Catherine & Chris: Stunning intimate marquee wedding at Worcestershire home

​Nothing makes me happier than seeing a new enquiry drop into my inbox. Following that up and hearing that the couple are planning an intimate wedding at their home (or maybe their parents’!) is the icing on the cake. It gets me so excited, thinking about what a beautiful occasion this is going to be and the fact that they may trust me to help to make that happen is so, so special. When the couple is this wonderful, well… it’s the absolute dream!

Catherine & Chris got in touch as they wanted a coordinator for their marquee wedding, to ensure everything ran smoothly and to allow them and their guests to fully relax and be present in the moment rather than having to worry about taking care of any little jobs that needed doing.

I can’t recommend having a coordinator enough if you are in this situation - not just because I want you to book me, but because it’s so essential! Although each of your suppliers will be taking care of their component parts - the caterers will bring the food, the DJ will provide the music, the photographer will orchestrate the photos - there’s still quite a lot logistically that may need doing. Bringing everything together is quite skillful; making sure everyone knows the timings, giving the nod to the right person at the right moment, and rolling with any unexpected changes on the day (like bad weather, or a setback in the kitchen). If you’re also providing your own drinks, you really don’t want to be tending a bar or collecting up glasses all day, so having someone there to keep an eye on everything will make your life so much easier.


From my first chat with this couple, I knew it was going to be a really lovely day. Their description of the beautiful setting, the plans they had, and all the hard work that they had been doing making, crafting and designing all the elements (alongside very busy jobs!), meant that I was instantly invested and couldn’t wait to be a small part in what would be a very significant day for them.

Meeting them face to face at the house, I fell in love a little more. Firstly, the two of them just radiate the best energy! They were charming, kind and also hilarious so it felt like we got along great from the word go. Looking at the house, I could immediately see why this would be the perfect place to have your wedding. You could pay tens of thousands of pounds and not find a place half as pretty as this. Plus the fact that it has that personal connection would make it all the more special. This is the reason I love a wedding at home so much! It all sounded idyllic.

Everything scoped out, a run through of the plans, and a few more calls and emails later and we were good to go!

I arrived on the morning of the wedding to see a stunning marquee in the gardens which had been put up by West Country Marquees - it looked absolutely gorgeous and fitted so perfectly in the space it was like it was made for it! From the driveway at the front of the house, a little patio led down a gorgeous staircase and directly into the front of the marquee making a really stylish entrance that felt so grand and elegant. Walking inside, everything looked spectacular. You could really see how much time and effort had been put into all of the decorations and details. Each table had elegant stationery, menus and place settings, candles and dried flowers, plus little tasks and games for the guests to complete. There was a Sip & Solve by the homemade bar (which had a fabulous name as a play on the grooms’ surname, and personalised coasters to boot!). There were welcome signs and seating plans, drawings of each member of the bridal party… I mean the list goes on. 

There were also nods to their love of Star Wars and Doctor Who, and pictures and references to their engagement and their journey together as a couple. The whole day was a perfect balance of a super elegant wedding, with all the personal touches and funny little details that told you everything you needed to know about this couple!

​Final checks done (I’d even hoovered the carpet in the marquee - because no I won’t be having the father of the groom in his best suit driving the vacuum round in circles on the morning of the wedding! Who says my job isn’t glamorous, eh?!), I spent a little time with both Catherine and Chris who were with their respective family members and bridal party. The girls upstairs were finishing hair and makeup and enjoying their prosecco whilst the photographer got some photos and the boys were downstairs in the kitchen attaching buttonholes and running through final checks of the speeches. Everything seemed to be under control!
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The only slight concern was that the weather wasn’t looking so good, which meant the original plans of having their ceremony outside on the terrace was looking a bit dubious. There is a lovely spot which could have been used, but thankfully we had all discussed the possibility of rain on the day - even in August, you can’t expect perfect sunshine! We held off as long as possible, but eventually made the decision that the wedding would happen inside the marquee. 

Guests had begun to arrive and were helping themselves to drinks. With the bride’s contingent being American and so many people having made such a huge effort to be there on the day of the wedding, it felt so lovely to see everyone together, catching up and getting to know one another. It was a real coming together of two families and it was so lovely to watch!

Catherine and Chris went off privately to do a ‘first look’ together and to have a quiet moment reading some vows to one another, before the bridal party gathered in the house ready to make their entrance in the marquee. The rain thankfully held off just long enough that they could come down together, gather on the steps and make a fabulous entrance into the wedding to some amazing pieces of music (one of them being the song from Back To The Future which just happens to be my favourite movie ever, and yes I was wearing my personalised BTTF necklace especially). The guests stood and gathered around as there was a fantastic ceremony led by Catherine’s brother, again the perfect mix of heartfelt and lovely, but also hilarious!

We all stayed in the marquee after the ceremony for some drinks and time to mingle and chat, and the bridal party did manage to get some lovely photos. I don’t know about you, but I really love the pictures with the umbrellas and the choice of some of the spots which allowed everyone to be undercover to stay out of the rain - although everyone had an amazing attitude of just going with it and embracing whatever happened. We also had lots of extra brollies on hand, too! Honestly, in a place as beautiful as this you will never have a bad backdrop, but the photos really do look incredible. Scott Stockwell did an amazing job!

We called the guests through to take their seats and Joanna Parker served up some beautiful food for everyone to tuck into. Weddings at home can sometimes be a bit of a logistical nightmare, as you obviously aren’t set up for catering en masse! But there was an ingenious setup in the shed behind the marquee and a little space where us suppliers got to take the weight off a few minutes which we always appreciate!

Chris & Catherine opted for a sweetheart table which personally I loved as it meant that they got to ensure that they spent some quality time together, and were front and centre to look out over all their lovely friends and family. This also worked perfectly for the speeches, which were, as always, brilliant and emotional in equal measure! Both the bride & groom said a few words, as well as parents, the best men, and one of Catherine’s bridesmaids also made a fantastic speech. I see this a lot at weddings now, and I love it so much!
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Thankfully the weather picked up in the afternoon, meaning that guests could head outside and use some of the wonderful gardens to mingle. There were some garden games laid out on the top lawn which I’m so glad people got to use and it was a perfect way for everyone to catch their breath again before the evening got underway.

The first dance brought everyone over to the dancefloor, and the DJ got everyone into the party spirit. And then something happened that I have never seen before at a wedding… The DJ being a fully qualified salsa instructor had asked if they wanted to include a little dancing lesson into the evening to mix things up a bit, and they decided to go for it! I wasn’t sure at first how many people would want to take part, but almost everyone was on their feet learning how to mambo and vuelta! It was so much fun, and everyone seemed to be having the best time. 

This is exactly what we mean when we say you don’t have to stick with what you know at your wedding - try something different, do something fun, have a go at something you haven’t done before. I promise it will be so memorable both for you and your guests.

One of my favourite things is to just take a step back at this part in the evening and watch it all unfold. The fairy lights twinkling, the music playing, the drinks flowing… and a room full of people all having the time of their lives. People who may not know each other very well, some complete strangers. In this case two groups of people who live on opposite sides of the ocean, but who have all come together to celebrate this one amazing couple. Isn’t it awesome how life works out sometimes?! I never take for granted how lucky I am to see all of this happening and be a little part of the magic.

I left Catherine & Chris to enjoy the rest of the evening with their families and went home with a very full heart. Sometimes it’s so hard to tear yourself away, but I’m always so grateful to have been able to be there at all. Thanks so much guys for choosing me and for being such a dream to work with. 

Thanks as well to the wonderful team of suppliers who made it all happen:

Marquee
West Country Marquees

Caterer
Joanna Parker

Photographer
Scott Stockwell

DJ
My Party Music DJ