Celebrating Intercultural Love Stories Through Our Clients

When I was 19 years old, I was scrolling the internet, dreaming about my future wedding. During my search, I stumbled upon the most beautiful venue I had ever seen. I vowed to myself that one day I would get married there. I took a screenshot and saved it in a folder on my computer called “My Turn.” Being a strong believer in the power of visualisation, I would often look at the images, visit the website, download the beautiful brochure, and dream about the wedding day I would have at that venue. The place was Wotton House Hotel in Dorking, and it was my dream venue.

Fast forward 22 years. By this time, I had met my now-husband, and we had been together for 12 years. We had two children and had discussed the prospect of getting married, though he had not yet formally proposed (that story is for another blog!). In October or maybe November, I happened upon a wedding fair at Wotton House. I had never been there in person, only seen it online and in my dreams. I asked Horace if he wanted to go, and to my surprise, he said yes!

As we drove down the beautiful pebble driveway, my heart did a little dance as I imagined our guests’ faces when they arrived and saw the hotel at the end. What a view! We were greeted by the friendly and welcoming events team. I was given a glass of Prosecco and, after filling out a form, received a gift bag with a stunning white rose and other goodies. We were then free to wander around.

We went on a tour, and when I entered the old library, it was everything I had imagined and more. The pictures I had seen were beautiful, but they were nothing compared to standing in this room with its vaulted ceilings and decorative pillars. My eyes were drawn to the amazing fireplace at the end of the room, and as I stood there, squeezing Horace’s hand, I knew that when he finally proposed, this would be where it happened.

We continued the tour, exploring the grounds and all the beautiful spots perfect for our pictures, including a secret garden, an Italian garden with a water fountain, a mini cave, and so much more. Every corner was filled with something breathtaking. I couldn’t stop smiling. As we drove away, I asked Horace what he thought. “Do you like it?” I asked. “Yeah, it’s alright,” he said. “Alright?!” I quizzed. “Would you get married there?” I asked. “I guess,” he said. That was all the confirmation I needed!

We eventually got engaged on January 1, 2022. I knew we didn’t need to look at any other venues. Because of the bank holidays, I had a painstaking wait for everything to reopen, but on Tuesday, January 4, at 9 a.m. on the dot, I called to book my big day. The phone was answered by a gentleman at the front desk. I asked for the weddings and events team, and he said, “Sorry, they don’t usually get in until 9 o’clock.” “It’s 9:01,” I replied! He put me through, and much to my relief, the phone was answered by Jennifer Irwin. We chatted a bit, I told her my story, and I was thrilled when she told me the date we wanted was available: Sunday, August 27, 2023, the bank holiday weekend. I booked it, and we were officially doing it!

I attended every wedding fair they had after that, finding my perfect supplier team and gathering ideas for how I wanted it to look. Much to Horace’s dismay, I added things to our package each time! I sourced amazing suppliers, and finally, our day arrived. Our wedding party stayed over the night before. We had our rehearsal on Saturday afternoon, followed by a delicious meal in a private room off the 1877 Restaurant. It was just for us, personal and perfect. The service was amazing, and it was the perfect start to our big day.

I had booked the Primula Suite, with its stunning views of the grounds and its bright, airy feel for us to stay in the night of the wedding. 

On the wedding day, the bridal party and I were up early to begin preparations. We had hired the Heather Suite to get ready in. It had two adjoining rooms with space to eat and for the hair stylist and makeup artist to work their magic. 

There was a stunning window where I knew I had to have my picture taken. We had a good breakfast delivered while we got ready.

We met our toastmaster, Chris, who was friendly and reassuring. We had spoken earlier in the planning journey, but it was lovely to meet him in person, especially because he came bearing a thoughtful gift of a lucky sixpence. We had hired our own wedding coordinator, who worked closely with the hotel events team, particularly Sam, the head of operations, whom we had met at our final details meeting.

When it was time, I was guided into a small room set up for the registrar interview. Then it was all systems go. I was led down the grand staircase, and while the bridal party made their entrance, I waited in the holding area, hidden from view until it was my turn to make my appearance. I relished every second of my aisle walk in the old library and thoroughly enjoyed our ceremony.

Then we headed outside, where we had a wonderful confetti shot by the water fountain and a group shot of all 140 guests, followed by drinks and canapés to the sound of the steel pan band we had hired. We were taken inside for our first look at the reception setup, and it was like my Pinterest dream brought to life. We ate our well-presented and tasty wedding breakfast before partying the night away in the Evelyn Suite and our own private outdoor area.

Several guests stayed over the night of the wedding, and the hotel kindly put on breakfast in the same private room we had used for the rehearsal dinner, repurposing some of the flower décor from the wedding. They truly made the experience wonderful for everyone.

Our guests loved the grounds and the hotel itself. I can honestly say it was the most perfect day I had waited a lifetime for, and I am so glad I did.

The Dream Team:

Planner: @weddingsbysherene 

Flowers: @flowersbyelaine

Dress: @pronovias

Suit: @harvieandhudson

Co-ordinator: @pearlineevents

Hair: @wendisroom

MuA: @redartistry

Venue: @wotton_house_hotel

Photographer: @murrayclarkephoto

Videographer: @annekairelandvideography

Decor: @etherevents

Cake: @thecaketailor1

Steel Band: @sunnysteelband

Photo Booth: @gmeventshire

DJ: @djmilktray

Harpist: @mark_harp

Signage: @recreate.laser

Stationary: @pure_invitation