Thursday 16 January 2025

James & Claire’s Wanderlust Wedding

Weddings and travel have a lot in common—each revolves around discovery, adventure, embarking on something exciting, and sharing it with someone you love. In many ways, a relationship is the ultimate journey, making it a fitting analogy for the wedding of the lovely James and Claire. Their passion for travel inspired their wedding theme, filled with details that told a story of adventure and wanderlust.

In the height of summer, with the British weather in their favour, the couple tied the knot in our picturesque outdoor ceremony space. The day was filled with colour, joyful moments, and happy faces. Let us take you on a trip down memory lane, showcasing their wonderful wanderlust wedding…

Falling for Southdowns Manor

When it came to choosing the perfect venue, James and Claire shared that Southdowns Manor scored highly on their checklist: “The staff, the location, the concept, and the food!”

They added, “From start to finish, the whole journey with Southdowns Manor was relaxed, friendly, and incredibly helpful. This extended to the recommended suppliers that we used too. Everyone involved worked together to make our wedding exactly what we’d hoped for, with no exceptions.”

“It’s hard not to overstate how fantastic the location, staff, and the food all were. Having sole use of the venue for a 24-hour period really made a difference for us too. It meant we could have our wedding our way, without any strangers wandering through, as you might find at other hotels, for example.”

“The final reason we chose the venue was because almost everything was included in the price. This meant that we had far fewer decisions to make, and we could see what everything would look like in situ long before the day itself. And while we did upgrade a few elements, these decisions were nearly all made at one of the open evenings.”

Adventure Awaits!

The newlyweds opted for a fun and personal travel theme for their wedding day, captioning the event with the slogan, ‘Adventure Awaits!’ They used a globe as a guest book and added other themed decor pieces, like decorative suitcases and rolled-up maps.

With luck on their side for an outdoor wedding, they decorated the space with beautiful white blossom trees and a cream aisle carpet, accented by yellow chair sashes. For the wedding breakfast, tall elegant table centrepieces were paired with vibrant yellow flowers.

Styling & Finishing Touches

James and Claire embraced a bold colour scheme, combining traditional wedding touches with bright pops of colour, starting with their wedding flowers. Sunflowers took center stage, accented by vibrant pinks and purples in a beautiful arrangement.

Claire looked stunning in an elegant white A-line V-neck gown with delicate embellishments and embroidery. The groom and groomsmen wore smart royal blue three-piece suits, complemented by sunflower yellow ties and buttonholes to match the bridal bouquet. The flower girls also wore complementary white dresses, accented with an orange waistband.

The Wedding Cake & A Surprise

Their wedding cake was a four-tier creation made by a dear friend, with flavours of chocolate, lemon drizzle, and Victoria sponge to suit all tastes. It featured white fondant icing, a glittering world map design, and their signature ‘Adventure Awaits’ slogan.

The couple even included our gin bar in the evening celebrations, adding an element of surprise and delight for their guests.

The Photography

Capturing their perfect day was the wonderful Fiona Mills, a seasoned photographer at our venue and one of our trusted recommended suppliers. The couple preferred relaxed, unobtrusive shots to capture the day as authentically as possible, with very few staged photos.

Their choice of colourful confetti and a conga line for the first dance are among our favourite snapshots, as they capture the vibrancy and fun of the couple and their guests.

An Incredible Day

When asked to pick their most memorable moment, the couple said, “No, the whole day was incredible!”

A Piece Of Advice

While wedding planning can seem overwhelming, James and Claire emphasised that it doesn’t have to be at our venue: “Trust your wedding planner, and attend the tasting evening—it’s an hour or two very well spent.”

They added, “Southdowns Manor and its staff are incredible—our wedding planner ran the day like clockwork, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.”

Good luck on your newest adventure as husband and wife…

Contact

Start planning your special day

For a copy of our brochure, up to date pricing and information on open events and special offers please get in touch

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01730 763800

enquiries@southdownsmanor.co.uk