Great outdoors

The garden at Rockley Manor, Marlborough, made a pretty setting for John and Lizzie’s vintage wedding

John Gantlett and Lizzie Stevens

Where: Ceremony and reception at Rockley Manor, Marlborough, Wiltshire

Photography: Lovebirds Photography

We knew early on that we did not want the traditional church wedding. We fell in love with the gardens at Rockley and could have an outdoor ceremony there. The vintage theme came together naturally with the dress, table dressings and stationery helping to set the tone.

Everything was so well organised by the venue and each part followed effortlessly. The photographers did an amazing job of capturing the day and the beautiful surroundings.

I had a clear idea of the type of dress I wanted and as soon I saw a picture online I knew it was the one. I fell in love with the lace and skirt. The owner of the boutique commented on how she had never met anyone so set on their dress without having seen it in person first.

We made all of the invitations and table place cards ourselves for that personal touch and were keen that all the birdcage centrepieces were individual.

On the morning of the wedding I felt really relaxed and excited to get to the venue. The nerves started about an hour or two before the ceremony but as soon as I started walking down the aisle towards John, it all disappeared and was the beginning of a relaxed and beautiful day.

The cake had been something low on our list of considerations until a month before the wedding. My sister and bridesmaid, Sarah mentioned that her friend Denise McMahon, made impressive cakes as a hobby. We had a taster trial and found a style that fitted perfectly.

Our evening entertainment was provided by a DJ who played classics that everyone recognised, which guaranteed our guests joined us on the dance floor.

WHO DID WHAT

Photography: Lovebirds, 07931 983129, www.lovebirds-photography.com

Venue: Rockley Manor, Marlborough, Wiltshire, 01672 511022, www.rockleymanor.com

Dress: The Bridal Room, Broadway, 01386 859070, www.thebridalroombroadway.co.uk

Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ted Baker, www.tedbaker.com

Hair & make-up: Goldsworthy’s Hair, Swindon, 01793 523817, www.goldsworthys.com

Groom’s outfit: Moss Bros, www.moss.co.uk

Flowers: Little Gem’s Flowers, Swindon, 07590 818773, www.littlegemsflowers.co.uk

Cake: Denise McMahon (friend)

Catering: Rebecca Green Bespoke Event Catering, Dorset, 01300 348526, www.rebeccagreencatering.co.uk

Venue Dresser: Beth Grew, events manager, Rockley Manor

Entertainment: Skywalker DJ, 01793 488338