One beautiful day in spring, the grounds of Cowley Manor was blessed with warm weather as our real couple Dana and Warren, were preparing for their magical Cotswolds wedding celebration. Their day is a dream English Countryside wedding come to life... filled with fashion, gorgeous details and the quintessential charm of The Cotswolds, all captured beautifully by Divine Day Photography.
The couple's incredible bridal style is sure to inspire, with our bride transforming a pre-loved wedding gown to a vintage-inspired showstopper, before switching to second dress in beautiful bronze for dancing, and groom Warren looking seriously dapper in black tie. The moody spring aesthetic is definitely Pinterest board worthy so get ready to glide through the dreamy day right here!
Dana and Warren, who are living their happily ever after in Birmingham, first met at a colleague’s work leaving the party, followed by an eager pursuit by Warren. "The proposal happened during a trip to Bali. Warren had planned to propose on the trip but was unsure of how and when. Once we had arranged a trip to climb Mount Batur Volcano in the dark to watch the sunrise, it became a no-brainer. Thankfully, I was completely unaware of the plan!" says Dana.
Gold bridal shoes and delicately detailed lace all add to the dreamy, vintage-inspired aesthetic of the Cotswolds wedding day.
From day one of wedding planning, the couple set out what they wanted, however, what they had in mind, ended up being quite different from what they'd envisaged. "Our constant goal was to keep it as intimate as possible, and for the planning to involve both of us equally. Ultimately, we wanted to make sure everyone had the most amount of fun possible, especially following the period the whole country had just been through," they say.
After three postponements, Dana and Warren were finally blessed with a beautifully sunny spring day full of love, laughter and endless support from their nearest and dearest. The magical day took place at St Mary’s Church on the grounds of Cowley Manor. The ceremony room was filled with spring floral arrangements, featuring the most magnificent entrance décor made of lush foliage and roses and surrounded by flickering candlelight.
Warren wore a timeless black tuxedo, while Dana walked arm in arm with her father up the aisle to At Last by Etta James. One of the most memorable pieces read out at the ceremony was from the novel All Things Were Bright & Beautiful chosen for Nanna Mo.
Dana exuded vintage elegance and old-world charm. Her chic and sophisticated gown, designed by Suzanne Neville, was purchased second-hand and tweaked to perfection. Originally a strapless dress, Dana with the help of a friend, added her own twist by adding sleeves and a high neck - wow! She paired her look with a headpiece by Agnes Hart, a long cathedral veil with divine Hollywood curls, vintage earrings and a ring from her late grandmother. This worked beautifully with the flowergirls in bright floral pink dresses.
The celebrations continued on the magical grounds of Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds. "The modernness of the interiors suited Warren, while the classic style of the grounds and architecture suited me perfectly," says Dana. The wedding aesthetic was inspired by the season, the hopefulness of new life that spring brings. Having the mothers and flower girls get ready with Dana on the morning of the wedding was very special, as well as having her father give her away, and surprising guests with a steel band. The couple also took themselves away for a private moment after the wedding breakfast before the day began to soak up every minute of their special day.
Bright red bridal nails to match her vintage red lip!
We asked the lovely newlyweds for wedding advice for those in the middle of wedding planning, they say: "Keep it about you at all costs, and block out all the noise around you - everybody has an opinion. Don't worry about the weather, you’re not God. Make planning fun, go out for date nights to discuss for example. Get wedding insurance before doing ANYTHING. As a Groom, get involved, you might be surprised how much you enjoy it."
Can we take a moment to swoon over the wedding cake? It was made of delicious layers of vanilla sponge and a lemon and gin curd filling and finished with white chocolate straws and blossoming blooms.
The champagne tower, a wedding must for Dana, was showcased on the lawn for guests to enjoy in on the fine day!
The style doesn't end with the lavish bride and groom, their glamorous touch was sprinkled throughout the tablescapes with ornate gold candlesticks, surrounded in moody florals and fresh eucalyptus and garnished with personalised menus and place cards.
We love a second dress change! The most perfect party ready bronze dress by Bronx & Banco made an appearance as the evening drew closer - which was also tweaked to perfection!
Penny and the Quarters You and Me began to play for Dana and Warren to share their first dance as husband and wife. Followed by Chaka Demus and Pliers Murder She Wrote with tequila shots to get the party started!
A very special thank you to Dana, Warren and Divine Day Photography for sharing their wonderful spring Cotswolds wedding with One Fab Day! There are tonnes more photos to pore over in the gallery below.
For more beautiful UK Real Weddings, see here!
