A perfect match

Romilly and James met through a mutual friend at a party. “James was flying to Thailand in the early hours so apart from a quick introduction we didn’t really have time to talk,” says Romilly. “We met again on a night out and eventually had our first date four months later. We liked each other straight away, and it felt right being together.”

James popped the question during a weekend away for Romilly’s birthday. “He had booked a private house just outside of Abergavenny,” shares the bride. “On Friday morning, he put on a suit and pretended to go to work, dropping me off on route. Little did I know, three hours later he was at the private house setting up fairy lights, champagne, blankets and a picnic. Later in the day, he picked me up from work, and we headed straight to Abergavenny. He’d blindfolded me and led me to the side of the house where we sat down on a bench. It was there that he proposed. James’ mum was able the capture the moment on camera, and we spent the next two days drinking in the hot tub accompanied by our dog who made friends with the baby cows in the adjacent field.”

Exclusive use venue "We wanted an exclusive use venue with on-site accommodation and no corkage," explains Romilly. "We preferred the Birmingham area as it's close to where we live so on paper Pendrell Hall was perfect. When we saw it in person, we fell in love with it and knew it was where we wanted to get married."

The lovebirds gave their guests fudge and nougat from Hunstanton wrapped in brown paper and burgundy ribbon as favours.To display their table plan, the couple hung tickets between two step ladders. "I had the idea and James designed and made them from scratch," adds the bride.

"The tickets were in the style of the Hogwarts Express tickets from Harry Potter, but with our wedding date and an image of our dog on the front. The ladders themselves were decorated with a sorting hat, candles, ornaments and a basket full of sun cream."

Wedding cake silhouette design The couple's big-day bake was made by Brenda the Cake Lady. "We chose a three-tier design with burgundy ribbons," shares Romilly. "Each tier was decorated with silhouettes. There was one of us at the proposal, memorable moments from a trip we took to Scotland and some of the guests dancing the night away."

Romilly and James decided to incorporate seasonal flowers from Lili Floral Art into their big day. "Our centrepieces were blooms places in small containers that could be pushed to the side when it came time to serve the food," says the bride. "I also incorporated a necklace for my nan and aunt around the handle of my bouquet."

"My mother decorated the fireplaces with items from her vintage store," reveals Romilly. "James' mother created floral arrangements that we placed around the venue in large coffee jars with burgundy ribbons. We also had a display of old family pictures, including grandparents who are sadly no longer with us."

Canapes Romilly travelled to the venue in her father's Bullet Mustang, and the bridesmaids arrived in a Dodge Ram."We decided to have a roast provided by Jenkinsons Caterers," says the bride. "The team kept everyone fed and watered which was lovely, but in hindsight, a roast probably wasn't the best choice on the hottest day of the year!"

Couple with barn door backdrop Romilly wore a Maggie Sottero dress called Admina. "I found it on eBay being sold by a bridal boutique who were getting rid of their old display stock," says Romilly. "Once I'd purchased it, Handmade By Maggie altered it to ensure it fit perfectly. I love Valentino Rockstud shoes but didn't want to blow the budget, so I found some replicas on Amazon. I accessorised with a headpiece, necklace and Pandora ring."

James chose a blue suit from Moss Bros. "He was going to wear a full suit, but we weren't sure how hot it would be," explains the bride. "In the end, he decided to match the rest of the groomsmen but with a liberty print tie to help him stand out."

The bridesmaids opted for floor-length dresses from Dorothy Perkins "Their gowns ended up being the basis for our colour scheme," shares Romilly. "I received a sale email, and found there were only six left in the exact sizes I needed, so these were the first things we bought after setting the date."

Wedded couple dance with guests "We had a photo booth which was brilliant," shares Romilly. "Thanks to its big screen, it could fit large groups and wheelchair users in each frame. We also had The Nero String Quartet and DJ, C/O Mr & Mrs Grey, keep our loved ones entertained in the evening."

"Apart from being incredibly hot, the day was amazing," Romilly shares. "It was so hot that in the evening I had to change into shorts and a T-shirt! We wanted a relaxed day, but with 140 people that seemed tricky. Thankfully the team at Pendrell Hall were amazing and kept everything on track."

The couple's nearest and dearest made their nuptials perfect. "The morning was lovely, and we both got to spend time with close friends and family," adds the bride. "James and the boys played golf while I had a walk with the dog and breakfast with the family. In the church, the readings were lovely, and the prayer led by my father was especially moving. The speeches were also excellent, but the best men standing up for theirs was a huge highlight for us both."

Newlyweds "We went to Scotland for a week right after the wedding," shares Romilly. "We camped on a deserted island with the dog in Loch Lomond, which was beautiful. We then went to Kenya and Zanzibar in January 2020, where we did a safari and got to see the big five."