We had the pleasure of hosting Matt & Shona’s autumn wedding at Berwick Lodge. Here are all the details..
“We loved the manor house style of Berwick Lodge and the stunning gardens. The location was perfect for us as our families are in Devon and Colchester and many friends are spread around the country. Berwick Lodge was easily accessible from the motorway but still felt like a hidden secret as not many people seemed to know about it. The venue had a countryside feel with amazing views out to Wales. We felt really comfortable and at home in the venue – the size was perfect and wasn’t too big and overwhelming!” – Shona & Matt
MEETING
Matt & Shona met in 2012 in Madrid – Shona was on her Erasmus (study abroad) year from University and Matt was working there. They met on a night out, Matt fed her tequila shots and the rest is history! They went sky diving on their second date so Shona thought he was a fun guy to hang out with. He also had a very nice air conditioned flat with a swimming pool!
PROPOSAL
Matt proposed whilst on a cycling holiday in Morzine in the French Alps 01 September 2017, 5 years after meeting. The weather was bad in the mountains one day so they decided to cycle 182km round Lake Geneva. Matt proposed about 2 hours into the ride by a little pink chapel near the lake. It was very picturesque, and Shona was very surprised!! They then spent the rest of the day getting round the lake – Shona was very happy… and tired!!
EMOTIONS
Shona loved waking up in the morning overexcited at 5am and getting ready with her bridesmaids and sister. She felt incredibly nervous waiting to walk down the aisle but was so happy with the whole day “Nothing is more special than celebrating your love for each other, surrounded with more people you love!” Matt remembers very well opening the card and watch Shona had given to him on the morning of the wedding – a few happy tears were shed which set the tone for the most amazing day.
After the ceremony the couple stood on the balcony of the ceremony room and waved down at everyone before walking down the stairs for confetti throwing. “The sun was shining and we felt like royalty for a second!” At the end of the meal they went outside for some couples photos, it was nice to have a bit of time out just the two of them, and a little walk around the grounds.
COLOUR SCHEME
Autumnal/orange/red/yellow/burgundy
FLOWERS
Sunflowers, yellow/orange roses, thistles. Bridesmaids had small version of bride’s bouquet. Men wore orange tulips as button holes. Matt had an orange tulip and blue thistle.
The flowers were provided by Tiger Lily
FAVOURS & DECORATIONS
The tables were decorated with sunflower centrepieces, wooden logs, candles and scattered leaves. Tables were named after locations around Lake Geneva – the head table was ‘Coppet’ the name of the village where Matt proposed. Favours were mini engraved shot glasses with an image of a bike and ‘Shona and Matt’ with their wedding date. A small bottle of tequila rose was placed on each table – a gesture to our first drink together!
SPEECHES
Matt surprised Shona with a speech timed to photos on a projector with coordinated music …it told the story of their 7 years together perfectly and Shona cried…a lot. Matt’s brother, Mark (Best Man) and Shona’s Dad, Brendan also gave fantastic and entertaining speeches.
THREADS
Shona’s dress came from Nell Amore boutique in Halstead, Essex. Style 625 by Demetrios. Satin sheath gown with lace bodice, V-neckline and long lace sleeves. She always wanted long lace sleeves and liked the simplicity of the satin gown with chapel length train. There was also a short veil with lace detail at the bottom.
Matt wore a 2 piece navy suit and grey waist coat with burgundy tie (Men’s Hire Bristol) and burgundy shoes. Groomsmen wore 3 piece grey suits with same burgundy tie and shoes as groom. – in addition an Irish shamrock pin badge was warn by Groom and Groomsmen to represent the Irish side of both families.
Bridesmaids wore full length burgundy dresses with cap sleeves and silk waist tie, from boutique on Amazon.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
The magician, Grant Maidment (who got married himself at Berwick Lodge), entertained guests after dinner before the band started and he was brilliant – Matt was mainly the one keen to include a magician in the day but in the end he entertained and impressed both of them and the guests raved about him. Pianists played live music throughout the ceremony and reception drinks.
The Shoo Flies were an awesome band and a big hit with the guests. The room was packed out with people dancing and they created a real party atmosphere.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Matt & Shona were delighted with their wedding photos by Emma Gosling and it’s easy to see why! It was a long day for Emma but as you can see it was well worth it to capture all the special moments.
HONEYMOON
A couple of days after the wedding, the couple went on a mini moon to Lanzerote, taking their bikes of course! and had a fantastic week exploring the island. It was the perfect way to recover in the sun and reflect on their amazing day! At a later date Matt & Shona went on their main honeymoon adventure to New Zealand which Matt planned to perfection. They spent 4 weeks in a campervan exploring the North and South islands, skiing, hiking and falling in love with the beautiful scenery. It was very hard to come back!
For more information on weddings at Berwick Lodge, get in touch with our wedding coordinator Simone on 0117 450 7605
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