KATIE & JOE
MIDDLETON LODGE ESTATE24.05.24Katie and Joe approached me to partially plan their wedding day in Spring 2022, opting for a Design & Style partial planning service. They had planned a lot of their wedding day themselves, sourced their photographer, venue, florist etc, but now needed some assistance in bringing together the finer details of their day. They immediately fell in love with The Fig House at Middleton Lodge, a Georgian country estate with it’s restaurants, Forest spa and plentiful onsite accommodation; it offered everything they needed for themselves and their guests to enjoy in their wedding day celebrations. “thank you for everything you did, we couldn’t have done it without you”
Assisting Katie & Joe with their overall wedding design, sourcing their furniture, linens and all other styling elements allowed them to have a wedding day that felt cohesive, relaxed and full of joy.From the very beginning, Katie & Joe knew that they wanted a classic black and white tie wedding aesthetic and so I drew inspiration from white and black marble for their wedding day design. The result was a classic white wedding scheme with touches of luxury and threads of statement black elements weaving throughout. I worked closely with their stationer Stamp Design Co and florist Dreamboats & Carousels throughout to create their modern, classic and sophisticated scheme.
Katie and Joe opted for an outdoor ceremony, with black bistro chairs laid out in cat walk style facing inwards towards the aisle. Framing the beautiful backdrop of the walled gardens were two large deconstructed arch floral installations (which were later repurposed to frame the archway in the Boiler Room area for the evening. As soon as guests arrived to the ceremony area from the Gin Terrace, they were greeted with bespoke arched welcome boards from Stamp Design Co, that mimicked the arched windows of The Fig House. A floor floral arrangement from Dreamboats and Carousels sat to one side to complement. Both ceremony and reception flowers focused on a palette of whites and creams, with hydrangeas, roses and gypsophila being the main hero elements to the arrangements.
“the absolute best! If there are any future brides reading this, then you need Abi in your life”
Katie & Joe always knew they wanted their table to feel luxurious. They wanted it to feel full of candles and florals. So working closely with Kim from Dreamboats & Carousels, we created a scheme that felt full and plentiful, but that still left room for the beautiful food and drinks when they were added to the tables. We opted for Ivory Ester & Erik tapers in understated glass holders alongside ivory pillars of varying heights, to create an undulating effect across the nine tables that made up the central table arrangement. Cream ceramic bowls and runners filled with florals also lined the center of the tables. Above Katie & Joe hung a large floral cloud installation with six teardrop chandeliers nestled within to add that extra element of sophistication. planning tip: ask your caterers how each of your courses will be served and how much room they will take up. this way you will know how many candles, florals etc you will need on your table without making it overcrowded
We decided to subtly elevate the traditional white tablecloth by choosing a heavier cloth and napkins with a beautiful heavy weave and drape from Alba Tableware. The napkins were simply pressed and folded with personalised menus placed on top, with beautiful velvet bows wrapped around them to keep everything secured and in place. All elements were placed on clear beaded charger plates echoing the glassware details elsewhere on the table, and ensuring that the overall aesthetic looked dressed for when guests first see the reception area. 
planning tip: always speak with your venue and or caterers to see what will be laid out on the table as you and your guests walk into your reception room. you may want to consider charger plates if plates are not already laid out
It was an absolute pleasure working with Katie & Joe on their classic black tie wedding at Middleton Lodge. I know that it will long remain a special place for them to return to on anniversaries and special occasions. Design & Partial Planning: AR Weddings
Photography: Georgina Harrison
Venue: Middleton Lodge Estate
Florals: Dreamboats & Carousels
Veil: Rebecca Anne Designs
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Stationery: Stamp Design Co