How we met...
We first crossed paths at a Halloween party in 2014, while we were both students at The University of Northampton. It wasn’t until 2016 that we finally started dating. After graduating, we decided to settle down in Northampton, rather than move back to our hometowns in Devon and Essex. In 2018, we moved into our first flat together, and by 2021, we purchased our very own home.
The Proposal...
It nearly all went wrong before it even started! The ring didn’t arrive until the day before we were due to leave for our holiday to Rhodes and to make matters worse, Liam’s bag was searched at security. Thankfully, Alice remained blissfully unaware, and Liam proposed on the beach in Rhodes at sunrise. It was perfect, though it very nearly didn’t happen!
Why we chose Dodmoor House for our special day...
We had looked at a few venues but couldn’t quite imagine having our wedding at any of them. The moment we walked around Dodmoor House, though, we both knew it was the perfect place for us. We wanted an October wedding, and we visited the venue one evening in November, which gave us a perfect glimpse of how our day might look. Dodmoor House, aglow with fairy lights in the evening, was simply beautiful. After seeing it, we stopped searching—we knew there was no need to look at any other venue!
The vision and theme for the day...
Naturally, it was our wedding, so we wanted it to reflect us, but at the same time, with many guests travelling from afar, we wanted to make sure it was a fantastic day for them as well.
Our vision was to create a wonderful celebration—a big party with all of our favourite people. As for the theme, since we were getting married in October and autumn is my favourite season, I wanted to bring those rich autumnal colours into the day. The warm, orangey tones in the flowers, décor, and outfits made everything feel so cosy, and with the added charm of Dodmoor House, the day looked exactly as we had envisioned.
The Outfits!
When I went dress shopping at Gabriella Bridal, I had this idea in my head: tulle, lace, beading. I tried on a few dresses and liked them, but none quite ‘did it’ for me. Then I tried on another one—just because, why not?!—and instantly fell in love. Paired with the veil, it was absolutely the one.
For Liam, we already knew we wanted rust accessories, so we thought blue would be the perfect suit colour to complement them. He tried on several at Montague Jeffery on St Giles Street, but felt most comfortable in a Marc Darcy suit.
The bridesmaid dresses were the hardest to find. We ordered plenty, but they were either too red, too orange, or too brown—just not quite the rust colour I had in mind. Eventually, I came across an ad for Hello Clothing, a company based in Ireland. On their website, I saw a photo from another wedding where the bridesmaids were wearing these stunning dresses. I loved them—the perfect colour, beautiful style. My girls adored them too, and on the day, we received so many compliments!
Food...
Our wedding was later in the day, so rather than serving canapés, we opted for popcorn bags, which went down an absolute treat. For our wedding breakfast, GJ Catering provided a delicious three-course meal. We had sharing platters for starters, three options for mains, and our favourite dessert—cheesecake.
The food was outstanding, and the portions were incredibly generous! Graham worked with us to design a menu that fitted perfectly within our budget, and everyone commented that it was some of the best wedding food they’d ever had. Mass-catered meals can sometimes be a bit dull, but this was anything but.
In the evening, The Dough Dept provided pizza, and on Ben’s recommendation, we did a buffet-style service. Pizzas were laid out on tables, allowing guests to help themselves throughout the evening, rather than having one per person. This reduced wait times and meant guests could enjoy smaller slices at their own pace. Ben also kindly offered vegan and gluten-free options.
Our favourite part of the day...
It’s absolutely impossible to pick a single favourite moment, but one that stands out to me is this: Standing under the canopy, watching my bridesmaids walk down the aisle, waiting for my cue to join them with my dad, feeling all jittery. Then, walking into the Courtyard Barn, seeing all our guests, and accidentally blurting out, “This is weird!” (I mean, having 80 people staring at you as you walk down the aisle isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence!). But then, I looked up, saw Liam, and suddenly all the nerves vanished—I was just so excited for our day to officially begin!
How Dodmoor House as a venue stood out to us...
Aside from the sheer beauty of the venue—the outdoor fairy lights and the stunning Courtyard Barn—what truly stood out to us about Dodmoor House was the staff. Attentive, caring, and fully dedicated to making your day the best wedding day ever. No matter how many weddings each coordinator was juggling, it always felt as though they had time just for you, ensuring your vision came to life exactly as you’d hoped. The build-up to the wedding, and the day itself, went so smoothly, all thanks to Beci and the rest of the Dodmoor family.
One plan or idea that really worked...
The whole day went exactly to plan; we truly don’t think anything could have gone better!
For me, having a slightly later wedding meant that, firstly, guests weren’t left waiting around with nothing happening, and it also allowed us to enjoy a really relaxing morning. Liam spent time at the hotel with guests and went out with his groomsmen, while I was able to have my hair and makeup done without any rush or an overly early start. This really helped me feel calm and at ease. It set me up perfectly for the rest of the day; even my makeup artist said I was the calmest bride she had ever worked with. This was largely thanks to the level of preparation Beci provided, which made me confident that nothing could go wrong!
The entertainment...
For our wedding reception, we had Happy Hour perform live music. They played our first dance song live and then entertained us with two sets, providing DJ music in between. The dancefloor was packed all night and the music choices were exactly to our taste!
Where we felt our budget was well spent...
We identified our five main priorities: venue, food, entertainment, outfits, and photography. Once we had these sorted, we looked at what we could manage ourselves. Our flowers from the pew ends were repurposed as table decorations in the Catesby Barn, and we also made several items ourselves.
I used Canva to create individual menus, place cards and activity sheets. I painted a welcome sign and designed an order of the day, which we had printed via Vistaprint, saving us money in the process.
Finally, we cut costs on invitations by using With Joy to create a wedding website, where guests could find all the necessary details and make food choices, further reducing paper usage and costs. We made sure to spend our money not only on things that were important to us but also on elements that would enhance the day for all our guests. Another perk of Dodmoor was the no-corkage charge, which meant we could ensure our guests had plenty to drink if they wished! (Click here to learn more about Dodmoor House Drinks Packages & No Corkage Policy!)
Personal touches that reflected us as a couple...
I made my own wedding cake, 48 hours before the day, as I love baking! And on our tables, we used photos of us at those ages (i.e. Table 1 = photos of us at age 1 etc).
Suppliers we used and would recommend:
Our florist, Julie Anna Flowers, provided the most beautiful bouquets and décor. We knew, with such a beautiful venue already, that we did not want to overcrowd the barns with too many flowers, so opted for floral pew ends, which then became the décor for the trestle tables in the Catesby Barn. The bouquets itself were stunning and matched our colour scheme perfectly too. As well as flowers, we had lots of greenery too, which went well with the white fabric on the registrar table too.
The caterers; GJ Catering and The Dough Dept were fantastic.
Finally, my hair and make up artist, Charlotte Chartell, brought the fun and vibes on the morning of the wedding, and made us look so glamorous yet elegant for the wedding day. Also, despite a whole evening of dancing, my hair stayed in place all night, which is a clear sign of her work!
Our tip to other couples:
It may seem a bit of a cliché to say that your wedding day is the best day of your life, but when else do you and your partner have all your loved ones in one place, together, celebrating you with the biggest party?
Soak it all in, every single moment, and remember: if something doesn’t go to plan, the only person who knows is you. At the end of the day, does it really matter? You’re marrying the love of your life, and nothing could be better than that.
Dear Alice and Liam,
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story with us! We’re absolutely thrilled to hear how special your wedding day was and that Dodmoor House played a part in making it memorable. Your words truly warm our hearts.
Your wonderful October Wedding is simply unforgettable. We fell in love with your heartfelt personal touches, like those cute childhood photos or that stunning homemade cake!
We wish you and Liam a lifetime of love, laughter, and happiness together. May your journey be filled with wonderful moments and cherished memories.
Thank you to 1st Class Wedding for these stunning photos of Alice and Liam and thank you Jamie Phillips Photography for the shot of Dodmoor House's fairylights.
With our warmest wishes,
The Dodmoor House Family
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