Elegant Bourton Hall Wedding with Italian Romance vibes

Laura and Nick’s Bourton Hall wedding was not only a beautiful, elegant day and a load of fun, but also the perfect example of how to relax and lean into your wedding day even when things don’t quite go to plan…

The magnificent Bourton Hall wedding venue

The perfect venue was so important to Laura (great name) and Nick that they looked at over 20 venues in person – and Laura reckons she looked at at least another 30 online too. Finally, they found Bourton Hall wedding venue. Despite it being a (literal) building site when they viewed it, they knew it was the one – they’d found their dream setting!

And with good reason: it really is a stunning venue. It’s a charming Georgian mansion set in 15 acres of rolling countryside. Featuring an Italianate style, it fit Laura and Nick’s brief of simple elegance perfectly.

Bourton Hall wedding chapel

But maybe the crème de la crème of a Bourton Hall wedding is the former Catholic chapel on site. It’s a ceremony space like no other: again, brimming with Italianate features it oozes romance and grandeur. The ornate carved wood and gold leaf ceiling is a total stunner, but the decor at eye-level is a treat too, with wood-panelled walls and long mirrors at the top of the aisle. In front of these mirrors, Laura and Nick had a copper backdrop frame, which featured huge sophisticated arrangements of greenery and white flowers by Running with Wolves.

It was important to Laura and Nick that they chose a venue that had everything onsite, and also had a special wedding ceremony room. Having your wedding all in one place can be a real plus, because it means you spend less of your day travelling between places, and more of your day spending quality time with your loved ones.

A simple, elegant wedding theme

This classy colour scheme of green and white was just one of the ways that Laura and Nick brought their Bourton Hall wedding theme to life. They also elevated the day by focussing on tiny details throughout, which finished everything off with a super luxe edge:

Personalised bridesmaids’ gifts

For example, spending the morning with Laura and her wedding party was so much fun, and it was chockfull of lovely details that made it so. All of the bridesmaids had matching personalised champagne glasses, and the front of each handwritten thank you card featured a bespoke illustration of Laura and the recipient in their beautiful lilac bridesmaids’ dress.

Luxurious place settings

The reception was also full of luxurious details. Each place setting featured a menu wrapped in vellum and finished off with a rose gold wax seal. Their cake, too, had a marbled grey finish, which reflected the polished marble of the ceremony chapel.

Cocktail hour

The evening portion of Laura and Nick’s Bourton Hall wedding officially commenced with their cake cutting, against the backdrop of the grand staircase. Then, guests could get the party started with cocktails, including a strawberry daiquiri and Le Grand Fizz, a modern take on a spritz, including vodka and elderflower liqueur.

I love the idea of a cocktail hour at a wedding – Lucy and Danny did something similar after their meal with espresso martinis, which I thought was genius too. Whatever your cocktail(s) of choice are, it’s a super chic way of kicking off the nighttime celebrations!

Relaxing and actually enjoying your wedding day

Now I know what you’re thinking: Laura! At the start of this blog post, you said things didn’t quite go to plan. So far we’ve read about the stunning venue, beautiful chapel, the thoughtful details that Laura and Nick had planned, and the cocktail hour. What’s the catch?

Well, let me tell you: there was actually a power cut on Laura and Nick’s day that affected the whole village! However, Bourton Hall were beyond amazing, and handled it superbly: the kitchen was only an hour delayed in serving food due to it!

Luckily, it was a lovely, sunny September day, so guests just enjoyed a prolonged drinks and canapés reception in the gorgeous gardens. Laura and Nick, too, took it totally in their stride, and spent the time soaking up even more of the love of their nearest and dearest. When the power came back on during the starter course, people paused their eating to give a huge cheer. It was a hilarious part of the day, all in all!

Looking for a fun, relaxed wedding photographer?

This was my first time shooting at this venue – thank you SO much Laura and Nick for having me. However, I’d love to go back – so if you’re thinking of planning a Bourton Hall wedding, I’d love to hear from you! Or perhaps you’re planning an elegant day elsewhere, and are looking for a Shropshire wedding photographer who’ll capture all the fun you’ve got up your sleeve; you can get in touch here. I can’t wait to hear from you!