There’s almost too much to love; the epic venue, foliage galore, a bride in Birkenstocks, a donut wall and a private cellar bar!
I think the thing I love the most is actually the Wedding Planner who brought it all together. Krysta from For The Love of Weddings is beyond lovely and I know this couple are very close to her heart. So how chuffed am I that she chose our blog to share this incredible wedding.
Over to the planner…
Krysta says…
There are some weddings where it feels like the stars align, and everything just comes together perfectly! Katy and Henry’s wedding at the absolutely gorgeous Garthmyl Hall was just such a day. This lovely couple, who clearly absolutely adore each other to the very depths of their souls, knew exactly what they wanted, and it was a joy to be able to bring their vision to life in such a fantastically versatile, elegant venue.
Before we get into the stunning details of the big day, I just want to share a little story from Garthmyl Hall. The venue underwent extensive restoration in 2015, in order to protect its incredibly detailed plasterwork and gilding. This building work led to the discovery of a decades-old letter to Father Christmas up one of the chimneys. Julia, the owner of Garthmyl Hall, tracked down the little girl who wrote this letter and invited the now 84-year-old to open the newly restored hall. To me, this totally charming gesture encapsulates so much about this venue and the team that run it. Not only is it a beautiful space, but it’s owned and staffed by people who value nostalgia, and who truly understand the importance of making memories that last a lifetime.
A Day of Two Halves
For Katy and Henry’s wedding, I put together a team of talented suppliers to create a range of different atmospheric spaces throughout the hall and grounds. The couple had fallen completely in love with the light-filled orangery and its whitewashed beams for their ceremony, and this space’s capacity meant a limited number of daytime guests. We wanted to keep an intimate, personal feel for the ceremony and wedding breakfast, before taking things up several dozen notches for the 190 guests that arrived in the evening. After 6pm, it was party time, and we wanted to make sure that each guest felt wowed and well looked after.
Bringing the Outside In
I can’t go any further without talking about the flowers for this wedding. There was barely a surface in the whole venue that wasn’t covered in deep greens and curling tendrils of foliage. The fabulous Donna from Pheasant Botanica worked her socks off to create an elegantly whimsical feel of the outside brought indoors. From boughs laden with crab apples across the beams in the orangery, tall lupins, white blooms and flickering candles draping the staircase, to hundreds of metres of foliage garlands and an incredible leafy feature wall behind the top table in the marquee – the overall effect was totally jawdropping.
The marquee was further transformed by festoon lighting installations from Toby Edward, and filled with gorgeous fragrance from the Jo Malone candles that nestled along the foliage table runners. We also had sharply tapering candles to add height in a shade of dark grey that perfectly matched the stationery from the lovely Lauren at Oh Wonder Calligraphy.
From Day to Night
As the wedding breakfast finished and the evening guests arrived, we moved things to the amazing PapaKåta Sperry tent that we’d erected on the lawns. A smaller tent also appeared, courtesy of The Little Top crèche, who entertained the wedding’s younger guests in a magical wigwam filled with stories and fun. Guests were treated to delicious cocktails and a hilarious speech by the best man, before the party started in earnest. And what a party it was! I wanted to make sure that every area we used was treated differently, while still reflecting Katy and Henry’s personalities, and the overall ‘modern romantic’ look we were going for.
Music from The Mini Big Band filled the marquee and had the dancefloor full in no time. Meanwhile, the cellar bar played host to a team of mixologists creating incredible molecular gin cocktails. A range of mouthwatering street food and pizzas from Paisley Flour catering and Baz and Fred was served in the orangery, and over in the walled garden we set up a hot chocolate station that would have been right at home in Narnia. A photobooth had people posing all night long in the living room, and those with tired feet could retire to the ballroom, where luxury velvet furniture and tables groaning with sweet treats were waiting.
Feast your eyes on these amazing photos from Matt Willis and check out the full list of suppliers below. I hope this wedding will inspire all you country-house couples mid-way through your planning to think about how you can use the spaces you have available in modern, fun and beautiful ways.
Venue Garthmyl Hall
Photography Matt Willis Photography
Videography Shutterbox Films
Planning & Styling For the Love of Weddings
Floral Design & Styling Pheasant Botanica
Sperry Tent PapaKåta
Luxury Furniture Hire Great Hire Ltd
Tables, Chairs, Cutlery, Crockery & Glassware Classic Crockery
Lighting Installation & Large Bespoke Signage Toby Edward Event Stylist
Stationery & Signage Oh Wonder Calligraphy
Napkins Kate Cullen Style
Grazing Station Linen Table To Dine For
Champagne Saucers & Pinch Pots Vintage Gold China
Sound, Lighting & Disco RJCC Events
Daytime Music Mister Kanish
Evening Music The Mini Big Band
Gin Mixologists Gastronomy Guys
Magician Nick Einhorn
Crèche The Little Top
Photo Booth Silver Trailer Photo Booth
Canapés & Wedding Breakfast A – Zest
Grazing Stations, Evening Street Food, Hot Chocolate Stations & Sunday Brunch Paisley Flour Catering
Evening Pizzas Baz & Fred
Cakes Andrews Bakes
Cheese Cakes The Fine Cheese Co.
Personalised Biscuits Lady Bakewell-Park
Umbrellas Brolly Bucket
Vintage Dresser Beatrice Ambery
Candles & Bridal Scent Jo Malone London
Bride’s Dress Claire Mischevani
Bridesmaids Twobirds
Makeup Jessica Jackson
Confetti Shropshire Petals
Invitation Suite Kismet Weddings
Guest Travel Cookson Travel
Based on a weekday wedding in January. Includes 2-night venue hire.