A Midlands manor set the scene for this couple's black tie wedding

Our real wedding inspiration section is packed with wedding photos and unique ideas from couples to help you plan your own special day. In this feature, we talk to Nancy and Arthur about their black tie wedding at Wootton Hall in the Midlands.

Nancy and Arthur’s wedding almost happened somewhere else entirely. The couple had planned, booked and sent invitations for a wedding in Tuscany before Covid struck and made that impossible, so they turned their search closer to home instead. “We wanted it to be relaxed and for everyone to have the best time,” the couple shared of their vision for the day, and that spirit carried through everything that followed, from Caribbean rum punch and steel drums to three full days of celebrations at their new venue. “All in all, we didn’t get our Italian wedding, but we felt like we got something just as good, if not better.”

We asked the couple to talk us through every carefully considered detail, from beginning to end. From beautiful colourful flower decor to the cupcakes that stood in for a traditional cake, and even the pieces from their wedding gift list that now make them nostalgic for the day.

While planning their original Tuscan wedding, Nancy and Arthur had travelled out to view venues in person. When Covid made that impossible, choosing a perfect wedding venue in England called for something different. “Being a bit more last-minute due to Covid, we simply Google searched, and when we visited Wootton Hall, we knew it was just perfect,” they explained. They were only the third wedding ever held there, and because the venue takes just one wedding per weekend, the couple had the run of the place for three days, giving them the relaxed, extended celebration they'd originally planned in Tuscany. The ceremony itself moved through the grounds in stages: legally married outside the main house in the courtyard sunshine, under a flower arch they’d had made, before moving to the garden for food and drinks, and finally into the converted barn for the wedding breakfast and evening party. “The venue and staff made the experience amazing, with incredible food and the most relaxed and enjoyable time,” the couple shared. 

Colour was the starting point for Nancy and Arthur’s wedding decor. “We wanted everything to be colourful and bright, but complement the gorgeous setting of the venue,” they said. Their wedding stationery came in shades of orange, coral and pink, finished with gold writing on the place cards, a palette that carried through into the flowers and the floral design on the wedding cupcakes. The couple chose wildflowers and peonies to sit naturally against the garden backdrop, even though it wasn’t quite the season for the latter. “Our florist, Fiore Dorato, did an amazing job,” they said. The blooms did double duty, moved into the barn to dress the tables over dinner, alongside candles and greenery running throughout to bring the garden feeling indoors. 

Guests were welcomed with Caribbean rum punch, homemade by Nancy’s dad, and a steel band playing at the welcome drinks, both chosen to represent Nancy’s heritage. “The weather was amazing, so it was very relaxed, and a lot of homemade rum punch was drunk,” the couple laughed. 

Rather than doing a traditional cake cutting, Nancy and Arthur served cupcakes to their guests, each cupcake designed to match the flowers used throughout the day. 

“We both wanted a classic, modern look,” Nancy explained. Her wedding dress was designed by Jesús Peiró and bought from Morgan Davis Bridal, paired with shoes from ASOS, with hair by Perfect Silhouette Hairdressing and make-up done by Lilia Mullinger Bridal. Arthur opted for a bespoke tuxedo, made by Edit Suits, with shoes from Crockett & Jones completing the look. 

The bridesmaids wore matching satin dresses from Pretty Lavish, while the groomsmen were suited in tuxedos to match Arthur. “We loved the look of black tie for men,” the couple shared. The wedding party made the day feel more special in ways that went beyond outfits, too. Their bridesmaid gift to the bride was a personalised bracelet engraved with the couple’s initials, which Nancy wore throughout the day. Arthur arranged a surprise of his own: Nancy’s grandma, who wasn’t able to attend, wrote her a letter to open on the morning of the wedding. 

Nancy and Arthur designed their wedding breakfast menu with the chef at Wootton Hall themselves, including a shellfish pasta starter they’d first eaten together on holiday, followed by steak. “The rest of the day followed the same route with drinks, chilled vibes and lots of dancing,” they said. Guests were encouraged to get up and move between tables to chat during the meal. “Everyone just relaxed into the day, which is exactly what we wanted.”

The evening brought live music from wedding band Truly Medley Deeply, who the couple counted among the day’s real highlights. “Could not recommend them more to get people up and dancing,” they said. A curated playlist ran through the wedding breakfast, and a photo booth after dinner proved a hit with guests. Later, guests sent the newlyweds off in style with sparklers.

For Nancy and Arthur, no single moment defined the day. “You will never have the opportunity to have all your friends and family in one place, so for us extending that as long as possible was the highlight,” they reflected. “We had three days of celebrations, and it was the individual conversations and interactions with people that made the whole weekend so special. You get the best five minutes of everyone on your wedding day and just float from cloud to cloud feeling amazing.” 

When Nancy and Arthur first thought about the reasons to have a wedding registry, flexibility topped the list. “We wanted a place where people could buy gifts that were small and big, where people could club together to buy something or simply buy us something just from them,” they explained. Mixing gifts, vouchers and cash contributions felt like the best of every option, and it meant every gift was something they’d chosen themselves. “It’s a great way to make sure you don’t get something that’ll live in a cupboard, or four of the same thing.”

The couple managed their entire list online with The Wedding Shop and found the experience easy from start to finish. “The customer service is brilliant, and it’s so much fun picking from all the amazing things online,” they said. For building the list itself, Nancy and Arthur turned to our expert collections and wedding gift ideas. “We looked through the suggested and curated items on the website, then spent ages just looking and picking what we wanted. Nice to be able to come back to it.” They used group gifting to pool contributions from friends towards bigger items, though looking back, a honeymoon fund is one thing they wish they’d added to the list.

Get inspired by Nancy and Arthur's best wedding gifts, which run from everyday essentials to a handful of unique wedding gifts: 

Thank you to Nancy and Arthur for sharing their wonderful wedding day with The Wedding Shop. All wedding images were provided by the couple and photographed by Ana Parker Photography.

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