Lizzie and Oliver’s Wedding
In 2013, at the wedding of a friend, I found myself sitting beside Oliver and 8 years later, almost to the day, we were celebrating our very own marriage. We were delighted to have reached our special day after having spent many years working in different parts of the UK but who would have known that we would be marrying in the middle of a global pandemic. Even our engagement took place, not beside Lake Louise, Canada, as Oliver had planned but on our ‘lockdown allotment’! We were, however, extraordinarily lucky to be able to get married on the day we originally chose in August 2021.
As soon as we started considering venues, we knew that we were looking for somewhere than combined my love of formal weddings with Oliver’s sense of fun and we knew that this was exactly what we found at Silchester Farm. The exciting venue was relatively new but it was immediately clear that we would receive exceptional service in a stunning location and we were proved absolutely right. What we did not know then was how much the venue would be developed between our booking and the day itself so that by then, there were not one by two beautiful barns for us to use, manicured gardens and even accommodation for our wedding party.
I had dreamed of walking up the aisle between native British trees but never thought that I would be able to do so until I spoke to Debbie at Whitestem and not only were the trees beautiful in the church but also transported to Silchester Farm where, be-decked with twinkling lights, they lit up the barns too. One of my favourite parts of the Wedding preparation was choosing my flowers and working with Helen Elizabeth Flowers to create some gorgeous bouquets, table centre pieces and displays in the church, focusing on British grown flowers wherever possible. We couldn’t have been happier with all the suppliers who helped bring our day to a reality. Silchester Farm recommended Vanilla Catering and one of Oliver’s highlights was going to the tasting where we had a wonderful lunch….whilst trying to decide which of the yummy dishes to choose. Sally even designed our desserts to match our slightly vague concept of how it could look.
Without a doubt, choosing my dress was wonderful! Shopping for a wedding dress during Covid meant that I could only take my Mum on the first trip and we have many photos of me in beautiful dresses and a rather-less-beautiful facemask but the whole experience was amazing fun. Emma knew exactly how to help me find my perfect dress and I just wish that I could do that all again. It was a surprise, and one of the best parts, to learn how the whole outfit could be created from different elements, always guided and advised by Emma’s talent and knowledge.
Despite the nerve-wracking weeks before the wedding as government regulations changed, and didn’t change, as we wondered whether we would have to cut our guest list, insist on facemasks or whether half our guests would cancel at the last minute, our wedding went ahead exactly as planned. I had feared a swelteringly hot August day but in the end….it rained! Whilst not quite the plan, we have some very atmospheric photographs as a result and can even say there was a thunderstorm. Once again, Silchester Farm pulled out all the stops (including umbrellas and shovels!) to make sure the weather couldn’t spoil anything.
I must mention a few of our other suppliers as well including Verity Rose Cakes who created a beautiful cake but which, perhaps even more importantly, seemed considered the tastiest cake our guests had ever enjoyed. Mike Croshaw produced exquisite photographs to help us keep our memories of the day alive and discretely captured some lovely moments whilst even putting Oliver (who doesn’t much like photos!) at ease.
The best part of the day? Definitely being able to bring our family and friends together for an occasion which, for us all, was the first time in 18 months that we had been together. It was so important that this was a family occasion and I couldn’t have planned and enjoyed it without the incredible support and practical help of my Mum and sister…I am looking forward to repaying my sister that favour when she marries in 2022. And finally? Oliver would lynch me for sentimentality but I honestly cannot imagine a more perfect way to have married my wonderful husband.
