Yurt life

Dionne and David’s navy and blush-themed celebration enjoyed the romantic backdrop of a yurt village set up in the grounds of the wedding venue Hilles House

Images courtesy of James Fear

WhenI first met David, I was instantly drawn to his passion for business,” Dionne tells us. “He’s a confident, driven, smart man which are qualities that I find attractive.” David adds, “Dionne is gorgeous and that’s what immediately caught my eye but, in the end, it was her positive attitude, warmth and sense of fun that made me fall in love with her. You can’t help but feel good when you spend time around Dionne.”

The couple became engaged during a trip to Portugal. “We’ve been visiting there for years,” Dionne tells us. “The hotel closed the spa just for us and David led me through the oriental garden to a table laid for two under a pagoda. On it was a jigsaw puzzle which he suggested that I put together. I was trying to work out why he wanted me to complete a puzzle, but I did, and when the final piece clicked into place, it read ‘will you marry me’ which was a wonderful surprise!”

David tells us, “Although I’d been planning it for weeks, I was still a bit nervous, especially when Dionne was insistent on going somewhere different to where I’d planned to propose! Fortunately, it worked out. I wanted Dionne to choose her ring so we tied a gold ribbon on to each other’s fingers as a token.”

Setting The Scene

David owns Cheltenham Yurt Hire so the couple were always going to use their beautiful yurts for their celebration. “We’d long considered Hilles House for our venue,” Dionne tells us. “Not only does it offer some of the best views of any wedding venue in the region, but it’s close to St Mary’s Church in Painswick where we were married and provided space in the grounds for the yurts - it had everything that we wanted.”

David adds, “We held our drinks reception inside the Big Hall at Hilles House before moving down to our yurt village. We used a range of giant yurts from Cheltenham Yurt Hire to create several different zones for our guests to enjoy. We had a dining yurt, one for dancing and the DJ, a bar yurt, a chill-out lounge, a crèche for the children (complete with nannies) and a powder room for the bridal party. It was unique, relaxed and elegant which is exactly what we wanted to achieve. It was our own private festival set against the backdrop of the iconic Hilles House - we still get comments about how amazing the yurts and venue were to this day.”

Dionne and David wanted their suppliers to be as local as possible and are fortunate to be friends with some extremely talented local businesses and artisans. “It was wonderful to realise that every element had been crafted by somebody who

“The catering team at Marinades revisited Hilles House on the Sunday after our wedding to provide a barbecue for the remaining guests. We all sat in the sunshine and shared stories from the night before, taking time to reflect on everything that we’d experienced. This made our wedding feel more personal, bespoke and tailored. It was our own private event which is one of the advantages of a festival-style wedding - you’d never get that time with a traditional venue.” - Dionne and David we cared for and who cares about us,” they tell us. “For our table plan, we sourced an antique pine door from a local seller and decorated it with a gold leaf design. The names of each guest were hand-written and we also had a hand-painted order of the day designed by an artist called Dawn. Our antique pine welcome board now takes pride of place in our hallway! For their table names, Dionne and David decided on places that meant something to them both. “David’s daughter hand-wrote the place names in calligraphy and gold ink,” Dionne says.

For the favours, the couple chose something to eat, something to drink and something for good luck. “Our friend at Coco Confectionary of Nailsworth created some tasty chocolate truffles and we had a small bottle of Wray and Nephew overproof rum to celebrate my Jamaican heritage,” Dionne explains. We also gave each guest a lottery ticket.”

Dionne’s friend Gemma from the florist Petals and Pampas created the flower arrangements. “Gemma and I met in a professional capacity and quickly became friends. I’ve always admired her talent so it was a natural choice to ask her to create our flower arrangements,” Dionne says. We asked her to produce something using the blush pink shades of our bridesmaids’ dresses and what she produced was both bespoke and breathtaking - we couldn’t have been happier.”

Pia at The Vanilla Pod Bakery made the four-tier naked cake that was displayed on a wooden block and scattered with fresh berries. “It looked, and tasted incredible - I only wish I’d eaten more of it on the day!” Dionne says. “We also had a wheel cake of cheese from Armadeli. Armorel is a good friend so again, I trusted her to create something wonderful and it was lovely.”

The couple’s menu was devised by Joanna Parker, a local caterer. “We had fresh crab to start followed by chicken and tarragon sauce and a salted caramel tart for dessert,” Dionne says. “Our evening caterers were Marinades of Cheltenham who cooked up some delicious Jamaican street food.”

Looking The Part

Dionne wore a bridal dress by Enzoani. “The dress chose me,” Dionne says. “I started a Pinterest board and the majority of the gowns that I liked were all from Enzoani so I knew I wanted something from that designer. I began following The Dressing Rooms on Instagram and they posted a picture of this gorgeous dress. When I tried it on, it looked better than any other styles that I’d picked so I knew it was the one.” Dionne accessorised her dress with the tiara that her mum got married in 45 years beforehand and the couple’s bespoke wedding rings were designed by their friend, Dean who is a jeweller.”

David and his groomsmen wore identical navy tailcoats teamed with gold waistcoats and blush cravats. “Rob at Regency Groom in Bishops Cleeve where we purchased the suits from was so patient and helpful,” David says.

The couple’s bridesmaids wore blush pink sequinned and tulle dresses. “My maid-of-honour wore a fully sequinned style,” Dionne tells us.

Time To Celebrate

During the champagne and canapés reception, Dionne and David booked the talented saxophonist Lynden Blades to perform. “As luck would have it, we had a family friend who happens to be a well-known DJ to MC for the day and to DJ for us during the evening,” Dionne says. “I would strongly recommend an MC because it ensures that everything runs on time. “There were no awkward moments and our guests knew where they needed to be and what was coming next at all times.”

“Nothing prepares you for hearing the announcement that you’re husband and wife. Some of my favourite moments were listening to the speeches which were so moving and sitting at the top table watching our guests enjoying themselves. The first dance with my dad was also very special.”

THE DREAM TEAM Photographer, James Fear, www.fearphotography.com | Church ceremony, St Mary’s Church, Painswick | Reception venue, Hilles House, www.hilleshouse.co.uk | Yurts, Cheltenham Yurt Hire, www.cheltenhamyurthire.co.uk | Bridal dress, The Dressing Rooms, www.thedressingroomsbridal.co.uk | Hair, Lisa Walby Hair, www.lisawalby.com | Make-up artist, Beauty by Liv, https://beautybylivatie.gettimely.com | Bridesmaids’ dresses, Maya Deluxe, www.mayadeluxe.com | Suits, Regency Groom, www.groomswear.co.uk | Wedding rings, Dean Ferguson, 0121 604 8008 | Cake, The Vanilla Pod Bakery, https://vanillapodbakery.com and Armadeli, https://armadeli.com | Flowers, Petals And Pampas, https://petalsandpampasflorals.co.uk | Stationery and signage, Sign Painting by Dawn, www.signpaintingbydawn.com | Daytime catering, Joanna Parker Professional Caterer, https://joannaparker.co.uk | Evening catering, Marinades Caribbean, www.marinades.co.uk | Saxophonist, Sax & Honey, www.saxandhoney.com | Overnight accommodation for Dionne and David, The Painswick, www.thepainswick.co.uk | Overnight accommodation for wedding guests and groomsmen, Cheltenham Chase, Gloucester, www.thecheltenhamchase.co.uk

HILLES HOUSE IS THE STUNNING LOCATION FOR YOUR ROMANTIC WEDDING IN THE COTSWOLDS

An exquisite Grade II* listed wedding venue, nestled on the Edge, near Painswick and Stroud, featuring extraordinary Arts & Cra s architecture, the house provides a dramatic backdrop with glorious panoramic views across ve counties: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Monmouthshire, and Shropshire. With a relaxed and bohemian atmosphere combined with its creative history, this is an ideal setting for your most intimate day. Available from May to September, guests will bene t from exclusive use of the landscaped gardens and the Big Hall.

To nd out more, please visit www.hilleshouse.co.uk/weddings or contact our Wedding Planner, Emma Taylor Roach, at emma@hilleshouse.co.uk

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