Amy & Gerard’s Iscoyd Park wedding is one we always look back on fondly, and even though it was quite a few years ago now we still think it deserves a place on the blog. We love this venue as a UK destination wedding location, particularly for its beautiful choice of spaces (both indoor and outdoor) to celebrate in. Take a trip down memory lane with us as we relive this travel themed wedding day with lots of gorgeous, playful details.
Why Choose An Iscoyd Park Wedding?
When Amy and Gerard enquired with me we were all based in London, and their brief was to get married somewhere between there and the north of England – because, coincidentally, they were both from the North Manchester area where I also grew up. They were looking for a venue where they could bring their families together for the weekend and everyone could stay locally without having to travel too far, so Iscoyd Park really worked for them.
It ticked all the boxes:
- Exclusive use,
- Private country house with beautiful grounds
- Plenty of accommodation on site
- Midway between London and the North
- Not too grand so as not to feel like ‘them’ (some of the more formal stately homes in the area were ruled out because of this)
- Close to a church where they could have their legal wedding
Getting Married in Church
It was very important to Amy and Gerard to have a church wedding and, while there is a chapel on site at Iscoyd that is perfect for many people, they were looking for something a little bigger for their ceremony. They settled on St Oswald’s in Malpas which is just 10 minutes from Iscoyd, and Amy’s ordained sister conducted the service alongside the rector at the church – a really special and moving moment for the families.
If you would also love to have a church wedding, remember there are often certain customs and regulations you have to follow. Amy and Gerard attended Sunday services at St Oswald’s for around six months prior to their wedding to be allowed to marry there, and while this does vary between churches you should be prepared for a possible level of commitment to do so.
The Wedding at Iscoyd Park
Iscoyd Park is a very special venue because it offers beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces, so no matter the weather you are in for a treat. Luckily, on Amy and Gerard’s wedding day it was wonderful weather and we were able to have their drinks reception in the gardens. Gerard’s favourite room was the library which he used with his groomsmen on the morning of the wedding, and we completely understand why.
The wedding receptions at Iscoyd are held in a permanent marquee pavilion which is a blank white canvas you can put your own touch on, which leads us nicely onto the decor and details of this celebration…
Decor & Details
We really wanted to make the ceiling of the pavilion feel more than just a blank white space, so we had the florist create a hanging installation. Laura from Regent House of Flowers is based in Wrexham, and we found her on our search for as many local ‘northern talent’ suppliers as possible. When we met with her there was an instant connection and we were thrilled with how she worked throughout – not to mention the flowers on the day were absolutely beautiful. The floral design focused on incorporating blue, which was Amy’s chosen colour scheme and flowed through the bridesmaids dresses, table linens and mens suits. Laura used white and blue hydrangeas, white avalanche roses, lisianthus, stocks, astranthia, ranunculus and silver sprayed eucalyptus and thistles, carrying the theme through from the church to the reception in the pavilion.
There were lots of lovely details to this Iscoyd Park wedding, all curated around their specific colour scheme. Amy’s dress was by Jenny Packham with gorgeous silver detailing, and we picked this out in many of the other elements of the wedding – including the cake, which was made by her mum and was really a focal point. There were also handcrafted touches by Amy, as well as a theme of travel running throughout.
EXPLORE WEDDING PLANNING SERVICES
Travel Themed Wedding at Iscoyd Park
Amy and Gerard have travelled extensively though work and study so wanted to theme the wedding around this. Their seating plan was a world map with pins to show table names, which were all of the cities they had spent a lot of time in. Each table included a souvenir from their travels to that place. Their invitations were by Paperknots and included a hand drawn map of the area, while the on-the-day stationery was designed by Knots & Kisses. The place names actually folded into paper aeroplanes, which we took outside after dinner for a paper aeroplane throwing competition.
Photography & Music
Two more of the standout suppliers we loved working with on this wedding were the photographer and the band. This was the first wedding we worked on with Paul Santos, who we have since worked with many more times. We found him because he was on Iscoyd Park’s recommended supplier list, and Amy and Gerard loved the fact he was also based in the north. The rest, as they say, is history and we now have a wonderful ongoing relationship with Paul.
The band was also a fun highlight of this wedding. Amy and Gerard wanted some sort of Oasis tribute, a nod to their Mancunian roots. At the very start of the reception when everyone was finding their seats, Rush came in for a rendition of Wonderwall which went down extremely well with all their guests. This encouraged guests to get into the right mood for the rest of the night of dancing, something we really recommend to keep the energy high throughout dinner.
It has been a real joy to look back on Amy and Gerard’s wedding while writing this blog, and we would love to plan another Iscoyd Park wedding. If you’re looking for somewhere like this that all of your guests can easily travel to, you might want to read our shortlist of the best UK destination wedding venues.
CONTACT MICHELLE for UK and destination wedding planning services:
Fill in our enquiry form and we will be in touch to arrange your complimentary consultation.
Email michelle@elegantebymichellej.com.
