Spring in their step

Daisy and Rhys enjoyed a springtime wedding filled with daffodils and daisies and a lemon colour theme Images courtesy of Gemma Gaskins Photography

Daisy

and Rhys met through a mutual friend who set them up. “Rhys was working in Stratford-Upon-Avon managing a bar and I was home on my summer holiday from university,” Daisy tells us. “I met my friend in the bar for a drink and that was Rhys’ cue to come over and serve us our drinks! He listened intently to my conversation, laughing at the right moments and never once taking his eyes off me! He later told our friend that I was one of the most beautiful, bubbly women he had met and he needed my number. I liked the fact that he was assertive and direct. Needless to say, I spent the rest of my summer in the bar!”

Rhys proposed at the Roman Baths in Bath

Spa on 2nd October 2020. “It was a complete surprise because I never dreamt that Rhys would propose in such a public place and I was under the illusion we were on the way to Bournemouth to visit his father,” Daisy explains. “After walking around the Roman Baths, Rhys asked an attendant to take photos of us posing with the cathedral, Bath Abbey in the background. He then got down on one knee and surprised me – we have a series of beautiful photos that captured the moment!”

After the proposal, the couple went to The Hare and Hound pub where Daisy’s parents and her best friend were waiting to surprise her with balloons, cake and champagne. “Without

From the moment you arrive, our friendly team will support you in helping to plan your perfect wedding day at Llanthony Secunda.

There are two magical locations, as well as the glorious grounds available for wedding hire, providing a beautiful setting for your wedding celebrations. Whether you dream of a vintage style afternoon tea or a glamorous wedding reception, our warm and relaxed atmosphere will make everyone feel at home. The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal is also located on the doorstep of the Priory, which in combination with our historic buildings on site, provides some truly unique photo opportunities.

Rhys realising it, the date was very meaningful because it’s my parent’s wedding anniversary!” Daisy says.

Setting The Scene

St. Nicholas Church in the village of Loxley has sentimental meaning to Daisy’s family – her parents were married there and she was christened in the church so it was a natural choice for her to be married in.

Daisy travelled to the church in her step-grandfather’s vintage Aston Martin car. “This was a childhood dream come true,” she tells us. “Rhys and I hired a white vintage Imperial Viscount to take us from St Nicholas Church to The Slaughters Manor House. The time in the car travelling from the church to the manor was priceless – a quick half an hour for us both to process the fact we were newly married.”

“Our ceremony was a highlight of the day for me,” says Rhys. Daisy adds, “The memory of walking down the aisle next to my dad toward Rhys will stay with me forever. Whilst I was waiting outside with my dad to enter the church, the wind took my veil off of my head and it blew across the graveyard! One of the locals who had come down to the church to catch a glimpse of the bride got more than she bargained for! I was so grateful that she was there because she ran across the graveyard and got it for me which was caught by our videographer – the way the veil flies up into the air is hilarious (now!) and also incredible.”

After weeks of searching for reception venues, the couple visited The Slaughters Manor House in Gloucestershire. “Daisy turned to me and said this is the one,” Rhys tells us. “Tucked away in the stunning Cotswold village of Lower Slaughter, it looked so charming on arrival, with steps leading up to the impressive front-arched entrance and perfectly manicured gardens. Inside, the reception area felt welcoming and elegant, with the circular bar immediately to your right when entering. We were seated in the lounge, which was a warm intimate space, to meet the wedding coordinator and chat about our plans.”

The couple were shown around the manor and could picture their wedding taking place at the venue, with its pink lounge opposite where the dancefloor and DJ would be set up and the billiards room, where the groomsmen would inevitably be found. “Both rooms featured such ornate decorative ceilings that felt so grand yet the size and space of these rooms were perfect for us,” they tell us. “We didn’t want a large venue with so many rooms that our wedding party would be divided and split between. We wanted the day to feel intimate and this is exactly what The Slaughters Manor House provided. The wedding breakfast would be served downstairs and then the evening celebrations would be hosted upstairs - there was even a secret room leading off the lounge creating a perfect space for the teenage bridesmaids to relax away from the adults on the day!”

Because the rooms are all of such a high standard both in the manor and coach house, Daisy and Rhys found it difficult to choose the one that they wanted to stay in on their wedding night – they only decided two weeks before the big day! “We felt so excited that our close friends and family could stay with us and experience the luxury of the manor for the wedding and the following day.”

The couple chose a spring theme with touches of lemon yellow, plenty of daffodils and daisies and a reference to bees to decorate their day with. “This reflected my pale yellow diamond engagement ring and coordinated with our engagement party invites which set our theme from the start,” Daisy says. “They were illustrated with two bees facing each other, one holding a daisy flower out to the other. I contacted the designer on Etsy who adapted the artwork of the bees so that they were standing under an archway of daisies and daffodils with petals raining down on them, the bee holding the daisy flower had a top hat and the other a veil.”

Daisy and Rhys chose tall gold stands with rectangular frames and large flower arrangements for their table centrepieces. “They were filled with the same flowers that were displayed in the church, bouquets and buttonholes,” Daisy tells us. “These included daffodils as Rhys’s choice because he is Welsh. I chose daisies to reflect my name and all of the other flower varieties were cream, white and pale yellow mixed with soft green foliage including eucalyptus.”

The couple wanted round tables with no formal top table, instead deciding to sit with their groomsmen and bridesmaids instead of family. “Our seating chart featured our wedding bees with the table number in the centre of the petal arch and gold lettering at the top of the sign,” Daisy explains. “We also had a table plan presented on a gold stand with gold lettering in the same font as the illustration of the wedding bees. For the favours, we gifted guests a small pot of honey and small love spoons individually carved with a daisy and daffodil, plus our names and the date of our wedding.”

Daisy and Rhys also had other decorative details to style their special day. “We loved our feather wall and also the sweetie table that had a yellow ribbon tied around the sweet scoops and boxes in the shape of bee hives,” they explain.

The couple’s cake was a four-tier design covered in white fondant icing and decorated with a gold leaf design. “On top was an iced daisy and daffodil flower,” Daisy says.

Looking The Part

“I chose two dresses,” Daisy tells us. “The first was a gown by Enzoani which was classic with a detachable skirt that featured a dramatic long train. I wore the skirt during the church ceremony and then removed it for the wedding breakfast and our first dance. This revealed the fitted train of the dress which had beautiful button detail going down it.”

Daisy’s second dress was a lace, strapless style with beaded detail. “It had a glamorous 1920s look to it with a small train meaning it was much easier to dance in!”

The bridesmaids wore pale lemon-coloured dresses. “They were wrap maxi dresses with a side split, chiffon overlay and one-shoulder design,” Daisy says.

Rhys wore a three-piece stone-coloured tweed suit with a floral waistcoat. “Our fathers and the groomsmen all wore similar three-piece suits in a slightly different shade and didn’t have the patterning on the back of the waistcoat,” Daisy says. “They all wore pale lemon-coloured ties and had buttonholes with daisies and daffodils in them. We hired brown shoes for everyone which finished off the look perfectly.”

Time To Celebrate

The couple had a vintage tripod camera as their photo guest book which their guests loved. “Everybody had a great time during the evening dancing the night away,” they tell us. “We couldn’t stop smiling and both felt excited throughout the day. We felt so loved not just by each other but also by all of our guests and everyone involved throughout the wedding.”

THE DREAM TEAM

Venue and catering, The Slaughters Manor House, www.slaughtersmanor.co.uk | Photographer, Gemma

Photography, https://gemmagaskins.co.uk | Videographer, Izzy J Weddings, www.izzyjweddings.com

| Dresses, The White https://whiteboutique.co.uk | Jewellery and accessories, Rachel Byrne Jewellery, 07757 701 958 | Wedding rings, Beaverbrooks, www.beaverbrooks.co.uk | Photo booth, Waterfall Photo Booth Co. https://waterfallphotobooth.co.uk | Feather wall backdrop, Etiquette Wedding & Event Design, www.etiquetteevents.co.uk | Hair, Jessica Woolley at Matthew Curtis, www.facebook.com/mcurtishair | Make-up artist, Georgia Taylor Makeup Artistry and Beauty, http://georgiataylormakeup.com | Groomsmen’s suits, The Wedding Barn, www.theweddingbarn.co.uk | Groom’s suit, Moss Bros, www.moss.co.uk | Cake, Laura Elizabeth Cake Studio, www.lauraelizabethcakestudio.co.uk

| Reception flowers, The Broadway Florist, https://broadway-florist.com | Church flowers (including buttonholes and bouquets), Sarah Horne, www.sarahhornebotanicals.com | Transport, Cupid Carriages, www.cupidcarriages.co.uk |DJ, Deckstar Deluxe DJ Services, www.deckstardeluxe.co.uk

A few words from some of our brides... (as we couldn’t put it better ourselves)

“The location is stunning, a beautiful Cotswold Manor House with amazing grounds set in the picturesque village of Lower Slaughter with its stream, water mill and quaint cottages, a perfect setting and endless photo opportunities. The Chef Nik and his team did a fantastic job, and all our guests were overwhelmed by the quality of the food and amazing service.”

“The Slaughters Manor House exceeded our every expectation. Our daughter and son in law had a room called Valentine a wonderful suite big enough to hold her and 5 bridesmaids on the morning, with a private garden.”

‘’The wedding breakfast was wonderful, and everybody said it was the best wedding food they had ever tasted.”

‘’ The attentive service throughout the entire day was exemplary, nobody was left with an empty glass and the high level of service was maintained until the party finished in the early hours.’’

We have a genuinely friendly and flexible approach to creating your perfect bespoke wedding, choose from a simple day ceremony through to full exclusive use (for up to 120 guests.) We would be more than delighted to show you around or chat on the phone, Please do let us know you will be calling in, either on 01451 820 456 , or drop us an email events@slaughtersmanor.co.uk

The Slaughters Manor House, Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire, GL54 2HP 01451 820 456 events@ slaughtersmanor.co.uk www.slaughtersmanor.co.uk/weddings

Find Your Forever Wedding Rings

• Premium quality wedding rings

• A large selection of styles from plain and traditional to modern and stone set

• Multiple precious metals available including 9ct, 18ct and 22ct gold, white gold, platinum and palladium

• Perfect fit bridal sets with an engagement ring and a wedding ring

• Free bespoke wedding ring design service

• With a lifetime guarantee*, free ring sizing, free valuation and free annual inspection

• Beautiful wedding jewellery and gifts are also available

*Excludes wear & tear and accidental damage

Visit your local F.Hinds store or scan the QR code to start browsing www.fhinds.co.uk

Organic Sourdough Wood Fired Pizza

Box Kitchen serves up organic sourdough wood fired pizza for events, weddings, festivals, private parties and anywhere there is a need for top quality mobile pizza!

We use soil certified organic, fresh, local ingredients wherever we can, and go the extra mile when it comes to creating truly delicious flavours. We have plenty of vegan and gluten free pizza options, so whatever your dietary requirements, we have you covered.