True Love Meets Flawless Style at Alrewas Hayes

Becky says…

Alrewas Hayes is the Queen of all manor house wedding venues in the midlands. It blends the historic charm of a Grade II listed manor house with a sleek contemporary aesthetic. And this makes it ideal if you’re looking for a venue that’s stylish, relaxed and just a little bit different.

The Alrewas Hayes orangery where Chloe and Lewis had their ceremony is gorgeous. With a high curved ceiling and refined period touches, this ceremony room is a wonderfully romantic place to say your vows. And of course, the flood of natural light will give you some truly dreamy photographs!

The courtyard outside is just beautiful too, and fragrant with the scent of lavender and roses. The historic manor house is covered in wisteria, making it a perfect backdrop for group shots. And with the elegant event space doubling as a dining area and party venue, Alrewas Hayes has it all!

Chloe and Lewis say “Choosing the venue was a hard decision, especially when there are so many great options all local to us! That said, when we went to view Alrewas Hayes it just felt right. Cliche, I know, but with the peaceful surroundings and awesome catering, it fit what we had in mind perfectly. They also offered plenty of different settings both indoors and outside, you never know what the English weather will bring!”

Chloe looked stunning in her ethereal Jenny Packham wedding dress and veil from Frances Day Bridal. And with her vibrant bouquet in hand, her soft, sophisticated look contrasted beautifully with the rustic textures of the maize. In their first moments alone together as a married couple, the quiet seclusion of the maze was the perfect place for them to relax, let their guard down, and be intimate with each other.

The bridesmaids chose their own dresses, each matching their personality and style all in a deep forest green, creating a relaxed style. Despite not being able to see the four dresses together until the big day, Chloe and Lewis were so pleased with how they all came together and worked perfectly with the groomsmen’s suits and the bride’s dress.

Chloe said she always knew she wanted a pair of shoes that were a little different, and after being convinced to wear something other than trainers she knew it had to be a pair of gold Loeffler Randall sandals. They did not come off all day, she even wore them the next morning to breakfast!

To ensure her elegant and romantic vision was complete Chloe chose Harper to do execute her makeup and Phoebe for her hair, both understood exactly what she had in mind and made the morning getting ready great fun.

In the historic and elegant manor house wedding venue, they combined flawless styling and breathtaking florals with an overwhelming sense of fun and love that ran through the whole day. The styling by Sass Weddings was flawless. If you want a blend of beautiful styling and personal touches, this wedding has tonnes of styling inspiration that proves you can have both.

The deep forest green of the bridesmaid dresses was echoed in the table runner on the head table. Leaves decorated the biscuits on every place setting. And ferns, prunus and grasses were draped over the elegant white, three-tiered wedding cake by The Cake Spa. It all came together to form an overarching woodland theme, perfect for an English manor house wedding venue.

And it was also so personally meaningful to Chloe and Lewis as well. As a nod to their shared passion for travelling, the refined glass table plan had each table named after some of the places they’ve visited together. And this was echoed in the ‘cards and gifts’ sign, accompanied by a little white and gold globe.

The floristry by Poppy Scout was simply exquisite. Chloe’s bouquet and the breathtaking flower installations showcased pompom dahlias in deep reds, ambers and peaches. The combination of colours and textures was mesmerising, with the dhalias balanced by warm greens of chestnut and pittosporum. Chloe knew she could trust Hattie’s creative style when she asked for her bouquet and the bridesmaids to have an autumnal feel with lots of textures. And Chloe’s bouquet, with its pure white hydrangea, delicate jasmine and pittosporum foliage, was a stunning bundle of vivacious beauty.

As a relaxed wedding photographer with a (slightly unhealthy) obsession with style, this was my dream wedding. With my perfect couple.

What made the day so special for me was the connection I had with Chloe and Lewis. I’d met Chloe initially when she travelled to a wedding fair specifically to meet me. And then I bumped into them in the pub after they booked, and we sat around a roaring fire together, drinking, chatting and getting to know each other. So when their wedding day finally came, it was such a pleasure to be the one to capture it. Because it felt like I was photographing two close friends on the best day of their lives.

A massive advantage of getting married in a wedding venue like Alrewas Hayes, the vast grounds offer you so many opportunities to escape from the madness of the wedding and spend some time connecting with each other.

And as a photographer who focuses on those personal, natural, authentic moments, it’s in these little oases of quiet and intimacy that we’ll get the best shots. The ones that you’ll love for years to come. Because they truly capture who you are, and your unique love for each other.

Best part of the day

Chloe says, “The whole day. Honestly it’s so difficult to pick a favourite bit, and it was such a dream being able to get together with our friends and family after so long apart. But if we had to choose one moment, it was when Becky took us away for photos by the private pool. Having those few moments away from all our guests we were able to relax and have some fun with photos, but without feeling any pressure to rush back, we could hear everyone was having fun without us. It’s like Becky knew we were ready for a break from the party, without us even asking.”

Words of Advice

Is a ‘Champagne shot’ the new ‘sparkler exit’? I LOVE these champagne shots! In fact, I think I may have found a new favourite way to end the night! Or set your own trend with a champagne pouring shot over a tower of glasses instead of a cake and it’s cutting moment!

Chloe and Lewis say “Trust your suppliers. We picked suppliers we got on well with and loved their style, after all they plan and attend more weddings than we do! Seeing the flowers, the venue and the finished look all together was magical and having not been too particular when planning out the details (some might say no details at all!) it made the day so special, being as much a surprise to us as it was our guests.

We would also recommend finding a photographer you feel comfortable with, a friend not just a supplier. It’ll make a huge difference to the quality of your photos and you and your guests will feel much more relaxed!”