Real Life Weddings at Pennyhill Park

We met in the South of France where we had both moved out for work. My husband is a private chef and I work with yachts.

As soon as we met on a rooftop in Nice we knew we had a connection and soon we were enjoying life together on the Cote d’Azur. As a rugby fanatic (one thing that made Pennyhill Park such a perfect choice for us), we were lucky to be able to get tickets for the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in Japan and Peter proposed in a beautiful bar overlooking Yokohama the night before the match. As friends said later after England lost the match, we didn’t get the trophy but he got the girl!

We chose to marry in England because our families and many great friends are still there, and we hoped for a sunny day after many painful postponements due to covid.

25 August doesn’t have a particular meaning apart from it being summer, and we could not have been luckier on the day when the sun came out. Drinks on the Pennyhill Park terrace in the sun, on one of the only good weather days of the summer, was just a perfect English summer scene.

I grew up in Sunningdale and we were so lucky to be able to have our ceremony at Holy Trinity Sunningdale, where my parents got married, and where the reverend happens to now be a very good friend of the family, even though my family now live in Newbury.

So we were looking in that area, as we wanted everything to be easy and convenient and for the guests to have the best day possible. Once we drove in to Pennyhill Park's driveway we were convinced!

Jodey showed us around and was fantastic about creating a picture of what the day could look like – that terrace was perfect and the dining room was ideal for the wedding breakfast. I also loved the idea that guests staying at the hotel could use the spa the next day, which was a huge treat and kept the celebrations going for a little longer.

My husband is a chef and great food was an incredibly important part of the day. The tasting was a wonderful experience and we were truly blown away by the food.

Not really. Just very natural – white flowers, bridesmaid dresses in champagne and stripped wood for the table/place names.

I really wanted everything to be naturally elegant English summer. With the backdrop of Pennyhill Park we didn’t actually have to do much more, although we did have an England Rugby themed wedding cake!

I went to Miss Bush in Ripley and would recommend it to anyone. They listened to us as we were browsing, picked one out, I tried it and that was the one. It was a beautiful dress, quite understated yet elegant. It had beautiful lace detail so I didn’t need accessories, just some flowers in my hair.

Just feeling on cloud nine all day and seeing people I love so happy, in a beautiful setting. For us the day was a long time coming after the delays and in addition with travel restrictions we hadn’t been able to see most of the guests for 2 years, until the day. So to reunite with friends and family for an occasion as happy as this was very special. Everyone kept coming up to us telling us what a great place it was and what a wonderful day they were having.

I actually did the tasting with my dad as my husband was unable to travel, which was a lovely experience – it was a real private dining experience, so professionally done.

For me the church service was very special – it was the first wedding that our family friend Reverend Terry had ever done, of course he made the Four Wedding and a Funeral joke! And he made the service so personal because he knew us. We had our siblings do readings, that meant a lot to us.

The best men's speeches were brilliant and hilarious.

The band we chose were amazing and kept everyone on the dance floor right till the end!

Photographer @studiorougephotography
Charlottes Dress @missbushbridal
Cake - Catherines Cakes (Reading)
Band @thedeloreansband