Sadie & Harry: Autumn Magic at Moddershall Oaks

Moddershall Oaks has always stood out to us; we found it a few years ago whilst looking for a spa break. The venue is stunning; it’s in the country, surrounded by scenic views. The surrounding woodlands are gorgeous, and the lake adds another layer, making it a beautiful natural haven. We always knew we wanted an outdoor wedding, but also an autumn wedding, as British weather is unpredictable; we needed a venue with lush outdoor space and a stunning interior. Moddershall Oaks ticked every box.

My dress designer was Madison James, and I bought it from TDR Bridal. The whole dress-buying journey was a breeze, and I loved the boutique and their lovely seamstress, who added bespoke sleeves to my dress. We wanted to capture our personality in our fashion choices, with a romantic, autumn feel, but with a bit of edge. That is why I wore my Dr Martens boots and chose celestial jewellery, which is also close to my heart. I chose my trusty hair stylist for the day, as she’s known me for years, and I felt safe with her as she helped me get the look I wanted for my special day. My makeup artist, Sarah, is a visionary and helped me create an edgy, bridal look.

I wanted my bridesmaids to feel comfortable, so I asked them to choose a red dress to fit the autumnal romance theme; everything else was their decision. Harry and the best man both got their suits from Slater and kept the warm, autumnal theme. The little detail that stands out for the men was the Lothlorian Leaf pin that the groom and best man wore. Harry’s favourite story is Lord of the Rings, so he wanted to incorporate it into the day. That’s also why I chose an instrumental version of ‘Concerning Hobbits’ for the walk down the aisle.

We trusted Beth at Venue Perfection implicitly to style our day; we wanted it to feel dark and moody, but still romantic and chic. We wanted to embrace the autumn season without leaning too far into stereotypical autumn styling. We also wanted to add a touch of Halloween as our first date was on Halloween. But again, we wanted just a hint, so we chose tarot-inspired stationery, celestial jewellery, and hired The Wedding Witch to do tarot readings during the evening and magic during the day.

We chose Minna Blooms for the wedding party bouquets, men’s pocket squares and the flower girls’ wand and flower crown. We loved her style and that it’s a dried bouquet, so I could keep it afterwards. Minna was a dream to work with and created my vision into artwork. I wanted rich, big florals with lots of texture. I also got to choose my favourite flowers for the bouquet, which is great because dried flowers give you a lot more options. For decor florals, Beth at Venue Perfection created these in the same style as my bouquet.

My mum made our cake! She’s a great baker and wanted to create a little something for the day! It was a red velvet cake with vanilla buttercream, in a vintage-style heart, with ‘Til Death’ piped on top.

Moddershall Oaks catered the wedding breakfast and evening meals; we chose hearty dishes to embrace the season, plus an Italian-inspired buffet for the evening. The food was amazing, and our guests gave us so many compliments, especially on the slow-braised beef!

We hired The Light Painters for our photographer, and it was the best decision we made! Hannah was an absolute dream to work with and made us feel so comfortable. Our wedding photos are stunning, and she captured our day perfectly! Our wedding gallery is the perfect combination of relaxed couple shots, traditional group shots and candid photos of our guests. The editing was beautiful and really captured the autumn season.

It’s impossible to choose! The whole day was perfect, but if I had to choose, I would say the moment right after the ceremony. The atmosphere was amazing, with all our loved ones celebrating with us, our live singer and magician keeping everyone entertained, and our vendors making us feel completely taken care of. It was also a chance to relax and be in the moment with each other.

On the day, try to just let go of control and enjoy every moment. I have heard too many stories of couples getting upset when details don’t go as planned and letting it take over their day. I can honestly say nothing went amiss with our day, or even if it did, I didn’t notice! Which meant I was fully present and just enjoying every second. Also, spend as much time as possible with your other half, as the day goes so quickly!