Claire & Cedric’s Garthmyl Hall Wedding

I could not love this wedding more… it’s also making me crave Autumn already!

Claire and Cedric chose (and fell in love with) Garthmy Hall for their big day celebrations when they visited on one of their Open Days, and if you’re yet to discover this incredibly stylish country house then you too could have your own ‘Claire & Cedric’ moment at their Luxury Wedding Fair next month!

Not only is this wedding a yummy autumn feast, the couple have also truly given THE best bit of wedding advice inspired by Ferris Bueller, so keep reading…

Notes from the Couple

Claire & Cedric say…

We always knew we wanted a small wedding, however I struggled to find a venue that was intimate yet provided the grandeur of a lot of larger venues. We visited Garthmyl Hall’s Open Day and from the minute we walked through the door we knew it was the place we’d been looking for.

Garthmyl is stunningly decorated and the rooms flow beautifully together, as we walked around on that first visit we were already excitedly planning the day out. The exclusive use and flexibility with suppliers meant that we could truly make the day our own.

Claire’s twin nieces were bridesmaids, not a huge help with getting ready but looked adorable in tutus from FlowersAndConfetti on Etsy. When it came to choosing the wedding dress, not a single bridal shop was visited, Claire had a clear idea of the classic vintage look she wanted and found it online at Bombshell. Accessories were minimal with a statement feather headpiece and boutonnieres for the groom’s party.

We kept the décor minimal as Garthmyl Hall is stunning and we didn’t want to hide any bit of it. Claire didn’t want the décor to be overly feminine and was inspired by her love of ferns and Victoriana, that’s where our florist Pheasant Botanica came in.  Donna and her team know Garthyml like the back of their hand as they has provided the décor for many previous events. We loved the previous work they had done especially some of the foliage displays in the summer house. Donna embraced the challenge of a whole wedding without a single flower and the result could not have been more beautiful. Bouquets full of amazing green foliage and seed heads, twinkling glass bottles filled with single stems and potted ferns made the whole thing magical.

When it came to the food we didn’t want anything too formal and wanted guests to feel relaxed. Tallulah was there when we originally visited Garthmyl and was exactly what we wanted. We could basically pick what we wanted and were not tied to a particular menu. One of my friends actually said they had a food hangover the next day as they couldn’t stop eating. We also didn’t want a traditional wedding cake and from the start Claire knew she wanted an array of different cakes that guests could help themselves too. A beautiful cake table was set up in the dining room full of amazing treats provided by Caz’s Kitchen and a tiered cheese cake washed down with port. Once the port was finished, the heels came off and the dancing started in the ballroom, with great music from the Wolfpack.

Choosing a photographer was hard as neither of us wanted posed photographs, we spent hours looking through portfolios and it was on a second visit to Garthmyl that Claire met Nesta. Her style of photography and ability to catch the day’s emotions were a winner. Claire was anxious about getting her photograph taken but Nesta couldn’t have made it easier, she immediately puts you at ease and this results in beautiful memories captured in a picture.

Best part of the day

We cannot choose a best bit as the whole day was better than we could have ever imagined. However a highlight was being able to get married in the summer house in November, as you can imagine this was challenging regarding temperature but Julia and her team made it happen. Garthmyl makes you feel like you are home while you are there and apart from the initial nerves the whole day was relaxed and filled with warmth and laughter. Our four year old niece summed it up the next morning when she said “do we have to go home?”

From one couple to another…

In the words of Ferris Bueller “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Once the planning is all done, remember to take a breath and enjoy your day, you’re in good hands with Julia, Polly and the team.

Venue Garthmyl Hall

Photography Nesta Lloyd Photography

Flowers Pheasant Botanica

Catering Tallulah’s Catering

Music Lucy Mayhew and The Wolfpack

Cakes Caz’s Kitchen

Dress Bombshell