Katelyn & Joe’s Late-Autumn Wedding at Tythe

We’re closing the curtain on 2023 with a heartwarming finale – a beautiful autumnal wedding at Directory fave, Tythe, in Oxfordshire. It was love at first sight for Katelyn and Joe, who fell head over heels for Tythe, from the exceptional staff, the breathtaking grounds and the rustic charm of the barn and recently renovated farmhouse. The air was filled with the essence of their November celebration, marked by sentimental touches, seasonal flourishes, and an elegant banqueting setting.

As we navigate through the emotions of yet another eventful year, we invite you to take a moment and, if you can, embrace the spirit of the season. Whether you’re indulging in the festivities or relishing some well-deserved time off with your loved ones, Team Coco extends warm wishes for a Merry Christmas ahead!

We’ll be back in January to welcome and inspire all you lovely newly-engaged folks, but in the meantime, feel free to revisit the blogs we’ve shared this year, loaded with valuable tips, planning advice, and oodles of inspo!

Katelyn says…

We relocated from London to Liverpool shortly after getting engaged for work reasons. Our families were based down south, so we figured we’d look for a wedding venue closer to home. After hours of searching online, we narrowed it down to a few, but we couldn’t close the tab on Tythe. “Well, we’re going to be driving right past it, so we might as well stop in”, we figured. From the moment we stepped out of the car and were greeted by the lovely staff, it’s safe to say we were instantly in love. The grounds were stunning, the barn and cowshed struck the perfect balance between elegance and cosiness (perfect for our dream autumnal wedding), and don’t even get us started on the farmhouse! The proximity to the village church was also a bonus. The more we saw, the more excited we got, and I was more or less ready to call off our weekend of viewings and sign on the dotted line. What was so refreshing, and I think one of the things that sealed the deal, was that rather than instantly putting pressure on us to book, we were encouraged to enjoy our weekend, keep an open mind and see which venue felt the best fit for us. The team focuses on making a genuine connection with the couples they have, and it’s one of the things you simply can’t put a price on.

When it came to dress shopping, I kept an open mind, and it ended up being the classic cliché of “it’s nothing like what I thought I’d get”! My mum and I went to a local shop in Reigate, and the moment I stepped into this Essence of Australia dress, I felt amazing and had such a big smile on my face. I got my veil in the same shop, which I absolutely adored. The lace trim and subtle sequins just added that extra little bit of detail, and it’s an item that I hope to pass down one day. Another incredibly special thing was the hairpins I wore. We lost my Grandma a couple of years before our wedding, and my sister had the pins made with lace from a headpiece that my Grandma had worn on her wedding day over 60 years before. She had also handmade a dress for my cousin when she was a little girl, which was a perfect fit for our beautiful flower girl, four-year-old Florence. You can’t beat sentimental things like that, and I think it’s so lovely to incorporate into your day somehow.

My bridesmaids wore dresses from a place called ‘Infinity Dress’. Much like the name suggests, it was a multiway dress, which was great because they could style it however they wanted, or in the case of some of the girls, change styles multiple times throughout the day! We opted for a dark green to stick with the autumn feel. My hair and makeup were done by a lovely girl, Lauren Wheeler, who has sadly since moved on from the job, but she delivered perfectly on my brief of a natural bridal makeup look.

Joe decided to treat himself to a new suit bought from Gieves & Hawkes in Chester. They also worked with him to create a bespoke waistcoat as a unique addition to his outfit. It was really special to have a specific item made especially for the day, which he could keep and re-wear on other special occasions. The groomsmen looked dashing in Slater’s navy suits; each topped off with personally engraved whisky hip flasks. Seb, our five-year-old page boy, also matched the boys in a dapper navy suit (minus the hip flask).

We imagined a cosy, elegant autumn wedding, which Tythe delivered perfectly. The long banquet tables were decorated with flower table runners and tall wrought iron candles dotted down them. The canopy of twinkly lights hanging along the beams above us was just magic. The log burner fires were also on throughout the day, surrounded by benches with blankets and sheepskin rugs. Plus, more twinkly lights outside created a gorgeous atmosphere (can you tell we like twinkly lights?).

We chose one of the venue’s recommended florists, Jemma from The Flower Shed Oxford. I couldn’t imagine having worked with anyone else. This woman adores her job, does her absolute utmost to deliver on all your flowery dreams, and is a genuinely lovely human being. Despite being unable to name many flowers beyond hydrangeas, roses, and peonies, she reached into my brain, pulled out my flower visions, and delivered them in all sorts of beautiful arrangements.

We went for dark greens, deep purples and burgundy tones with lighter shades of cream, pink and peach to soften it. All the flowers were stunning; we had so many compliments on them, and my bridesmaids even had some of them pressed into a frame for us to keep.

The catering was by Absolute Taste, affiliated with the venue, and was incredible. The food was really important to us, and many people have told us it was the best food they’d ever eaten at a wedding (we obviously also agree). It really did feel like going out for a three-course meal! You can see the example menus on Tythe’s website, and you will see what we mean. Absolute Taste also offers food and wine tasting to help you choose your menu, which was such a fun experience and one we’d recommend. They created menus with local seasonal ingredients and special touches and accommodated any dietary needs.

Final touches included espresso martinis served after dinner with the tea and coffee to perk everyone up from their food comas, and the ‘midnight munchies’ were quickly resolved with a selection of pizzas from their built-in brick wood fire oven.

Rather than have a cake, we decided to go for a brownie tower. Our school friends had recently started a baking business, so it was nice to use them. The team at Tythe were amazing. All we had to do was drop off the un-assembled stand and the box of brownies, and they set it all up and decorated it with flower heads and berries of all kinds. It looked beautiful.

We knew we’d want to be able to re-live this day over and over again, so a good photographer was essential. I knew Olivia Whittaker Photography through her shooting one of my best friend’s weddings. I’d never seen a photo album of a wedding I’d attended, and I remember being amazed at how well she’d captured all the love, happiness and joy I’d felt that day. So, when we got engaged, I already had her in mind.

Olivia is so easy to get on with, makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera, and we felt like we could just be ourselves. It also helped that she offered a pre-wedding photo shoot to chat and get to know each other. It then felt like having a friend there on the day. She has a fantastic eye and captures the most incredible moments. You can also tell she loves her job, which is a nice feeling. We decided to go for two photographers for the day, and she brought along another photographer she’d worked with, Emily, who was also fantastic.

I just remember feeling immensely grateful the day we got our shots through. We sat there with some champagne, reliving the day and seeing parts of it that we didn’t have the chance to ourselves whilst we were swept up doing other things. I recommend her to everyone I can, and I think the fact she’s already shot another of my friend’s weddings and is booked in for three more says it all…

Best part of the day

This is such a difficult question because, for us, it was perfect. If we had to choose a top 3 (which feels an impossible task):

• The showering of confetti after the ceremony – walking past our closest family and friends for the first time as husband and wife felt incredible. We were then greeted by a member of staff from Tythe who had a glass of champagne ready and waiting for us at the end!
• The wedding breakfast and all that it involved – food, speeches, getting quality time to speak to friends and family in between courses
• Our first dance under the canopy of twinkly lights in the barn was magical

From one couple to another…

Firstly, try to avoid getting worked up about the small details; it’s not worth getting stressed over, and no one will remember except you! It’s the sentimental things that mean the most (in a year, not many people will remember the wedding favour you gave out, but you’ll still be able to flick through those special notes everyone wrote in the guest book you put out). This is also true of anything that doesn’t go exactly to plan on the day (however, the Tythe team did a phenomenal job of the smooth and professional running of the day, so I’d be surprised if that were the case at all)!

Secondly, take some time away, just the two of you. It can be an overwhelming and busy day (in a good way), but drink because you’ve just gotten married! The thing you’ve wanted for such a long time. The team at Tythe prioritise this, too. After everyone was ushered in to be seated for dinner, they found us a quiet corner where they had saved us some canapés and a drink to have a moment together before heading in ourselves.

Thirdly, take a few moments during the day to step back and look at everything before you. All your favourite people under one roof, happy and celebrating. When else in your life do you get that? Drink in every second and file away those feelings and memories for whenever you need a pick me up!