23 May Finding Drakestone House | Gloucestershire Wedding April 2019.
Holly and Neil enjoyed a beautiful Gloucestershire wedding at Drakestone House in April 2019. Holly sent us the following write up about her experience. A month before we got engaged a friend had shared Drakestone House as a new wedding venue on her Facebook page. The beautiful house in the picture screamed romance, love and English charm. I put it to the back of my mind as Neil and I weren’t even engaged at that point. Fast forward to February 2018, Neil was down on one knee! We spent a week celebrating and we started to think about venues… I had always wanted a blank canvas where I could put my own touch on the day and use our own wedding suppliers that I had previously worked with. My first stop was showing Neil the website for Drakestone House, he agreed that it looked incredible. No convincing was needed… We arranged a viewing for that weekend. As we drove up the enchanted driveway the house was lit up and the beautiful old English house stood there in all its beauty. The warmth we felt from the house and the amazing wedding planner, Rebecca sold it to us on the spot. We left and the following week, booked Drakestone House for our Spring wedding in April 2019. 
Planning our Drakestone House Wedding
Planning the wedding came fairly naturally to me, I had planned events in the past and had also been secretly planning my wedding day since I was around 5 years old (Doesn’t every girl?).
We were allowed to come up to the house whenever we wanted to get ideas and work out what we wanted. Having two inspiration days before the wedding also helped us visualise our day.
Rebecca was brilliant, always at the end of an email or phone call. As the big day got closer, she made sure we were happy with every detail. Liaising with our suppliers and helping us with all the little things too.
Choosing our own wedding suppliers was a real plus for us. I wanted a friends’ company to do our catering and help us run our own bar. The flexibility really was brilliant, the wedding suppliers list which Rebecca also provided helped us find local accommodation/ taxis and a beauty therapist who did the bridal parties nails at Drakestone the night before.
The week before our wedding
The week of the wedding approached, final details were confirmed and the cars were loaded ready to make my vision come true!
Greeted by Rebecca and Trev ready with tea orders we set to work, the personal touches and relaxed feel really helped me keep calm as the nerves started to build.
The marquee took shape and the caterers, event hire, bar all arrived. Each of the suppliers couldn’t have done anymore for us.
The night before…
Friday afternoon soon came round, family started to arrive, the marquee was done and it was time to pop open a bottle of fizz.
This was when I started to relax, take in the house and the buzz around me. My family were so stunned about how beautiful the house was, it’s spacious feel, it’s decor and most of all the beautiful kitchen!
It was time to say good bye to Neil who was staying at our house, I got a little bit emotional. But was soon occupied by my gorgeous bridesmaids who gathered all the girls around the huge dining room table. I was given A bag full of bride gifts and a memory book with so many lovely messages from my friends and family.
We grabbed a final bottle of fizz and my bridesmaids followed me up to the four poster room where we all comfortably snuggled in to the giant bed for a final gossip before we turned off the lights.
Our wedding day…
I barely slept through the nerves, but as soon as the sun broke through the little gap at the side of the blind. I was excited to admit it was finally my wedding day!
Hair and make up began and our amazing photographer Ella Parkinson began to work her magic. Her calming voice and quiet nature really put me at ease, her making a little joke about our use of the word ‘lush’ made us all giggle and relax.
Family gathered around the breakfast table for the continental breakfast we had provided. (A Tesco delivery to Drakestone was the best on Friday! So easy to do).
The house was full of laughter, love, excitement and nerves as everyone prepared for the day ahead. No one was on top of each other and it just worked, enough bathrooms, mirrors and space for everyone.
Time carried on ticking away. We enjoyed some photos in the huge bathroom – the big bath was great for girly snaps! It was then time to get in my dress, the nerves and excitement continued to build. My bridesmaid Lottie and my mum helped me into my dress and I remember looking out of the window at North Nibley tower in the distance with a glisten in my eye.
Ella said she was off to get my dad ready at the bottom of the staircase and to come down when I was ready… I was ready!
I walked down the beautiful wooden stair case and the tears began to build as I saw my dad. A reassuring look from Rebecca who was stood in the door way, helped me pull myself together.
I took the 10 minute drive to St Leonard’s church, Tortworth, as Miss Taylor with my dad and was driven to Drakestone House with my husband as Mrs Evans.
The first half an hour felt like a complete blur, I remember seeing everyone drinking fizz and eating canapés but not really registering I was there for my own wedding!
Ella took us off to some beautiful quiet spots, where we gathered our excitement and got to spend some time alone together, when we came back I could take it all in.
Everyone was happy, having a good time and taking in the beautiful gardens, view and taking their own pictures. Knowing we were the only people there it almost felt like it was in our own garden, so private.
It was really reassuring knowing Rebecca was there in the background making sure everything ran smoothly, I think that is what made me relax as I like to know everything is going to plan. I knew it would with Rebeccathere.
The day went so fast, before I knew it the speeches were over, we had eaten and the evening guests were about to arrive.
The added extras all provided by our fab wedding venue including the fire pit with marshmallows and gardens games were just brilliant, our guests all took part and kept us all occupied during the in between time.
As the night began to fall the twinkly lights in the ceiling and over the dance floor begin to shine through lighting up the marquee ready for our first dance.
Neil was worried about the first dance, because he thought it would be awkward. But it turned out the cake cutting is the most awkward bit!
We danced and drank the night away until the final song was played at midnight, where the majority of people said their goodbyes.
We weren’t ready to finish our night there, so we grabbed some bottles and made the short walk up the Cotswold stone steps and into the piano room. We shut the door and no one knew we were there. We sung around the piano and drank until the early hours. Whilst the rest of the house slept on.
Sunday morning Sleepy heads begun to appear around the breakfast table where we sat and reminisced about our day, which we were so grateful to catch up with family on the Sunday. We took coffee and left over wedding cake onto the top terrace and sat in the sunshine looking down on the marquee where hours before it was full of life. A weekend that Neil, I and our families will never forget. Thank you Kate and Richard for allowing us to create our special day in your home. Everyone at Drakestone house would like to wish Holly and Neil a wonderful life together. Drakestone House is a wedding venue set in an idyllic location, surrounded by stunning Gloucestershire countryside. For information on our upcoming open days please click here or if you have any other questions you can contact us directly here. Photographer: https://www.ellaparkinsonphotography.co.uk/
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