Our Texan couple’s vision for their destination wedding celebration was clear from the start; they wanted to create a multi-day celebration that seamlessly blended Southern hospitality with enchanting English Cotswold charm. From a Texan welcome dinner to a romantic destination wedding day amidst English rose gardens, their journey was a captivating fusion of two distinct cultures and styles.

Emily and Matt got engaged in arguably the most romantic city in the world … Paris. They wanted to give their guests a taste of their love for Europe and so they decided that the next chapter of their love story would be held in the enchanting setting of the English Cotswolds.

GETTING READY

The bride wore a dress by Romona Keveza but to add her own personal style to the gown she embellished it with a giant bow detail to the back. The bow was by Ines di Santo.

The design of the culinary experience was as carefully thought out as the aesthetics of the day. The destination wedding celebration menu unfolded as a culinary journey that honoured the couple’s Texan roots and embraced the quintessential flavours of the English countryside in Summer. The welcome dinner menu featured the smoky allure of a Texan BBQ with key dishes such as slow roasted brisket, blackened chicken, ranch style beans, and slaw. Finished with sweet treats like Dr Pepper Cake and Bourbon Banana Pudding. Guests enjoyed the experience of watching their food cooked in front of them by Chefs at BBQ stations. The biggest hit of the night was however the bespoke margarita bar featuring the bride and groom’s favourite signature flavours and salts to garnish. The destination wedding day menu was a more formal 3 course dining experience and embraced the English Summer produce found locally. The bride and groom wanted to give their guests a flavour of the English Countryside and as such their menu featured “A Plate from the Garden” which was a locally grown summer salad, and Halibut with New Season Courgette and Jersey Royals. Being a summer wedding it was also the perfect season for English strawberries which the couple made the most of by choosing the Strawberry Bavarois dessert for their guests to enjoy.

As our couple and their invitees were all travelling in from Texas for the destination wedding celebration, the bride and groom wanted to make sure their guests felt right at home from the start. The festivities commenced with a Texan BBQ dinner held amidst the lush green gardens of Euridge Manor. They asked us to create an ambiance of understated elegance and relaxed homeliness to welcome their guests. We worked with them to curate an aesthetic that echoed the warmth of a Texan soirée with soft green patterned linen and a floral design that included vibrant yellow roses and bluebonnets in homage to the state flowers of Texas. The effect was a perfectly relaxed welcome party that felt authentic to the couple and allowed guests get to know each other at the start of the weekend of destination wedding celebrations. We wanted to take guests on a journey throughout the weekend and as such the styling for the destination wedding day was elevated to reflect the sense of occasion. The design was a blend of traditional English elegance with modern flair, reflecting the couple’s contemporary style. This was evident in the ceremony design which featured traditional quintessentially English garden flowers but presented in a modern ombré curved wall which embraced the couple during their vows. The juxtaposition of the modern floral design against the old timely romance of the church window ruins behind them formed the perfect backdrop to the ceremony and the blend of old romance and contemporary style that underlined the whole celebration. To make the most of a perfect English Summer’s night dinner was held within the Rose Arbor. Here bold pink patterned linens added depth to the decor and a modern edge whilst the meandering roses overhead created a whimsical atmosphere reminiscent of a fairytale setting. The enchanted garden aesthetic was continued with the high touch detail added to each place setting in the form of layered butterfly charger plates, hand illustrated placards, and personal menus.

The wedding cake design married contemporary sophistication with elegant garden whimsey. It was a six tier design featuring tiers of varying heights and widths which gave it a modern edge and architectural interest. It was pristine white in colour for a timeless classic style and featured delicate sugar flowers climbing the 6 tiers. The blooms included peonies to reflect the seasonal English garden flowers used throughout the destination wedding day design. Adding an element of playful whimsy and tying into the dinner design details, butterflies danced around the blooming peonies and appeared to flutter away from the cake.

The bride and groom opted to surprise their guests with a champagne tower on their way into their after party. As dusk fell the bride and groom led their guests to the 6 tier tower of champagne coupes before pouring the bubbles and handing guests a glass to enjoy and get the party started! It was a perfect timeless photo moment amidst the festivities.

As a fun addition to their after party the bride and groom personalised their signature espresso martini cocktails with printed topper photographs of their much loved dogs! As it was a destination wedding and the dogs couldn’t be included in person this was a fun way to bring them into the day.