Real Wedding

Emily and Chris’ Wedding at Cain Manor

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Planning a dream summer wedding at Cain Manor

Emily and Chris met when they were both enrolled on the same course at Chichester University.

Four years after they became a couple, Chris picked Emily up from the train station after she had met friends in London earlier that evening. He was wearing a hoodie and tracksuit bottoms, so Emily didn’t suspect a thing. They drove to Goodwood Hill and walked right to the top under the beautiful nights sky. At the top Chris asked Emily to put a blindfold on.

Five minutes later, when Chris asked Emily to remove her blindfold, he was in font of her on one knee, now in a full suit and surrounded by candles, offering a beautifully designed engagement ring.

Emily accepted the proposal and the newly engaged couple spent the following three years planning their perfect country house wedding in Hampshire.

Bride and Groom Wedding Photography Hampshire

Choosing the Ultimate Barn Wedding Venue

Cain Manor wasn’t the first barn wedding venue Chris and Emily visited. After looking through magazines, searching online and taking recommendations from friends, they shortlisted 6 unique styles of wedding venues to visit.

The couple had actually been to Cain Manor before, but as guests to a friends wedding. When they visited with their own day in mind they fell in love with the open ceremony room and beautiful surrounding grounds; being able to enjoy the venue exclusively for 24 hours was also a huge selling point for Chris and Emily. The couple loved the idea of getting married during the warmer months, and in the end chose a Thursday wedding date to secure and look forward to. A Thursday wedding meant that they could spend the rest of the weekend celebrating their marriage with friends and family.

Emily and Chris paid their deposit for Cain Manor 2 years before their actual wedding date, giving them plenty of time to visit the luxury barn wedding venue for their TimeLine Meeting and menu tasting with Harper’s specialist Wedding Management Team.

A Stunning Stella York Wedding Dress

Emily wanted to make sure she wore a truly perfect wedding dress as she walked down the aisle in the Music Room at Cain Manor, and therefore she enjoyed trying on no less than 20 different styles of wedding dress during her search. Emily finally fell in love with dress a semi-fitted, all lace gown with an elegant long train, designed by Stella York. It fitted like a dream and she teamed her lace gown up with a pair of wedding shoes from Dune.

Emily and her four bridesmaids had spent time searching for perfect pink bridesmaid dresses. After shopping around, they all agreed upon beautiful pastel pink dresses by an independent designer in London.

Chris proudly wore his military uniform and his grooms men wore smart black suits from Moss Bros.

The Big Day: Thursday 24th August, 2017

After a morning of getting ready, guests were seated and Chris waited at the end of the aisle. At 2pm on Thursday, August 24th, Emily made her entrance arm in arm with her father, to Canon in D played live by harpist Shelly Fairplay.

The bright barn-style Music Room at Cain Manor was beautifully decorated with dainty gypsophilia and roses, to match Emily’s bouquet and also fitting perfectly to their rustic country garden theme. Creams, sages, pastel pinks and pops of bright raspberry filled the venue; the couple had worked closely with Harper Partner Sonning Flowers in order to bring their floral dreams to life.

Their romantic wedding ceremony was followed by reception drinks and photographs on the lawn at Cain Manor. 80 wedding guests enjoyed the outdoor space as the newlywed couple were able sneak off with their photographer, Harper Partner Richard Galloway, to capture some incredible images in the fields behind the venue.

 

Later on in the afternoon, just ahead of their wedding banquet, the couple entered the Music Room from the balcony; a memorable moment for everyone. Reception tables were decorated with a rustic theme, featuring floral filled jars, perched on logs.

As the banquet and afternoon came to a close the newlywed couple kick-started their evening celebrations with their first dance to ‘Lets Stay Together’ by Frank Sinatra, played by OJ Soul, a live Soul and Motown band, who performed throughout the evening celebrations. A further 20 evening wedding guests joined the party and the couple cut through a glamorous tiered lemon and white chocolate ganache wedding cake, designed by Cakeadelic. Emily and Chris jet-setted off to British Columbia for their honeymoon shortly after their wedding.

welcome chalkboard rustic Cain Manor decor ivy

The Wedding Breakfast

Starter
Red onion tart, spinach & saffron shallot, mascarpone, red currant & balsamic

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Main
Slow braised sticky Hampshire beef with creamed parsnip mash, Root vegetable crisps and Olivette carrots

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Dessert
Blackberry and apple crumble with caramel ice cream and crème Anglaise

Advice from the Bride & Groom

When asked if they had any advice to other couples for their special day; Emily said that organisation before the day is key to ensure that you aren’t worrying about it during the day itself and can finally relax and just enjoy the day with friends and family.

Wedding Suppliers

Wedding Venue: Cain Manor
Wedding Photographer: Richard Galloway Photography
Wedding Florist: Sonning Flowers
Bridal Beauty: Charlotte Louise MUA and Kerry (family friend)
Wedding Harpist: Shelly Fairplay
Wedding Band: OJ Soul
Wedding Dress Designer: Stella York
Wedding Shoes: Dune Bridal collection
​Groomswear: Moss Bros
Wedding Cake: Cakeadelic
Wedding Gift List: John Lewis
Wedding Insurance: Dreamsaver

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