Breathtaking & Stylish Castle Wedding in the Cotswolds

Once upon a time, there was a love – and it turned into a happily ever after on a late summer’s day, in a castle in the heart of the Cotswolds.

With a backdrop of changing leaves and walls steeped in history, Roberto and Samantha wanted their celebration to pay homage to tradition, cultural backgrounds, and family roots, while reflecting their identity as a stylish, modern couple – and so it was. The black tie event unfolded with a delicate colour palette of blushes, whites, and greens, with heart-warming personal touches inspired by the proposal in Rome, and the groom’s Italian home town. The guests were treated to favours of local wine and homemade honey, traditional toasts, and photographs of family members near and far. The stunning white blooms by Amie Bone told the story with quiet grace, in harmony with the bride’s exquisite outfit, with long-sleeved bridalwear by Suzanne Neville, headpiece by Hermione Harbutt, and shoes by Freya Rose. The tablescapes welcoming the guests to their seats were decorated with elegance and authenticity, in effortless harmony with the venue’s royal past.

Every emotion was captured so artfully by ARJ Photography, and we truly hope you enjoy the gallery below as much as we did!

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THE PROPOSAL

We were in Rome for a long weekend. After dinner, we walked to the Trevi Fountain. Rob said he’d take a picture of me throwing a coin into the fountain. As I opened my eyes, Rob was down on one knee with a ring. Everyone around us was clapping and cheering as I put the ring on, it was unbelievable!

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THE VISION

We wanted a traditional type wedding with a church service, but also wanted to make sure the guests had the best time possible. We wanted lots of personal touches to make it unique.

THE PLANNING PROCESS

We Hired Krissy from Sweetpea and Blossom to help with the planning and she was amazing in ensuring the day ran smoothly and came up with lots of ideas!

THE VENUE

Sudeley Castle

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES

Suzanne Neville Dress, Hermione Harbutt head piece, Shoes Freya Rose.

FINDING THE DRESS

I tried on so many dresses I just couldn’t find ‘the one’ as soon as I walked into Suzanne Neville in Knightsbridge I instantly felt comfortable and so spoilt it was an amazing experience. Her style suited me so well. I knew when I tried my dress it was the one instantly, I’d always known I wanted sleeves, it tied in to the Italian theme. I had the covered buttons added to the cuffs and the bow added to the back of the waist.

GROOM’S ATTIRE

We decided fairly early that we would have a black tie wedding. Rob looked around a lot for the right suit but couldn’t find anything. Eventually he decided on a Hugo Boss suit, which was made a bit more special by the fact it was made in a town close to where his family are from in Italy and we have been on holiday.

THE READINGS & MUSIC

We had a string quartet for the church service, which was perfect for the venue. They played ‘A Thousand Years’ for my entrance. Our first dance was ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis, we wanted something a little different and definitely got the party started!

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS

The adult bridesmaid dresses were from Debenhams and the flower girl dress from M&S.

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR

We wanted a traditional style with hints of Italian which worked perfectly. We really wanted lots of personal touches included in the wedding. Our favours were mini Honey jars from my Father’s bees, the wine was from the village where Rob’s family are from in Italy, we had a table of our parents and grandparents wedding photos, a vodka toast in between the courses to celebrate my Polish family. I wore my great grandmothers engagement ring from the 1920’s, as the evening got started we had 1 of our favourite cocktails each Mrs Passion fruit martini and Mr Negroni.

THE FLOWERS

Amie Bone

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

ARJ Photography

THE CAKE

Vanilla Pod Bakery. Honestly they were amazing. Rob had a specific cake he wanted, which several companies said was impossible to do. After meeting Pia, she made everything stress free. She even made last minute changes to the cake so that it was exactly how we wanted on the day and it really looked amazing.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• Rob forgot to bring his shirt for the wedding so had to make an emergency trip to the shops the day of the wedding.
• Dad’s face when he saw my dress for the first time in the morning of the wedding.
• Guests clinking their glasses during the wedding breakfast, which is an Italian tradition, meaning that we had to kiss each time they did it!
• Rob dancing with his mum at the end of the night.

THE HONEYMOON

We spent two amazing weeks in the Mauritius. Everything there was perfect. From the staff at the hotels we stayed at Sugar Beech and Maradiva Villas and spa to the day trips watching dolphins, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. We also took the advice of a family friend and visited the zoo, where we managed to walk with lions which was an unbelievable experience.

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES

• Get the speeches filmed so you can look back.
• Add individual touches to your day.
• Stick to what you want and your vision.
• Take a few weeks out after the wedding before going on honeymoon, its something to look forward to!

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Thank you so much to Roberto and Samantha for sharing their beautiful day with us and our readers! Val Xx