Alasdair & Charlotte’s ‘Above & Beyond’ Wedding 23/09/2023

It is always amazing to see our couples’ wedding plans come together so seamlessly, especially in a short space of time. A week after getting engaged, Alasdair and Charlotte paid our venue a visit. Seven months later, they said “I do” and became husband and wife.

From their very first viewing right the way through to their wedding day, here is what this lovely couple had to say about their experience tying the knot at Southdowns Manor…

Wedding Planning Made Easy

Alasdair explained that there was a reason why the pair were immediately drawn to Southdowns Manor: “We visited the venue just a week after our engagement. Charlotte had been to a couple of weddings previously at the venue as an evening guest, and loved the venue back then.

We decided to book the venue mainly due to the secluded location and sole use of the venue. It made wedding planning really simple that so much was already included in the price with additional things the venue could add on; it saved us having to source and organise many external suppliers. The manor itself is really beautiful and this made it our dream venue.”

Theme & Styling

The pair opted for a classic wedding theme with an elegant, muted colour palette that complimented our venue’s sleek decor.

Charlotte and Alasdair chose a beautiful arrangement of artificial ivory roses, sage-toned foliage and a mix of pretty white and pale blue flowers. They were then scented with water lilies and freesia notes – a lovely touch!

Charlotte’s dress was a real show-stopper – an ultra sparkly, off-shoulder, A-line dress silhouette, embellished with delicate 3D floral appliques. If there was ever a day to dress like a princess, it would be your wedding day!

Alasdair complemented his bride by wearing a grey three-piece tweed suit with a paisley patterned tie, pocket handkerchief and a buttonhole that matched the bridal bouquet.

The couples’ three-tiered wedding cake featured layers of sponge, chocolate and marble layers, complete with ivory icing and floral decoration.

Charlotte and Alasdair’s wedding photographer, John Watson (associate photographer to Joanna Cleeve), made the most of our garden’s September colour palette by taking some stunning outdoor photos.

The Wedding Breakfast

Charlotte and Alasdair both agreed that the stand-out moment of their wedding day was their wedding breakfast: “The wedding breakfast really was a wonderful part of the day. The food from Southdowns Manor is just unbelievably amazing. One of our guests even said it was the best food he has ever eaten at a wedding!”

A Wedding We Had Wished For

The newlyweds summed up their overall experience with our venue by sharing, “It was everything we had wished for and more. The whole process was so easy, every member of staff we spoke to during the process of booking and arranging the wedding could not be faulted. What a great team of people.

Our day was great – we were really lucky with the weather too, so this just added to the magic of the day. We have had so many compliments on how lovely our day was, how lovely the venue is and one guest even said it was the best food he has ever had at a wedding!

Lucy was absolutely wonderful as our wedding planner, and the day was run so well thanks to her hard work and always a big smile on her face! Thank you just isn’t enough, it really was everything we’d ever dreamed of and more. Every single element went above and beyond our expectations.”

Enjoy Every Moment

When asked to offer one piece of advice to future couples getting married at Southdowns Manor, the pair said, “Enjoy every moment. The whole team is absolutely wonderful and they will guide you through the whole process – no question too big or too small. We can’t fault them!”

Congratulations to the newlyweds!