We've been wanting to share a real wedding at Aynhoe Park for ages, and I'm so excited it gets to be one as awesome as this! Danielle and Craig have a how-we-met story that reads like a film script, so it was fitting their wedding day looked like something from a movie set, too. The couple chose a country house in the Cotswolds, filled with offbeat oddities, for their New Year's Eve wedding. While the dresses, the flowers, and the food were all stunning, it was the beginning and end of the day that were this couple's biggest priorities. That means one atmospheric ceremony and one massive dance party. And as you'll see from the beautiful photos by Moat Hill Photography, this pair nailed it (and there were disco balls involved for both!)
The couple first met 13 years ago. Danielle explains she was working on a fashion internship in London and travelled up to Manchester for her sister’s birthday. “I saw Craig in a cocktail bar. As I left, Craig ran out and asked for my phone number, I declined.”
But, seeing as we’re swooning over their wedding, we’re happy to say that wasn’t the end of their love story, “Months later once Danielle was ready to start her final year back at Liverpool University she met a friend back in Manchester at the same cocktail bar in the late afternoon,” explains Craig. “She walked in and the rest is fate! It was only the second time both Danielle or I had ever been in that bar.” Talk about serendipity!
As a luxury fashion designer, Danielle was always going to have a gorgeous wedding dress. But not only did she design her stunning gown, but she also made the bridesmaids dresses and her gorgeous party dress for the midnight countdown.
Wise words!
Aynhoe Park, a venue filled with taxidermy wildlife and unique decor ideas, played a big role in the lead up to Craig and Danielle’s big day. “Craig proposed on the grounds of Aynhoe before viewing the property for the big day on New Year’s Eve. Craig knew Danielle loved the venue after celebrating Matthew Williamson’s 40th birthday there years before.”
Nothing like a bit of pre-ceremony R&R.
This stunning floral installation served as the couple's ceremony backdrop.
That moment when you officially feel like a bride!
Saying ‘I do’ for real was on the list of must-haves for these two, “Our priority was to legally be married on the day in front of all our loved ones. To be honest, that was the most important thing to us.”
Okay, I think everyone's going to want to install mirror balls in their ceremony space now - what a magical vibe!
The couple wanted their wedding to be one epic party that would bring all their favourite people together for New Year’s Eve. “We wanted ourselves and our guests to experience the unexpected. We’ve both travelled extensively with work so it was important to us to have a venue which could accommodate our guests from all over the world. The energy was electric, no one had expected us to get married after so many years and we planned it in just over six months.”
The couple blended both romance and fun into the celebrations. "The feel of the day was contemporary but full of tradition and an abundance of love. People would say we don’t do things by halves and the legal ceremony was highly emotional, and was then topped by the energy at midnight on New Year’s Eve. It was epic.”
It’s easy to see what made Aynhoe Park ‘the one’ for Danielle and Craig, “We loved its uniqueness, the fact our guests would have a one-off experience, as each guest room is so distinct. The variety of rooms, from the ceremony, dining area, bars, snugs and the underfloor club, allowed us to accommodate and combine our love of intimacy, food and dance.”
I just adore Danielle's wedding-day look, her swept-up bun and the simple silhouette of her gown, it's so effortlessly elegant, don't you think?
Craig explains how the couple personalised their day with unique touches, “Danielle has an array of creative friends, this made the whole weekend extremely personal. Danielle even joined a calligraphy class at Quill London and hand wrote all her save the dates, invites and table names.”
In keeping with the unique setting, the couple gave their guests unusual wedding favours - bespoke glass jars with 3D chocolate animals inside, reminiscent of the taxidermy around the venue.
For Danielle, planning a wedding is all about keeping perspective. “My advice would be to try and not get overwhelmed and remember the reason why you are marrying your loved one. Nothing is more important than everyone in that room and the man or woman in front of you saying, ‘I do’.”
Now that's how you make an entrance!
The couple planned a big trip to Japan for their honeymoon, but first, it was time to chill out! “Straight after the wedding, we spent a few nights in the Cotswolds taking in the wedding weekend. The whole weekend was so incredible and overwhelming, we spent a few days digesting and laughing about all the instances that occurred.”
Now that looks like one fun countdown to midnight! (I'm also in love with Danielle's party dress!)
What a wedding! Thanks so much to Danielle and Craig for letting us behind the scenes on your big day, and to Moat Hill Photography for documenting all the fun.
