Chloe & Matt | 6th October 2018
Where did you hold your wedding and why did you choose this venue?
Cowdray House. All the other venues we looked at required us to compromise somewhere whilst Cowdray offered us everything we wanted from a practical level, as well as being absolutely stunning. It had enough space for our guests (just about), multiple areas which were suitable for the ceremony, drinks, dinner and dancing and weren’t weather dependent (thankfully), and enough bedrooms for a lot of our guests to stay but with the added benefit of privacy thanks to it being a house rather than a hotel. We also really appreciated the fact Cowdray only host a limited number of weddings a year compared to some venues who left us feeling like we would be fitted into their conveyor belt.
If you had to sum up your wedding in one sentence, what would it be?
It was quite simply the best day of our lives, filled with so much emotion, love and laughter that we’ll remember forever.
How many guests did you have?
160 day + 16 evening
Were there any notable speeches/music/readings or particularly memorable moments?
For both of us, Chloe’s walk down the aisle was incredibly intense but in a good way. It required every bit of strength to hold back floods of tears but it really stayed with us.
The fairly intoxicated drive away from all the sparkler waving guests in a golf buggy covered with fairy lights was hilarious.
One of the most memorable things were the flowers, they were so breathtakingly beautiful and created a magical atmosphere that was such a big part of the day.
What did you choose to have on your menu?
Starter: Ballotine of chicken wrapped in prosciutto with crushed celeriac and parsnip
Main: Slow roasted West Country rump of beef with garlic and thyme roasted new potatoes, seasonal vegetables and beef jus
Dessert: ‘Chocolate banoffee’ warm chocolate fondant with banoffee ice cream, bruleed banana and crumble crunch
What was your favourite part of the day?
The fantastic band and all the dancing, especially the after party with the more hardcore guests.
How did Jacaranda help make your day special?
They just did everything, throughout the planning and from start to finish on the day itself they had it all covered. They completely took away any wedding stress, always responding to queries, going out of their way to accommodate special requests, offering fantastic suggestions and making sure everything ran smoothly. The food itself was absolutely superb and we received so many compliments on it, as well as the fantastic service. The fact no one was ever left with an empty glass was particularly appreciated!
They turned the room from ceremony set up to the most stunning wedding breakfast in less than two hours and then managed to serve 160 guests at more or less the same time. Special credit has to be given to the event manager, Phern, who, from our first meeting, made us feel as though we could fully trust her and she didn’t let us down once! She cared about all the little details as much as the big ones and it felt as though she was really invested in making the day perfect for us. We cannot thank her enough!
Suppliers:
Photographer: Matt Sim (www.mattsim.co.uk)
Videographer: Shoot it yourself (www.shoot-it-yourself.co.uk)
Florist: Jenni Bloom Flowers (www.jennibloom.com)
String Quartet: Leos Strings (www.leos-strings.com)
Band: 7 piece band put together specifically for the wedding by Chloe’s brother who is a session drummer.
Cake (flavour of the cake and designer): The Naked Food Company: 4 tiered naked wedding cake in 3 different flavours (Cherry & Almond / Strawberries & Cream / Lemon & Lavender)
Stationery: Invitations by Strawberry Sorbet (www.strawberrysorbet.co.uk/wedding-stationery)
Hair/Makeup: Hair by Samantha Mason, Make up by Katherine Kelsing
Props/furniture/linen/tabletop rentals: Place Settings (Chairs, tables and table top hire), Jenni Bloom (Lanterns & candles) & Firebird (Dancefloor and lights)
Transportation: Coaches Home by Starline Minicabs
Wedding Planner/Designer: None unless you count Phern!
Bride’s Dress: Macedonia by San Patrick purchased through Amorae Bridal in Ongar
Veil: My something borrowed from my bridesmaid Tor
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Bridesmaids’ outfits: Style 3012 in Ivory and Palomino by Dessy
Groom’s outfit: TM Lewin with Reiss tie & pocket square
Ushers outfits: TM Lewin with Reiss tie
