Classic Crowcombe Court Wedding & Striking Colourful Blooms

From their engagement in Antigua to their Crowcombe Court wedding day in Somerset, Kat and Andy planned their day in just 6 months! There was a beautifully classic feel to their country house wedding, with a modern twist.

Then there was an abundance of stunning autumn wedding flowers, a petal wedding cake of dreams and seriously beautiful outfits. From the strolls in the autumn sunshine to the fun first dance, I have a funny feeling you’ll adore their story.

James and Kerrie Photography, thank you ever so much for sharing with us your stunning images of such a special day.

Crowcombe Court Wedding

The Proposal

Antigua, April 2022.

One evening Andy had suggested taking a photo of me looking out into the distance however I thought this was going to look rather staged so instead decided to make the photo more interesting by spinning around in my chair sticking my tongue out… only to find him on one knee.

You can say we both had a shock! It was a lovely surprise and the answer was a straight yes!

The Vision

The wedding planning actually started on the last day of our trip to Antigua. It rained constantly so I used this time to start researching venues and requesting brochures.

Once we settled on a date that conveniently coincided with half term which helped with little ones attending, we went into planning mode as it was almost 6 months to the day of getting engaged.

Based on the venue we wanted the styling to be classic but with colours that suited the time of year. We opted for burnt orange and cornflower blue as our main colours with hints of dusky pinks and greens for the main palette.

We also wanted to have some playful elements, for instance, the stag and doe cake toppers were a nod to picnic dates we had previously in and around Hampton Court and Bushy Park.

The Venue

Crowcombe Court, Taunton, Somerset.

Your Outfits

Andy: Suit and accessories all from Charles Tyrwhitt.

Kat: Dress and veil from Temperley Bridal, shoes from The Outnet (Stuart Weitzman).

It felt only fitting to select my bridal dress from Temperley’s Ilminster boutique when opting for a Somerset wedding. The Beatrix dress was far from my initial idea of how my wedding dress would look but as soon as I tried it on I knew I had found the one.

The Ceremony & Music

Initial background music: Alexis Ffrench – Dreamland
Entrance: Pachelbel Canon and Gigue for Three Violins and Continuo in D major
Signing of the Register: Mix of songs by Vitamin string quartet including Coldplay’s Sky Full of Stars and Paradise

Your Photographer

Our wonderful photographers James and Kerrie are a Crowcombe Court recommended supplier. We opted for their Eucalyptus package which included an engagement shoot. This was great at helping us get used to the camera and what shots would work well for our wedding day.

The Styling & Decor

We wanted the theme to reflect autumn but without going too rustic (i.e no pumpkins or Halloween objects).

Our florist Jane at Eden did an amazing job interpreting our design brief. The florals surpassed our initial concept of how they would look on the day and incorporated the colours perfectly.

Our three-tiered cake by Bea at the Silver Cake was perfect with the cascading dried petals and a combination of our favourite flavours with slight twists. For example a classic vanilla sponge but with cherry jam.

The Honeymoon

We’re yet to book an official Honeymoon but have managed to squeeze in a mini-moon to a spa hotel near Bath in early December which was very picturesque in the snow.

Andy forgot his swimming trunks and I forgot my entire makeup bag but we laughed about it and made the most of exploring and enjoying the sights.

Memorable Moments

Trying to quickly steam the maids of honour dresses as they had already had their makeup done (a tip for future brides – ask your bridal party to action, if required, before their make up slot).

Hearing the wedding music and walking down the aisle seeing everything decorated for the first time. I didn’t even have a chance to properly view the cake until after our wedding breakfast!

We were so fortunate that the weather was perfect. To have a beautiful sunny day with guests able to play games outside and enjoy the grounds was better than we could have hoped for a UK wedding at the end of October.

The speeches. We didn’t have a videographer but one of the groomsmen recorded on his phone. I would definitely recommend designating this role as we were so pleased to have them captured to listen back to and relive the laughs.

Advice For Other Couples

If like us you opt for a short engagement, I would definitely recommend using wedding apps/websites such as WithJoy to create your wedding webpage and to send out e-invites. Before sending out the link to all guests have a few trials first with friends/family to collate feedback and make any necessary tweaks.

Log all expenses in a spreadsheet. This really helped with our budgeting and understanding the schedule of what had to be paid when.

Last-minute declines for attending are unavoidable, keep an up-to-date record so that the venue can be informed to remove the relevant place setting/not to cater for that meal if opting for a sit-down wedding breakfast.

There will be things that inevitably cannot be amended (such as the seating plan once printed) but you have to let the little things slide and not impact your day.

Don’t stress over the small things. You two are the most important attendees (along with the registrar and a couple of witnesses). Providing this small group is present you are all set to say your I Do’s.