Andrew & Cheryl’s Intimate Mid-Pandemic Celebration at Aswanley

They ended up postponing to October, but still with a limited number of guests compared to their original plans. As with so many of the brilliant micro weddings that took place in 2020, there is still SO much joy and inspiration present in this wonderful autumnal wedding which, though not as originally planned, was full of love and happiness.

Cheryl says…

When we first visited Aswanley we were absolutely blown away by how beautiful it was. The surrounding landscape and grounds were incredibly picturesque and the various spaces in the main building felt very welcoming. All of the points on our ‘ideal venue’ checklist were easily ticked off and we knew immediately that it was the place for our special day – it was exactly what we were looking for!

We were originally due to get married in March 2020 and had invited around 85 guests for the wedding ceremony and reception. However, we sadly had to postpone during the week leading up to our wedding due to Covid-19. The team at Aswanley were incredibly understanding and helpful which made the whole process of re-organising less stressful.

We had an amazing wedding day the following October despite having to reduce our number of guests to 20 due to the restrictions. We are so thankful that we were able to get married and very grateful for the team at Aswanley for all of their skill and effort in helping to make it happen – we felt in very safe hands. The level of service that we received was absolutely outstanding and we would highly recommend the venue and the team.

We downscaled some of our original wedding plans to take account of the smaller number of guests and decided to keep our styling at the venue quite simple. Our ceremony was hosted in the Fireplace Room, a great space both for the ceremony and to relax in later in the day next to the roaring fire.

We had originally planned to have a series of round tables in the Dining Room for the reception but the team at Aswanley helped us to come up with a new configuration due to social distancing requirements. Despite the change in layout, we were still able to use our original table decorations, including candles, confetti along with small flower arrangements in our favourite Scottish gin bottles.

We were very keen to support local suppliers and we were delighted to get the chance to work with Caroline Zanolini from Forbes Flowers. When we first met with Caroline to discuss our original March wedding she recommended a spring floral theme with dainty flowers in pink and blue. Despite our wedding date being moved to October, Caroline was very accommodating and she still managed to supply beautiful seasonal flowers.

Aswanley were able to share a fantastic list of recommended suppliers which included our caterer, Country Flavours. We had the real pleasure of visiting them for a tasting session before our wedding day and we were very impressed with the standard and quality of the food.

Donna Murray Photography captured beautiful natural moments that happened between our guests that we would otherwise have missed. She also made great use of the autumnal light and colours in such a magical way. We absolutely love our photos and have really enjoyed looking back at them.

Best part of the day

The weather was wet and windy as guests arrived and we started to doubt if we would be able to get any photographs outside at all. However, just as our ceremony ended, the clouds parted and the sun came out so we took the opportunity to get outside immediately before the weather changed again. The apparent micro climate at Aswanley came to our rescue and is yet another reason to choose the venue!

From one couple to another

All of the time and effort that goes into the planning process is of course important in order to try and make sure that all of your guests enjoy the experience. However, it is key not to lose sight of the fact that as couple, your wishes should come first – it is important that you shape the day in a way that means you will enjoy the occasion. If you look like you are having a good time then your guests will too!