We met on a dating app during the pandemic, and our first date was a socially distanced walk! We ended up chatting on a park bench for hours!

We got engaged near Tintern in the Wye Valley. We were on a mini trip away staying in a beautiful cabin. We went for a walk to a waterfall and that’s when Rory got down on one knee. It was so peaceful and quiet, just the two of us- perfect! Rory proposed with a beautiful family ring from the 1920s it’s absolutely beautiful.

We definitely prioritised sorting the venue first, to us that would then shape the rest of the day.

We knew we wanted a beautiful venue, good food, and good music!

We knew we wanted somewhere in the Midlands, and Sarah grew up in Warwickshire so when we did some research and found Swallows Nest it seemed perfect on paper! And then we went for a viewing and it was perfect in real life too! The main thing that stood swallows nest apart from other barn venues we viewed was the staff. Everyone we spoke to was so genuine and human, and there was no pressure from anyone to make any commitment- this was not the vibe we got from other venues! We also liked how flexible the venue was with how we wanted our day to go.

Definitely the venue, we had so many compliments on our choice! And also the band- we really wanted to invest in good quality live music.

We managed to reflect the autumn season perfectly in the venue with our décor choices! But we also had some hand crafted touches from Sarah and her sister Alice. Sarah hand stitched personalised cross stitches for each of the tables- each themed to different places of significance for us. Alice (maid of vibes) crocheted the most beautiful bunting to decorate the venue- it all came together perfectly! We made the choice to skip hiring a decorator, so all of our wedding décor was painstakingly gathered by Sarah- we absolutely loved how it looked on the day.

It sounds cliché to say but honestly the whole day was perfect and we’ll cherish every moment for the rest of our lives!

I found my dream wedding dress thanks to Silver Sixpence in Towcester. It was the perfect blend of fantasy and modern, and I felt like a warrior princess!

Our ceremony was very emotional, and just beautiful. We had a personal reading from the mother of the bride, and to watch it all back on video now in such a beautiful setting is such a privilege. It couldn’t have gone smoother, and despite our nerves we felt so well looked after by our coordinator Nadine.

The drinks reception was a bit of a blur! But I do remember thinking that the staff made such an effort to give us moments of peace whenever they could! The wedding breakfast was excellent, the food was delicious and service was so efficient I think they actually ran ahead of schedule! Also huge credit to the bar team for keeping our glasses full all day- and they were so flexible with what we wanted for our wedding breakfast drinks.

Our first dance was Wouldn’t It Be Nice- by the Beach Boys. My favourite clip I like to rewatch is when people finally realised what the song was and all you could hear was a huge AWWW from everyone. It was so us!

Add as many silly personal touches as you want, it doesn’t matter how silly it might feel at the time you’ll thank yourself for how happy it makes you on the day.

And everyone says it, but definitely make sure you spend the day with your partner, we were so happy at the end of it that we actually felt like we’d had quality time together- that’s what it’s all about!

Artisan Dried Flowers

Lemon Zest (of course)

Three Bears Bakery for sweet treats!

Silver Sixpence Bridal

Henley House Hairdresser