weddings at Iscoyd Park
Photography by Harry Michael Photography