Katy & Ed: A Whimsical Weekend Wedding at Norton Grounds

We chose Norton Grounds after visiting several other venues. It had on-site accommodation and excellent indoor and outdoor spaces, depending on the weather. The venue had a lovely, relaxed feel, and we were able to shape it into what we envisioned for our special day. We had some exciting surprises for our guests, such as a confetti Fiat 500 (a surprise for the Groom!), a roaming band at the drinks reception, and a secret taco-and-tequila course.

The venue also included a highly experienced wedding planner with a wide range of trusted suppliers. In addition, the grounds and event spaces were beautiful, with ample photo opportunities and plenty of space for our guests to enjoy themselves. The Threshing Barn was transformed from a ceremony space to a party room thanks to Harry’s amazing lighting.

The weekend hire allowed us to enjoy the Tipi area for our pre-wedding party on Friday night, where we had a roaring fire, music, and an amazing sunset, whilst our guests enjoyed Souvlaki served by Reeka Events.

Our palette was a soft, whimsical mix of greens and pinks, with touches of burgundy and pale blue. We chose to decorate the barn with neutral draping, plenty of hanging foliage, candles, beautiful tableware and patterned tablecloths. Ellie Frances Flowers transformed the venue.

Sarah’s Deli made the white-chocolate and raspberry cutting cake, and we chose to add homemade brownies and a chocolate biscuit cake, which is a firm favourite for us both. We chose a non-traditional wedding breakfast based on foods we love, taking our guests on a journey around the world. We started with canapés at the drinks reception, followed by a Greek sharing mezze. For the main meal, we chose to share pasta in pans (beef ragu, creamy mushroom, and chilli crab) with salad.

We also had a secret course of tacos and tequila, brought out by the chef to Mariachi music. Finally, we chose a trio of mini desserts: the most delicious Banoffee pie, apple and gin-and-tonic granita, and Chocolate Marquis. In the evening, we had a selection of cheeses and meats, with homemade warm Scotch eggs.

Meg, Wild Fern Photography, was a lovely, relaxed photographer who struck a good balance between ‘necessary shots’ and capturing the special moments on the day.

It was a whirlwind of a day; we enjoyed every moment and tried to savour each one. We enjoyed the day’s fun, party vibe; the tequila, tacos and music definitely helped get everyone in the mood to celebrate. There were so many special moments that it is impossible to choose our favourite part of the day!!

Try not to overthink decisions. We incorporated a few slightly niche things into our day that we initially doubted. However, these were the things that made the wedding ours and turned out to be the day’s best parts. Music was also a challenging part of the decision-making process. Although it is important to try and get the music right, it is just moments, and they go by so quickly on the day!