Becca and Scott first locked eyes on each other during a night out in Manchester in 2012. “Scott was based in London serving in the military at the Olympics at the time, so we spent the majority of the first few months together living for the weekend, so we were able to see each other,” recalls Becca.
On relocating to the Southwest, it didn’t take long for her to fall for a special corner of the Dorset coast. “Durdle Door was the first place in the Southwest I fell in love with,” she explains. “It is a place where we have many fond memories so it seemed an ideal spot to propose.” After Scott popped the question after a dog walk across the clifftops, planning began in earnest for their wedding at Upton Barn & Walled Garden.
The couple took their cue from Scott’s military uniform for the aesthetic of the day. “We picked a black-tie theme to complement Scott’s uniform. We also loved the industrial vibes at Upton Barn and thought the two would work well together,” says Becca.
Flowers brought a dreamy softness to the look of the day. “Lunaria was the main flower – it’s also called honesty which is perfect symbolism for a wedding,” she says. “As it’s a dried flower, I wanted a mixture of dried and fresh flowers that looked natural and organic in shape.” A stunning display featuring lunaria, gypsophila and roses made a picture-perfect backdrop for the couple to take their vows, while tables topped with pared-back florals and matt black candelabras complemented the industrial look of the Stable Barn.
The sensory delights continued with a wedding feast featuring chorizo and whipped goat’s curd, roast chicken, spinach and garlic purée, roasted shallots and truffled white wine sauce, and salted caramel brownie. The entertainment was another standout feature, with Matt Bee’s jukebox guitar and Piano Factor, a request band playing mini grand pianos, captivating guests throughout the celebrations.
With Scott being a pilot, references of flight were woven throughout the day, including a flypast after the ceremony. “Our friend wrote a reading called The Flight which she read during our ceremony,” says Becca. “She then orchestrated us being lifted during the evening dancing, captioning it on Instagram as The Flight!”
Looking back on their wedding, Becca is replete with advice for others: “Make sure the day is about you and your partner. Focus the day on what you want out of it – Scott and I love to have fun and this was an important theme throughout our wedding.”
“Prioritise your budget on the things that will have the biggest impact on your guests having a good time,” she continues. “For example, we chose to forgo favours and put the money into hiring the band.”
Photography Oliver Holder oliverholder.co.uk
Venue Upton Barn & Walled Garden uptonbarn.com
Catering Pickle Shack pickleshack.co.uk
Dress Élysée from TDR Bridal Birmingham thedressingroomsbridal.co.uk
Bridesmaids’ dresses TH&TH thandth.com
Flower girls’ dresses Lilli & Bo lillyandbo.co.uk
Hair The Updo Girl theupdogirl.com
Make-up Laura Le Page lauralepagebridalmakeup.com
Flowers Flowers by Sophie Millington flowersbysophiemillington.com
Candelabras & neon sign hire Glas Events glasevents.com
Entertainment Matt Bee, Cotswold Wedding Guitarist cotswoldweddingguitarist.co.uk
Piano Factor pianofactor.co.uk
