How we met...
We met in secondary school and became close friends at the ages of 12 and 13—Sean was a year ahead of me. Even after leaving school, we stayed in touch, meeting up occasionally for coffee and catch-ups. In 2021, after not seeing each other for over a year due to COVID and busy lives, we reconnected over coffee. That day, our friendship blossomed into something more.
The proposal...
It was incredible! For our first anniversary, we took a weekend trip to Bath and stayed at a charming B&B. Sean planned a picnic, which nearly turned into a disaster! He asked the B&B owners for picnic spot recommendations and we ended up in the middle of a forest with no suitable picnic area in sight. Realizing the setting wasn’t ideal, Sean quickly changed plans and took me to the centre of Bath, where we paid to enter Parade Park. The park was lovely and peaceful, a perfect setting for the occasion.
Sean set up our picnic blanket and food, along with his phone on a tripod, saying he wanted to document more memories on video. I didn’t think much of it. After getting comfortable, we exchanged gifts—I had arranged an afternoon spa treatment at No.15 spa, and Sean handed me an envelope with a calligraphy letter. As I read the beautiful letter, I reached the bottom where it said, "This is why I want to marry you." I smiled, thinking it was sweet but already knowing Sean wanted to marry me someday. But when I looked up, there he was, holding an open box with my dream engagement ring inside! I was so shocked that I didn’t realize I hadn’t actually said yes out loud. When I noticed Sean looking concerned, I quickly voiced my answer!
Sean then revealed that he had bought two rings: one was a moissanite ring for everyday wear, especially at work where things can get hands-on, and the other was a diamond ring. He even had the moissanite ring custom-made to match the diamond one perfectly—how lucky am I!?
Why we chose Dodmoor House for our special day...
Sean found Dodmoor House online, and we both immediately loved the look of the venue. We had visited a couple of other venues, but none had the atmosphere or character we were looking for. After seeing Dodmoor House's website, we were 99% sure it was our dream venue. When we visited in person, we were warmly greeted by the staff, who were all lovely and professional. Within the first few minutes, we knew Dodmoor House was the place for us.
The venue had everything we wanted: an on-site bridal suite, two stunning barns, a quirky upstairs bar, and a beautiful courtyard and grounds.
We especially loved the lawn area and the various intimate spots for photos. Dodmoor House is rural but not too remote, allowing us to feel like we were in our own little world—exactly what we wanted for our wedding day.
Our vision and theme for the day...
We didn’t have a specific theme, but we envisioned a timeless, classic wedding. I love being creative, so I made all the decorations myself, and being on maternity leave gave me extra time to bring my vision to life. We chose a natural colour palette with summery tones, perfect for our June wedding. The decorations turned out better than I had imagined, and the staff set everything up perfectly, making our vision a reality.
The outfits!
My dress was from Mikaella Bridal, purchased from a shop just ten minutes away called Pure Couture. I didn’t start trying on dresses until February 2024 because I got pregnant in 2023 and had our son late that year. Fortunately, I found my dream dress just four months before the wedding!
Sean’s suit was from Slaters. He brought his best man Laurence and my maid of honour, Becky, to help him pick out a suit, as Sean is colour-blind and wanted Becky’s help to ensure his suit matched our wedding vision. We decided to keep our outfits a surprise from each other until the big day, so I didn’t see Sean’s suit until he was standing at the altar.
Food...
Portfolio Events catered our wedding breakfast, which was a three-course meal. Since our wedding was in June, we wanted light, summery dishes. We served cantaloupe melon, prosciutto, summer berries, and raspberry daiquiri dressing to start. The main course was chicken supreme with dauphinoise potatoes and a white wine and tarragon cream sauce, and dessert was Sicilian lemon posset with homemade shortbread. The food was a hit, especially the dessert, which was a favourite among our guests!
For the evening, Ian Brodie Catering provided the Dodmoor House burger bar, which was a huge success. Our guests loved being able to customize their burgers with their choice of salad, sauce, cheese, and more.
Jamie Bakes Cakes made our gluten-free wedding cake, which was amazing! The top tier was lemon, the middle was toffee pecan and banana, and the bottom was salted caramel. The cake was a big hit!
Our favourite parts of the day...
Our favourite part of the day was definitely the ceremony, especially the moment we saw each other at the aisle and altar. We hadn’t seen each other since Sunday morning, and we travelled separately, staying in different parts of the hotel the night before our wedding on the Monday.
The ceremony was magical, made even more special by the fact that we wrote our own vows. We didn’t expect our vows to be as meaningful as they were, but our guests seemed to love them, and there weren’t many dry eyes in the room!
How Dodmoor House as a venue stood out to us...
We loved that Dodmoor House has its own bridal suite and a getting-ready-room "Dodford Room" where you can get ready and also stay the night—this was a must for us, as I didn’t want to travel to the venue after getting ready, so getting married on a Monday was perfect for us (as they don't have weddings on Sundays so you can check in earlier). The two barns are full of character and beautiful, even without decorations, so we didn’t feel the need to dress up the venue too much. The peacefulness and greenery surrounding Dodmoor House made us feel like we were in our own little world.
One plan or idea that really worked...
Having drinks after the ceremony in the courtyard, with a pop-up bar downstairs and the main bar upstairs, worked perfectly. Our guests enjoyed spending time in the courtyard, easily getting drinks and socializing. The courtyard games were also a hit!
The entertainment...
We hired Rustic Disco as our DJ for the entire day, from the ceremony to the last song, and he was amazing! Our guests loved the variety of music we chose.
Where we felt our budget was well spent...
Honestly, the venue. The value for money at Dodmoor House was exceptional, and the customer service and coordination exceeded our expectations. We had exclusive use of the venue all day, the freedom to decorate as we wished, dedicated staff turning over the rooms, and two amazing Wedding Coordinators, Carolyn and Katie, who ensured everything ran smoothly. The two bars, beautiful grounds, stunning photo opportunities, and the on-site bridal suite with breakfast the next morning made Dodmoor House the perfect choice for us.
Personal touches that reflected us as a couple...
Writing our own vows definitely made the day personal, and our guests seemed to agree, given there were few dry eyes during the ceremony. We also created all our own décor, including the stationery (except the name cards), and displayed the proposal letter on the head table. The name cards were done by the same calligrapher who wrote the proposal letter (My Olive Tree Studio on Etsy), tying everything together beautifully.
We added a playful touch with bride and groom rubber ducks next to our cake, a request from Sean’s stag party. I wasn’t too keen at first, but they turned out to be cute! I also gave a speech and presented Sean with his wedding gift during it—a memory journal I’d been writing in since our first date, knowing one day he would be my husband.
We had matching bespoke wedding bands made to complement my engagement ring, and we both changed into matching personalized Converse sneakers after our first dance.
Suppliers we used and would recommend:
We used Portfolio Events for our wedding breakfast and the Dodmoor House Burger Bar provided by Ian Brodie Catering for the evening, and we’re so glad Dodmoor House provided a recommended suppliers list—choosing caterers felt daunting! Portfolio Events was professional from the start, and the food was exceptional. They were accommodating to allergies and preferences, and any changes we requested were handled seamlessly. We were also happy to sample both caterers’ offerings at Dodmoor House’s open evenings, where we were impressed by the quality and loved that they were local to Dodmoor.
Our tip to other couples:
Don’t stress over the small details—everything will come together, and the day will be absolutely magical because you’re marrying the love of your life! All of your guests will be there to celebrate your love for one another, so enjoy every single moment!
Dear Sean and Leigh,
We are truly honoured that you chose Dodmoor as the place to celebrate your beautiful wedding day. Your love story, from childhood friends to soulmates, is so inspiring, and it was a joy to see your vision come to life in our venue. The personal touches you brought, from your heartfelt vows, handcrafted décor, the matching personalized Converse sneakers and the fun rubber ducks, created an atmosphere that was uniquely yours.
Thank you for trusting us to be a part of such a significant chapter in your lives. We wish you endless happiness and a future filled with love and cherished memories.
Also thank you ever so much, Ben Anderson for the lovely photos of Leigh and Sean and thank you Jack Montague for the photos of our Courtyard and the Lawn Game!
With warmest regards,
The Dodmoor House Family x
Comentários