Russell & Lorenzo’s Perfect Pet-Friendly Wedding

Sometimes, a couple chooses their wedding venue. Other times, the venue chooses them. The latter is exactly what happened with Russell and Lorenzo.

From the get-go, Southdowns Manor spoke to our newlyweds, so much so that they brought their wedding day forward an entire year!

Our venue also warmly welcomes pets, which was perfect for Russell and Lorenzo, who had two very special guests take center stage on their special day. Read all about it…

A Very Special Place

Russell shared what it was that made him and Lorenzo immediately fall in love with our venue: “Southdowns Manor was the perfect wedding venue for our celebrations. We both wanted to thank all of the team for making our special day absolutely perfect. From the first time we visited Southdowns Manor back in 2022, we both got the “zing” and felt it was a very special place.

Lorenzo and I looked at another couple of venues, but nothing was even close, and one didn’t allow dogs inside. We loved the friendliness of all the team. No matter who you came into contact with, everyone always wanted to help. The venue itself is stunning and has been well-maintained.

We booked a second viewing with Natalie and she cut straight to the chase… “So, what brings you back?” Well… we love it! Natalie worked her magic and we were able to bring the wedding forward from 2024 to 2023. We loved the catch-ups with Becky keeping us on track with many lists and trackers.”

The Day Ran Perfectly

“The day itself ran perfectly. Having bacon and Italian rolls was a great idea as we didn’t have breakfast. There was always a chance of rain, but with a bit of luck and last-minute “let’s do it”, it [outdoor ceremony] happened, and the venue looked stunning!

The drinks reception and wedding breakfast were perfect. Portion sizes and food quality were also fantastic and everyone loved it. The evening celebrations were great, the evening buffet came out on time and was devoured by our guests.”

The Finishing Touches

Russell and Lorenzo knew exactly how they wanted their special day to look like. “We had a blue and burgundy theme with our two Japanese Shiba Inu dogs, Leone and Zeke, taking an active role.”

The couple wore contrasting blue and burgundy suits with matching dog leads and collars for their precious pups!

“We kept the flowers simple with a garland on the registers table that was later moved to the top table, a display on the entrance table and pin holes for the wedding party.

We opted for a ‘cake of cheeses’ for our wedding cake. Southdowns Manor kindly supplied this and it was cut up and offered out on the buffet table, with crackers and dips. A great choice!”

Capturing Special Moments

Our newlyweds said, “We chose Tim Hills Photography because he was local and knew the venue well, but also has a quirky style of capturing those special moments.

Tim was brilliant on the day taking all the shots, it was great to have someone who knew the venue and how to capture those happy memories.”

Stand Out Memories

Russell and Lorenzo were thrilled that the rain held off so that their dream of having an outdoor ceremony came true!

“Having the wedding outside in the courtyard was our preference. Luckily the rain held off and we were able to have the ceremony outside. It looked stunning with the double chair sashes, white blossom trees, cream carpet, and lanterns.”

Attention To Detail

“The whole day was magical and the attention to detail didn’t go unnoticed. All of the team that we interacted with were always polite and wanted to help and this made it special.

Mia who took over from Becky and the other wedding planner who hosted us for breakfast were amazing. Also Cherry and her partner who was working that day were really great. Without asking they both introduced themselves and handed over to us when they started and finished their shifts – really professional.”

The pair had some final well-wishes for their wedding coordinator: “Becky, thank you for the hard work you put into the wedding planning, especially the attention to detail. Thank you for keeping us on track even with the additional added surprises, it was perfect and will always hold a very special place in our hearts.”

Words Of Wisdom

Our newlyweds were keen to share one of the tricks they used to keep their wedding planning running smoothly: “Use Google forms to capture all your RSVPs, dietary and special requests, this saves a lot of time.”

And, when it came to making any changes, the couple said, “If I could change one thing: make time run slower. We blinked and it was the wedding breakfast, then evening gusts, then the last dance. It went so quickly! Enjoy the day. Time will fly past and you will spend time with all of your guests.”

We were thrilled to be able to celebrate your wedding with you!