S + A at Upwey House

S + A knew exactly what they wanted: an intimate, vintage, classic English wedding at a private house rather than a traditional venue.

An outdoor ceremony beneath the huge tree in the grounds of Upwey House, a marquee for the reception, a proper Sunday roast, candlelight and fairy lights everywhere, and details that were entirely theirs — handmade VHS tape place names, a handmade photo booth and a self-serve bar.

We met on 17th March, which didn't leave us long. A short lead time means supplier availability, logistics and decisions all have to move quickly and in the right order.

A private house wedding also has no in-house infrastructure. Everything — marquee, catering, bar, furniture, lighting, timings — has to be brought in and choreographed around a family home and its grounds. And on the day, the weather was beautiful, apart from the wind, which had opinions.

I took their ideas and turned them into a plan: suppliers booked and briefed, a marquee reception set within the grounds, a running order that worked around an outdoor ceremony, and every handmade detail placed exactly where it needed to be.

On the day I was there to hold the whole thing together so nobody in the couple's family had to — greeting suppliers, keeping to the timeline, handling the wind, and doing whatever needed doing behind the scenes, right through to washing the dishes.

An outdoor ceremony under the tree, a Sunday roast in a candlelit marquee, a truly heroic amount of coffee, and their dog Zanu doing an excellent job as ring bearer. Nobody left the dance floor for the whole of the DJ set.

The wedding was completely theirs. I was there to facilitate it, organise it and make sure their ideas came to life.